Some Get Pardoned, Some Get Killed

[OlDawg]

22 minutes ago, DCT said:

Trump has said that Venezuela stole U.S. oil, land and assets. Just another lie.

Trump, on Dec. 18, told NBC News (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-not-ruling-war-venezuela-rcna250012) that a war between America and Venezuela is possible while not-so-slyly hinting that his focus on that country's oil was linked to the potential for regime change there. He sounded more like a venture capitalist plotting a corporate takeover than an American president looking out for his country.

Again...clueless. You're as bad as the 'news' you quote. Oil is the end to a means. Yes. Venezuela seized American assets of Exxon & Conoco Phillips. But, that's the side show. The purpose is to get China & Russia's influence out of the Western Hemisphere where they've made steady inroads into South & Central America while U.S. Administrations have been stupidly focused elsewhere. Thus, a renewed focus on Monroe Doctrine principles--which means more focus on the Americas & Caribbean, and less on Europe.

Reagan was the last POTUS to really focus on this in recent history. Americans have forgotten (or never knew) how close communism came to overtaking much of Central America in the 80's.

No lie from Trump on this one. Venezuela has stolen U.S. oil, land, and assets since Chavez.

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt on the 'baiting.' I was wrong.

[DCT]

3 minutes ago, OlDawg said:

Again...clueless. You're as bad as the 'news' you quote. Oil is the end to a means. Yes. Venezuela seized American assets of Exxon & Conoco Phillips. But, that's the side show. The purpose is to get China & Russia's influence out of the Western Hemisphere where they've made steady inroads into South & Central America while U.S. Administrations have been stupidly focused elsewhere. Thus, a renewed focus on Monroe Doctrine principles--which means more focus on the Americas & Caribbean, and less on Europe.

Reagan was the last POTUS to really focus on this in recent history. Americans have forgotten (or never knew) how close communism came to overtaking much of Central America in the 80's.

No lie from Trump on this one. Venezuela has stolen U.S. oil, land, and assets since Chavez.

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt on the 'baiting.' I was wrong.

You as a MAGA are in denial.

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[OlDawg]

3 minutes ago, DCT said:

You as a MAGA are in denial.

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I'm not MAGA, and you can't even seem to read your own articles. I'll waste no more time on you.

[DCT]

6 minutes ago, OlDawg said:

I'm not MAGA, and you can't even seem to read your own articles. I'll waste no more time on you.

You are definitely MAGA.  Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

AI Overview

 

No, Venezuela is not American land; it's a sovereign South American country, but recent political tensions, particularly from the Trump administration in late 2025, have involved claims that Venezuela "stole" U.S. oil and assets, leading to threats of blockades and intensified rhetoric, though these claims lack basis in international law

. Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1830, and while U.S. companies had major oil interests before nationalization, international law affirms Venezuela's ownership of its resources. 

[DCT]

16 minutes ago, DCT said:

You are definitely MAGA.  Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

 

AI Overview

 

No, Venezuela is not American land; it's a sovereign South American country, but recent political tensions, particularly from the Trump administration in late 2025, have involved claims that Venezuela "stole" U.S. oil and assets, leading to threats of blockades and intensified rhetoric, though these claims lack basis in international law

. Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1830, and while U.S. companies had major oil interests before nationalization, international law affirms Venezuela's ownership of its resources. 

Susie Wiles sheds light.

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[OlDawg]

31 minutes ago, DCT said:

You are definitely MAGA.  Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

 

AI Overview

 

No, Venezuela is not American land; it's a sovereign South American country, but recent political tensions, particularly from the Trump administration in late 2025, have involved claims that Venezuela "stole" U.S. oil and assets, leading to threats of blockades and intensified rhetoric, though these claims lack basis in international law

. Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1830, and while U.S. companies had major oil interests before nationalization, international law affirms Venezuela's ownership of its resources. 

I didn't vote. You also need to learn the difference--as do the writers of the articles you're posting--between crude and oil. They're vastly different animals. Perhaps you may be wise to listen to someone that was in the business for 30+ years, and also has experience and history in the region.

First-hand knowledge your AI answers can't provide.

[DCT]

9 minutes ago, OlDawg said:

I didn't vote. You also need to learn the difference--as do the writers of the articles you're posting--between crude and oil. They're vastly different animals. Perhaps you may be wise to listen to someone that was in the business for 30+ years.

A person who lies and has others to agree with the lies to an extent that fogs their reality can be described as delusional.

I’ll leave it there.  Have a blessed day sir.

[OlDawg]

3 minutes ago, DCT said:

A person who lies and has others to agree with the lies to an extent that fogs their reality can de described as delusional.

Are you calling me delusional?

[baddog]

1 hour ago, OlDawg said:

Again...clueless. You're as bad as the 'news' you quote. Oil is the end to a means. Yes. Venezuela seized American assets of Exxon & Conoco Phillips. But, that's the side show. The purpose is to get China & Russia's influence out of the Western Hemisphere where they've made steady inroads into South & Central America while U.S. Administrations have been stupidly focused elsewhere. Thus, a renewed focus on Monroe Doctrine principles--which means more focus on the Americas & Caribbean, and less on Europe.

Reagan was the last POTUS to really focus on this in recent history. Americans have forgotten (or never knew) how close communism came to overtaking much of Central America in the 80's.

No lie from Trump on this one. Venezuela has stolen U.S. oil, land, and assets since Chavez.

