US-backed coup in Venezuela not so smooth

[Jouhou + 24]

Just to get my fellow Americans back on Topic-

both Republicans and Democrats oppose Maduro. We just characterize our reasons differently. They say the problem is their economic system, we say it's authoritarianism (which tends to happen from leaders shopping vulnerabilities within the economic system to seize power).

We universally dislike what Maduro represents. Let's agree on that. It's kind of like Stalin, both sides see him in a similar light. In US society it's the extremes of both left and right that are OK with figures like this, but our extremes are both guilty of liking autocrats.

And you know, I'm not Venezuelan so I have no idea if they are culturally OK with authoritarians but I am 100% sure the people of any society are not OK with having basic needs such as food being denied from them on an arbitrary basis. Let the people of Venezuela sort this out. I'm sure they are getting angrier by the day.

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

2 hours ago, TXPower said:

Do a simple web search on Iran as a state sponsor of terror.  And yes, the Mullahs in Iran are totalitarian they and their faithful espouse death to Israel, the little and big Satan and anyone who stands in the way of the caliphate and mahdi, which they believe they will hasten the return of.  You know little about the real power in Iran or you willingly disregard it.

Your responses are predictable if nothing else.  

The web researches, and the libraries ones... Thanks for the advice but I've done it for 25 years since I write books/articles about geopolitics. That's why I can't stand people telling stupidities or lies about that.

Iran as a state sponsor of terror ? Give me a break. This list is enacted by the US, an arch-ennemy of Iran and ally to the true states who sponsor terror : Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Totalitarian state ? Big LOL. Iran is a semi-democracy where women can vote. True, it's not a complete democracy because the mullahs don't allow some candidates. Yet, there are regular elections, people participate in it. The same can not be said about our great dictatorial allies like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrein, Kuwait, UAE...

Yes, they're against Israel. It's geopolitics. So what ? Is Israel above the laws, a holy country nobody can touch ? Israel is against Iran too.

The caliphate is Sunni, not Shia. Another mistake, sir...

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

50 minutes ago, Rodent said:

Keep up the lively and intelligent debate. Leave the name calling to another forum that tolerates such nonsense. 

 

Sorry, Rodi, the above does not qualify as "lively and intelligent debate."  In my view, what you are looking at is ranting. 

the idea that Maduro is some form of reincarnated saint, brought to Venezuela by God in order to lead "the People" to the nirvana of a happy and prosperous life, is comically absurd.  The man is a pig and a thug and has given the final push to turning Venezuela into a kleptocracy.  He and his cronies steal billions and literally leave the population to starve and die.  What he has done qualifies as a crime against humanity, and in my view that sets up placing him on a "Wanted - Dead or Alive" poster with a $5,000,000 bounty on his head.  Declaring him an international Outlaw, beyond the protections of any State, is right, proper, just and equitable. 

OK, moving past that thug, the real crisis in the Western Hemisphere is what do the nations of the Hemisphere do about it?  Do you or does anybody propose to just stand back, leave it alone, watch millions starve and die, watch more millions create the vastest movement of refugees ever (or, at least, since WWII) flood in a mass wave of misery from Peru to Canada?  And who is able to deal with that?  Who has the resources? 

I see these posts about Stalin having murdered 20 million.  Hey, that is just in Russians.  Add in the conquered countries and you are closer to 50 million. Is the USA perfect?  Of course not.  Americans have done some seriously dumb things. That does not qualify the entire country as an army of succubus warriors. In all candor, once you get past the yahoo contingent  (and yes, every country has its yahoos, including Dudley Do-Right and Canada), Americans are the most decent and honorable people on the planet.  Only the Americans will step up to the plate and suffer hurt and privation in an effort to better the lives of others.  I am not prepared to tolerate people posting dumps on the Americans, that is nasty and brutish, and above all, not truthful. Does anybody seriously think that the Russians (or the South Africans, for Heaven's sake) are going to step up to the plate and stabilize Venezuela?  Let's get real here: only the Americans have the capacity, and the backbone, and the moral will, to do that.  

The garbage I read in this thread makes me sick. It is the work of trolls, hiding behind anonymous name fabrications. I refuse to respond to posts by trolls, so trolls, you are on notice that you cannot bait me. Meanwhile, anybody who attempts to maintain that there is not catastrophic humanitarian crisis developing in Venezuela should go sit in their outhouse out in back and stay off the internet.

