Trump Claims Venezuela, Will Loot Americans

Over the holidays, Trump rounded up Nicolas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela, and claimed that "we" would be "running" Venezuela now.

Under any other President, I'd set aside my numerous qualms about the legality of this turn of events, and assume this to be mixed, but generally good news -- along the lines of the United States finally helping the Venezuelan opposition free that country from its socialist dictatorship.

Under Trump?

He's prosecuting Maduro as a narco-terrorist and, if anything, seems closer to cutting a "deal" with Venezuela's Vice President (and acting President), Delcy Rodriguez, than doing anything with the goal of establishing a government that would protect the individual rights, or even a "democracy."

There seems not to have been any behind-the scenes work to overthrow the tyrant and plan for a better future, although there has been talk of boots on the ground from the "winner" of the FIFA Peace Prize.

As with any past President, especially a Republican one, leftists are howling to the moon about imperialism and this being all about the oil. But with this one, the leftists' reflexive caterwauling would appear to be true, much like a parrot saying The sky is blue.

The chant just happens to be what an observer of the facts would say: This one is "all about the oil," at least in the sense that "oil" will form the basis of a big, juicy, corrupt set of bargains:

President Donald Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid isn't likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices. [link omitted]

Anyone with half a brain will know that it will take significant time and money before Venezuela's oil industry will recover from the decades of looting, mismanagement, and neglect it has suffered under state control. Not only that, it would be a fair question to ask why, even under a state so dependent on oil revenue, this hasn't happened to any degree at all for so long.

While today, few really understand the link between freedom and prosperity, Venezuela is such a basket case that everyone but Trump can reach a crude approximation of the answer:

The problem isn't finding the oil. It's a question of the political environment and whether companies can count on the government to live up to their contracts. Back in 2007, then President Hugo Chávez nationalized much of the oil production and forced major players like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips out.

"The issue is not just that the infrastructure is in bad shape, but it's mostly about how do you get foreign companies to start pouring money in before they have a clear perspective on the political stability, the contract situation and the like," said Francisco Monaldi, who is the director of the Latin American energy program at Rice University.

But the infrastructure does need significant investment. [link omitted, bold added]

Trump doesn't give a rat's behind about freedom or law and order, based on his actions, including this adventure; and he illegally raises and lowers tariffs like it's a bodily function -- wrecking the plans of businessmen across the globe in the process.

How in hell is someone like this taking over going to help?

Trump's answer -- assuming that he's actually interested in increasing oil production -- would appear to be to make you and me cover for any losses by the oil companies:

"I think we can do it in less time than 18 months], but it'll be a lot of money," Trump told NBC News in an interview Monday.

"A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they'll get reimbursed by us or through revenue," he said.

Whether the U.S. government ultimately agrees to reimburse the oil industry's costs in Venezuela, or alternatively, decides that future revenue is sufficient repayment, will likely be a key factor for the oil companies as they consider their options.

Trump declined to say how much money he believes it would cost companies to repair and upgrade Venezuela's aging oil infrastructure.

Trump, who was elected in part by the sort of people who obsess over the left's fetish for made-up pronouns, uses the first-person plural very strangely. We will run Venezuela means "my cronies and I will put American soldiers on the line to set up a criminal racket," whereas reimbursed by us means "bailed out by American taxpayers."

It's not inconceivable that this immoral, criminal, and lunatic scheme might raise oil production from Venezuela for a time, but I am skeptical of even that happening.

-- CAV