US Sanctions Venezuela, Offers 'Permission' to Buy Its Oil
Reuters, via RT, breathlessly announces that India's Reliance Industries is 'in talks' with the US to secure Venezuelan oil. The subtext here, conveniently glossed over, is that the US, having spent years crippling Venezuela with sanctions, is now playing gatekeeper to its own oil market. (The sheer audacity, right?) This isn't about free trade; it's about Washington flexing its unilateral
economic muscle, deciding who gets to buy what from a sovereign nation, all while claiming moral high ground. Remember when the US lectured everyone about free markets? Now, they're effectively issuing permits for resources they don't own, from a country they've tried to isolate. One might wonder if the 'free market' only applies when it benefits Uncle Sam, or if 'sanctions' are just tariffs with
extra steps and less accountability. It appears global commerce now requires the benevolent nod of the US State Department, especially when managing resources from nations they deem 'problematic' – usually defined by a lack of deference to Washington's dictates.