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

2 hours ago, Jouhou said:

OK. Let me make something clear, zerohedge is a Bulgarian website that has made it a part of their mission to represent Russian interests. I'm not kidding, look it up. They've been transparent about that.

I'm at loss of words... Zero Hedge is a Wall Street financial website.

 

2 hours ago, Jouhou said:

Maduro is a terrible person and an idiot because starving citizens will feel inclined to overthrow governments. He should accept all aid if he doesn't want to be overthrown by his own people.

True. But it's up to the Venezuelans to decie, not the US who want to put a puppet in Caracas for 20 years.

 

2 hours ago, Jouhou said:

Stalin was a douche by western values. Russians still like him because they have different values. That's why there's still tension between Russia and the west. What Russia thinks is "good" the west will always consider morally reprehensible. No point in arguing about it.

Russia doesn't think Stalin is good. The communist party now makes 10 %.

[Maxim Androsov + 31]

2 hours ago, TXPower said:

Grover Furr, a known Socialist/Communist sympathizer and apologist for Stalin and the USSR in general.  That’s rich!!  He’s not even a historian.  Beyond his birthplace he is no where near as American as me.

I wonder Maxim, if perhaps you have ever thought through this far enough to consider that the history you have been taught is the lie.

Look. It's getting funny, really.

Why every time an American, like you, must necessarily prove that any opinion of other people, especially those from the ex-Soviet bloc, is a priori unimportant for him? Why should one like you always speak in a lecturing manner and ridicule other’s arguments?

What is it? Omnipresent American exceptionalism? Or simple denialism? Or something else? 

How did we end up discussing Russia at all?

I remind you again that I have started my comments on this topic (about Venezuela and USA) by stating that “I sincerely hope the US doesn't start another war just to lose that one too”. I meant Afghanistan.

You immediately jumped in and, having noticed my Slavic name, brought Russia into discussion by responding “Well, the Russians would be experts on losing a war in Afghanistan”. Why the hell Russia needs to be discussed in this topic? Even if S300 was mentioned by some1 else b4. Aren’t we discussing the Venezuela and the US relations? If you want to say that, in your opinion, USA, on the contrary, is winning war in Afghanistan, then argue as an adult plse. Don’t change the subject in a way a schoolboy does it – “Ah! You do know that Russia lost there, don’t you?”

And what is all about your love for changing subjects?

The whole world knows that the Americans have killed more people in the world after WWII, than anyone else. ”20 million people” by some moderate estimates. 7,8 million just in Vietnam war.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-regime-has-killed-20-30-million-people-since-world-war-ii/5633111

When I mention it to you, then, rather than argue about that fact, you come up with all that your favourite changing subject strategy – this time with the bullshit about 20 million allegedly killed by Stalin.

Why Stalin? Unlike proven facts about deaths from American worldwide actions, those “facts” about Stalin are incorrect, if not to say they are all ridicules lies and fiction, that he killed 20 millions of his people. That was long ago proven by many historians and by mere figures of statistics in USSR. In Russia, had you used such an argument, you would be considered as somewhat retarded, sorry. Or just as a schoolboy. And when I hint you on the views of the American historian about Stalin, you immediately come up with – “Ah! That guy is red! He is not historian, he is not even American!  In fact he IS an american. At least you can 't deny this fact.

Don’t you find it funny? You haven’t argued in ANY style other than changing the subject! 

OK, you are implying that I, supposedly, had learned a history that "is a lie". I’m afraid, judging by your “knowledge” and set of terribly overage clichés you use, I can definitely say that my history books were much more accurate than yours. At least, unlike you, I know that there is no any other country in the world like USA, that had so many lies, deceptions and mass killings in its history. Starting with the genocide of native Americans and blacks and ending with the two most violent wars of the last decades. Both of them have started with the lies: Vietnam from the false flag operation in the Gulf of Tonkin, and Iraq with a lie about the Saddam chemical weapons. I’m not bringing the issue of Afghanistan. Not as yet.

OK, I perfectly understand that everyone has his own "confirm zone". It must be easier for you, rather than to argue, just to apply your view of american exceptionalism (or your personal denialism) and jump to conclusions accusing others in “hating America”. Calling them “reds” also seems to work perfect for you.

If you think that deception and hypocrisy won't sound that bad if they are called the “truth” then yes - stay in the confirm zone of your deceptive lies. 

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

51 minutes ago, Jouhou said:

Just to get my fellow Americans back on Topic-

both Republicans and Democrats oppose Maduro. We just characterize our reasons differently. They say the problem is their economic system, we say it's authoritarianism (which tends to happen from leaders shopping vulnerabilities within the economic system to seize power).