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt on the 'baiting.' I was wrong.

I don’t have 30 years in the business, but I do know the U.S. has shown countries worldwide how to extract crude, refine it, while building the actual refineries for them. I’m sure it has hit them deep in their pockets, but I have never purchased Citgo gas. Lol

[thetragichippy]

51 minutes ago, DCT said:

A person who lies and has others to agree with the lies to an extent that fogs their reality can be described as delusional.

I’ll leave it there.  Have a blessed day sir.

I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you were speaking in general terms and not  directing that to someone personal.

It would far serve this forum for you to debate the facts.  We all can agree to disagree.

[LumRaiderFan]

1 hour ago, DCT said:

You are definitely MAGA.  Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.

 

AI Overview

 

No, Venezuela is not American land; it's a sovereign South American country, but recent political tensions, particularly from the Trump administration in late 2025, have involved claims that Venezuela "stole" U.S. oil and assets, leading to threats of blockades and intensified rhetoric, though these claims lack basis in international law

. Venezuela became independent from Spain in 1830, and while U.S. companies had major oil interests before nationalization, international law affirms Venezuela's ownership of its resources. 

🤦‍♂️

[OlDawg]

1 hour ago, baddog said:

I don’t have 30 years in the business, but I do know the U.S. has shown countries worldwide how to extract crude, refine it, while building the actual refineries for them. I’m sure it has hit them deep in their pockets, but I have never purchased Citgo gas. Lol

Basically, Venezuela owns natural resources of crude. They weren't capable of refining it and turning it into petroleum products--including oil. So, they arranged business agreements and leases with American oil companies. Venezuela supplied the crude to the American refiners and made their money off those sales. The American refiners did their refining, and produced the petroleum products and derivatives. At that point, the resulting products were owned by the respective refiners. The assets used to produce said products were owned by the refiners, and the land they sat on was under contract to them as a long-term lease.

Venezuela seized those assets, and the resulting products and technology when their economy was in a shambles. They broke the land leases. The refiners weren't compensated for their value, and still haven't been to this day.

The oil in the tankers is refined by the seized refineries. Technically, it belongs to the refiners until they've been fairly compensated. The Trump Administration has also--apparently--been tracking 30-40 tankers that are violating sanctions against Iran, and these first 2 tankers are among those violating the sanctions.

Trump--and media chatter boxes--are conflating different things. First, crude is the natural resource owned by the Venezuelan people--not the refined petroleum product if it came from a seized refinery. Second, the only reason oil is in the conversation is because it's being used as leverage to remove Maduro's regime, which is very friendly with China and Russia, and the Trump Administration is trying to block any further advances by those militaries into our direct hemisphere. He is using any justification necessary to accomplish this goal.

Personally, it would be easier to just stick with the sanctioned oil being sold to help fund the drug cartels via government proxy story, and be honest about removing Maduro and why. Yes, drugs are a major reason. But, also explain to the American people the advances by Russia and China. Most aren't aware at all.

Some media--and others--are too shallow thinking to see these issues even though the renewal of the Monroe Doctrine was just verbalized a couple of weeks or so ago.

They only focus on the oil angle, and can't even get that part right.

NOTE:

No AI was harmed or used in the creation of this post. Merely a brain and experience.

[baddog]

11 minutes ago, OlDawg said:

Basically, Venezuela owns natural resources of crude. They weren't capable of refining it and turning it into petroleum products--including oil. So, they arranged business agreements and leases with American oil companies. Venezuela supplied the crude to the American refiners and made their money off those sales. The American refiners did their refining, and produced the petroleum products and derivatives. At that point, the resulting products were owned by the respective refiners. The assets used to produce said products were owned by the refiners, and the land they sat on was under contract to them as a long-term lease.

Venezuela seized those assets, and the resulting products and technology when their economy was in a shambles. They broke the land leases. The refiners weren't compensated for their value, and still haven't been to this day.

The oil in the tankers is refined by the seized refineries. Technically, it belongs to the refiners until they've been fairly compensated.

Trump--and media chatter boxes--are conflating different things. First, crude is the natural resource owned by the Venezuelan people--not the refined petroleum product if it came from a seized refinery. Second, the only reason oil is in the conversation is because it's being used as leverage to remove Maduro's regime, which is very friendly with China and Russia, and the Trump Administration is trying to block any further advances of those militaries into our direct hemisphere. He is using any justification necessary to accomplish this goal.

Personally, it would be easier to just stick with the sanctioned oil being sold to help fund the drug cartels via government proxy story, and be honest about removing Maduro and why. Yes, drugs are a major reason. But, also explain to the American people the advances by Russia and China. Most aren't aware at all.

Some media--and others--are too shallow thinking to see these issues even though the renewal of the Monroe Doctrine was just verbalized a couple of weeks or so ago.

They only focus on the oil angle, and can't even get that part right.

I have read some on the subject, but you explained it better than what I was reading.

[OlDawg]

24 minutes ago, baddog said:

I have read some on the subject, but you explained it better than what I was reading.

Trump’s been signaling a return to Monroe Doctrine since his first term. That’s why he’s been pressuring Europe to spend more on their own defense. That’s pure MD philosophy.

Like I said, people just can’t seem to connect the dots. I’ll admit to having a little advantage in some government activities. But, it should be becoming pretty clear to all by now with a minimal amount of effort.