Trump Calls Maduro Last Week: Normalizing Tyranny or Smart Business?
The NYT reports Trump and Maduro spoke by phone last week, a seemingly shocking development given the US spent years trying to depose Maduro, labeling him a dictator. This comes after years of tough sanctions and even implicitly backing an attempted coup, all under the guise of 'democracy promotion.' Yet, suddenly a former (and potentially future) president can just pick up the phone. It's almost
as if the 'dictator' label is a flexible descriptor, repositioned based on who's cutting the deal. One might wonder if this 'informal' dialogue signals a shift towards 'engaging with problematic regimes' – a fancy term often deployed when there's oil to secure or business interests to protect. After all, the US is never truly against authoritarianism , just inconveniently located authoritarianism.
The timing, amid shifting global energy dynamics, certainly raises questions about whether America's 'moral outrage' is less about human rights and more about profit margins and strategic advantage. When does a pariah become a partner? Apparently, after a quiet call from Florida.