WHAT WOULD DONALD Trump have to do for the U.S. media to frame what he is doing in Venezuela as an act of war?
This isn’t a rhetorical question. It’s an actual inquiry, the pursuit of which can reveal a lot about how U.S. media’s default posture is state subservience and stenography. In the past few months, President Trump has committed several clear acts of war against Venezuela, including: murdering — in cold blood — scores of its citizens, hijacking its ships, stealing its resources, issuing a naval blockade, and attacking its ports. Then in a stunning escalation on early Saturday morning, the administration invaded Venezuela’s sovereign territory, bombing several buildings, killing at least 40 more of its citizens, kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their bed, and announcing they will, henceforth, “run” the country.
This episode seems to indicate that the president can do almost anything in the context of foreign policy, and the media will still overwhelmingly adopt language that is flattering and sanitizing to the administration when describing what has unfolded. This dynamic reached a new low Saturday morning, when the U.S. media rushed to frame the administration’s unprovoked attack as, at worst, a “ratcheted up” (CBS News) “pressure campaign” (Wall Street Journal) and, as was more often the case, some type of limited narcotics police “operation” (CNN).
110 Comments
xenomor@lemmy.world · 178 pts · 228d
If China decided that trump had violated some domestic law of theirs, and sent their military into Florida, dragged him and his third wife out of their beds, flew them back to their territory, and put them in prison, would these assholes consider that an act of war?
velindora@lemmy.cafe · 70 pts · 228d
I wouldn’t! 😇
Eyekaytee@aussie.zone · -41 pts · 228d
lmao the lemmy replies showing exactly why no one has declared it war, literally no one gives a shit about an oppressive dictator who clung to power using the military post being voted out
Mountainaire@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 227d
That's not the point. The point is, who made specifically the US the World Police? This kind of forced intervention is how you create the Taliban, ISIS, etc. What is your response to that?
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 226d
The world made the US the world police. Where were Venuzuela’s neighbours when dictatorship set in? Why weren’t they parking their tanks on the president’s lawn? Why has the UN Army been repeatedly rejected by members?
The usual disinterest, apathy and self interest governs all countries.
aarch0x40@piefed.social · 48 pts · 228d
Don’t get our hopes up
JLock17@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 227d
50% chub, and rising.
Witchfire@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 228d
Don't promise me a good time
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 29 pts · 227d
Stop, I can only get so erect.
lka1988@sh.itjust.works · 23 pts · 227d
MAGA would be screaming about it until the end of time if that happened. Because it's different. Somehow.
amorangi@lemmy.nz · 20 pts · 227d
It's called American Exceptionalism, and it's much older than MAGA.
lka1988@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 226d
Valid point. MAGA is just the latest iteration.
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 226d
“Me? you want Me to pay tax? To Revolution!”
Mrkawfee@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 227d
They'd say "interesting that you'd use China as an example you commie"
doingthestuff@lemy.lol · 3 pts · 227d
They could've said any European country and everyone would have just laughed.
EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 227d
No no no, you've got it backwards. It's .ml users who'd get mad at you for comparing China and the US. "It's a false equivalency!"
Like I had happen to me just the other day when I compared the US regime's invasion to the invasion of Ukraine and the lack of any real response from world leaders.
tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 227d
Now, that would definitely feel like one of those ultimately rare and rarer "Nature is healing" moments, and everyone would live happily ever after.
SarahFromOz@lemmy.world · 113 pts · 228d
“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,”
Or the support of the press !
NateNate60@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 228d
Major news organisations in general are really scared when it comes to pointing out things which are extreme, because they believe describing those things as extreme will lead to accusations of sensationalism. The reason they think that is because sensationalist outlets are indeed more likely to describe everything as extreme and make unjustified comparisons to extremities, so major media outlets often think that to be "unbiased" is to refuse to acknowledge that an action is extreme.
Vox described this as the "this is fine" bias.
Mrkawfee@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 227d
Major "news" organisations are owned by oligarchs who support Trump so they have abandoned any pretence of accountability
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · 0 pts · 227d
This is bullshit, though, legacy media have no problem using sensationalist headlines when it suits their ideology. Example from New York Crimes on Oct 7th:
Death to America, death to "Israel"
ripcord@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 227d
Once you have replaced the press leadership with lackeys then yes. They had a very very productive 2025 for doing things to eliminate resistance
rylock@piefed.zip · 101 pts · 228d
ABC was covering it like it was a football game. "Incredible performance from the US military", "Flawless victory over the Venezuelans", "Impressive display of professionalism from the troops"
Makes me sick.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 28 pts · 227d
That is nauseating. These are human lives, 80 people died
ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one · 11 pts · 227d
That's cause only white people matter.
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 226d
And its the military’s job to kill people. I’ve never got people who love soldiers.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 226d
Soldiers are still human beings and there are enough instances where soldiers did the right thing. Aside that, soldiers do what they're told. Kill the one person in charge and all soldiers stop
Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 224d
Hen turning off their critical thinking on purpose are a pity..
