15 Tuesday Sep 2020
Posted in News and Notes
≈ Comments Off on It Was Not Tom Ironsides
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In Venezuela…
VENEZUELA’S President says authorities caught a U.S. Marine-turned-CIA spy with ‘special weapons’ meant to target the nation’s oil refineries
President Nicolás Maduro said the U.S. spy was caught targeting a pair of refineries on the north Caribbean coast as the country is in the grips of a deep gasoline shortage.
Tom wouldn’t have gotten caught.
02 Thursday Jul 2020
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on Piracy on the High Seas
Your beloved and dead constitution lists three crimes, and only three crimes, which the federal government may prosecute. I’ve gone over this before, noting that the government itself is generally the worst perpetrator of those three crimes. Today, an example of imperial piracy on the high seas.
U.S. federal prosecutors filed suit late Wednesday to seize four tankers-worth of gasoline Iran is sailing to Venezuela, the latest salvo in the administration’s effort to stifle flows of goods and money helping to keep two of its top foes in power.
By filing a civil-forfeiture complaint, U.S. prosecutors aim to not only prevent delivery of the Iranian fuel to Venezuela, which began the journey last month, but also deprive Tehran of the revenues from the cargo and deter future shipments.
The action is the latest in a series of moves the U.S. has taken against Iran and its ally Venezuela, as part of a broad operation to pressure the governments in Tehran and Caracas to meet U.S. demands.
We’ve covered civil for theft too. Another batch of Iranian tankers made it through just fine this spring. And in January, we found out that Iran is longer a missile lightweight. They have extremely accurate and powerful anti-ship and ballistic options. They also have subs. This could, should this piracy go too far, get very interesting. Leave well enough alone?
03 Monday Feb 2020
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on Reporting Confusion About Venezuela
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And the predictable slide of socialism.
The transformation also brought some relief to the millions of Venezuelans who have family abroad and can now receive, and spend, their dollar remittances on imported food.
But the boom has also come at a cost.
The new free market economy completely excludes the half of Venezuelans without access to dollars. This exacerbated inequality, that most capitalist of ills, and undercut Mr. Maduro’s claim of preserving the legacy of greater social equality left by his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, and his “Bolivarian Revolution.”
In his speeches, Mr. Maduro continues to promote a vision of Venezuela in which its resources are shared by all, but the gap between the rhetoric and the reality is greater than ever, said Ramiro Molino, an economist at Caracas’s Andrés Bello Catholic University.
How is it a free market if it excludes half the people? In short, it’s not. The elites almost always benefit under any system, regardless of what it’s called or how it’s reported.
07 Tuesday May 2019
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on Ron Paul on Trump, Venezuela, and the Deep, Crazy State
I haven’t covered much by Dr.Paul lately – my fault. He’s still out there and still demonstrating what a mistake it was not to elect him in 2008.
Is President Trump about to invade Venezuela? His advisors keep telling us in ever-stronger terms that “all options are on the table” and that US military intervention to restore Venezuela’s constitution “may be necessary.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on the Sunday news programs to claim that President Trump could launch a military attack against Venezuela without Congress’s approval.
Pompeo said that, “[t]he president has his full range of Article II authorities and I’m very confident that any action we took in Venezuela would be lawful.” The man who bragged recently about his lying, cheating, and stealing, is giving plenty of evidence to back his claim.
The president has no Constitutional authority to start a war with Venezuela or any other country that has not attacked or credibly threatened the United States without Congressional approval. It is that simple.
How ironic that Pompeo and the rest of the neocons in the Trump Administration are ready to attack Venezuela to “restore their constitution” but they could not care less about our own Constitution!
While Washington has been paralyzed for two years over disproven claims that the Russians meddled in our elections to elect Trump, how hypocritical that Washington does not even hesitate to endorse the actual overturning of elections overseas!
The nuts will happily settle for Iran if Venezuela isn’t available.
05 Sunday May 2019
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on “straight up Venezuela flipping”
Yo, G! Straight up. Pompeo. Word! Bolton.
A rapper might be able to come up with better ideas than the neocons about what to do with Venezuela. Last week, on the morning of the big “coup,” I talked to a sweet woman from VEN. She was naturally worried about her elderly parents in Caracas. I pondered whether the regime would assassinate Guaido.
In the aftermath of a faltering opposition uprising in Venezuela, the Trump administration is looking at imposing new individual sanctions against the Maduro government and also scrambling for ideas that can have a greater impact on the ground, including military options.
The White House is calling for relevant departments to produce more options for the president to consider on Venezuela. The National Security Council is pushing the Defense Department for military ideas and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is seeking ways to entice Russia to pull away from Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Current and former officials recognize there are not many more options other than military action or some type of internal revolt.
“It’s more sanctions, military or straight up Venezuela flipping,” said a senior administration official on condition of anonymity. “And that’s a problem. All they have to do is delay, delay, delay and they’re still in power.”
Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Navy Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, met Friday morning and discussed different options to increase pressure on the Maduro government, including military participation.
I’m not as worried now. Notice that Maduro hasn’t even threatened to arrest the US’s “legitimate” choice as president. I suspect that’s because the regime views him (and his neocon nut backers) as harmless objects of fun. That’s how low US foreign “policy” has fallen – Washington levels a gun at someone and all they do in response is laugh.
And, what of these options? Is one of them to simply leave it the hell alone? Or, how about just offering whoever is in charge that we will just keep buying the oil at market prices? Probably not.
