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Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Alex Brandon/AP)
EA-Byline Times Podcast: Ego, Oil, and “Donro Doctrine” — Trump’s Invasion of Venezuela
UPDATE, JAN 11:
I joined a top-tier panel on Times Radio on Saturday night for a 50-minute look at the threats of the Trump Administration and how the world can — and must — respond.
The other panellists are former UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt and Robin Niblett of Chatham House. The host is Ayesha Hazarika.
We consider the Trump camp’s quest for domination, starting with the Western Hemisphere and continuing through Europe. We touch on other areas of the world where there must be cooperation, including Africa and the Middle East.
To listen, you need to be in the UK or have a VPN:
Listen to Discussion from 2:08.59
But before we can do that, we have to endure a stream of disinformation and polemic from Trumpist activist Carla Sands. I do my best to knock back her falsehoods and insults, especially against Denmark, by setting out the facts about Greenland, Europe, and NATO.
UPDATE 1540 GMT:
I spoke with Nigeria Info FM’s Maryann Okon on Thursday about the Trump camp’s tactics, from Venezuela to Europe to Africa, for attempted “domination” and their “19th-century US colonialism on steroids”.
I begin by re-emphasizing that the US kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro had no basis in international law. I set out the Trumpist motives — and dismantle them.
In their attempt to show domination, the Trump Administration is now talking about attacking another member of NATO.
What distinguishes this Administration is that they don’t believe in alliances. They don’t believe in international organizations. They don’t believe in regional organizations.
They only believe in making a profit for themselves.
Watch from 13:20:
UPDATE, JAN 9:
I joined CEO Retort’s Tim El-Sheikh for a 70-minute live stream discussion of the Trump Administration’s threats to global security and order amid their invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro:
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00:02:55 – The shambolic nature of the US invading Venezuela and the kidnapping of Maduro.
00:10:56 – Trump’s bizarre press conference, his apparent decline in health, and the spread of disinformation
00:17:36 – It’s regime coercion, not regime change
00:21:16 – Considering Trump’s obvious mental decline, who is actually in charge?
00:29:17 – The broader implications for Latin America and the future of Greenland’s independence
00:37:06 – Implications for the European Union and international law from this Venezuelan crisis
00:45:12 – Are we entering an international system of anarchy, and what is the MAGA grassroots’ reaction?
00:59:32 – Are there any clear indicators emerging as to the direction of play with Venezuela?
01:04:46 – What impact will this entire situation have on the regular people globally?
ORIGINAL ENTRY, JAN 5: Beginning with Venezuela and continuing across Latin America and beyond, I joined Times Radio’s Fergus Macphee for a 34-minute deep dive into the Trump Administration’s shattering of international law and its threat to international stability.
Asked about the Trump Administration’s motives and calculations around the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, I begin:
What’s in the mind of Donald Trump? That gets into Crazyland.
Then there are the others in the Trump Administration. They are not looking at regime change. They are looking at regime coercion.
I carry that analysis of the crazy v. the rational through the possible outcomes in Venezuela, and then consider how it plays out in the Trump camp’s threats to countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Greenland.
Without predicting how far the Administration will go in its pressure, intimidation, and possible attacks, I summarize.
There are no more rules of the game, however much we try to make this rational. There are no more alliances for the Trump folks. There are no more regional organizations. There are only what Donald Trump thinks is good for Donald Trump and what his advisors think is good for American power.
That’s the new world that we have to deal with, starting with Venezuela but going across the globe.
