BREAKING NEWS ~ Continuously Updated

[skogvokter]

,,
Dozens killed, 100 injured in fire at Swiss ski resort bar
..
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Around 40 people were killed and 115 injured when a fire ripped through a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, officials said on Thursday.
Police said the fire broke out at 1.30 a.m. (0030 GMT) as revellers were celebrating in a bar called Le Constellation in the resort in southwestern Switzerland, which locals said was popular with teenagers.
..
Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the disaster as "one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known" and said most of the dead were young people.
The cause of the blaze, which was initially reported as an explosion, remained unclear but authorities said the fire appeared to be an accident rather than an attack.
..
Video footage verified by Reuters showed fire spreading from the building, and witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as people rushed to get out.
"There were people screaming, and then people lying on the ground, probably dead," said 21-year-old local Samuel Rapp, who saw the aftermath of the fire. "They had jackets over their faces - well, that's what I saw, nothing more."
The head of the local canton's police, Frederic Gisler, said around 40 people were presumed to be dead and 115 were injured, most of them seriously. He said it was too early to give details on the identity of the dead and injured but Italian authorities said 16 Italians were missing and about a dozen in hospital.
Two young French women who said they were in the bar told France's BFM TV that they saw the fire start in the basement section of the club after a bottle containing "birthday candles" was held up too close to the wooden ceiling.
"The fire spread across the ceiling super quickly," one of the two women, who identified themselves as Emma and Albane, told BFM TV. The pair said they were able to climb a narrow staircase to the ground floor and escape the building. Minutes later, the fire had reached the ground floor too, they said.
BFM showed video of a waitress carrying a champagne bottle with a lit "fountain candle" through the bar, one of many in Crans-Montana, a fashionable ski centre with an array of boutiques, luxury hotels and restaurants. But the footage did not show the fire breaking out.
Local prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud said an investigation had been opened into the blaze at the bar, which Swiss company records showed was owned by a French couple, but she said it was too early to comment on any possible safety failures.
..
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ts-2026-01-01/
..

[John Hilton]

EDIT: AS NOTED, BELOW, THE VIDEO IS AN AI-GENERATED FAKE! APOLOGIES.

"What I Heard in Basel's Secret Meeting" Yiannis Varoufakis warns about the coming financial crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVZ9gJbYQPI

Synopsis by Grok AI:

Summary of Yiannis Varoufakis' Report: "What I Heard in Basel's Secret Meeting"

Varoufakis claims he attended a confidential emergency meeting at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel with ~30 senior central bank officials (Fed, ECB, BoE, BoJ, etc.). The agenda was ostensibly monetary policy, but the real focus was panic over the accelerating collapse of dollar dominance — a crisis they view as unmanageable.

Key Revelations (Alleged)

Massive Hidden Treasury Dumping:
Foreign central banks (Japan, Europe) are rapidly exiting US Treasuries via intermediaries/offshore swaps to avoid crashing markets. Public data understates the scale.

Repo Market Breakdown
Rates spiking; banks demanding higher collateral for Treasuries — pricing in real risk. Fed intervening constantly but unsustainable.

Pre-Positioning Capital Controls Drafting emergency restrictions on money movement, currency conversions, bank holidays — coordinated across Western banks.

Pension Fund Catastrophe Looming
$3–5 trillion potential losses if rates rise further; no tools to prevent; fear of mass withdrawals/social unrest.

Managed Dollar Decline Accepted
No strategy to save dominance; focus on "slow decline" vs. sudden crash. BRICS expansion irreversible; Europe worst-positioned.

Timeline & Triggers
12–18 months (or less) to crisis; possible sudden triggers: failed Treasury auction, BRICS currency launch, geopolitical shock.
Officials "praying nothing goes wrong" — no real fix, just symptom management.

Advice from Officials
No safe financial haven; prepare with skills, community, physical assets (resilience over paper wealth).

Tone & Context
Dramatic/alarmist: Varoufakis says he violated NDAs to warn public; officials resigned/desperate. Aligns with his long-term critique of dollar system post-BRICS/Saudi shifts.

