'Putinization' of US Policy? Or Just 'US-ification'?
The Guardian's breathless report on US strikes in Venezuela calls it the 'Putinization' of foreign policy, mourning the 'demolition' of international law. Yet, this lament arrives in 2026, long after the US orchestrated coups from Chile (1973) to Guatemala (1954), not to mention the 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt against Chávez, which the US tacitly supported. The concern appears less about
international law and more about who's seen breaking it. This 'new' era of US foreign policy, where a sovereign leader is 'abducted,' merely echoes decades of intervention wrapped in different rhetorical bows. The US didn't need Putin for playbook material; it wrote the damn book. From banana republics to resource wars, Washington's actions have consistently prioritized 'strategic interests' over
'global norms.' Perhaps the only novelty is the Guardian suddenly noticing the pattern now, rather than, say, during the invasion of Iraq.