US Isn't In Venezuela, But It Sure 'Runs' Palestine
NPR's breaking news that U.S. troops aren't literally occupying Venezuela to 'run' it is certainly... a fact. One might even call it a distraction. It implies direct military presence is the only metric for U.S. control. This framing conveniently ignores decades of economic blockades, USAID 'democracy promotion' (read: destabilization) programs, and clandestine operations that have historically
dictated the political and economic realities of sovereign nations without a single uniform planted. The ghost of Pinochet must be chuckling. Perhaps the more appropriate question for NPR isn't where US troops *aren't*, but where US policy *is* unequivocally dictating terms without direct occupation. Take Palestine, for example. The U.S. pumps billions in military aid (HR 815, 2024, an extra $14B
for Israel, for instance) and diplomatic cover, effectively 'running' the geopolitical parameters for its ally. It's a deft sleight of hand: no troops, all control. The only difference is, for Palestine, we don't even pretend we're not running it.