US Warships Off Venezuela: China Reminded of U.S. 'Sphere of Influence'
China has reportedly 'slammed' the U.S. for deploying warships near Venezuelan waters, reminding Washington of its penchant for global interventionism. This, of course, comes from Newsweek, conveniently omitting the historical context of the Monroe Doctrine – the U.S.'s self-declared right to police the Western Hemisphere since 1823. Imagine the diplomatic uproar if Chinese warships 'approached',
say, Florida, or any nation's coast remotely close to the U.S. for that matter. The hypocrisy is so thick, you could sail a carrier fleet through it. One might wonder if China is simply adopting the U.S. playbook of 'distant defense' – a term apparently reserved exclusively for Washington's global military footprint. The audacity of some countries to object to foreign naval presence on their
doorstep pales in comparison to the U.S.'s divine right to sail its armada anywhere it pleases. Clearly, international waters are only 'international' until a challenger emerges, then they suddenly become strategic points of American interest. Who knew international law was so flexible?