We universally dislike what Maduro represents. Let's agree on that.

What you don't get is that the world is fed up with US imperialism. We just don't care what you like or not...

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

14 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

the idea that Maduro is some form of reincarnated saint, brought to Venezuela by God in order to lead "the People" to the nirvana of a happy and prosperous life, is comically absurd. 

The same can be said about Guaido. You know, this guy the western MSM says is a saint...

 

15 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

What he has done qualifies as a crime against humanity, and in my view that sets up placing him on a "Wanted - Dead or Alive" poster with a $5,000,000 bounty on his head.  Declaring him an international Outlaw, beyond the protections of any State, is right, proper, just and equitable.

US imperialism at its best. Who are you to decide who should and who shouldn't go ?

Crime against humanity ? The Washington swamp says the same against all its strategic enemy. Remember Saddam, Assad, Ghadaffi, Mossadegh, Allende, Arbenz ? Everytime, the US presstitute suddenly rushes to make stories about a so-called evil American people didn't even know two days before. It's a Hollywood show...

While the true evils are comiting crimes against humanity in Yemen with US weapons. Their names : Saudi Arabia.

[NickW + 2,714]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 2:12 PM, Dan Warnick said:

Did you ever look at what sits between Iraq and Afghanistan?  Lost wars?  Or, permanent bases of 100% battle hardened troops with all the toys they need for a neighborhood BBQ?

Another way of looking at it. Those dam Iranians sticking their Country slap bang in the middle of all those US military bases.

 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

2 minutes ago, NickW said:

Another way of looking at it. Those dam Iranians sticking their Country slap bang in the middle of all those US military bases.

 

Nick, with the exception of Qatar, all those bases are not capable of being launch points for invasion of Iran.  And quite possibly the Qatar base has treaty restrictions.  All that said, if the USA seeks to invade Iran, it will be done by sea power, with air superiority determined by carrier-based aircraft. You of all people know that some battalions sitting in Pakistan are not going to be used as a launch into Iran.  Let's stay real.

[NickW + 2,714]

Just now, Jan van Eck said:

Nick, with the exception of Qatar, all those bases are not capable of being launch points for invasion of Iran.  And quite possibly the Qatar base has treaty restrictions.  All that said, if the USA seeks to invade Iran, it will be done by sea power, with air superiority determined by carrier-based aircraft. You of all people know that some battalions sitting in Pakistan are not going to be used as a launch into Iran.  Let's stay real.

I agree -  but lets for a minute imagine those were all bases of another country positioned around the USA.....

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

12 minutes ago, NickW said:

Another way of looking at it. Those dam Iranians sticking their Country slap bang in the middle of all those US military bases.

Great map, Nick. As Washington's doctors Strangelove would say : Iran is too close to our bases, they should remove their country...

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

9 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

Nick, with the exception of Qatar, all those bases are not capable of being launch points for invasion of Iran.  And quite possibly the Qatar base has treaty restrictions.  All that said, if the USA seeks to invade Iran, it will be done by sea power, with air superiority determined by carrier-based aircraft. You of all people know that some battalions sitting in Pakistan are not going to be used as a launch into Iran.  Let's stay real.

You're right, Jack. Nonetheless, Iran is litterally surrounded by US bases and that explains a lot their stance. Everytime Tehran wants to freeze the rethorics and make overtures to the US (1992, 1998, 2001), Washington refuses.

This silly US policy towards Iran isn't rationale, it's dictated by Iran's arch-enemies : Israel and Saudi Arabia. It's a pity because, while being far from perfect, Iran should be a Western ally in Middle East. It's a semi-democratic regime, it's Shia and our best protection against the Sunni terror groups killing us (Al Qaeda, ISIS).

[Zhong Lu + 845]

As it turns out Maduro is an enemy to the Venezuelan people.  He denies them aid and starves them so his cronies can funnel Venezuelan money out in Bulgarian bank accounts to places like Russia.  

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-13/bulgaria-investigates-bank-transfers-from-venezuela-s-pdvsa

Edited February 25, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

Just now, NickW said:

I agree -  but lets for a minute imagine those were all bases of another country positioned around the USA.....

The geography does not support it. 

