US forces then proceeded to, at the point of a gun, kidnap the oil rich county’s president, Nicolas Maduro, taking him back to the US for a show trial. This illegal act by Trump did not force the same protests and outrages from Western leaders as Russian President, Vladimir Putins, invasion of his neighbour Ukraine. In fact what Trump has done has semi-legitimised the Russian invasion of Ukraine because Putin can now reasonably claim; just as you dictate what goes on in your backyard, so do we in ours!
Ever since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 the USA has considered Central and Southern America within their sphere of influence but this is the first time they have kidnapped a country’s leader. By the same token since the fall of the Soviet Union Russia can equally claim Ukraine to be within its orbit and therefore the same rule of influence must apply. Whether this assumption is right or wrong is not the topic here but Trump's actions in Venezuela have given Putin the rationale he needs to justify his invasion and demands of Ukraine. If anything Putin may have had more justification than Trump for his actions against his neighbour which is a matter of conjecture.
Donald Trump, a man not known for his honesty, claimed, with absolutely no evidence, the Venezuelan leader was involved in the drugs trade and therefore his arrest was legitimate. Trump also claimed the former trade union leader and head of the Venezuelan Socialist Party is/was not the legitimate leader of the country and therefore he had to be removed. Madura’s political ideology is an antithesis to Trump and for this reason, among others, he has been illegally and forcibly removed from office and taken to a US kangaroo court. We only have Trump's less than reliable word for this allegation what in all likelihood could be a false claim. The real reason for this violation of Venezuela is because the country is rich in oil. Western sycophant leaders like Britain’s Keir Starmer are lining up to find words which can justify Trump's actions so they do not have to take action, sanctions for example, if they dare, against the US tyrant.
Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact he wants to annex his neighbour Canada to the north and most of the Americas to the south of the US. In this - what could be described as a bastardisation of the Monroe Doctrine - has Trump laid the first brick in his plans to occupy the whole of the Americas? If this turns out to be the case - and the early signs are not good - what will the reactions of larger South American countries like Argentina and Brazil be? Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has already told Trump Canada will not become the “51st state of the USA” earlier in 2025 when Trump was sabre rattling about such an eventuality. Now Trump is threatening Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with military invasion, claiming it is important to US ‘national security’ for Greenland to be governed by the USA. Once again this is make-believe stuff of comics. What the US Brigand really means is the ‘country is wealthy in minerals we want’. US security is presently guaranteed as they already have military bases in Greenland. Denmark and therefore Greenland are members of NATO and such an invasion by the USA, the leading NATO member without whom the alliance is virtually toothless, would no doubt split and possibly end the Atlantic Alliance. Article five of NATO’s constitution states, “if one member is attacked all other members come to help.” The six-million-dollar question is: will article five apply if the US invade Greenland? Just as Venezuelan sovereignty has, for the time being, gone so too would that of Greenland, and by virtue of that the sovereignty of Denmark would be eroded. On 6th January in a statement:
Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact he wants to annex his neighbour Canada to the north and most of the Americas to the south of the US. In this - what could be described as a bastardisation of the Monroe Doctrine - has Trump laid the first brick in his plans to occupy the whole of the Americas? If this turns out to be the case - and the early signs are not good - what will the reactions of larger South American countries like Argentina and Brazil be? Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has already told Trump Canada will not become the “51st state of the USA” earlier in 2025 when Trump was sabre rattling about such an eventuality. Now Trump is threatening Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with military invasion, claiming it is important to US ‘national security’ for Greenland to be governed by the USA. Once again this is make-believe stuff of comics. What the US Brigand really means is the ‘country is wealthy in minerals we want’. US security is presently guaranteed as they already have military bases in Greenland. Denmark and therefore Greenland are members of NATO and such an invasion by the USA, the leading NATO member without whom the alliance is virtually toothless, would no doubt split and possibly end the Atlantic Alliance. Article five of NATO’s constitution states, “if one member is attacked all other members come to help.” The six-million-dollar question is: will article five apply if the US invade Greenland? Just as Venezuelan sovereignty has, for the time being, gone so too would that of Greenland, and by virtue of that the sovereignty of Denmark would be eroded. On 6th January in a statement:
the leaders of France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Denmark, and Greenland said Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland and only them to decide on politics concerning Greenland. (Irish Daily Mirror 7th January).
Trump has already indicated he does not care what Europe think: it shall be him who decides the future of Greenland! This is very similar to Adolf Hitler's attitude towards Britain and France after he had taken the Sudetenland - an area of Czechoslovakia - with the blessing of Britain, France, and Italy: and proceeded without care to take the whole country. Is Trump another Hitler?
Many Western leaders have claimed, wrongly in my opinion, that Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is only the start of his take over in Eastern Europe. I do not believe this to have been the case. But the actions of Trump and his threats to other sovereign nation states certainly may give Putin ideas in such a direction! With the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war British Prime Minister Starmer and his like-minded European leaders like French President, Emmanuel Macron, have gathered what they call the “coalition of the willing” to provide if necessary “boots on the ground” to guarantee Ukraine’s security once the conflict with Russia comes to an end. They have spent billions and billions in aid to Ukraine and have supplied much military hardware.
Many Western leaders have claimed, wrongly in my opinion, that Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is only the start of his take over in Eastern Europe. I do not believe this to have been the case. But the actions of Trump and his threats to other sovereign nation states certainly may give Putin ideas in such a direction! With the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war British Prime Minister Starmer and his like-minded European leaders like French President, Emmanuel Macron, have gathered what they call the “coalition of the willing” to provide if necessary “boots on the ground” to guarantee Ukraine’s security once the conflict with Russia comes to an end. They have spent billions and billions in aid to Ukraine and have supplied much military hardware.
