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[Teneb]

Turns out most of the blood remained inside. The attacker, who was just a really pissed off man acting alone turns out, managed to tear Bolsonaro's intestines, so it was actually pretty bad and the candidate is in intensive care still. He's stable, though.

I'm actually really mad at the attacker, because this was a popularity boost Bolsonaro could've done without and justifies his authoritarian, fascist discourse.

[Magistrum]

Man, I'm still trying to fully grasp the whole triplex thing, but Brazil has been getting increasingly interesting lately.

At least we can all point and laugh at Cabo Daciolo.

[smjjames]

Hey South America, you're gonna love this, and I mean that in a sarcastic way: http://thehill.com/policy/international/americas/405696-trump-officials-discussed-secret-overthrow-of-venezuelas-maduro

link to NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/world/americas/donald-trump-venezuela-military-coup.html

It doesn't seem to have gotten to the actual 'providing support' stage though, and got aborted. I'll give credit to the Obama admin for rebuffing the discussions because we don't exactly have a great track record of having the outcome of overthrowing a dictator go well (when we get involved in it) and it's just a continuation of feeling like we can just act with impunity in South America.

CNN article that summarizes the NYT article more clearly: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/08/politics/trump-venezuela-officers-secret-meetings-maduro-coup/index.html

Even though the whole thing never got to the support stage from the US, the fact that US officials entertained the idea is still going to anger a lot of people since it just looks like we're up to our old Cold War sheneinighans. And of course, there's no guarantee that the military coup will actually restore democracy or be any better than things are now.

[Teneb]

Oh boy, we're back to this huh? I miss the days when the US forgot that anything south of Mexico is actually not part of Mexico.

[Loud Whispers]

I don't think the US ever stopped with the whole regime change thing m8s

[Teneb]

I don't think the US ever stopped with the whole regime change thing m8s

They did when they switched over to the Middle East when it comes to South America. Except for Colombia, but that's why no one likes their government.

[smjjames]

I don't think the US ever stopped with the whole regime change thing m8s

I know, but at least the Obama admin seems to have tried to at least learn from history... while botching up Libya.

I don't think the US ever stopped with the whole regime change thing m8s

They did when they switched over to the Middle East when it comes to South America. Except for Colombia, but that's why no one likes their government.

What would be especially galling is that the military official they met with was under sactions for accused crimes (it wasn't mentioned what crimes), so, really, all they'd be doing is replacing one corrupt dictator with another one that the US supported.

[Wolfhunter107]

I imagine that's why they nevrr provided any material support and then stopped talking with them. Even the Trump administration can see a bad idea for what it is every now and then.

[Loud Whispers]

I know, but at least the Obama admin seems to have tried to at least learn from history... while botching up Libya.

Botching Libya.. Syria... And still Afghanistan. That's actually depressing in hindsight, America's Afghanistan in 2018 is still Afghanistan

I imagine that's why they nevrr provided any material support and then stopped talking with them. Even the Trump administration can see a bad idea for what it is every now and then.

He probably concluded it'd cost him votes in his next election

[smjjames]

Reading the NYT article again, it doesn't say why the officials didn't do material support, but it sounds like the plotters didn't really have a plan for what to do afterwards and probably no real guarantee that they'd relinquish power to a newly elected official.

It seems to have also been in part reaching out diplomatic feelers and an intelligence operation as well.

I imagine that's why they nevrr provided any material support and then stopped talking with them. Even the Trump administration can see a bad idea for what it is every now and then.

He probably concluded it'd cost him votes in his next election

Pfft, plenty of his base would cheer at the downfall of a 'socialist' government. I doubt he'd lose many votes over it.

[Wolfhunter107]

He probably concluded it'd cost him votes in his next election

If anything, It'd gain him more support. There's been voices  in the Republican establishment calling for the military to take action (a coup, in other words) for quite a while now.

My take on this is that Trump probably pushed the meetings during his "Let's invade Venezuela" phase last year, and that whoever ended up running the contact with the officers strung them out until Trunp lost interest and then let it die.

It's still horrific on many levels, but at least nothing actually ended up happening.

[WealthyRadish]

It is a shame to see the US "returning" to "the ways of the cold war."

Wait...
Hmm...
H m m m m m

[Egan_BW]

🤔 hmm

[Loud Whispers]

Really activates my almonds 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔

[smjjames]

Yeah I get it, the 'Cold War ways' is stuff that we never really stopped doing and had been doing for a long time anyway.