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Re: Venezuela nears total collapse
[Re: ConSigCor]
#170358
05/01/2019 01:44 PM
05/01/2019 01:44 PM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 23,913
Tulsa
airforce
Administrator
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Administrator
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 23,913
Tulsa
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Castro, Chavez, Maduro, and "bad luck." An article from Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds. Robert Heinlein once wrote: Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.em
This is known as “bad luck.” I thought about this statement this weekend, reading two news stories. The first was about the tide of Venezuelans taking to boats to escape Venezuela’s economic collapse. As The New York Times reported, “Venezuela was once one of Latin America’s richest countries, flush with oil wealth that attracted immigrants from places as varied as Europe and the Middle East." "But after President Hugo Chávez vowed to break the country’s economic elite and redistribute wealth to the poor, the rich and middle class fled to more welcoming countries in droves, creating what demographers describe as Venezuela’s first diaspora.” Now, in their absence, things have gotten worse, and it’s poorer Venezuelans — the very ones that Chavez’s revolution was allegedly intended to help — who are starving. Many are even taking to boats, echoing, as the Times notes, “an image so symbolic of the perilous journeys to escape Cuba or Haiti — but not oil-rich Venezuela.” Well, Venezuela was once rich. But mismanagement and kleptocracy can make any country poor and Venezuela — as is typical with countries whose leaders promise to soak the rich for the benefit of the poor — has had plenty of both. And now, though Hugo Chavez’s family has grown fabulously wealthy, the poor have nothing. As one refugee quoted in the Times article says, “I’m leaving with nothing. But I have to do this. Otherwise, we will just die here hungry.” Under capitalism, the rich grow powerful. Under socialism, the powerful grow rich — and everyone else grows poor. Which brings me to the other story, the death of Cuban dictator-for-life Fidel Castro. Although many among Western political and entertainment elites still think of Fidel Castro fondly, such people are, at best, what Lenin called “useful idiots.” In fact, as Yale professor Carlos Eire notes in The Washington Post, Castro was not a benevolent patron of the poor, but a "brutal Big Brother” who crushed dissent, tortured, imprisoned and executed his critics, and stole everything he cared to steal from his island’s inhabitants. He lived the lifestyle of an emperor, while his people were subjected to poverty. He persecuted gay people and Christians, and exported war and terror. Oh, he said things about equality and justice, but those were lies. In his country, as in socialist dictatorships everywhere, there were two sets of rules: Those for the connected elite, and those for the subjects. They talk about equality, but what they set up turns out to be an awful lot like a monarchy. Both Venezuela and Cuba have suffered under leaders who enriched themselves and their families. Chavez’s daughter is the richest person in Venezuela, with a net worth in the billions, while in true “socialist equality” fashion, Cuba is now run by Castro’s brother, Raul. Yet their poverty and oppression are treated as if they’re just “bad luck.” But it’s only bad luck in the Heinlein sense. As Heinlein also said, a good cook can take wholesome ingredients and produce something much more valuable. A bad cook, on the other hand, can take those same ingredients — valuable in themselves — and produce an inedible mess. Socialist kleptocrats are like Heinlein’s bad cook, with the added trait of stealing any edible leftovers for themselves and their kin. Perhaps the world will learn a valuable lesson from the fates of Cuba and Venezuela, and avoid such “bad luck” in the future. Onward and upward, airforce
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Re: Venezuela nears total collapse
[Re: ConSigCor]
#170365
05/02/2019 10:49 AM
05/02/2019 10:49 AM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,733
A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC
ConSigCor
OP
Senior Member
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OP
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,733
A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC
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FAA Has Restricted Airspace Around Venezuela
by NC Scout | May 1, 2019
In a likely prelude to action, the FAA issued the following NOTAM (Notice To Airmen):
KICZ A0001/19- SECURITY..UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ADVISORY FOR VENEZUELA
THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A BELOW SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN FLYING
INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN OR OVER THE TERRITORY AND AIRSPACE OF VENEZUELA BELOW FL260 DUE
TO POTENTIAL HAZARDS TO CIVIL AVIATION ASSOCIATED WITH ONGOING POLITICAL INSTABILITY
AND INCREASED TENSIONS IN VENEZUELA.