Moving past that, the USA is emphatically not an "imperial power."  What the USA has done, with remarkable restraint, is act as the world's policeman - on its own nickel.  There have been times where the USA has failed in that role - Bill Clinton being the biggest failure. But for the most part, whether it was Truman in Korea ore Reagan with the USSR, it was the USA that responded to the 911 calls for help in establishing peace and order.  It has cost the Americans a great deal - staggeringly vast sums, and quite a bit of blood.  

Also remember that it was not just in soldiers that Americans paid.  When you have 55,000 dead soldiers, you also have 55,000 American women who will have no husband.  When you have 2,000,000 battle wounded, then you also have 2 million American women with crippled husbands. The costs of being the world's policeman extends well beyond the military price. 

If you want to view an imperial power, I invite you to review both England and Russia.  The British created an Empire that ran right around the globe - including Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, Egypt, big chunks of the Middle East, Gibraltar, piece of Africa including Rhodesia and its invasion of South Africa, chunks of the Caribbean including Barbados and Jamaica and the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, and both Canada and the USA at one point.  As for the Russians, they took whatever they wanted, installed their secret police including the NKVD, built a vast archipelago of Gulag death camps, conquering and enslaving millions.  They are still at it today, in Georgia, Osettia, Ukraine, and Kaliningrad Oblast.  The one place which the Americans have not relinquished was Guantanamo, in their ongoing dispute with the Castro Brothers.  But contrast the Philippines, where the Americans peacefully moved out of Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Station  (a huge port, for those of you who do not know), all with no more than a Letter of Demand from the local govt.  

[Zhong Lu + 845]

Russia would be an imperial power if they had the economy to back it up.  Their willingness to invade their neighbors is certainly there.  

When Russians post about US interventionist behavior they're just being jealous.  They really wish they could do what the US regularly does.  Thankfully they can't.  

Edited February 25, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[Maxim Androsov + 31]

7 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

The geography does not support it. 

Moving past that, the USA is emphatically not an "imperial power."  What the USA has done, with remarkable restraint, is act as the world's policeman - on its own nickel.  There have been times where the USA has failed in that role - Bill Clinton being the biggest failure. But for the most part, whether it was Truman in Korea ore Reagan with the USSR, it was the USA that responded to the 911 calls for help in establishing peace and order.  It has cost the Americans a great deal - staggeringly vast sums, and quite a bit of blood.  

Also remember that it was not just in soldiers that Americans paid.  When you have 55,000 dead soldiers, you also have 55,000 American women who will have no husband.  When you have 2,000,000 battle wounded, then you also have 2 million American women with crippled husbands. The costs of being the world's policeman extends well beyond the military price. 

If you want to view an imperial power, I invite you to review both England and Russia.  The British created an Empire that ran right around the globe - including Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, Egypt, big chunks of the Middle East, Gibraltar, piece of Africa including Rhodesia and its invasion of South Africa, chunks of the Caribbean including Barbados and Jamaica and the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, and both Canada and the USA at one point.  As for the Russians, they took whatever they wanted, installed their secret police including the NKVD, built a vast archipelago of Gulag death camps, conquering and enslaving millions.  They are still at it today, in Georgia, Osettia, Ukraine, and Kaliningrad Oblast.  The one place which the Americans have not relinquished was Guantanamo, in their ongoing dispute with the Castro Brothers.  But contrast the Philippines, where the Americans peacefully moved out of Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Station  (a huge port, for those of you who do not know), all with no more than a Letter of Demand from the local govt.  

So many lies in one comment!

qte

it was the USA that responded to the 911 calls for help in establishing peace and order

unqte

Right.. When the USA staged false flag operation in the Gulf of Tonkin to fight "commies" and then kill 7,8 million people there (including in Laos and Cambodia), then we should call it "call for help in establishing peace and order"?

What a profound lies!

qte

Also remember that it was not just in soldiers that Americans paid.  When you have 55,000 dead soldiers, you also have 55,000 American women who will have no husband.  When you have 2,000,000 battle wounded, then you also have 2 million American women with crippled husbands. The costs of being the world's policeman extends well beyond the military price. 

unqte

Right.. 55,000 dead soldiers is obviously bad and 55,000 american women "with no husband" is not good either.

But how about 7,8 millions vietnamese, cambodians and laotians who were killed by the americans in that war? How about many more millions that were left wounded? Crippled? Agent Orange defoliant maimed babies are still being born in Vietnam.

How about millions of others that were killed in perpetual US wars? Shouldn't they have been mentioned in your touching essay about americans suffering because they are the only ones responding to other nations' "911 calls for help" in establishing war, terror and destabilisation around the globe?  

