UN Venezuela Megathread - Mercenaries 2 references galore! Cubanodun is MVP

With the news of an attempted army uprising ending in many arrests happening in the troubled nation, I think now is the time to just say 'Post all Venezuela related news here'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40843494

The civil war is upon us.

 

[Figuratively Stalin]

Venezuela still has a fairly well educated populace.

I wouldn't count on that. Immigrants might have degrees and shit but I'm sure the average Venezuelan is dumb as bricks. Unless you consider being able to read and write being "well-educated".

 

[mindlessobserver]

A nation that invades an island that they endlessly REEEEEEEE about how it's rightfully theirs in order to distract from a failing economy.

I never thought I'd ever be able to make a comparison between Argentina and China, but here we are.

Spoiler

I guess a key difference is that China actually owned Taiwan at one point! HA HA HA HA HA HA! FALKLANDS IS BRITISH!

Good sir, allow me to correct the record on this blatant historical falsehood. The key difference is that Taiwan actually owned China at one point.

 

[Gustav Schuchardt]

These reminds me of a news report from December 1991 of idiots like this protesting the complete collapse and imminent dissolution of the Soviet Union saying this was just a plot for the west to exploit soviet workers; I can't find it but it's in one of the compilations of the News Reports covering it.

You know you're in the UK or US and at an elite university when you hear people say stuff like that. Pretty much the other 99.9999999999% of humanity would think 'Hey the Russians have finally got rid of their shitty government. Good for them! I hope it works out well'.

As Orwell observed "The average intellectual of the Left believed, for instance, that the war was lost in 1940, that the Germans were bound to overrun Egypt in 1942, that the Japanese would never be driven out of the lands they had conquered, and that the Anglo-American bombing offensive was making no impression on Germany. He could believe these things because his hatred for the British ruling class forbade him to admit that British plans could succeed. There is no limit to the follies that can be swallowed if one is under the influence of feelings of this kind. I have heard it confidently stated, for instance, that the American troops had been brought to Europe not to fight the Germans but to crush an English revolution. One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool."

 

[Nobunaga]

Well, at least Japan has the balls to want two aircraft carriers (the "through-deck cruisers" they're building are VTOL/STOL ships for F35), and not only that, name them the Shokaku and Zuikaku - which are the names used by two carriers that participated in the Battle of Midway.

Germany is a little less...ballsy. Although they once had a pretty decent army in the Bundeswehr, they have since dismantled it and sold off 90% of their tanks and other armor (oopsie!) They've got a middlin diesel-electric sub force, or did, anyway, and a frigate-based surface navy. Japan however has the nationalist ball bearings to say "Fuck this noise we want power projection" and are putting a few billion Yen into doing just that.

It also helps that japan has a symbiotic relationship with their organized crime syndicates in their eternal quest to tell dirty gajin to fuck off

 

[RodgerDodger]

I wouldn't count on that. Immigrants might have degrees and shit but I'm sure the average Venezuelan is dumb as bricks. Unless you consider being able to read and write being "well-educated".

Compared to Zimbabwe? The average Venezuelan is literate, has some education some basic math skills and can use most basic and common tools and technology. They may not have much in the way of Rocket Scientists and research physicists. But they have a good well educated industrial base. We forget how uncommon this is.

 

[Gustav Schuchardt]

Well, at least Japan has the balls to want two aircraft carriers (the "through-deck cruisers" they're building are VTOL/STOL ships for F35), and not only that, name them the Shokaku and Zuikaku - which are the names used by two carriers that participated in the Battle of Midway.

Germany is a little less...ballsy. Although they once had a pretty decent army in the Bundeswehr, they have since dismantled it and sold off 90% of their tanks and other armor (oopsie!) They've got a middlin diesel-electric sub force, or did, anyway, and a frigate-based surface navy. Japan however has the nationalist ball bearings to say "Fuck this noise we want power projection" and are putting a few billion Yen into doing just that.

Japan also has a lot of plutonium and it's 'space launch' rockets are solid fuelled and would make excellent ICBMs. All of which I'm sure China is well aware of. And the US too - Japan's deal with the US is that Japan is not formally a nuclear power in return for which it gets high priority US protection. The US knows Japan could go nuclear really fast and if the US cut Japan loose, that would happen.

