Venezuela

[Randy Daytona]

Cuba’s refineries are setup to run on heavy oil from Venezuela so I expect there to be an energy crisis in Cuba.

Also, if Chevron (the only US oil company currently operating in Venezuela) expands production, the US government will have options for heavy crude for Gulf Coast refineries other than Albertan tar sands. This could impact US-Canada relations as Alberta doesn’t have a trans-Canada pipeline either west or east to get their crude to market.

Edit: Ian Bremmer’s analysis was recently published:

More on Cuba.

Why Trump’s Venezuela strike may have been about Cuba as much as it was about oil

Footage of a handcuffed Nicolás Maduro being escorted to a Brooklyn detention center will come as uncomfortable viewing for political

dnyuz.com

 

[taxi1]

Trump Indicates He Will Meet Venezuela’s Machado After Offer to Give Him Her Nobel Peace Prize

President Trump indicated that he would meet the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Last year, she won the Nobel Peace Prize, an award he covets.

www.nytimes.com

President Trump indicated on Thursday evening that he will meet with María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, next week in Washington, after refusing to support her to lead the country following the U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro.

Ms. Machado has tried to ingratiate herself to Mr. Trump and earlier this week offered to give him the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded last year. Mr. Trump has long coveted the award.

Mr. Trump said in the Thursday interview that “it would be a great honor” to accept the award, adding that it was “a major embarrassment to Norway,” where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, that he had not been given the prize.

This is so fucking weird and bizarre. Weizarre? Needs a new word.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Looks like one of the 160th SOAR Chinooks took ground fire and was pretty seriously damaged and limped back to Iwo....

 

[Griz882]

Trump Indicates He Will Meet Venezuela’s Machado After Offer to Give Him Her Nobel Peace Prize

President Trump indicated that he would meet the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Last year, she won the Nobel Peace Prize, an award he covets.

www.nytimes.com

President Trump indicated on Thursday evening that he will meet with María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, next week in Washington, after refusing to support her to lead the country following the U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro.

Ms. Machado has tried to ingratiate herself to Mr. Trump and earlier this week offered to give him the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded last year. Mr. Trump has long coveted the award.

Mr. Trump said in the Thursday interview that “it would be a great honor” to accept the award, adding that it was “a major embarrassment to Norway,” where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, that he had not been given the prize.

This is so fucking weird and bizarre. Weizarre? Needs a new word.

I saw that and said, silently, to Ms. Machado…”Don’t do it!”

 

[sevenhelmet]

I saw that and said, silently, to Ms. Machado…”Don’t do it!”

I wasn’t aware you could re-gift a Nobel Peace Prize. Seems legit.

 

[Angry]

I wasn’t aware you could re-gift a Nobel Peace Prize. Seems legit.

He’ll only keep it until the next member of the DC White Elephant party doesn’t like their award and takes it from him…

 

[taxi1]

Looks like one of the 160th SOAR Chinooks took ground fire and was pretty seriously damaged and limped back to Iwo....

When you think about what could have gone wrong...

it's a long list.

One golden BB away from a major fubar

 

[Griz882]

I wasn’t aware you could re-gift a Nobel Peace Prize. Seems legit.

I was thinking they’d just use the office label-maker to put his name over hers.

 

[taxi1]

If I were the SS, I'd x-ray that thing before bringing it in the oval office.

 

[sevenhelmet]

If I were the SS, I'd x-ray that thing before bringing it in the oval office.

Ahh, I’m sure it’s fine. It can’t be any worse than accepting a 747 from the Qataris…

 

[number9]

Ahh, I’m sure it’s fine. It can’t be any worse than accepting a 747 from the Qataris…

Or a clock from the Russians

 

[ChuckMK23]

When you think about what could have gone wrong...

it's a long list.

One golden BB away from a major fubar

Spot on. This could have been an epic tragedy. Subtantially downplayed.

 

[Griz882]

Spot on. This could have been an epic tragedy. Subtantially downplayed.

That’s basically every combat operation.

 

[Brett327]

That’s basically every combat operation.

Not really... depends on the stakes and how the action has been framed. The stakes for this operation were significantly higher than, say, a convoy escort mission during OIF. If the convoy gets blown up by an IED, people will shrug because it's a common occurrence that bears no real impact to the outcome of the war. It won't make the news. In contrast, if an American aircraft had gone down in Venezuela, it would have determined the outcome of the operation, and been a huge deal with political consequences and significant public interest.

 

[Flash]

I wasn’t aware you could re-gift a Nobel Peace Prize. Seems legit.

I guess it's better than stealing a Super Bowl ring? Which in itself is probably better than losing it at whorehouse...sorry, 'massage parlor'.