This is a repeat of Syria. Russia, with a handful of troops and one or two ships, has checked US imperial aggression. Next, they’ll likely offer VEN a way out of depression via a switch to BRIC’s monetary policy and advice on tapering off the Bernie-esque domestic socialism. Then, they might offer a better internet alternative.
The options cons may well abandon that plan and move on. People of Nicaragua, watch out.
30 Tuesday Apr 2019
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on Since When Does the Recognized Leader Stage a Coup?
Operation Liberty looks less than impressive today.
Heavy gunfire crackled through the Venezuelan capital on Tuesday after opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising to oust President Maduro.
In the clip posted online a group of protesters could be seen throwing missiles at a white armoured vehicle. As they launch the assault as second tank emerged from the left and mounted the central reservation of the highway, mowing down a number of people.
One person could be seen falling under the wheels as both vehicles drove off, leaving crowds to swarm around the injured person.
Guaido urged protesters and members of the military to join what he called the ‘final phase of Operation Liberty’ in a video taken at La Carlota airbase in the capital Caracas while surrounded by heavily-armed soldiers.
The troops then set up defensive positions around the base before Maduro’s forces arrived and opened fire with teargas followed by live rounds, according to witnesses.
Guaido claimed that Maduro had lost the support of the military, but the President said he had spoken with his officers who had assured him of their ‘total loyalty’.
And it all looks bad for the people of VEN. Americans, please pay attention to what is happening and what continues to happen. You may see it again – and closer.
16 Tuesday Apr 2019
Posted in News and Notes
≈ Comments Off on Good News from Venezuela!
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This may be what ends up saving that country and ours as well. Seems that when things get really bad – like they are in VEN – people return to God. Funny, that.
Buffeted by political and humanitarian crises, one of Latin America’s least religious countries is turning to faith. As the political stalemate between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó grinds into another month, and shortages of electricity, food and water reduce life to a daily struggle to survive, leaders across religious traditions are reporting a flood of worshippers, lapsed and new, searching for comfort and answers.
“All my masses are full, which has never happened before,” said the Rev. Jesús Godoy, a Catholic priest at the Good Shepherd parish in the Chacao district of Caracas. He says he’s seeing more than 2,000 people each weekend.
“They beg for help,” Godoy said. “They want God to give them the tools to live in crisis.”
This will inevitably happen in pagan Amerika, a reset to sanity and Christ. A crippling depression, a war or two, and a few years of horrific suffering should be all it takes. Whatever it takes, Amerikans have earned it.
31 Sunday Mar 2019
Posted in News and Notes, The Perrin Lovett Show
≈ Comments Off on 2019 Venezuela Update VIDEO
Yes, a new YT vid on an older and popular topic. Enjoy:
10 Sunday Mar 2019
Posted in News and Notes, The Perrin Lovett Show
≈ Comments Off on Perhaps Another Venezuela Video is in Order
It’s no secret that my YouTube channel is kind of in a suspended hiatus. I may have to do an update. Thursday is the one-year anniversary of my Prepper’s Venezuela video, my most popular by far. Just the other day I got a friendly Spanish note in the comments – from Venezuela. It’s my most watched, most commented on, most liked, and most disliked episode. Watch again for old time’s sake:
There’s been a lot going on down there of late – most of it for the worse. Therefore, I think I shall consider a sequel update. Maybe this weekend. Stay tuned. And, yes, the update will feature better sound tuning – the biggest complaint about the original. Should also post as a NEW! FP feature.
17 Monday Sep 2018
Posted in Legal/Political Columns
≈ Comments Off on Civilization and Savagery
Russians, long oppressed by communism, seek a return to an honest and gentlemanly tradition: dueling:
The Russian Liberal Democratic party has drafted a bill allowing for official duels and detailing rules for such combat. The move comes after the head of the National Guard challenged an opposition figure to a fight over slander.
The motion, prepared and drafted by MP Sergey Ivanov states that a duel between Russian citizens should be possible – although it should by no means be deemed a normal way of settling scores.
“In recent times there is a tendency among civil servants to challenge citizens who express opinions that differ from the official point of view to duels. In order to systemize the main reasons of such challenges and the rules of actual duels we propose this bill,” the lawmaker wrote in the note attached with the draft.
The Russians are a different breed. I’m astounded that it’s the officials seeking to challenge the people. But it could easily go the other way – there. Here, there’s a reason our “leaders” are scared to death of such a prospect. It’s why they have routinely denied citizens the right to trial by combat. No, they’re headed in the opposite direction and taking us with them. Here’s a preview, from Venezuela, of what the future in America, with socialism for all and a “living wage,” will look like:
Nearly 40 percent of all Venezuelan stores have closed —some of them perhaps permanently —after the government of President Nicolas Maduro increased the minimum salary by nearly 3,500 percent in one fell swoop, according the National Council of Commerce and Services of Venezuela.
Many of the companies, which had been barely surviving the gradual collapse of the economy, saw the salary increase and other changes announced last month as the fatal blow in a series of policies that have been gradually strangling their businesses.
“These decisions are leading many business people to say, ‘No, I can’t do it any more,'” said Maria Carolina Uzcategui, president of the council.
The problem is that Venezuelan companies are being forced to sell at prices far below cost just as employee salaries are increasing 60 times, Uzcategui said.
What’s more, the regime has banned stores from increasing their prices to cover the salary increases, arguing that it is not necessary.
That’s literally a page from Atlas Shrugged. And it’s a page, a popular one, in the American socialist playbook.
If you’re young and love the West, consider the East.
