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| Nicolas Maduro, and Palestinian Ambassador Linda Ali (Liberation news) |
There were exceptions. Iraq was one. That experiment in
regime change proved chaotic and fell far short of expectations. Afghanistan
followed, reinforcing the perception that despite immense military power on
paper, the United States was unwilling - or unable - to use it decisively. The
paper tiger theory seemed confirmed.
Until now.
Nicolás Maduro was captured in a military operation whose
precision and success mirrored that of Israel’s most daring actions. The
results have produced enormous benefits for the world in general and the United
States in particular. Not the least of
which was the restoration of control over oil refineries built and operated by
U.S. companies and nationalized under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez. And perhaps
more importantly is the restoration of American dominance in the Western
Hemisphere.
But the biggest prize belongs to the Venezuelan people
themselves. Both those living in Venezuela and expatriates here in the United
States. Their reaction was ecstatic. They thanked the president for this action
and celebrated the fact that, for the first time in decades, there is a real
chance democracy will be restored to their country.
This operation also sends a clear message to regimes like
Iran: They should be worried. Very worried. No longer can they rely on the
paper tiger theory of American power. No longer can they assume the United
States will never pursue regime change for fear of putting boots on the ground
and risking American lives. While it may still be true that the U.S. prefers to
avoid large-scale deployments, we have now demonstrated that – under this
president - when the stakes are high enough, hesitation is no longer an option.
That has in fact already established by the US precsion attack against an
underground nuclear en rchment facility in Iran – thanks to Israel paving the way.
This time it was the US military alone that did it.
By coincidence, at this very moment - a popular uprising is
underway in Iran. It began as a protest against runaway inflation that has
pushed much of the population below the poverty line. But it has since grown
into a broader revolt by Iranians who despise their government. Many of them
protested in the past, only to watch fellow demonstrators executed for doing
so. That fear - of death simply for protesting - had long kept them silent.
No longer.
Their collapsing economy appears to have pushed them past desperation...
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