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https://theconversation.com/can-the-us-run-venezuela-military-force-can-topple-a-dictator-but-it-cannot-create-political-authority-or-legitimacy-272683>
"An image circulated over media the weekend of Jan. 3 and 4 was meant to convey
dominance: Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed
aboard a U.S. naval vessel. Shortly after the operation that seized Maduro and
his wife, Cilia Flores, President Donald Trump announced that the United States
would now “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could
be arranged.
The Trump administration’s move is not an aberration; it reflects a broader
trend in U.S. foreign policy I described here some six years ago as “America
the Bully.”
Washington increasingly relies on coercion – military, economic and political –
not only to deter adversaries but to compel compliance from weaker nations.
This may deliver short-term obedience, but it is counterproductive as a
strategy for building durable power, which depends on legitimacy and capacity.
When coercion is applied to governance, it can harden resistance, narrow
diplomatic options and transform local political failures into contests of
national pride.
There is no dispute that Maduro’s dictatorship led to Venezuela’s catastrophic
collapse. Under his rule, Venezuela’s economy imploded, democratic institutions
were hollowed out, criminal networks fused with the state, and millions fled
the country – many for the United States.
But removing a leader – even a brutal and incompetent one – is not the same as
advancing a legitimate political order."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
