Would you back American intervention in Venezuela?

[TNF]

Five days.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I'm excited to see all the progressive liberals who support backing right-wing oligarchs over a socialist democracy (albeit a very flawed socialist democracy).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

It's probably better to let the Venezuelans kill themselves off before we move in with ground troops and capitalism.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No

[Oldiesfreak1854]

No (R), but I would want to watch them closely.

[Maistre]

No, the Venezuelan people seem to be doing good fighting back on their own. I probably wouldn't mind a CIA exploding cigar a la Fidel on Maduro.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

No, the Venezuelan people seem to be doing good fighting back on their own. I probably wouldn't mind a CIA exploding cigar a la Fidel on Maduro.

Agreed; the working class has remained resolute against neoliberal puppet agitators.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

It's probably better to let the Venezuelans kill themselves off before we move in with ground troops and capitalism.

[NewYorkExpress]

If it's not happening in Syria, why would it happen in Venezuela?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If it's not happening in Syria, why would it happen in Venezuela?

Venezuela has oil.  Syria doesn't (or at least not enough to matter).

That said, since American intervention would be largely counterproductive to our interests, of course I wouldn't back intervention.  While I hope that the Venezuelans will ditch the idiot Maduro, they need to do it on their own and they need to decide whether to replace him with a more competent Chavist or someone from the opposition.

[H. Ross Peron]

No under the present circumstances

[SWE]

No

[ElectionsGuy]

No! (I/O)

[Deus Naturae]

While I hope that the Venezuelans will ditch the idiot Maduro, they need to do it on their own.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No under the present circumstances

I can't think of any plausible circumstances in which it would be a good idea.

[PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald]

It's probably better to let the Venezuelans kill themselves off before we move in with ground troops and capitalism.

[Vosem]

Military intervention, no. But some kind of concerted behind-the-scenes effort to ensure the opposition triumphs, peacefully and decisively? Yes.

[Lief 🗽]

We should offer the government support if the fascists try to overthrow it, yes.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

No (R)

[Peter the Lefty]

No.  Snowstalker, please do us democratic leftists a favor: STOP defending this dictatorship just because the opposition is bad.

[TNF]

No.  Snowstalker, please do us democratic leftists a favor: STOP defending this dictatorship just because the opposition is bad.

While I won't go out on a limb to defend Maduro here, the idea that Venezuela is a dictatorship is an absurd one. It is a fragrantly corrupt and mismanaged democracy with very real participatory structures that are worth preserving, even if Chavismo or the Chavista leadership themselves are not. The opposition is thoroughly anti-democratic and would undo a lot of the steps forward that Venezuela has made over the past fifteen years (and they are many; again, I'm not excusing the very real problems here, which range from homophobia on the part of the incumbent President to mass corruption, runaway inflation, etc.) while returning the country to the firm control of those most hostile to the gains made by working class people in Venezuela under the Chavistas.

[BaconBacon96]

Intervention is bad in general.