A.APPLICABILITY. THIS NOTAM APPLIES TO: ALL U.S. AIR CARRIERS AND COMMERCIAL OPERATORS;
ALL PERSONS EXERCISING THE PRIVILEGES OF AN AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE FAA, EXCEPT
SUCH PERSONS OPERATING U.S.-REGISTERED AIRCRAFT FOR A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER; AND ALL
OPERATORS OF AIRCRAFT REGISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT WHERE THE OPERATOR OF
SUCH AIRCRAFT IS A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER.
B.PLANNING. THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A PLANNING TO FLY INTO, OUT OF, WITHIN, OR OVER THE ABOVE-NAMED AREA MUST REVIEW CURRENT SECURITY/THREAT INFORMATION AND NOTAMS AND COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE FAA REGULATIONS, OPERATIONS SPECIFICATIONS, MANAGEMENT SPECIFICATIONS, AND LETTERS OF AUTHORIZATION, INCLUDING UPDATING B450.
C. OPERATIONS. EXERCISE CAUTION DURING FLIGHT OPERATIONS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTENT RISKS TO CIVIL AVIATION FROM VENEZUELAN MILITARY AND SECURITY ACTIVITIES
ASSOCIATED WITH ONGOING POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND INCREASED TENSIONS IN VENEZUELA. THOSE PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A MUST REPORT SAFETY AND/OR SECURITY INCIDENTS
TO THE FAA AT +1 202-267-3333 OR +1 202-267-3203.
HTTPS://WWW.FAA.GOV/AIR_TRAFFIC/PUBLICATIONS/US_RESTRICTIONS/
SFC– FL259; 22 FEB21:072019UNTILPERM. CREATED:22FEB21:142019
And the following:
FAA Background Information Regarding U.S. Civil Aviation– Venezuela
Due to ongoing political instability and increasing tensions in Venezuela, the FAA assesses there is an increasing inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operating into, out of, within or over the territory and airspace of Venezuela at altitudes below Flight Level (FL) 260. As a result, on 22 February 2019, the FAA published Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) KICZ A0001/19, advising U.S. civil aviation to exercise caution during flight operations into, out of, within or over the territory and airspace of Venezuela at altitudes below FL260.
The FAA is concerned about increased tensions associated with the ongoing political unrest and Venezuela’s recent military posturing, which included a national-level military exercise and the blockage of humanitarian aid on the Colombian border. The Maduro regime has publicly threatened to defend its sovereignty from any military aggression and to disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid. This confluence of events presents an increasing potential for miscalculation and/or misidentification of civil aircraft, which represents an inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Venezuela.
Venezuelan forces have large stockpiles of advanced man portable air defense systems (MANPADS), and some MANPADS may be capable of engaging aircraft up to 25,000 feet. Although Venezuelan military forces are believed to have no intent to target civil aviation, the political instability and heightened tensions in Venezuela creates a concern for the possible loss of state control of some MANPADS
into the hands of potentially violent and unpredictable non-state actors who may have different intent and a lower level of training.
There is also the potential for Venezuela to operate GPS jammers in a leadership force protection role in and around Caracas, particularly in light of the August 2018 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) assassination attempt. Use of GPS jammers for counter-UAS operations may cause inadvertent GPS interference with civil aviation operations in Venezuelan airspace.
The FAA will continue to monitor potential risks to U.S. civil aviation operating the territory and airspace of Venezuela and make adjustments to its advisory for U.S. civil aviation as necessary.
Posted:22 FEB 2019
While in effect since February, it appears as though due to the ongoing and now widespread unrest, support very well might be inbound. Along with US accusations against Cuba and Russia, it might be a good time to review the following posts from earlier in the year:
Russian General: We Will Send Missiles To Cuba
Joint Sino-Russian Military Base To Reopen in Cuba
Russia deploying nuclear capable bombers to Venezuela
Venezuela’s Kalashnikov Factory to be at full capacity in 2019
The Russians have made it clear they intend on keeping the Maduro regime in power, whether the reports of their orders to Maduro are true or not, simply by their actions in the nation over the past year. This situation could rapidly and unpredictably spiral out of control, and at a minimum presents a Syria / Ukraine situation just to our south.