Reality Check
No independent confirmation of this specific meeting or quotes (BIS meetings are private).
Elements echo real concerns (Treasury demand softening, repo volatility, BRICS de-dollarization), but presented as insider panic without evidence. Varoufakis known for anti-establishment views; treat as opinion/speculation.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by John Hilton (here)
"What I Heard in Basel's Secret Meeting" Yiannis Varoufakis warns about the coming financial crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVZ9gJbYQPI

I was starting to agree with many of the comments below this Youtube video that this was an AI generated video.

Then at the suggestion of one of those comments, I looked at the history of other videos of Yanis Varoufakis that were uploaded to this "Yanis Varoufakis Live" Youtube channel. There were eight such videos, uploaded in the last eight days, all with variations of the same screen shot. The pacing of the Yanis' audio speech also sounds AI like. And the key detail for me, Yanis speaks near the end of the risk rising higher closer to the end of 2025 or even 2026. Real people, speaking on the last day of the year, don't speak of the risks of something happening later in that year. Fake AI is routinely out of touch with the current calendar date, stuck somewhere in the recent past.

===

P.S. == Yanis agrees, and protests the deep fake AI videos of him, showing as an example a little bit of another clip with the same background, sound and pacing:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-4tjjGrUrVw

[John Hilton]

I did watch another video previously, and it was clearly AI as Yiannis has a distinctive Greek accent and that one hadn't (which sounded really weird to me!) But in this one the accent is exactly right and the facial expressions seemed to match the speech.
So thanks for looking into it and finding Yiannis' actual video complaining. BTW I tend to spell his name to match the Greek way Γιáννις, although he himself simplifies it to Yanis.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by John Hilton (here)
BTW I tend to spell his name to match the Greek way Γιáννις, although he himself simplifies it to Yanis.

ah - that explains the variations in spelling his name

[onawah]

Xi Jinping vows 'unstoppable' Chinese reunification with Taiwan
ABC News (Australia)
2.49M subscribers
Dec 31, 2025

"Chinese leader Xi Jinping has reiterated calls for Taiwan's reunification in his New Year address. It follows military drills by China which analysts say was a simulation of blockading the island nation.
Defence expert Jennifer Parker from the ANU National Security College says China's rhetoric has shifted from peaceful reunification."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=h0Xkw2St9B4

[bojancan]

Trump invade Venezuela! Now these moments... Pentagon and White House decline comments on this matter... unlawful invasion... only CBS talking just now...

LIVE: TRUMP INVADES VENEZUELA

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=AG9UKQX7SZo

[onawah]

Why a STAGNANT China is More Dangerous Than a Rising One (The End of the Chinese Dream)
The EconoPoint Podcast
Dec 23, 2025

(Point by point, this excellent summation of what has gone so terribly wrong in China signals not only the end of modern China, but how the unprecented decline is affecting the rest of the world. The CCP's propaganda is trying desperately to hide the truth as much as it can, but is failing miserably. )
"For decades, economists predicted China would overtake the US economy. They were wrong. This video dissects the structural rot inside the Chinese economy, from the Evergrande real estate crisis to the harsh US semiconductor bans. We analyze the "Middle Income Trap," the hidden Local Government Debt crisis ($13T), and the massive capital flight of China's wealthy elites.

Discover why the CCP's crackdowns on tech giants like Jack Ma and the failure of the Belt and Road Initiative have isolated Beijing. We also explore the geopolitical risks of a "wounded giant" and what a Chinese economic depression means for your wallet, global supply chains, and international security."

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:48 The Demographic Time Bomb
08:27 The Real Estate Ponzi Scheme
13:04 Lying Flat and Letting It Rot
19:33 The Hidden Mountain of Local Debt
24:49 The Consumption Trap
31:47 Crushing the Private Sector
36:16 Run, Rabbit, Run (Capital Flight)
43:51 The Middle-Income Trap
47:21 The Taiwan Distraction
51:40 The Silicon Curtain
56:08 Belt and Road to Nowhere
59:38 The Surveillance State Safety Net
01:03:22 Feeding the Dragon (Food Security)
01:07:08 Wolf Warrior Isolation
01:11:06 The Danger of the Wounded Giant
01:16:21 Final Thoughts

