#VenezuelaAidLive is trending on Twitter in the USA as I write this, forced to the forefront of public consciousness and into everyone's eyeballs by a concert staged by billionaire plutocrat Richard Branson. Branson's Virgin Group controls hundreds of companies and brings in some $21 billion annually, with Branson himself valued at around five billion dollars.
The concert is pure narrative control operation, designed to advance the proven lie that the Venezuelan government is shutting out all humanitarian aid from its people, and the proven lie that it has blockaded a bridge to prevent the aid from getting through, both of which are also currently being promoted by American mainstream media despite being thoroughly disproven. In reality, the Venezuelan government has been taking in humanitarian aid from all around the world to help its people, just not from America's regime change operation that is so blatant even NPR recognizes it, and the bridge Branson has been posing in front of for his "billionaire philanthropist" photo ops has never been open for travel.
They're lying to us about Venezuela. Anyone with access to alternative media has access to the fact that they're lying to us about Venezuela. We know this for a fact. We also know for a fact that Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves on planet Earth, and that in spite of all these appeals to the humanitarian impulses of the US empire the Trump administration is openly interested in controlling that oil. We also know for a fact that US interventionism in modern times is consistently disastrous, and consistently never truly about humanitarianism. We also know for a fact that PNAC neocon Elliott Abrams, who is spearheading this "humanitarian aid" initiative, has previously used humanitarian aid as a pretext for arming militia groups in Nicaragua.
If you have access to alternative media, all of these facts are easily available to you. If all of these facts are easily available to you, and yet you still support the US government's interventionism in Venezuela, you are a complete fucking moron.
That's really all I wanted to say here. I have less than zero respect for those who join with Donald Trump, John Bolton, Elliott Abrams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jair Bolsonaro, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Fox News and MSNBC in manufacturing consent for this agenda, and I don't care who gets their feelings hurt by my saying so. If you've been a longtime reader of mine and you still support Trump's starvation sanctions, CIA ops, grooming and attempted installation of US vassal Juan Guaidó, and brazen propaganda war upon the minds of the unsuspecting US populace with the goal of toppling a sovereign nation's government, then my writing hasn't gotten through to you and you have gotten nothing out of it.
I've interacted with so many Trump supporters since I started this gig who claim to be anti-interventionist and anti-neocon, yet once their president started ramping up yet another neocon regime change intervention in yet another resource-rich country just like Bush and Obama before him, they fell right in line just like Bush and Obama's supporters did. Ask them why and they'll mumble something inarticulate about the absence of US boots on the ground (a point Obama's defenders also made about Libya and Syria) or about hating socialism, but in reality the reason they support Trump's regime change interventionism in yet another oil-rich country is because they are foam-brained human livestock who believe whatever the leader of their tribe tells them to.
Not all Trump voters have done this, but many of them have. For the most part those who continue to support this president are at best deadly silent on Venezuela, and are at worst actively cheering this bullshit on with everything they've got.
I actually have more respect for the people who have always been plugged into the CIA/CNN narrative than I have for those who saw through it during Obama's interventions but not during Trump's. Someone who has always been plugged into the mainstream narratives on US regime change interventionism is like a guy with his head up his ass. Someone who saw through Obama's depravity in Libya and Syria but fails to do the same with Venezuela is like a guy who pulled his head out of his ass, then soaked his hair with lube and willfully re-inserted it.
There is no excuse for supporting this administration's obvious lies and sociopathic interventionism in a sovereign nation. None.
Wise the fuck up, people.
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Sometimes it's necessary to call out the "foam-brained human livestock who believe whatever the leader of their tribe tells them to". Go Caitlin.
What a great title! yes: venezuelans don't need charity; they don't need foreign invasion; they don't need a western puppet in charge; they need an end to sanctions, they need us to keep our politicians and mercenaries under control.
got to this post through @shepz1's link and I have to say what a brilliant article! Love your passion and I share your frustration 100%!! Not just with this narrative but with so many others and I imagine you'd agree that if I were to edit this post I could easily adapt it to sooooooo many other subjects from around the world. Bravo @caitlinjohnstone!!! Followed, upvoted and resteemed with pleasure.
Although I agree with your premise about Venezuela, don't you think that calling those who have a different opinion CONTRARY to what we are collectively seeking? i.e., a healthy and respectful debate - at least for those like us trying to sway the opinions of those who would otherwise support the opposition of Venezuela? In other words, wouldn't there be more compelling arguments to make instead of aggressive criticisms? Lastly, doesn't this kind of language emit a negative vibration which is counter-intuitive to the ultimate goal (which I think we agree would be "peace")?
And don't you think that by employing such aggressive language you are not willfully (or ignorantly) partaking in the divide-and-conquer tactics by making careless statements like "fucking morons" to others?