What a profound ignorance and hypocrisy!

 

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

27 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

Moving past that, the USA is emphatically not an "imperial power."  What the USA has done, with remarkable restraint, is act as the world's policeman - on its own nickel.  There have been times where the USA has failed in that role - Bill Clinton being the biggest failure. But for the most part, whether it was Truman in Korea ore Reagan with the USSR, it was the USA that responded to the 911 calls for help in establishing peace and order.  It has cost the Americans a great deal - staggeringly vast sums, and quite a bit of blood. 

Jesus, even Walt Disney fairy tales wouldn't dare writing such a ridiculous script. By staging coups in Guatemala, Iran, Chile, Ukraine etc. the benevolent US just responded to 911 calls. By having 800 military bases abroad, mainly near oil routes, the US just want to protect poor and desderate victims. Oh dear...

 

29 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

Also remember that it was not just in soldiers that Americans paid.  When you have 55,000 dead soldiers, you also have 55,000 American women who will have no husband.  When you have 2,000,000 battle wounded, then you also have 2 million American women with crippled husbands. The costs of being the world's policeman extends well beyond the military price.

Tell that to the US governments who sent hundreds of thousands soldiers to death for imperial strategic reasons.

[Illurion + 894]

1 hour ago, NickW said:

In Syria by invite of the legitimate Government of that Country.

The Iranians are in Syria to attack Israel......

The Israelis did not invite the Iranians.......

[Zhong Lu + 845]

20 minutes ago, Maxim Androsov said:

So many lies in one comment!

qte

it was the USA that responded to the 911 calls for help in establishing peace and order

unqte

Right.. When the USA staged false flag operation in the Gulf of Tonkin to fight "commies" and then kill 7,8 million people there (including in Laos and Cambodia), then we should call it "call for help in establishing peace and order"?

 What a profound lies!

 qte

 Also remember that it was not just in soldiers that Americans paid.  When you have 55,000 dead soldiers, you also have 55,000 American women who will have no husband.  When you have 2,000,000 battle wounded, then you also have 2 million American women with crippled husbands. The costs of being the world's policeman extends well beyond the military price. 

 unqte

 Right.. 55,000 dead soldiers is obviously bad and 55,000 american women "with no husband" is not good either.

But how about 7,8 millions vietnamese, cambodians and laotians who were killed by the americans in that war? How about many more millions that were left wounded? Crippled? Agent Orange defoliant maimed babies are still being born in Vietnam.

How about millions of others that were killed in perpetual US wars? Shouldn't they have been mentioned in your touching essay about americans suffering because they are the only ones responding to other nations' "911 calls for help" in establishing war, terror and destabilisation around the globe?  

What a profound ignorance and hypocrisy!

 

LOL.  When people write like this, with all of these uppity exclamation marks, you know they know that they're lying through their teeth.  My point about Russian jealously and imperialism has hit the mark.  

Edited February 25, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[TXPower + 643]

57 minutes ago, Maxim Androsov said:

Look. It's getting funny, really.

Why every time an American, like you, must necessarily prove that any opinion of other people, especially those from the ex-Soviet bloc, is a priori unimportant for him? Why should one like you always speak in a lecturing manner and ridicule other’s arguments?

What is it? Omnipresent American exceptionalism? Or simple denialism? Or something else? 

How did we end up discussing Russia at all?

I remind you again that I have started my comments on this topic (about Venezuela and USA) by stating that “I sincerely hope the US doesn't start another war just to lose that one too”. I meant Afghanistan.

You immediately jumped in and, having noticed my Slavic name, brought Russia into discussion by responding “Well, the Russians would be experts on losing a war in Afghanistan”. Why the hell Russia needs to be discussed in this topic? Even if S300 was mentioned by some1 else b4. Aren’t we discussing the Venezuela and the US relations? If you want to say that, in your opinion, USA, on the contrary, is winning war in Afghanistan, then argue as an adult plse. Don’t change the subject in a way a schoolboy does it – “Ah! You do know that Russia lost there, don’t you?”

And what is all about your love for changing subjects?

The whole world knows that the Americans have killed more people in the world after WWII, than anyone else. ”20 million people” by some moderate estimates. 7,8 million just in Vietnam war.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-regime-has-killed-20-30-million-people-since-world-war-ii/5633111

When I mention it to you, then, rather than argue about that fact, you come up with all that your favourite changing subject strategy – this time with the bullshit about 20 million allegedly killed by Stalin.