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KNIfF4TsBMY

************

6 reasons why CCP wants war, its war economics explained
Lei's Real Talk
401K subscribers
Dec 18, 2025

"Why does Beijing believe it can afford a war over Taiwan? This episode breaks down the debate surrounding Xi Jinping’s decision on war — examining six core reasons the CCP may be willing to risk military conflict, set against five major risks that argue against it. From regime legitimacy and internal power struggles to control of the Taiwan Strait, the analysis ultimately comes down to the numbers: war economics. Using a clear, data-driven framework, it explains how China’s wartime economic model prioritizes regime survival over growth — and why economic collapse alone may not deter Beijing from choosing war. "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ucImvcz0x3w

***********

China Rehearses Taiwan Invasion as Xi Sets 2027 Deadline | President Lai vows to defend sovereignty
Indiatimes
1.01M subscribers
Jan 2, 2026

"2026 has begun with the Taiwan Strait closer to crisis than at any point in decades. Just hours after China concluded its largest-ever military exercise around Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te vowed the island would defend its sovereignty “with whatever force necessary.” Beijing’s reply was blunt: reunification is “unstoppable.” China’s two-day drill, Justice Mission 2025, involved nearly 130 aircraft, warships, live-fire rocket strikes, and simulations of a full blockade and invasion, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and disrupting shipping lanes across the region. The timing was no accident. Days earlier, the United States approved a record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, while Japan openly warned it could intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked. U.S. intelligence believes 2027 is the year Xi Jinping wants the PLA ready to seize Taiwan. These drills were not about starting a war tomorrow—but about proving China can fight one. As pressure mounts, deterrence tightens, and red lines blur, the question is no longer if tensions rise—but whether rehearsal turns into reality."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jmqZYwtt5JY

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by onawah (here)
Why a STAGNANT China is More Dangerous Than a Rising One (The End of the Chinese Dream)
The EconoPoint Podcast


************

6 reasons why CCP wants war, its war economics explained
Lei's Real Talk

***********

China Rehearses Taiwan Invasion as Xi Sets 2027 Deadline | President Lai vows to defend sovereignty
Indiatimes

The above presents three quite distinct takes on China ... almost as if three different nations were being presented.

I suspect that there is truth in each view. China's ancient history of being inscrutable to us Westerners continues.

The current, and the coming years will not be easy for them. I am optimistic for what humanity can do; our challenges will come from our solar system and surrounds.

[norman]

BREAKING: Khamenei Plans Exit To Moscow - IRGC Lose Power In Iran
Tousi TV - Streamed live 71 minutes ago

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=MfF6xPexoy0

[onawah]

I think the first video sums up the situation in China ( the stagnant condition there) pretty well:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KNIfF4TsBMY
The other two just provide more detail.

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)

Posted by onawah (here)
Why a STAGNANT China is More Dangerous Than a Rising One (The End of the Chinese Dream)
The EconoPoint Podcast


************

6 reasons why CCP wants war, its war economics explained
Lei's Real Talk

***********

China Rehearses Taiwan Invasion as Xi Sets 2027 Deadline | President Lai vows to defend sovereignty
Indiatimes

The above presents three quite distinct takes on China ... almost as if three different nations were being presented.

I suspect that there is truth in each view. China's ancient history of being inscrutable to us Westerners continues.

The current, and the coming years will not be easy for them. I am optimistic for what humanity can do; our challenges will come from our solar system and surrounds.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by onawah (here)
I think the first video sums up the situation in China ( the stagnant condition there) pretty well:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KNIfF4TsBMY
The other two just provide more detail.

The third video, so far as I noticed, was just providing detail in a different presentation style.

But the second video, from Lei's Real Talk, notices the complexity of affairs inside China. There is not "One China", necessarily doomed to stagnation for decades due to prior mistakes.

There are (at least) two China's:

• Xi Jinping and the CCP, continuing the totalitarian Communist regime that began with Mao, with the "encouragement" of City of London globalists including Kissinger, that led to the current dire state of mainland China, and
  
• a certainly covert but apparently increasingly dominant coalition seeking to reform and repair China.

