# Countdown to war with Venezuela **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 28, 2025, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201 "2025-11-28T06:19:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2025, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/1 "2025-11-28T06:19:02Z")
[Trump says US land action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela will start ‘very soon’](https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/27/politics/trump-says-us-land-action-in-venezuela-very-soon) Well of course he desperately NEEDS a war to distract, and to rescue his plummeting approval ratings. He’s going to get thousands killed at a minimum. And the spineless coward Republicans in Congress are going to let him. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2025, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/2 "2025-11-28T06:45:41Z")
2 weeks? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2025, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/3 "2025-11-28T10:58:33Z")
Would he put boots on the ground? I know that Venezuela has large cities and large open beach resort areas as does Colombia ( mission creep, thy name is Trump ). I know that back in the day, Colombia still had some jungle areas. Would war with Venezuela mean jungle warfare…? ( The last time we fought in jungle warfare, didn’t we lose…? ) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/4 "2025-11-28T15:22:14Z")
I think it will start with bombing “targets”. Guided missiles fired from Destroyers _Gravely_ , _Jason Dunham_ or _Sampson_ “Targets” will supposedly be drug cartels, but unfortunately, a bunch of civilians will be killed. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/5 "2025-11-28T15:53:16Z")
Well, drug cartels are _mostly_ civilians, both on land and on sea, right? That is the reason why sinking those boats is a war crime. They are not and never were legitimate targets for the US military. Same in this case. If they target drug cartels on land they are targeting civilians. By definition. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/6 "2025-11-29T15:04:01Z")
Sounds like our latest military adventure is imminent. > **[Donald Trump says airspace above and around Venezuela is closed](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/donald-trump-venezuela-airspace-closure)** > > President made declaration in a social media post, after FAA last week warned airlines of ‘worsening security situation’ Does this mean we are taking our eye off the grave threats posed by Greenland and Nigeria? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/7 "2025-11-29T15:23:32Z")
Meanwhile he has pardoned a convicted drug trafficker. I just can’t hardly believe that we are still acting like things are ok. This horrible man will happily kill thousands of people. There has to be more than the Epstein files driving this. I feel so itchy with the need to do more than type on this computer from the safety of my couch, but I’ll be 70 in August of next year if I live that long, so of what use could I be anymore. I don’t like feeling this way. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/8 "2025-11-29T15:32:55Z")
It’s not about “drugs.” It’s about the ultimate “drug.” Oil. I give it with two weeks. Trump has to commit before Christmas. He has to have a distraction during House/Senate floor action, both scheduled from December 1 through December 18. Think Epstein. Think ACA subsidies. If Trump waits too long he loses face in the eyes of Columbia and Venezuela. Then again, he’s not bright enough to realize the fool that he is in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/9 "2025-11-29T15:56:49Z")
I can’t even…it’s too vile to contemplate. I, too, don’t like feeling like this. He’s desperately wagging the dog. Poor dog. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/10 "2025-11-29T16:08:31Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Oil It’s not even that. The US has plenty of oil, prices are historically low, no one is starting a war over oil in 2025 It literally just because Trump has decided he wants to be a war president. George W gets to be a war president, everyone loves him, why can’t Trump launch a totally unjustified invasion of a sovereign nation that kills hundreds of thousands? In fact to show how amazing he is and get the respect he deserves, his invasion will kill millions ☹ ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/11 "2025-11-29T16:24:04Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > ( The last time we fought in jungle warfare, didn’t we lose…? ) That’s because we made the mistake of having actually military objectives and a real enemy that needed to be defeated. Thankfully this invasion has none of that it’s purely about Trump’s ego. They can match into town, shoot some unfortunate Venezuelan soldiers, blow up some buildings, find some fentanyl (or fentanyl “precursors”) and declare victory. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/12 "2025-11-29T16:35:31Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > in the eyes of Columbia ColOmbia people, ColOmbia. I don’t know if it’s autocorrect or what but I think effort should be taken to correctly write the names of countries. As for Tump’s motivation… It’s not **only** for the oil but it’s probably part of the equation, I think the motives are, in order of importance: 1. Sheer bloody stupidity, the need to look though by killing foreigners. 2. The fact that Venezuela has refused to bow to the U.S. in the way it did before Chavez. (please don’t take this as an endorsement of Chavez and even less of Maduro, I’ve always disliked both) 3. Distraction 4. Oil Yes the prices of oil are low and the U.S. is an exporter, but that has no effect on Trump’s imperialist worldview (“we should invade them and take their oil” he said about Irak, or words to that effect) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/13 "2025-11-29T16:35:44Z")
As foolish as Trump and his advisors are, I really hope they grasp how bad an idea it is to put ground troops anywhere. War waged from 20,000 feet is much better. Clinton took it to an extreme in the 1990s, but there was a rationale for it. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/14 "2025-11-29T17:14:24Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > ColOmbia people, ColOmbia. I don’t know if it’s autocorrect or what but I think effort should be taken to correctly write the names of countries. > > … he said about Irak, I love this. I hope it was deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/15 "2025-11-29T17:18:53Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > bad an idea it is to put ground troops anywhere It’s a bad idea if you want to achieve actual strategic objectives like regime change (_change_ as in actually replacing Maduro with a stable democratic regime, they stand a chance of killing him _relatively_ easily, he’s no Osama Bin Laden) or actually making a difference to the amount of drugs exported from Venezuela. If you just need to give an ego boost to the narcissistic autocrat in the oval office, boots on the ground is a perfectly good idea (as long as you don’t care about a few dead Americans and lots and lots of dead Venezuelans). No one needs to tramp round the jungle trying to find small groups of Guerrillas, just “thunder run” to the presidential palace\* and blow stuff up, then declare victory. ‘\*’ - or if thats too hard some small costal town and “drug smuggling hub” ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/16 "2025-11-29T17:20:35Z")
Not exactly, “Irak” is the Spanish name of the country. But certainly Gaudere’s law in action. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/17 "2025-11-29T17:37:57Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > It’s not about “drugs.” None of the shit this maladministration has been pulling under the name of stopping drug trafficking has actually been about drugs at all. Nice fig leaf though. This is all about Agent Orange’s beef with Maduro, and he doesn’t care who dies in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/18 "2025-11-29T17:46:41Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > None of the shit this maladministration has been pulling under the name of stopping drug trafficking has actually been about drugs at all. Indeed. It’s like the complete and utter bullshit Trump spewed about putting tariffs on Canada because of all the fentanyl pouring over the border. Which was an obvious and transparent lie. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/19 "2025-11-29T17:55:33Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > It’s not even that. The US has plenty of oil, prices are historically low, no one is starting a war over oil in 2025 The US has oil _now_. But the Bakken field is winding down. The Alaskan field is about tapped out after 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201/20 "2025-11-29T19:07:40Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > This is all about Agent Orange’s beef with Maduro, I don’t even think he has particular beef with Maduro. Beyond the combination of brown people, socialism, fentanyl and gangs, which is like catnip for the Maga base (but not Trump, he doesn’t care about any of those things beyond talking points to excite his base), I don’t see any particular evidence Trump has a problem with Maduro (unlike say Biden, Obama, or every single woman who has held a position of power in opposition to him). He is just a convenient outlet for Trump’s current desire to start a war with someone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/countdown-to-war-with-venezuela/1025201.md?page=2)