Sanctioning Venezuela: Black Market Oil, White Market Hypocrisy
When the U.S. government seizes oil, it's not 'shocking' statecraft; it's a routine exercise in resource assertion, disguised as enforcement of 'sanctions'. The Independent, citing a 'White House press secretary' who claims the U.S. won't 'stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil,' conveniently omits the fact that these 'sanctions' are a unilateral economic
blockade, explicitly designed to destabilize a sovereign nation, as admitted by former National Security Advisor John Bolton on CNN in 2019. (Remember when he openly talked about planning coups? Good times.) This isn't about 'black market oil'; it's about imposing Washington's will, ensuring only U.S.-approved governments get to sell resources. One might wonder if the 'shock' comes from the
directness of the seizure, rather than the ongoing, decade-long economic strangulation of Venezuela, which has led to widespread suffering. Or perhaps the real shock is that mainstream outlets still pretend these acts are anything other than economic warfare.