And of course these days you don't actually need to test a nuclear weapon - subcritical tests and simulations are probably enough. Or maybe not, but if you were in charge of the US or China would you want to take the chance?

 

[FemalePresident]

Hello. Now that this is happening I want to give you some info since I've been around Caracas (much to my displeasure) and even if I spent most of my time in my country, I know the region and some of the inner stuff that's going on.

The whole thing is a shitshow. Most Venezuelans on foreign soil that are advocating for the new guy are not willing to come back, and these last couple of months they are facing heavy xenophobia in some countries like Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina.
This new guy favours social democracy. He is not willing to be a strong leader like some of other opposition figures want. He is not Bolsonaro, not even Piñera. He is more like an European social democrat.

Most of the military are with Maduro. Don't get your hopes high. Even if some general is willing to defect, the soldiers are still under Maduro's command. And not just them, the whole party is willing to fight if necessary. I'm not kidding, I've been talking with people involved in syndicates (both in my country and Venezuela), and they're willing to go to civil war to defend the regime.

Despite Bolsonaro's claims, I'm not so sure about how willing is he about going into Venezuela in full force. It's not clear yet. By how things are developing, the new guy is trying to form a parallel goverment. This will only lead to civil war. And he doesn't have many armed forces by his side, so he's probably going to ask for foreign reinforcements. I think Colombia is willing to participate, but they're holding off for now.

From now on there's no de-escalation.

 

[Iceland Heavy]

I'd say the categorization of him as being akin to modern SJWs is not an accurate one. While he was certainly liberal by Iranian standards, likening him to a movement inextricably linked with Marxist dogma is fundamentally flawed and misunderstands the Iranian Revolution. The Revolution was catalyzed primarily by Iranian students and their unholy alliance with the country's religious leaders. The students who kicked things off were primarily ones that had been exposed to Marx and other similar thinkers through the course of their educations abroad and had propagated it back home. The religious leaders and students only shared the common goal of freeing Iran from the influence of infidels and imperialists respectively. The students ended up being useful idiots that were quickly disposed of after the revolution though.

It was the same with Afghanistan's contemporary Daoud Khan, except there he was ousted by hardline marxists that proceeded to implement their agenda in the most heavy-handed, brutal way possible, to the point where the Soviets had to step in and remove them once the situation had spiralled completely out of control.

 

[Stoneheart]

Germany is a little less...ballsy. Although they once had a pretty decent army in the Bundeswehr, they have since dismantled it and sold off 90% of their tanks and other armor (oopsie!) They've got a middlin diesel-electric sub force, or did, anyway, and a frigate-based surface navy. Japan however has the nationalist ball bearings to say "Fuck this noise we want power projection" and are putting a few billion Yen into doing just that.

Aging Tanks and Armor. also the type 212/214 subs are still the best in the world. Silent and deadly.
The material is worldclass, the problem is the leadership and the lack of an enemy.
Russia cant win against the EU. just give out guns to the polish, let the superior eu forces face the spearhead of the russian army and wait till productionnumbers are up and more soldiers are drafted.

 

[Gustav Schuchardt]

Aging Tanks and Armor. also the type 212/214 subs are still the best in the world. Silent and deadly.
The material is worldclass, the problem is the leadership and the lack of an enemy.
Russia cant win against the EU. just give out guns to the polish, let the superior eu forces face the spearhead of the russian army and wait till productionnumbers are up and more soldiers are drafted.

Russia's problem is not the EU it is Nato. The US, UK and France would absolutely back up Poland if the Russians attack, admittedly all for somewhat different reasons. All the Visegrad countries too.

 

[Figuratively Stalin]

Compared to Zimbabwe? The average Venezuelan is literate, has some education some basic math skills and can use most basic and common tools and technology. They may not have much in the way of Rocket Scientists and research physicists. But they have a good well educated industrial base. We forget how uncommon this is.

I guess so. I keep forgetting the average African can barely read. Maybe the Zimbabwe comparison was too far.
I wouldn't count on the technology paer though, as a South American I can tell you most of us are completely technologically illiterate. Even the young.

Hello. Now that this is happening I want to give you some info since I've been around Caracas (much to my displeasure) and even if I spent most of my time in my country, I know the region and some of the inner stuff that's going on.

