Rachel Maddow says real reason for Venezuela attack may be "the simplest thing imaginable" - LGBTQ Nation

"Maddow opened her segment by debunking the administration's shifting explanations for the invasion, outlining how the president's initial claims it was motivated by drugs didn't make sense, considering the drug trade out of Venezuela does not actually affect the United States. Besides, she said, Trump's recent pardon of the former president of Honduras - who was convicted of trying to transport over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States - pretty much negates the idea that he cares at all about drug trafficking."

"She also slammed claims that Trump invaded because Maduro is a dictator, considering the president has long praised foreign autocrats. Even his claims that he invaded for Venezuela's oil make no sense, Maddow said. She called attention to a report from Reuters that U.S. oil executives say Trump has never spoken to them about his plans, despite claiming he has kept them in the loop. "Donald Trump likes the sound of 'Let's take the oil,'" Maddow said. "He thinks that sounds cool and transgressive and tough. He thinks it makes him sound like, kind of a king, a military conquest kinda guy.""

"But she isn't sure he understands what it actually means to "take the oil." It's not just sitting in barrels at stores, she pointed out. It's under the earth's surface and requires a massive and functional industry - not to mention billions and billions of dollars - to be drilled out. "Oil isn't a thing you just mug someone for and then take it to the pawn shop for cash," she said."

The Trump Administration offered shifting rationales for action in Venezuela, including drugs, Maduro's dictatorship, and oil, each of which lacks coherence. Venezuelan drug flows have limited impact on the United States, and a recent pardon of a Honduran ex-president convicted in a major cocaine case undermines anti-drug claims. Longstanding praise for foreign autocrats contradicts claims of acting against dictatorship. The idea of seizing Venezuela's oil is impractical due to the infrastructure, industry, and massive investment required. The rhetoric about "taking the oil" appears performative and rooted in self-image rather than feasible policy or industry consultation.

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