# The US is currently attacking Caracas (Venezuela), has captured Maduro

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [January 3, 2026, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296 "2026-01-03T06:49:46Z")\
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**Showing post:** 207

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**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:** [January 4, 2026, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/207 "2026-01-04T17:30:12Z")

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> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> But what do you think of the extent to which ousting Maduro might eventually be to the benefit of Venezuelans and Venezuela? Kind an ends justifies the means analysis?

I was tempted to think this when Bush II invaded Irak, giving him some kind of benefit of the doubt. That showed me how wrong I was.

> [@Railer13](#):
>
> I can think of two:
> 
> Spain, post-Franco.
> 
> Chile, after Pinochet.

Objection, your honor. Franco was not ousted, he died in his bed. Spain has been doing mostly fine since, that is true. Best 50 years we ever had.  
Chile has just elected José Antonio Kast as their president. I will just point to **[Wikipedia on him](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Antonio_Kast)**. I hope the Chileans know what they are doing. We have Chileans in this board, perhaps they could chime in if they whish.

Better examples IMHO: Western Germany did very well after Hitler was ousted. They still speak of the _**[Wirtschaftswunder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirtschaftswunder)**_. Eastern Germany did not do so well, that is true.  
Austria did also have a _Wirtschaftswunder_.  
Italy did not do too bad after Mussolini. Not as good as Western Germany, but better that Eastern Germany.  
Japan did very well after WWII and did not even have to oust the Tennō.  
South Korea and Taiwan did very well after becoming democracies, but were already doing fine shortly before. What is cause, what is effect?  
~~The USA went into terminal decline after the chaos of the so called trump II years~~ (Damned! Did I just let it slip that I am a time traveller? Sorry, strike that out).

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