By Daniel Nardini
As we hear the stories of Venezuelans fleeing their country, of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro crushing any and all dissent, and of the Russians, Chinese and Cubans intervening in the internal affairs of Venezuela, Americans seem to be divided on what course of action to take in regards to Venezuela. Clearly, the Republican Party is firmly united in its stand against the current socialist government of Maduro. This is obvious on their website, and in speeches by U.S. President Donald Trump, any and all Republican congressional officials, and the Republican National Committee. There is no question in the Republican Party ranks that Maduro must go, and that any and all options including a military one may be necessary. The Democratic Party seems to be more divided. On the extreme left of the party are those who express their support for Maduro because in their view the United States is “wrong” and should not interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela. Then there are those Democrats who condemn Maduro and hope that he will lose power, although it seems that most Democrats are reluctant to call for a military option against Maduro. Then there is the case of Bernie Sanders who remains silent on the issue.
When I looked through the websites of the Democratic Socialists of America, it seems that they support Maduro as the “legitimate” president of Venezuela and that the United States should keep its hands off Venezuela. The same position is being held by the Green Party USA and certainly the Communist Party USA. I guess I should not be surprised since socialist and left-leaning parties would favor those organizations and governments that are left-center to extreme political left no matter what the circumstances. Then there is the Libertarian Party USA which clearly is against Maduro and for the restoration of capitalism and free enterprise in Venezuela once Maduro is gotten rid of. The Libertarian Party has not called for military intervention in Venezuela, and believes that the Venezuelan people should get rid of Maduro because he is an illegitimate ruler. These divisions within the party ranks of these parties reflect the overall mood of Americans on the issue of Venezuela. What it all boils down to is that the President will most likely get no support from the U.S. Congress since the Congress is itself divided over the issue, and depending on which state an American lives in will most likely either support a position for or against intervention against Venezuela. In so many ways this division reminds me of the anti-war movement in Vietnam, and how America was divided on the war and within the society about the issues of poverty and jobs then as in many ways we are today.
Americans Divided Over Venezuela
By Daniel Nardini
When I looked through the websites of the Democratic Socialists of America, it seems that they support Maduro as the “legitimate” president of Venezuela and that the United States should keep its hands off Venezuela. The same position is being held by the Green Party USA and certainly the Communist Party USA. I guess I should not be surprised since socialist and left-leaning parties would favor those organizations and governments that are left-center to extreme political left no matter what the circumstances. Then there is the Libertarian Party USA which clearly is against Maduro and for the restoration of capitalism and free enterprise in Venezuela once Maduro is gotten rid of. The Libertarian Party has not called for military intervention in Venezuela, and believes that the Venezuelan people should get rid of Maduro because he is an illegitimate ruler. These divisions within the party ranks of these parties reflect the overall mood of Americans on the issue of Venezuela. What it all boils down to is that the President will most likely get no support from the U.S. Congress since the Congress is itself divided over the issue, and depending on which state an American lives in will most likely either support a position for or against intervention against Venezuela. In so many ways this division reminds me of the anti-war movement in Vietnam, and how America was divided on the war and within the society about the issues of poverty and jobs then as in many ways we are today.