The reformists certainly have their work cut out for them. But over the next decade or two, I am optimistic that China will return to being healthier nation.

[onawah]

Hopefully, but if Xi gets his way and there are more military actions directed at Taiwan, it could get ugly.
(It's complicated.)

The PLA Is Purging Itself — And Taiwan Is the Cover Story
Lei's Real Talk
404K subscribers
Jan 4, 2026

"China’s latest Taiwan drill isn’t about war. It’s about covering up the PLA’s internal crisis. Behind the sudden, provocative exercise lies a brutal internal purge that has hollowed out the PLA—especially the Eastern Theater Command. This episode breaks down why Beijing needs these drills to hide military chaos, why Xi Jinping no longer fully controls the PLA, and why the real danger isn’t invasion—but instability inside China’s military system."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=fjciOxLVE5I

***************

Maduro Fell. Is Iran Next—and What Does It Mean for China?
Lei's Real Talk
404K subscribers
Jan 3, 2026

"His arrest isn’t just about Venezuela—it may be the start of something much bigger. As Iran’s protests intensify, one question is spreading fast: Is Iran next? And if the dominoes keep falling, what does that mean for China? This episode breaks down why Maduro’s capture changes the rules of global power—and why Beijing is watching Iran with growing anxiety.

Why the World’s Warning Signs Are Converging on One Year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGpwzQCj90A

Why Scientists, Psychics, and Ancient Systems All Point to 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL1VerD74MQ "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l5SzDM-6qM4

*************
Is 3 Gorges Dam Invasion Insurance for Taiwan
Casey Jones - Professional Engineer
68.4K subscribers
Jan 4, 2026

"In this video, I analyze the implications for why some people consider 3 Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China to be a potential high-value military target in the event that the Chinese Communist Party invades Taiwan.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qzkGCfGNwy0

(The 3GD was on shaky ground to begin with, having been built on an earthquake fault.
It wouldn't take that much to damage it fundamentally, either via natural causes or military attack.
Either way would cause a huge catastrophe that would radically change conditions all over China and probably put an end to the CCP. )
*****************
3 Gorges Dam with InSAR Satellite Data
Casey Jones - Professional Engineer
68.4K subscribers
Nov 3, 2024

"In this video, I provide an independent assessment performed by Value Space of satellite based photos and radar (InSar) data about the condition of the 3 Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. We now have a public source of information that can be obtained for these highly secretive projects that is not dependent on their release by a government. In this video, I summarize the results and provide additional insights into using InSar data."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gz7Kb7v9bzs

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)

Posted by onawah (here)
I think the first video sums up the situation in China ( the stagnant condition there) pretty well:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KNIfF4TsBMY
The other two just provide more detail.

The third video, so far as I noticed, was just providing detail in a different presentation style.

But the second video, from Lei's Real Talk, notices the complexity of affairs inside China. There is not "One China", necessarily doomed to stagnation for decades due to prior mistakes.

There are (at least) two China's:

• Xi Jinping and the CCP, continuing the totalitarian Communist regime that began with Mao, with the "encouragement" of City of London globalists including Kissinger, that led to the current dire state of mainland China, and
  
• a certainly covert but apparently increasingly dominant coalition seeking to reform and repair China.

The reformists certainly have their work cut out for them. But over the next decade or two, I am optimistic that China will return to being healthier nation.

[norman]

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)

. . . There are (at least) two China's:

• Xi Jinping and the CCP, continuing the totalitarian Communist regime that began with Mao, with the "encouragement" of City of London globalists including Kissinger, that led to the current dire state of mainland China, and
  
• a certainly covert but apparently increasingly dominant coalition seeking to reform and repair China.

I'm not so convinced that Xi and the CCP are the same thing.

I see the situation more like I see the relationship between Trump and the Senior Executive Service (British, to all intents and purposes). Meaning, until enough pieces have been both disabled and put in place they effectively behave as one thing but progress is being made that's coordinated with other shifts around the world.

I think it was E.M. Burlingame that I heard pointing out that if you listen to Xi's speeches over a long period of time he talks about the history and the future of China, NOT the CCP and the communist monster machine. In other words, I think he's really a nationalist like Putin and Trump, but as tied down as Gulliver for the time being.