Review your plans.
"The time for war has not yet come, but it will come and that soon, and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." Gen. T.J. Jackson, March 1861
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Re: Venezuela nears total collapse
[Re: ConSigCor]
#170434
05/12/2019 01:51 PM
05/12/2019 01:51 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,733
A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC
ConSigCor
OP
Senior Member
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OP
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,733
A 059 Btn 16 FF MSC
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Guaido Begs US Military To Help With Maduro Regime Change
Sunday, 12 May 2019 12:19 Zero Hedge
Venezuela's self-declared President Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he has instructed his political envoy in Washington to immediately open relations with the US military.
Guaido asked his ambassador, Carlos Vecchio, to sit down with Pentagon officials for "direct communications" to discuss "coordination" of efforts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose 2018 reelection Guaido claims is illegitimate.
"We have instructed our ambassador to meet immediately ... with the [US] Southern Command and its admiral to establish a direct relationship," Guaido told a Caracas crowd during a pro-opposition rally.
"We have said from the beginning that we will use all the resources at our disposal to build pressure."
The Southern Command is part of the US military responsible for operations and security in Central and South America, along with the Caribbean.
The Trump administration has repeatedly said that "all options are on the table" to end the country's yearslong political crisis. Washington, along with the European Union and most of Venezuela's neighbors, have backed Guaido to take control of the oil-rich nation.
However, Brussels and most Latin American countries have expressed opposition to potential military intervention. -DW
According to Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, the CIA is behind a plan to overthrow Maduro, according to Russia's state-owned Tass. Speaking at a Moscow press conference on Monday, Arreaza said "There is a whole plan made up by the CIA and the Venezuelan opposition to overthrow the Maduro government and take control of our country’s natural resources, which belong to the people as a result of a socialist revolution," adding "This is what we are trying to prevent. We don’t want the Venezuelan people to suffer"
Maduro, meanwhile, says that the CIA recruited his former intelligence chief over a year ago, who he claims masterminded the ham-handed coup attempt. In a Friday speech, Maduro slammed General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, former director general of Venezuela's National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), who defected in the wake of the failed April 30 military coup.
"Investigations have succeeded in proving that General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera has been recruited by the CIA for more than a year," said Maduro, adding that the "traitor" Figuera would face justice "sooner rather than later."
Maduro claimed that Figuera knew he was going to be fired and arrested at 9:00 a.m. on April 30, and prematurely launched the coup attempt before his imminent arrest.
Meanwhile, on Saturday Venezuelan defense minister Vladimir Padrino condemned what he called an illegal incursion by a US coast guard cutter in Venezuelan territorial waters - providing no evidence for his claim, but saying that Venezuelan vessels were able to force the ship to retreat.
"I don’t know if other republics will accept actions like this in their jurisdiction, but we will not," said Padrino.
A spokeswoman for US Southern Command, Col. Amanda Azubuike, said that a coast guard vessel was performing a drug interdiction mission in international waters of the Caribbean sea.
In past days, Padrino also denounced what he said were attempts by the US military to sow discord inside Venezuela’s barracks, inviting an angry response from Adm Craig Faller, head of Southern Command, who said he “stands ready” to assist Guaido.
“I look forward to discussing how we can support the future role of those [leaders of Venezuelan armed forces] who make the right decision, put the Venezuela people first and restore constitutional order,” Faller said. -The Guardian
Guaido maintains that as Venezuela's rightful leader, he has the right to invite foreign military actions - similar to how independence hero Simon Bolivar utilized 5,000 British mercenaries which he hired to liberate South America from Spain - adding that any such help should be considered "cooperation" instead of "intervention."
"We live in dictatorship," said Guaido, adding "We don’t have the option to stay at home waiting, but to keep demanding our rights in the streets."
To that end, Maduro still controls the Venezuelan military, and calls Guaido a "puppet" of the Trump administration.
"The US empire aims to end the Bolivarian Revolution," tweeted Maduro on Saturday. "We show the world that we can do social justice."
"The time for war has not yet come, but it will come and that soon, and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." Gen. T.J. Jackson, March 1861
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