China would have to occupy the west coast for full suspension of elections. So no, you're right, its, not absolute 0.
He may have ICE agents at the polling stations but there will be elections. Look at the dictators around the world, they still have elections. Having the ritual preserves the legitimacy.
First, it’s factually wrong. There will be elections in 2026 and 2028 under Trump
This should really be the only point that needs to be made. You can say the elections will be fraudulent or a sham but you can also say they've been that way for a long time. Its just a shallow and juvenile understanding of the situation.
iirc Maduro was already in negotiations to surrender himself to Trump as a part of some deal that would lift the sanctions. But the negotiations took too long for Trump.
Trump threatens Jorge Rodriguez with more blatant terrorism unless he privatizes the world's largest oil supply. If the new admin capitulates, Trump calls that a win. He gets the oil and the spectacle without losing a single american troop. The US will lose respect from its allies - again - but they never do shit about it. iTs AmErICa FiRsT. america
Rubio and the Cuba lobby are furious though. They are serious about regime change. The option that gets the most people killed.
If Trump felt beholden to congress, he would not have gotten approval. He would have had to spend years spreading propaganda and trying to build up a case, like Bush did. All that effort might have prevented him from doing it at all.
Didn't stop Bush did it?
More importantly, doing this is trying to peel off people who might waver because Maduro is unsympathetic
Saddam was even less sympathetic but the Iraq war was still wrong. Most of the US understands that. It's bipartisan amongst the populace at this point. Call it Jungle Iraq. Your son is going to die for oil... again. That'll alarm people way more than the bazillionth instance of presidential over-reach.
Protests are shouting matches. We're not talking about general discussion. Do you censor yourself in general discussion because conservatives play gotcha games with you? How is that honest communication?
Maybe that's what they intended but I've noticed a trend of liberals immediately triangulating themselves into this "least-controversial" legalistic take because they don't want to talk about Maduro. A stalinist waving a PSUV flag is more helpful at that point.
I'm not accusing you in particular of this or OP for that matter.
Why are you playing by conservative gotcha games then? Just say what you believe and say it as loud as you can. It is indeed a shouting match, not a debate.
Liberals, please stop with leading with the legal minutiae. Stop pretending that you would've been fine with this if only Trump had congressional approval. You know it's just about oil and imperialism. Trump literally spelt it out for you. Stop censoring yourself because you think its "strategic". Its not.
I assumed it was piefed.