Rightly or wrongly, that's the state of things that I'm pivoting a lot of my own reasoning around, for now.

[onawah]

It's definitely complicated...
Here's another piece of the puzzle:

The PLA Purge Has Crossed the Point of No Return
Lei's Real Talk
404K subscribers
Dec 27, 2025

"69% of China’s top PLA generals are gone—and this time, it’s not rumor.
In this deep-dive, we trace how accurate military rumors repeatedly predicted real purges, why the sudden disappearance of key generals signals something far more serious, and what Xi Jinping’s latest promotion ceremony quietly revealed about power inside the PLA. From missing commanders to empty chairs at the top, the evidence points to a military purge that has crossed the point of no return—and a command system under unprecedented strain."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tm85tplIU7g

Posted by norman (here)

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)
. . . There are (at least) two China's:

• Xi Jinping and the CCP, continuing the totalitarian Communist regime that began with Mao, with the "encouragement" of City of London globalists including Kissinger, that led to the current dire state of mainland China, and
• a certainly covert but apparently increasingly dominant coalition seeking to reform and repair China.

I'm not so convinced that Xi and the CCP are the same thing.
I see the situation more like I see the relationship between Trump and the Senior Executive Service (British, to all intents and purposes). Meaning, until enough pieces have been both disabled and put in place they effectively behave as one thing but progress is being made that's coordinated with other shifts around the world.
I think it was E.M. Burlingame that I heard pointing out that if you listen to Xi's speeches over a long period of time he talks about the history and the future of China, NOT the CCP and the communist monster machine. In other words, I think he's really a nationalist like Putin and Trump, but as tied down as Gulliver for the time being.
Rightly or wrongly, that's the state of things that I'm pivoting a lot of my own reasoning around, for now.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by norman (here)
I'm not so convinced that Xi and the CCP are the same thing.

yup ..

Posted by onawah (here)
It's definitely complicated...

yup ..

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by onawah (here)
Hopefully, but if ... it could get ugly.
(It's complicated.)

Well said .

[John Hilton]

Chris Zurawski's Fakebook Post
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NqjZWhAy4/

Trump Isn’t “Pirating Ships” - He Must Seize and Sell 300 Venezuelan Oil Tankers to Satisfy an International Court Judgment Owed to U.S. Companies

A lot of people are reacting emotionally to the idea of oil tankers being seized, but most of the outrage comes from not understanding what is actually being discussed.

So let’s slow this down and explain it clearly, legally, and step by step.
This is not war.
This is not piracy.
This is judgment enforcement - the same principle used every day when courts seize bank accounts, property, aircraft, or cargo from someone who lost in court and refuses to pay.

1. What Venezuela did (the part that always gets skipped)
In the 2000s, under Hugo Chávez, Venezuela seized oil projects owned by foreign companies, including major U.S. firms such as ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips.
This wasn’t a policy disagreement.
It was expropriation:
• Contracts were broken
• Assets were taken
• Compensation that had been agreed to was not paid
That is not controversial. It is historical fact.

2. What the courts decided
Those U.S. companies didn’t complain on social media.
They went to international arbitration and U.S. courts - the proper legal venues.
They won.
The rulings were:
• Final
• Binding
• Enforceable
Venezuela lost and was ordered to pay tens of billions of dollars in damages.

3. The real problem: Venezuela refused to pay
Here is the key point most critics ignore:
Venezuela refused to comply with the court judgments.
In any legal system - domestic or international - when a party:
• Loses in court
• Owes a judgment
• Refuses to pay
…the law allows creditors to seize commercial assets belonging to the debtor outside its borders to satisfy the judgment.
This is called judgment enforcement.
Countries do not get a free pass simply because they are countries.

4. Why oil tankers even enter the conversation
Venezuela’s primary commercial asset is oil.
Oil moves on oil tankers.
Those tankers:
• Carry state-owned Venezuelan oil
• Are commercial property, not military or diplomatic assets
• Can be lawfully seized by court order in cooperating jurisdictions
This is no different in principle from seizing:
• A bank account
• A plane
• A shipment of goods
Calling this “piracy” is legally incorrect.
Piracy is theft without lawful authority.
This is court-ordered seizure to collect a debt already ruled on.

