US Seizes Fifth Tanker, Calls it 'Freedom of Navigation' (for us)
The US government, bastion of international maritime law, has just seized its fifth oil tanker allegedly violating sanctions against Venezuela. This 'pressure campaign' continues days after a Russian-flagged tanker met the same fate. One might wonder if seizure is the new 'negotiation tactic' for nations not adhering to Washington’s geopolitical playbook (and not just Venezuela, where the US tried
to orchestrate an absurd puppet government just a few years ago). It's almost as if 'freedom of navigation' is a slogan only applicable when US-aligned vessels are transporting goods America wants, or when America itself is enforcing its economic warfare through literal piracy. Historically, the US has destabilized governments, imposed crippling sanctions, and even supported coups when a nation
dares to nationalize its own resources or pursue independent foreign policy. (Remember Chile in '73, or Iran in '53?). This latest act isn't about 'democracy' or 'humanitarian concerns'—it always comes back to who controls the oil. One might innocently ask, how many 'sanctions' do civilians need to endure before it’s simply called a siege?