Tensions between Venezuela and the United States are rising as Trump cracks down on drug trafficking, illicit oil shipments, and hostile foreign influence in Latin America. With talk of confrontation swirling in the media, questions are mounting about how far the U.S. should go—and what lessons history offers.
Victor Davis Hanson puts Trump’s standoff with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro into historical perspective and explains why a military invasion of Venezuela would be a strategic mistake on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”
“Something that the world is looking at. And for the United States to go in there and have a ground removal, I think would be unwise at this point. So, what would be the alternative? It’s sort of what we’re doing now. We’re isolating all drug shipments, illegal transportation of embargoed oil out of Venezuela. It’s kind of a quasi-blockade/embargo. And they’re going to tighten the screws.”
(0:00) Introduction
(0:50) US Interdiction Efforts
(2:18) Historical Context: The Invasion of Grenada
(5:24) Challenges of a Venezuelan Invasion
(6:21) Political Ramifications
(7:37) Final Thoughts
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35 Comments
I don't support Maduro but this is an obvious propaganda video
Using good old American gunboat diplomacy, to get rid of Putin:s geopolitical ally Maduro, a genius way to bring peace to Ukraine.
It’s brilliant strategy actually because it forces Russia to spend money and other resources while putting China having to come to our side of the world instead of us just being in Taiwan as it simultaneously strangles all their economies more by denying them Venezuelan oil.
Not Hanson's call nothing is the same, totally different scenario!
A Bill was passed 1986 so it's a Law Give the USA the Authorities to destroy the Drugs Cartel Boats from Venezuela Stopped the Drugs 😮 .. Terrorists ..
.
Nothing brilliant about this propagandists Hudson. Typical American warlord like his government
Maduro you are wasting time. Invite North Korea, Taliban, Iran to your table. Russia and China are too close to trump
Delivered in a way only you can do my man, outstanding!
Vietnam, the middle east Afghanistan Somali etc? Our military is not effective in a way it needs to be effective.
Now, while I agree with VDH about not invading Venezuela just yet, I don't think Maduro has the option to leave on his own. He is being watched like a hawk by the cartel and his own corrupted military leaders (like Diosdado Cabello), because if he leaves the country, they are doomed. Venezuela may have a large military and a large oil reserve, but it is broke. They don't even have a central logistics system to supply their military. Military and police have to fix their equipment locally because the central government is broke and doesn't have new equipment or parts for repairs. Iraq had the fourth-largest military, but it was also mismanaged, and its logistics failed during its invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers were hungry, just like Venezuelan soldiers lack food; ironically, they lack fuel because they have mismanaged their own fuel refineries and equipment to fight a war. I doubt the Venezuelan military will even have the will to fight the U.S., and most of them will raise the white flag immediately. Maybe their "elite" soldiers will fight, but they will be quickly destroyed.
Victor Davis Hanson is really bad at history. First off, he thinks the Republican Party and Democratic Party control the United States which is false. The families that created the Federal Reserve control the United States. These families want one world government so the events that happen today were planned long ago. The United States, Russia, Europe and China are all controlled by these families. Their plan is the United States will control the western hemisphere while Russia and China control the eastern hemisphere with Europe caught in the middle. The struggle over Europe will lead to World War III. This will then result in one world nation with one currency which is what the banking families have been planning for over a hundred years. Hanson's job is to conceal the real agenda. As far as his military analysis, it would take the United States two to three weeks to overrun the whole country. There is no China on the border and our Navy can choke all imports and exports out. Venezuelas oil would hurt Canada. We import heavy crude from Canada and Mexico so it will will weaken revenue for Canada. Venezuela produces heavy crude. We have heavy crude oil refineries. Also Trump is a socialist not a conservative Victor! I believe Victor knows the above but he is helping the establishment.
Trump is not gonna invade. The American people won't stand for that sort of thing anymore, particularly from someone like Trump who ran on getting out of foreign wars.
He's just gonna blockade their heavy oil shipments to embargoed countries. Oil is vital to that country's GDP and so the Venezuelan people will be forced to take this guy out themselves.
And if it turns into a game of chicken, Trump can keep a few destroyers in the area as long as he needs to. They gotta be somewhere, after all.
It's non of America's business
If the U.S. does not work against the propaganda spread inside Venezuela by Maduro, anything done by the U.S. will sound bad to the Venezuela's people.
For shid sake. The U.S. has the capacity to "Eldorado Canyon" Venezuela just like we did Libya. One night, it's over. Never putting a boot on the ground. All that oil means it will burn for weeks. No invasion, just simple and absolute destruction by air using our advanced conventional weaponry.
Exactly, we have to think about how we would feel if someone took over our country by force, i don't think we would like very much 😂😅😂
Totally agree. Unexpected allegiance to outside illegal influence. and this guy wasn't hesitanting to get home. Really believed the country would move before voting polls.
What needs to be explained is those boats being blown up dont have drugs in them. They have the ingredients, the chemicals to make fentanyl.theyre receiving them from China
American election also froud,told by your trumb.