The whole thing is a shitshow. Most Venezuelans on foreign soil that are advocating for the new guy are not willing to come back, and these last couple of months they are facing heavy xenophobia in some countries like Peru, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina.
This new guy favours social democracy. He is not willing to be a strong leader like some of other opposition figures want. He is not Bolsonaro, not even Piñera. He is more like an European social democrat.

Most of the military are with Maduro. Don't get your hopes high. Even if some general is willing to defect, the soldiers are still under Maduro's command. And not just them, the whole party is willing to fight if necessary. I'm not kidding, I've been talking with people involved in syndicates (both in my country and Venezuela), and they're willing to go to civil war to defend the regime.

Despite Bolsonaro's claims, I'm not so sure about how willing is he about going into Venezuela in full force. It's not clear yet. By how things are developing, the new guy is trying to form a parallel goverment. This will only lead to civil war. And he doesn't have many armed forces by his side, so he's probably going to ask for foreign reinforcements. I think Colombia is willing to participate, but they're holding off for now.

From now on there's no de-escalation.

Doubt Bolsonaro is going to declare war on Venezuela. This whole FUCK DA COMMIES thing is just a meme. I hope, because Brazil is an absolute shithole and shouldn't be engaging in armed conflicts, at least until they get their shit together. If foreign powers are going to intervene militarily I'd rather have them be first world countries who can actually handle an armed conflict.

 

[FemalePresident]

I don't doubt Bolsonaro wants to expell all Venezuelans (at least the illegal ones) from his country and send his army to take down Maduro, but the situation in Brazil is fucked up right now. He probably needs his soldiers fighting narcos rather than waging war for who knows how long.

PD: And I dislike Venezuelans. Thing is, no matter what happens in their country, they won't leave mine.

 

[Beardfish]

Bolsonaro is absolutely getting nowhere near this shitshow. It's free publicity though and it helps him that the main opposition party supported Maduro (not sure if they still do).

 

[Cubanodun]

How do we know this nigger isn't the same shit as Maduro? In fact, do we know anything about him?

He is a fairly young guy that rised in the ranks by being a moderate, he is a very close friend with Leopoldo Lopez because they both were in the same party and also he was one of the few that actually was with the resistance fighting the good fight in the streets before his sempais fucked everything, he was choosen because he was not part of the cabal (that are thankfully absent, no one want to see them), he has connections with the resistance and also is not a fucking sellout like like Ramos Allup or Henrique Capriles, and in my book he is not a member of AD so that is a plus

Zulia for 51st state when?

Never, if they dared to declare independence we only have to take the sub station that provide them with electric power, that place is the hottest in all Venezuela, they are like California, have shitload of things except things they actually need

Russia and China don't see Venezuela as a business partner, but rather an allied nation close to the US where they can have a military presence

When Chavez was alive we were considered "economic partners" because we were actually fulfilling our share of oil in exchange for fast cash to maintain all the shitload of social benefits (aka free money) to make the peasants comply and that is why he won shitload of elections, let me be this clear Chavez did not need to cheat in elections he won by simply taking the imbeciles and put them in a pedestal, it was in his last election that he cheated because he knew he was not going to return and he preferred to die as a president that leave the country to his political enemies, the story of his last election is one of sheer horror, he was practically pumped with medications to make him barely stable so he could appear in public, and he could not go to any kind of hospital in Venezuela because the notice of his demise would quickly leak

I'm sure the average Venezuelan is dumb as bricks

Your mileage may vary but yeah, the people in the barrios in the main cities are not exactly what i call the brightest, but mind you everyone who want to have a university degree can do it with enough work, even the poorest (back in the day) could be a big professional, i remember a anecdote about one my clients that told me that he wasted shitload of money to get to Houston to see a very good doctor that everyone recommended and the guy was actually a Venezuelan that lived like 2 hours from where he lived and he come every two months to attend patients there

Of course Chavez practically glorified be a idiot, because why bother working when you only have to worship him to get free maneys? of course Free maneys becames useless when inflation devoured it every day and there is nothing to buy

Bolsonaro is absolutely getting nowhere near this shitshow. It's free publicity though and it helps him that the main opposition party supported Maduro (not sure if they still do).

