we will believe Venezuela is an extraordinary threat just because he says it is? Does he think we are like the stupid Republicans that would believe anything Dubya told them?

Do DU defenders of the President believe Venezuela is an extraordinary threat to the United States? Extraordinary. Really?

Mr. President, WTF?

I think a majority of American citizens want to think of us as the good guys, a good country.

Back the fuck off on this Iran—Contra kind of shit.

This is what happens when you allow a secret intelligence agency to run wild with no accountability. They smuggle drugs, they assassinate and they do things for personal gain and corporate profit.

Eisenhower warned us about this shit. Imagine, the supreme commander of the allied forces in WWII, on his final address to the nation, warned the American people that they were in danger from their "own" military industrial complex. The very next president was assassinated under very murky circumstances. Then we got into a huge war.

With our government--or, I should say, the government of the transglobal uber-rich--it's the same old, same old. Whether it was Standard Oil, Bank of America and United Fruit Company back in the mid-20th century, or is Exxon Mobil, the World Bank/IMF and Chiquita International today, these uber-rich powers dictate a policy of disruption and coup-mongering, paid for by you and me, against leftist governments in Latin America. They. Will. Not. Tolerate. It. Fairness to the vast poor majority in Latin America means billions of our tax dollars poured into rightwing and fascist groups, the cultivation, training and funding of rightwing and fascist leaders, and the design of their propaganda and other activities, including violent activities, such as we saw in Venezuela in the 2002 coup attempt against Chavez and have seen again, recently, since Chavez's death.

It also makes no difference which party holds the presidency and/or congress here. It is the sickening reality of our lives as U.S. citizens that what is supposed to be our government does NOT support democracy in Latin America, and, indeed, actively opposes it, and has done so since the 1950s and through today. It is, of course, far worse for Latin Americans. We have to live with the outrage and shame of nefarious U.S. activity in these countries. They have to live with the smashing up of their democracies and looting of their economies, as well as with death and threats of death--not to mention torture and other oppression--whenever the fascists, with U.S. help, seize power.

Why aren't we SUPPORTING the Maduro government? Why aren't we HELPING them, if they need it? What the ~!@#$ is wrong in Washington DC that we can't be proud of our government doing the right thing? They have never done it (not since FDR) and they are not doing it now. Instead, they are fomenting fascist riots, destructiveness and murder, and then, in a sickly ironic propaganda plan, jump on Maduro for trying to stop this U.S.-FUNDED disruption, and trying to hold Venezuela together and preserve Venezuela's democracy during a difficult economic time (due to the plunge in the price of oil).

This U.S. plan started under Bush Jr. and continues unabated under Obama. Disgusting, Sickening. Shameful. They never gave Chavez a chance. They started off with a coup d'etat attempt, and never let up on the plots and bats-flying-out-of-their-mouths propaganda, and now Obama is just continuing that slimy policy. This has NOTHING TO DO with whether Maduro was justified in arresting accused coup plotters. Nothing! It's all about the oil, and looting everything else in sight, as the transglobal uber-rich are doing here and everywhere they manage to put their puppets in power. Our government is THEIR servant. It PREFERS fascist dictators and rightwing assholes who will cater to the uber-rich. It PREFERS military juntas. It SELLS ARMS to undemocratic governments all over the world--particularly noticeable in Latin America, where militarization of the government AT OUR EXPENSE has very nearly destroyed Mexico, is ravaging Honduras, has ravaged Colombia for decades and has spread violence, exponentially, everywhere the U.S. gets a foothold.

THAT is what the vast poor majority of Latin America has been rejecting, in election after election over the last decade and half--U.S. militarization, and U.S.-based looting by the transglobal uber-rich in league with local fascists. Venezuelans were the leaders in this democracy revolution as it spread all over South America. That is why they must be brought down and taught a brutal lesson. Get educated. Find out the truth. Our government is WRONG. It is more than wrong; it is conniving to inflict wrong. And we had better look to the tragedy of our vote-counting system for why we have no control over it.

Thank you for the valiant attempt to catch me up to speed.

Bookmarking the whole thing so I can come back to study your post.

I support my president on this one