The question now is to Starmer and his supposed “coalition”: will you provide the same arms and money to Venezuela to fight the US as you have to Ukraine to fight Russia? It is exactly the same principle of violation which Trump has done to that of Putin or do such rules only apply to Russia? Starmer has refused to call Trumps actions illegal in ‘international law’ probably because he knows to do so would stir the wrath of the US tyrant! Even the far-right leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, a friend of Trump, has said the US actions are “probably in breach of international law”. Starmer is a sycophant to Trump who must be laughing his balls off at the British leader. In fact all the Western European heads at their dithering over what to say or do about his actions and future threats. Just as the world stood still when Hitler invaded the Rhineland in 1936, then Austria in 1938, Czechoslovakia in 1939 and finally Poland again in 1939. Are they going to do the same again with Trump?
Donald Trump is, according to him, going to run Venezuela allowing “US oil companies” to administer the oil industry in the country. This again will be an act of theft no different in principle to housebreaking just on a far larger scale. Once again, such an act will be in breach of international law which in reality does not exist. If Trump does this and takes over the administration of Venezuela as a corporate business in effect he will have made his first move towards open fascism. Corporatism is an integral part of fascist governance (something the electorate in Britain should consider before voting for Reform UK as Farage wants to run the country as a business) and is a dangerous slide back into the darkest years of global history. Another major question is perhaps: will the US dictator invade any other country which disagrees with his far-right ideology, including Britain? The US already have around 10,000 fully active troops based in Britian so all they would have to do is take over British Army barracks while more US forces arrive!
In an act of piracy on 7th January 2026, the US boarded and seized the Russian flagged tanker, Marinera, in the Atlantic about 400 miles off the coast of Ireland. This act by the United States Corsair is once again an illegal action as piracy is a crime and has been for centuries. The US aircraft had to fly over Twenty-Six County airspace to carry out this deed. The question to be asked is did they have the permission of the administration in Leinster House for this incursion? When Twenty-Six County Minister for Foreign affairs, Helen McEntee, was asked this question she fudged and avoided answering. We can probably take that as a no, they did not have permission. In which case the sovereignty and neutrality of another small country had been violated by the United States.
Donald Trump is, according to him, going to run Venezuela allowing “US oil companies” to administer the oil industry in the country. This again will be an act of theft no different in principle to housebreaking just on a far larger scale. Once again, such an act will be in breach of international law which in reality does not exist. If Trump does this and takes over the administration of Venezuela as a corporate business in effect he will have made his first move towards open fascism. Corporatism is an integral part of fascist governance (something the electorate in Britain should consider before voting for Reform UK as Farage wants to run the country as a business) and is a dangerous slide back into the darkest years of global history. Another major question is perhaps: will the US dictator invade any other country which disagrees with his far-right ideology, including Britain? The US already have around 10,000 fully active troops based in Britian so all they would have to do is take over British Army barracks while more US forces arrive!
In an act of piracy on 7th January 2026, the US boarded and seized the Russian flagged tanker, Marinera, in the Atlantic about 400 miles off the coast of Ireland. This act by the United States Corsair is once again an illegal action as piracy is a crime and has been for centuries. The US aircraft had to fly over Twenty-Six County airspace to carry out this deed. The question to be asked is did they have the permission of the administration in Leinster House for this incursion? When Twenty-Six County Minister for Foreign affairs, Helen McEntee, was asked this question she fudged and avoided answering. We can probably take that as a no, they did not have permission. In which case the sovereignty and neutrality of another small country had been violated by the United States.
Another prudent question is: how will Putin react to this Russian flagged tanker being seized by the USA? Remember Vladimir Putin has the largest nuclear arsenal of any single country on earth! In a statement Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated “the UK helped the US in seizing the tanker”. If this assistance was voluntary then the so-called UK are complicit in breaking the fabled international law. What we should be asking is; did the “UK help” the US or, roughly translated, were they ordered to do so by the leading NATO country? Did Trump get on to Starmer and tell him this is what is going to happen and you will help us? Maybe being bullied by the US is part of Britain's “special relationship” with the United States!
With Donald Trump now doing whatever the fuck he likes where will it end? The European sycophants are doing their level best to justify the US dictator’s actions in typical grovelling fashion. Will Trump invade Greenland signalling a crisis within NATO? Or to avoid such a crisis and dilemma will the other alliance countries find a way of dumping Greenland and, in effect, Denmark possibly claiming NATOs article five only applies to actions by countries not in the alliance?
With Donald Trump now doing whatever the fuck he likes where will it end? The European sycophants are doing their level best to justify the US dictator’s actions in typical grovelling fashion. Will Trump invade Greenland signalling a crisis within NATO? Or to avoid such a crisis and dilemma will the other alliance countries find a way of dumping Greenland and, in effect, Denmark possibly claiming NATOs article five only applies to actions by countries not in the alliance?
The outcome of these US actions will end in tears for somebody with Venezuela and President Madura being the first victims. Columbia are now voicing concerns about their future, fearing a possible US invasion! The rest of the world might sit back and tell themselves in a couple of years Trump will have gone, voted out! Well, do not bank on that because this tyrant is not above, as did Hitler in Nazi Germany, cancelling elections in the USA under the guise of protecting their national security. Do not be surprised and will the world still sit idly by? Probably. They have never moved against the USA in the past why should this be any different?
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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