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IPFS News Link • General Opinion

Donald Trump, Dictator

• Jacob Hornberger

It is supremely ironic. To respond to the dictatorial mindset and policies of Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro, President Trump has adopted his own dictatorial mindset and policies. Trump obviously believes that the way to fight foreign dictatorship is by adopting dictatorship here at home.

Consider Trump's actions with respect to Citgo, the Houston-based refining firm that is owned by the Venezuelan government. It is the eighth-largest US refiner and Venezuela's top foreign asset.

To help effect a regime-change operation in Venezuela, Trump simply issued an order that prohibits Citgo from sending any money to the Venezuela government. He's also ordering that Citgo's revenues be transferred to Juan Guaidó, the head of the Venezuelan congress, who is claiming that he's the rightful president of Venezuela, notwithstanding the undisputed fact that no one has ever elected him president.

We Americans have become so accustomed to the imposition of sanctions on people in foreign countries by US presidents that it's easy to be blasé about Trump's actions. But actually his behavior is astounding, especially in that it reflects perfectly the same dictatorial mindset and policies that characterize Maduro.

First of all, Venezuela and the United States are not at war. Oh, sure, there is there standard Cold War or empire-like verbiage that refers to rivals, adversaries, hegemons, communism, socialism, Russia, China, and Cuba, but indulging in empire-speak or Cold War bugaboos does not rise to the level of war. In an extraordinary action taken during peacetime, Trump has seized and confiscated the assets of a foreign regime and is transferring them to someone else.

Second, Trump didn't go to Congress to secure permission to seize and transfer Citgo's revenue. That's ordinarily what rulers in a representative democracy are expected to do. Recall what they taught us in our high-school civics classes: Congress enacts the laws and the president enforces the laws. Here, there was no law enacted by Congress authorizing Trump to seize and transfer Citgo's revenue. He just unilaterally issued an order authorizing US officials to take control over Venezuela's money.
 

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Comment by Anonymous
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They call Maduro a dictator: -To call a Constituent Assembly with the participation of all sectors of the country. -Submits to the established Powers, consults and respects them. -The leaders of the opposition continue to march in Venezuela declaring in the Media, calling for protests, destroying and murdering. They travel abroad calling for financial blockade and institutional and military intervention against the nation. -The private media continues in its eternal discredit campaign against the government. -The opposition parties participate in elections and even win spaces. -Nicolás rules for the People and not for the Elite. -It came to power through the electoral route. Everything is a MATHEMATICAL MATH PROGRAM OF THE WORLD ELITES ... !!! Regards



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