The reality is that never in the entire history of capitalism has there been a free market, and in fact there is nothing capitalists fear more than a truly free market.
The most successful companies inevitably become monopolies, which gives them near total control of the market, and the capitalist at the top trembles at the thought of competition arising that may unseat him. So he bribes a politician to make laws that favor him and allow him to find new ways to control the world and maintain his status. Eventually, inevitably, as is the case now, the state and the capital class become indistinguishable.
The free market is a myth, and I personally would rather have an economy that is planned for the good of the common person than the rich motherfuckers who enslave us.
All good points, although I think multiple things can be true, especially when a narcissist like Trump is calling the shots. I suspect he saw the non-renewal as a threat he had to respond to with a disproportionate show of force, and Venezuela happens to tick that box too.
The backbone of the petrodollar is the deal with the Saudis where they agreed to exclusively trade oil in USD. That deal is no longer in place. Furthermore, Iran is reaching rapprochement with the Saudis, and the Trump tariffs have destroyed US trade credibility. The geopolitics of oil are shifting, and not in the US’s favor.
This is the real reason the US wants to steal Venezuela’s oil now. Their global oil hegemony is no longer enforceable through soft power.
So the petrodollar may not be dead today, and it may cling onto life for another decade, but (to my view) the writing is on the wall.
China is going to flip the script very soon. They have already overtaken the USA on some economic metrics, their industrial power is growing while the petro-dollar is in its death throes and American trade power is collapsing on every front.
America’s only real power remaining is the military, which is incredibly strong, but maybe not enough to exert power over a world united behind China’s Belts and Roads diplomacy while simultaneously dealing with a divided populous at home.
There is so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to begin. Why wouldn’t I publicly push against a the beginnings of a red scare? Especially in a leftist space?
I suspect you’re just a troll though, so I’m going to stop feeding you now.
They are already off-constitution with all of their deportations, etc. What makes you think people will do something in 2026 when they aren’t doing anything now?
The mask is off, people are just too afraid to look it in the face and call it what it is. Democracy is over, and the fascists won, for now. If we want it to be short term, we need to start organizing and preparing for armed resistance.
Unfortunately, voting has never been an effective way to channel political power. Without serious organization behind them, voters are as easy to disregard as farts in the wind.
If you feel powerless, find or make a group within your community who can band together to amplify your voices. Groups get attention, while individuals - even seas of individuals like the No Kings protests - get ignored.
A red scare is manifestly happening - see Maduro being kidnapped this morning. Trump constantly talks about jailing and deporting socialists. And online, the term tankie is being used as a way to discredit and slander all communists. People are very serious about their tankie hate here.
And it’s 2025, things that happen on the internet have real impacts on IRL society.
I get that you’re just trolling me (great SLAM, btw), but if you’re actually a leftist, you might want to think about who you’re serving when you try to undermine other leftists.
The reality is that never in the entire history of capitalism has there been a free market, and in fact there is nothing capitalists fear more than a truly free market.
The most successful companies inevitably become monopolies, which gives them near total control of the market, and the capitalist at the top trembles at the thought of competition arising that may unseat him. So he bribes a politician to make laws that favor him and allow him to find new ways to control the world and maintain his status. Eventually, inevitably, as is the case now, the state and the capital class become indistinguishable.
The free market is a myth, and I personally would rather have an economy that is planned for the good of the common person than the rich motherfuckers who enslave us.