A lot of support? before Iraq it was the number one country for the US to park its money....but I don't think you will see a war.
We'll see.
I'm glad you've finally seen the light on Chavez, John.
I have for a good long time, tuco. Chavez masqueraded as a moderate in the beginning, and I was greatly influenced by the Irish documentary "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".
But in recent years, Chavez has clearly shown his hand by trying to short-circuit democracy in Venezuela through the referendum last year, and by rolling out a dreary socialist based on nationalizing large sectors of Venezuela's economy. Chavez has proven to be redder than a baboon's ass. Our country is beginning to receive people from Venezuela who are desperate to flee Chavez, for fear of what is to come. I know many Venezuelan women and men who now call Regina home for this reason. When people vote with their feet, you know something is up!
The only reason Chavez is still in power because the international price of oil is making his government rich.
Plus he shares the oil wealth. With gas at 12 cents/liter in Venezuela, it is cheaper than water. Unfortunately while we have crude oil and refining capacity in Sask, and could quite easily consume our own oil and homegrown prices, NAFTA takes care of that and forces us to pay world prices for that which we produce.
What makes you think the US will go to war against Venezuela? Way back in 1979 Iranian students with the backing of their government stormed the US Embassy and held the staff hostage for 444 days. The US has yet to retaliate, even though Iran has plenty of oil. I think Iran will be first on the who's next list and it won't be about oil. Chavez is just a tin-pot thug. Cold war tactics will work on him, and toppling the theocracy in Iran would be a good way to start since Iran is one of the few friends that Chavez has.
Good question Louise, as per usual. I should have been more precise with my wording; I wasn't implying anything like a 'pre-emptive' first strike What I had in mind, is that the US may have to intervene if the event Venezuela ends up locked in conflict with, say Colombia. Without knowing anything about the strength of each nation's army, I would think a war would put Colombia at a disadvantage, since the country is already bogged down in an intense 4-decade old civil war with Marxist rebels.
Worst case would be that Venezuela's oil production is damaged, much like Kuwait's was after the first gulf war. The fallout would be such that world oil prices would skyrocked and the numero uno consumer being the USA would hurt.
I think that is true, Richard.
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