Why Stalin? Unlike proven facts about deaths from American worldwide actions, those “facts” about Stalin are incorrect, if not to say they are all ridicules lies and fiction, that he killed 20 millions of his people. That was long ago proven by many historians and by mere figures of statistics in USSR. In Russia, had you used such an argument, you would be considered as somewhat retarded, sorry. Or just as a schoolboy. And when I hint you on the views of the American historian about Stalin, you immediately come up with – “Ah! That guy is red! He is not historian, he is not even American!  In fact he IS an american. At least you can 't deny this fact.

Don’t you find it funny? You haven’t argued in ANY style other than changing the subject! 

OK, you are implying that I, supposedly, had learned a history that "is a lie". I’m afraid, judging by your “knowledge” and set of terribly overage clichés you use, I can definitely say that my history books were much more accurate than yours. At least, unlike you, I know that there is no any other country in the world like USA, that had so many lies, deceptions and mass killings in its history. Starting with the genocide of native Americans and blacks and ending with the two most violent wars of the last decades. Both of them have started with the lies: Vietnam from the false flag operation in the Gulf of Tonkin, and Iraq with a lie about the Saddam chemical weapons. I’m not bringing the issue of Afghanistan. Not as yet.

OK, I perfectly understand that everyone has his own "confirm zone". It must be easier for you, rather than to argue, just to apply your view of american exceptionalism (or your personal denialism) and jump to conclusions accusing others in “hating America”. Calling them “reds” also seems to work perfect for you.

If you think that deception and hypocrisy won't sound that bad if they are called the “truth” then yes - stay in the confirm zone of your deceptive lies. 

Did you miss the post where I showed you that you brought Russia into the discussion with your reference to Dr. Strangelove and S300 missiles.  You haven’t presented any more facts.  You literally repeated everything you have already said with the diatribe above.  I’m not going back through the list with you.

America is exceptional in almost every way.  She ain’t perfect but she’s the best the world has.

Name calling is unnecessary and demonstrates that you have lost control over your emotions.  Let us now adhere to some decorum and agree that we see the world through different lenses, be gentlemen and move on.

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

2 minutes ago, TXPower said:

 

America is exceptional in almost every way.  She ain’t perfect but she’s the best the world has.

Very true, but the last part is stretching it.  Let's say, top 5%.  OK, 2% if you wish to really narrow it down. 

As for the trolls that come onto oilprice to dump on Americans, you are not going to mellow any of them, so I don't bother.  I refuse to entertain trolls, shills, and bots.  Hey, that's just me. 'Nuff said!

[Maxim Androsov + 31]

36 minutes ago, Zhong Lu said:

Russia would be an imperial power if they had the economy to back it up.  Their willingness to invade their neighbors is certainly there.  

When Russians post about US interventionist behavior they're just being jealous.  They really wish they could do what the US regularly does.  Thankfully they can't.  

Thankfully, you are wrong Zhong Lu. In every thing you have mentioned above.

"Their willingness to invade their neighbors is certainly there".

If you look at the list of "Invasions" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasions you will surprisingly find even your native China (as far as I can guess by your name) is far more frequent mention in the list of invasions, than Russia.

Shall we then ask you to amend that part of your comment where you imply that Russia has "willingness to invade their neighbors"? Otherwise you will sound a bit "too much prejudiced". To say the least...

 

[Zhong Lu + 845]

Chechnya, Ukraine, Georgia, Syria.  All in the last 20 or 30 years.  

Edited February 25, 2019 by Zhong Lu

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

Notice how the previous Filipino Government asked the Americans to please leave.  The Americans did.  They even left behind all the port infrastructure that American taxpayers paid for.  Free, well-equipped harbor, all yours, no charge, not so shabby for an "imperial power."

Notice also how the current Filipino Government is pleading with the US military to please come back and set up shop at both Subic Bay and Clark Airfield.  Seems they are worried about Chinese military expansionism, including the Chinese penchant for bringing in huge dredges to fill in various coral atolls to construct big bases including runways filled with fighter jets.  

The Filipinos figure the Chinese are going to do property grabs.  Americans? No, no worries there.  Americans are far too decent for that. 

[Observatus Geopoliticus + 96]

7 minutes ago, Zhong Lu said:

Chechnya, Ukraine, Georgia, Syria.  All in the last 20 or 30 years.  

Chechnya is Russia.

Ukraine was the theatre of a US coup.

Georgia wasn't invaded.

Syria invited Russia.

Your propaganda trolling falls apart.