Matt Kennard explains how the US operates as a "gangster state." With Trump openly expressing his intention to steal Venezuela's oil, we've entered a new era of "naked imperialism," where the Western Hemisphere and the world are considered US property.
Matt Kennard is an investigative journalist and co-founder of Declassified UK and head of their Investigations.
Key points from the video include:
- US Military Power and Influence: The US is described as the largest military power and empire in human history, with 800 bases globally and a trillion-dollar annual military budget (1:40-1:51). Matt Kennard suggests that the US has become a "strattocracy" where the military controls the state, and Trump's administration is signaling an aggressive, "gloves off" approach to global relations (1:54-2:03).
- Venezuela as a Target: Venezuela is highlighted as a primary target due to its vast oil reserves (2:14-2:29). Kennard explains that Venezuela was under US control for much of the 20th century until Hugo Chavez's election in 1998, who nationalized the oil industry and used its wealth to benefit the Venezuelan people (2:45-3:22).
- US Efforts to Destabilize Venezuela: The video details various US attempts to regain control, including a 2002 coup attempt against Chavez (4:27-4:54), the use of institutions like the National Endowment for Democracy and USAID to fund opposition movements (5:03-5:17), and devastating sanctions imposed in 2017 and 2019, which reportedly led to 40,000 deaths (5:26-5:51).
- Escalation of Tactics: Kennard claims that when other methods failed, the US resorted to military action, including bombing the capital, killing people, and kidnapping the Venezuelan president and his wife (5:53-6:28). This is presented as an alarming normalization of such actions due to a lack of international condemnation (6:30-6:49).
- Ineffectiveness of US Imperialism: Despite its power, the speaker argues that the US is "not very good at what they do" as an imperial power, citing its failures in wars since 1945, such as Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan (6:53-7:26). Kennard also points out that Venezuela's leadership has prepared for such attacks by arming and training citizen militias, making a full invasion difficult for the US (8:32-9:06).
- Trump's "Donro Doctrine": The video refers to Trump's new national security strategy as a "Trump corollary" or "Donro Doctrine" to the historical Monroe Doctrine (9:08-10:50). This doctrine, originally asserting US influence over the Western Hemisphere, is presented as being superseded by Trump's approach, which claims American dominance in the region will never be questioned (10:40-10:47).
- Future Targets and Call to Action: Kennard warns that Cuba and Colombia are likely next targets (11:07-11:11, 12:32-12:34) and emphasizes that "everywhere is vulnerable" if countries do not comply with US demands (12:36-12:39). The video concludes with a plea for the world to "wake up" and "push back together" against these breaking norms, stressing the importance of independent media in times of war (13:11-14:25).
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