We are going to Venezuela for THE OIL and for no other reason. Wait till you have to answer to God for your support of American War Crimes Mr. Hanson.
Victor Davis Hanson… A Coward when it comes to telling the truth about American War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, US Support for Dictatorships around the world, The Destruction of the US Dollar and stealing of American Wealth and other nations wealth throughout the world.
Hanson is a man who will sell his soul for a farthing and I say this as a true conservative, Hanson supports The Narcisstic Psychopath Donald Trump.
Trumps got this Man 🤣
Why would we invade? There isn't a leader on this planet that could hide from the US if it decided to put a warhead on a forehead. This ain't hunting for a goat tugger in the Hindu Kush.
With Irak you were told the fake story about weapons which did not exist. Now it is drugs. 🤣😆🤣
Remember that you have created a massive (homemade by the families named Sackler and Purdue) opioid crisis in your own country. According to the CDC of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the consequences of this led to the deaths of more than 700,000 people in the USA between 1999 and 2022.
Back to Venezuela: At least Mr. Hanson got to some truth in this hypocrisy: It is all about the oil. Oh you Yankees 🙄🙄🙄
Thanks 👏👏
What’s this the workers paradise has jails ? Only capitalist countries need jails right?
no worries
It is very sad to see VD Hanson decline from a historian to a propagandist. Classical Greece – he knows his stuff. WWII, maybe. Venezuela? Sounds like he just found the place on a map for the first time. Venezuela has huge oil reserves? Sure, but it is mostly extra-heavy crude more like asphalt than the light sweet stuff we get from fracking. One needs to add lots of energy and infrastructure to get it out of the ground (steam and diluent additives) and then needs extra refining to get rid of large amounts of Sulphur. The US can seize these oilfields and take the oil – but it is more expensive to get it to the US market than what we already produce and export.
If we want to get rid of the Maduro government to eliminate an anti-American regime and hurt China and Cuba, great. If we want to do it to reduce flows of impoverished people heading to the US or to promote democracy, even better. However, a historian deals with facts. VD is repeating social-media falsehoods amplified by the Administration such as "Maduro emptied his jails," and "Maduro told Venezuelan gang members to go to the US," and "Maduro is running a narco-state." In fact, the population of criminals in Venezuelan jails has been pretty stable – it is primarily political prisoners who have been released due to pressure from nations like…the US. Certainly, Maduro does not tell people to leave, walk through Colombia, Panama, and then all the way up to the Rio Grande to ruin the US. To the extent the collapsed Venezuelan nation is still a state, Maduro runs a petro-state not a narco-state.
An invasion of Venezuela would not be a catastrophe because it would splinter the "MAGA-base" as VD claims. It would be a catastrophe because it would lead to mass starvation among the local populace, and suck US forces into an insurgency as Maduro (and Chavez) distributed tens of thousands of AK-47s and other assault rifles to their allies in the population. Oh, and the Maduro population would likely destroy the oil infrastructure similar to what Saddam did when we invaded Iraq causing an environmental disaster and require $B and years to get current oil production back on line.
"They'll welcome us as liberators"
I agree with your conclusion that invading Venezuela will be a mess. But, it would be great if you were better informed as the opinion leader you are, and not only accept the constructed truth built by corporate media outlets. Anyone will appreciate it if you find the contradictions in some illogical statements you're reproducing.
The daly signal or the dementia chronicles
😂😂 nice fantasy talez
Sometimes I appreciate America’s role in the world, as it leads the fight against Islamic terrorism, but often what it does to remain a superpower is absolutely wrong.
I’ve been fortunate enough to read history and see the true face of the US and still avoid vilifying America for its immoral actions despite once praising everything American, no thanks to the exposure of its interference in countries around the world to bring them under its influence.
This singular revelation is now being exposed all around the world, even with falsehoods such as the WMD in Iraq, the destruction of Libya, one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous countries, which is now a far cry from what it used to be simply because the West didn’t like Gaddafi, as well as other invasions.
Being an African, I see so many true people-centric leaders like Thomas Sankara killed in inhumane ways, and other African leaders sabotaged simply because they wanted to enable their nations to take charge of their destiny.
Now this man and other Americans in the CS are angling for another war in a faraway country for regime change. Can you imagine the audacity?
Actions like this are uniting Islamic terrorist supporters and those disillusioned by the US on one hand, and crimes against humanity within and outside the West to support its destruction.
The author here makes a wild claim, saying Maduro sends drugs to the US and organises the cartel operations in the US. Such utter BS, just like the false wild claim of WMD in Iraq to generate public support for their wars.
Enough is enough; America must focus on making America great again and stop making enemies of nation-states around the world.
You are so silly. USA's soon to be aquired south america real estate will be renamed the state of NEW VIRGINIA , and it's going to be the very best thing to happen to South America since the Spanish Conquistadors brought Christianity to the pagans.
Merry Christmas U.S.A. ! Soon you'll get TWO New States, GREENLAND and NEW VIRGINIA !
just take out the leader