5. The math everyone avoids
Let’s use conservative, realistic numbers so no one can claim exaggeration.
• Estimated unpaid court judgments: ~$35 billion
• Oil price used: $62 per barrel
• Typical large oil tanker (VLCC): ~2 million barrels
Value of one full tanker:
• Gross value: ~$124 million
• Net value after realistic court-sale discounts: ~$115 million
Now do the math:
$35,000,000,000 ÷ $115,000,000 ≈ 300 tankers
That’s where the number comes from.
Not one tanker.
Not ten.
About three hundred.
One tanker only covers about one-third of one percent of what Venezuela owes.

6. What this means - and what it does NOT mean
This does not mean:
• Tankers are being randomly grabbed
• This is a military action
• The goal is punishment
It does mean:
• Courts already ruled
• A debt legally exists
• Enforcement is the only option left when payment is refused
When Donald Trump talks about seizing oil shipments, he is not inventing a new power.
He is talking about using existing legal authority to enforce judgments Venezuela already lost.
In plain English:
You took property, you lost in court, you refused to pay - so your commercial assets are seized and sold until the debt is satisfied.
That is how the rule of law works.

7. Why you don’t see hundreds of tankers seized
Because enforcement is:
• Legally narrow
• Jurisdiction-dependent
• Deliberately targeted
Venezuela also structured its exports to:
• Avoid enforceable ports
• Use intermediaries
• Break shipments into smaller pieces
So tanker seizures are rare, careful, and strategic, not mass roundups.
Tankers are leverage, not a magic wand.

The bottom line
• Venezuela seized U.S. assets
• Venezuela lost in international court
• Venezuela refuses to pay
• The debt is ~$35 billion
• A tanker is worth ~$115 million net
• It would take ~300 Venezuelan oil tankers to make the judgment whole
This is lawful enforcement, not piracy.
This is accounting, not aggression.
This is what happens when court rulings are ignored.
People arguing “this sounds extreme” are missing the most important fact:
The court already decided.
Once that happens, enforcement isn’t optional - it’s inevitable.
Everything else flows from that reality.

(This is Chris' post, not mine. I just thought it was interesting.)

The following is also interesting but I'm not going to ******** post it here, for obvious ******** reasons!

Open Letter To Liberals, Democrats, Libtards And The General Woke Mob (expletives)
https://x.com/Knesix/status/2007960824783003721

[BMJ]

"Disclosure" Movie: They're HIDING Something TERRIFYING

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zOjoNGOIHqU

What Lurks Beneath
Dec 30 , 2025

The Space Age didn't begin with science. It began when the founder of JPL stood in a desert circle... and summoned a demon. This is the story of the "Collins Elite"—the secret Pentagon faction convinced that "aliens" are actually biblical entities and why the government's upcoming "Disclosure" isn't a revelation of truth—but a carefully laid spiritual trap.

[sdv]

I am pretty sure that all capitalists would be convinced by the argument made by Chris and thus the violent abduction of a president and his wife, and the stated goal to seize the country's natural resources are 'justified'.

The assets 'stolen' from American companies are not worth billions. That is the projected profits, and does not take into account the profits already extracted.

That post simply states that Venezuela refused to pay, but did not say why or give a full explanation of the Venezualuan viewpoint. The post also does not mention that one American oil company did stay in Venzuala, on the government's terms. The other oil companies refused to accept the terms of the new government.

(For Trump supporters who do not understand ... it is kind of like Trump taking office and signing all those executive orders.)

If you are extracting wealth from an independent sovereign nation that is not yours, you accept the risk that the political climate may change and the party is over for you.

Abducting a president and his wife, using maximum force, and then holding a sham trial in your country is not justifiable nor is it civilized behaviour.

The hypocrisy is mind blowing. The USA and Israel owe the people of Gaza many billions, just for reconstruction, and are not only ignoring international law and decisions in international courts, but are threatening and sanctioning the people in those courts ... do I need to continue that comparison? Because the Trump plan for Gaza is obscene.