I would have expected a lot better and more constructive rhetoric from a journalist of your caliber.
Highly dissapointed...
Respectfully,
I think there are times when nice words are appropriate as well as harsh language. In this case, I have to agree to the harsh language. She is allowed to vent in her writing because she is 100% correct. Especially when you have people like her little Steemit troll who have such intense cognitive dissonance, sometimes you just have to call it like you see it. Sometimes people are morons, it's just the truth.
Not disputing her correctness (about the issue) at all. That is besides my point. Venting is ok and all.
But you need to consider the FORUM in which she is posting her contents. Steemit (and other online outlets) is a place were thousands of people - with differing opinions and viewpoints - get exposed to complex and controversial material. If the material/message is negative in tone, aggressive in nature, it doesn't cultivate a healthy atmosphere in which people can engage and be respective of each others' opinions.
She directly states people are "fucking morons" WITHOUT giving them a chance to engage, i.e., she is shutting herself off to any discussion (almost like a child covering their ears). Very childish, arrogant, and immature, imho.
So rather, it fuels the divide-and-conquer attempts by the powers-that-be who want exactly that. In other words, she is playing right into their hands. Foolish. Folly. Hypocrisy.
I am not sure if he reads the comments on her Steemit posts; but I will assume she does. In this case, I implore her to challenge my remarks (in a mature and civil fashion of course). If we don't hear from her, then I assume that she doesn't have the tact or line of reasoning to do so...
I get what you are saying, and agree. Although I feel like most of her writing is informing and allowing people a chance to engage and learn in a non-aggressive/non-judgemental manner. I just looked at this piece as venting and frustration, which I think is understandable.
I have these very frustrating feelings about people myself, and for me, it feels good to see that expressed, as well as her usual educational posts. It was cathartic for me to read it as much as it was for her to write it. I think it's helpful to try to understand all sides of where people are coming from, and take into consideration their usual demeanor and internet persona.
"Let the hate flow through you" dark side life
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WORD!
Yep, same shit, different country.
Not that I think we should be involved militarily but there is always a reason why people are fleeing their country by the millions, I agree she seems to ignore this fact, that should show her something is wrong internally though I agree it's none of our business outside of providing humanitarian aid.
Her cry of just look at alternative media...well here she is on an alternative source where she can find many, many, many people on here who actually live there saying just the opposite of what she is saying but I guess she can be the only one right, right?
Did you miss this part of the commentary?
'In reality, the Venezuelan government has been taking in humanitarian aid from all around the world to help its people, just not from America's regime change operation that is so blatant even NPR recognizes it, and the bridge Branson has been posing in front of for his "billionaire philanthropist" photo ops has never been open for travel.'
If our government was seriously interested in aiding the Venezuelan people, they would end the sanctions. That they aren't tells you everything you need to know about the fraud behind their alleged concern for the Venezuelan people. So should the point man for US aid to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams. Read up on him and his past uses of US aid as a cover for arms shipments to rebels fighting governments we sought to overthrow. John Bolton himself told you this has nothing to do with aid to starving Venezuelans and everything to do with re-privatizing their oil for the benefit of US corporations (and US hegemony).
It may well so be it's an alleged fraud and Venezuela can and has dealt with that as they see fit. That still doesn't negate that gesture as presented on behalf of the American people as anything other than a humanitarian effort to help, even if they turn it down Americans can feel better that they tried. I can see your point on the sanctions not helping the situation but on the other hand from what I have seen from those posting here on this platform who live there and describe the situation it really wouldn't make much sense to avail to Maduro the ability to further buy more arms to use against those who oppose him, continue to allow himself to enrich the lives of others while simultaneously and willingly let those who oppose him starve. But that is just my opinion and I don't hold much sway over our government or over other countries governments either way the debate flows out.
Americans are pretty worn out though on the invasion for oil warring, that's why I think you see there has been no movement against Venezuela militarily. I think that's why you don't see more people concerned with the pull out in Syria, even though the US military is standing on the oil grounds the war was fought by those internally outside of ridding the country of ISIS fighters that they were engaged with, from the public's perspective it was internal, the opposition lost, it's time to move on now that ISIS has been defeated. People are good with that, it's sad for those who will have to live under what they consider oppression but outside of genocide being committed it's not our fight.
Halliburton stands shoulder to shoulder with the Venezuelan people and their struggle to reprivatize their oil.
I agree in the sense that Chevaz's highest point of popularity was around fifty seven percent, the majority of his elections fell below that. That means that the country is pretty much split along fifty/fifty lines. He was all good and popular at first then he made moves to government control over private property and that was enough to push an angry revolt against him that has just continued to grow passed his death.
Agree that a free society is one where societies progress, creativity lies and entrepreneur live but globalism and the quest for cheap labor has made that problematic when sheer greed contaminates the process.