"Trump and Rubio's talking points combine into a message intended not for the people of America, but for the heads of state in Cuba, Columbia, [sic] and worldwide. The message itself is simple, elegant, and ugly: do exactly what we say or America will destroy you-not your country, or your economy, or your people, but you, personally. This strategy doesn't just let America "run" Venezuela. It allows this administration to "run" any country unable to attack us on our home turf:"
"Credit where credit is due: it's an entirely new approach to colonialism. Here's how it's worked since Britain perfected the art: you invade the country, then place the opposition party in power. That party requires your support to maintain control (if they had enough force to do it themselves they'd already be in charge). In exchange for military backup, their leader will do anything you ask."
An emerging U.S. strategy uses threats against individual heads of state to compel obedience, rather than occupying countries or installing opposition parties. The approach communicates to foreign leaders that disobedience will result in targeted personal harm, enabling extraction of resources, dictation of domestic policy, and engineered resignations without full-scale intervention. Endorsing corrupt or illegitimate officials can bypass the need for a dependent opposition party and maintain direct leverage. Assertions that opposition forces lack domestic support are used to justify backing rivals who will accept external demands. The model centers coercion of specific leaders as the chief instrument of foreign control.
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