There are going to be a lot of stories written about the lasting damage the USA has done to its global reputation and, even above that, its ability to sustain itself. I’m trying to jump on the bandwagon early here and point out a few things I’m noticing so we’re not in the Monday Morning QB mode. Here’s the thing: We aren’t being led by people who actually care about the future of the country above their own personal and private gain within whatever specialized community they exist within. All of these people with top level access and influence are trying to do half a dozen things that often have little to do with each other. The Venezuela issue, for example, isn’t really about that nation or Maduro. Of course, because arrogance makes you stupid, Trump probably thinks it is about Maduro and his Nobel Peace Prize winning winning opponent, María Corina Machado. She should be the President there. She won the election. Maduro said nah, it was rigged and stayed in power. Can we see the irony in this?
Nah, this is about oil. Specifically, I am starting to think it is about the shadow network of oil being moved around the world by a series of ships we are starting to snatch. That shadow network cuts into certain people’s profit. We’ve long been looking for an excuse to get at those shipments and destabilize the network. This is clearly the chance to do such.
This isn’t the only way we are marching into a dark corporate future, but it is legitimately a shot across the bow of our own demise. I’m increasingly worried about the world we are signing up for and how long it is going to take to get us back to right. I’m even more worried about finding leadership that has the charisma and the guts to do so.