US Seizes Tanker, NPR Seizes 'Veteran Diplomat'
NPR's Michel Martin recently interviewed Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, to "weigh the meaning" of the U.S. seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker. A classic move: when Washington needs to justify an act of international piracy, they call in the 'veteran diplomat' from the think tank payroll. Haass, a frequent fixture on mainstream media, offers the quintessential
inside-the-beltway perspective, conveniently devoid of inconvenient history or dissenting voices. What NPR's listeners didn't get was context. This latest seizure follows decades of U.S. interference in Latin American sovereignty, from supporting coups to crippling sanctions—a playbook well-practiced against nations that dare to assert resource independence. One might wonder if the 'meaning' of
such seizures isn't just a euphemism for maintaining global hegemony, disguised as upholding nebulous 'international norms' selected for convenience. It's almost as if some countries are allowed to seize whatever they want, while others are lectured on the rule of law.