Bolsonaro is actually getting something, stopping the waves of Venezuelans that are emigrating and not leaving borders cities because they dont want to move very far from the border with Venezuela, is the same problem that America has with Mexico and now that they are becoming every day Venezuela 2.0 i tell you, now i understand clearly why he want that wall, and he want it now

Edit:

"Maduro cocksucker" and "Maduro motherfucker" are now trending topic

 

[Ahriman]

Here's a pretty good documentary that was mentioned when I was reading tweets, "Chavismo: The Plague of the XXI Century" (Chavismo: La Peste Del Siglo XXI in Spanish).

English subs

Italian subs

Just finished watching the regular (Spanish) version, very insightful.

 

[Ahriman]

Your mileage may vary but yeah, the people in the barrios in the main cities are not exactly what i call the brightest, but mind you everyone who want to have a university degree can do it with enough work, even the poorest (back in the day) could be a big professional, i remember a anecdote about one my clients that told me that he wasted shitload of money to get to Houston to see a very good doctor that everyone recommended and the guy was actually a Venezuelan that lived like 2 hours from where he lived and he come every two months to attend patients there

Of course Chavez practically glorified be a idiot, because why bother working when you only have to worship him to get free maneys? of course Free maneys becames useless when inflation devoured it every day and there is nothing to buy

Don't worry, you're one of the good ones :'D

 

[Clones of Alex Jones]

Everyone

 

[Non-Threatening Niall]

They may not have much in the way of Rocket Scientists and research physicists. But they have a good well educated industrial base. We forget how uncommon this is.

They have a good well-endowed Miss Universe contestants base and that's about it. As for industry, they rely heavily in Colombia for consumer goods and, as someone wrote, if the answer is Colombia, then the question must have been horrifying.

I'm fairly certain there's a caste of articulate and competent Venezuelans, but the vast majority of the ones I've met seem to pride in their mediocrity. And furthermore, the few I've come across in the UK make me wonder how on Earth they conjured the synaptic connections required to fill out the visa application form.

 

[RodgerDodger]

Good sir, allow me to correct the record on this blatant historical falsehood. The key difference is that Taiwan actually owned China at one point.

That's where it gets weird. For some reason Americans and such rarely know much about mid 20th Century China. Yes the ROC forces that eventually retreated to Taiwan ruled China. Part of China. Mainly the North East. But they never had full control. After the fall of the Emperor China was split into warlord driven Fiefdoms with the two biggest such being Deng's ROC and Mao's Communists. Each had a piece. Neither had claim to the whole. Then Japan invaded and largely crushed the ROC regions forcing the two to team up for awhile. Then once Japan was defeated the hostilities started again. But the Republic forces were largely spent, and were forced to retreat to Taiwan. The key thing is neither group ever held sway over all of China. At this point in time China's claims that they own Taiwan, a freely flourishing Democracy and the fourth largest economy in the world are beyond absurd. And any attempt to take the island by force would be a disastrous mess. Trying to take a technologically advanced island nation that is extremely well armed, has been fortifying against you for 4 generations and has the baking of several nations able to project power globally is not a sound military decision. It is rather like attacking Israel.

Japan also has a lot of plutonium and it's 'space launch' rockets are solid fuelled and would make excellent ICBMs. All of which I'm sure China is well aware of. And the US too - Japan's deal with the US is that Japan is not formally a nuclear power in return for which it gets high priority US protection. The US knows Japan could go nuclear really fast and if the US cut Japan loose, that would happen.

And of course these days you don't actually need to test a nuclear weapon - subcritical tests and simulations are probably enough. Or maybe not, but if you were in charge of the US or China would you want to take the chance?

Aging Tanks and Armor. also the type 212/214 subs are still the best in the world. Silent and deadly.
The material is worldclass, the problem is the leadership and the lack of an enemy.
Russia cant win against the EU. just give out guns to the polish, let the superior eu forces face the spearhead of the russian army and wait till productionnumbers are up and more soldiers are drafted.

Add to this that there are nuclear weapons on or near Japan, and a rumored gentleman's agreement to hand over the keys should the neighbors get unruly. Not that they need it. Japan is effectively an undeclared nuclear power. They have all the components needed for weapons. They just have not assembled or tested them. To do so would be political suicide in Japan unless it was an existential crisis.

 

[zap2theextreme]

>It always turns out BAD.

How is it going to be bad for Venezuela? Worst case scenario, people are still lining up at the Columbian border to buy bread and toilet paper.

A long protracted civil war the likes of Syria and a refugee crisis even bigger?