US 'Protects' Free Trade by Seizing Tankers, Venezuela Not So Much
The US government has, according to Al Jazeera, intercepted its fifth sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean. This is presented as Washington 'ramping up seizing on sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments.' The narrative here is one of enforcement and legal action against a rogue nation. Yet, one might wonder about the precedent. When does a nation's sovereign right to sell its own resources become a
'sanctioned shipment' warranting military interception? It appears the 'rules-based order' applies only to those who follow Washington's rules, while others face economic strangulation and direct intervention. One might recall similar 'sanctions' and 'interceptions' applied to Iran, conveniently overlooking the fact that these are unilaterally imposed by one nation, not universally recognized
international law. This isn't about promoting 'democracy' or 'human rights'; it's about control over global resources and geopolitical leverage. The 'sanctions' on Venezuela have demonstrably crippled its economy, leading to widespread suffering for the civilian population, as documented by organizations like the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures. Yet,
the US continues to act as the world's self-appointed economic enforcer, deciding who gets to trade what, and with whom. How many sovereign nations must be economically crippled before we question the moral authority of the enforcer?