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -1 pts · 227d
Unfortunately, those 80 human lives are almost nothing compared to the 38 million the US and EU have murdered over the past 50 years through economic sanctioning (still murdering half a million per year).
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 225d
100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it · 4 pts · 227d
DAE all the Lemmings saying that the good men in the military would refuse to carry out unlawful orders because they swore an oath to the Costitution?
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 226d
Remember when the invasion of Afghanistan got its own theme tune and title sequence?
ameancow@lemmy.world · 87 pts · 227d
MonkeMischief@lemmy.today · 19 pts · 227d
Friggin RIGHT?!?!?!
The semantics at play indicate the media "watchdogs" have put their tails between their legs and pissed themselves.
ameancow@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 227d
SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 227d
I keep trying to point this out to my mother, who keeps overreacting to one news story after another. She agrees in the moment that it's all theater, then goes right back to being outraged by every obvious bait story.
ameancow@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 226d
SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 226d
You're not a mean cow at all! As someone that's about to start therapy with a spouse with a similar issue, you just handed me the beginning of the proverbial thread I need to start pulling on. So serendipitous!
ameancow@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 226d
random_character_a@lemmy.world · 82 pts · 228d
"Special military operation"
ewo@piefed.ca · 18 pts · 228d
At least Dr Evil was evilly cool compared to these facists!
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 227d
Hey if big daddy Putin can do it, why can't diaper Donny?
random_character_a@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 227d
Calling in war would make both of them criminals.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 227d
Ehm... I'm sorry if this comes as a blow, but they both are criminals (Trump already found guilty on 34 accounts). They have been criminals for most of their lives.
random_character_a@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 227d
Yes yes. Other one is an old KGB murderer and kleptocrat the other one an old KGB asset, convicted conman and kleptocrat.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 226d
And pedophile.
Bakkoda@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 227d
Billionaire owned media isn't covering this?
Naevermix@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 227d
It is an act of war, the "capture" of Maduro is a kidnapping, and the deaths of ~80 cuban and venezuelan security and civilians is murder.
USA is a rogue state.
bytesonbike@discuss.online · 7 pts · 226d
Not many people are bringing up that the US invaded a country and not only kidnapped a guy, but left a trail of bodies.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-attack-venezuela-death-toll-rises-80-civilians-and-military-personnel-1
shiftymccool@piefed.ca · 5 pts · 226d
Please, we desperately need to be invaded and conquered by the most convenient communist country
Edit: not sarcasm
joyjoy@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 228d
Special Millitary Operation in Venezuela. Quick 30 minute adventure.
random_character_a@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 228d
Dipshits are gonna be greedy, fuck it up and turn it in to an another Afganistan. This time really close to home.
Nobody likes Maduro. They should play with that, take their successful 30min and exit.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -1 pts · 227d
If nobody likes Maduro, why is the USA placing Venezuela under extreme economic sanctioning?
Maduro is not an illegitimate or unpopular leader. The Bolivarian revolution was widely supported among the people of Venezuela and freed millions from poverty, until USA sanctions demolished their economy. The express purpose of USA sanctioning, according to the US government is to, and I quote, "bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government". USA+EU sanctions additionally murder half a million innocents per year according to recent serious sociologic and medical studies.
By defending regime change under extreme economic sanctioning, you're approving the murders of 38 million people over the past 50 years of economic sanctions, and directly supporting the CIA strategy of "impoverish them until they change their minds".
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 226d
Maduro has been declared illegitimate by nearly every other nation, and the UN and EU. The election was a farce.
CircaV@lemmy.ca · 20 pts · 226d
The world is sleepwalking into WWIII
SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 226d
Seriously, the US isn't going to be the only country looking to put their finger on the scale in Venezuela. Heck, there's plenty who will do so just to further entangle the US.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 227d
The subscription billionaire media companies are all complicit, and have been for quite a while.
melfie@lemy.lol · 5 pts · 226d
J92@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 228d
Christ, I hope my country is putting some serious effort into jailbreaking their F-35s.
partofthevoice@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 227d
So long as you’re fine with whatever consequences the US is willing to impose on you for doing so, this can’t seriously be that hard—right? IIRC, the US just controls the server that signs flight plans? So… worst case scenario, that’s managed by a chip without any write access? Reverse engineer the little chip to ask your own server for permission, no?
Given we’re talking about state-sponsored capabilities here, am I oversimplifying things? I don’t feel like I am.
FiniteBanjo@feddit.online · 11 pts · 228d
Do ya'll not have search engines? Literally anybody can find like 20 articles calling it an Act of War with the press of a button.
Bakkoda@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 227d
And you can find as many saying it isn't. Confirmation bias is in play here
doingthestuff@lemy.lol · 1 pts · 227d
Schrodinger's act of war.
reddig33@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 227d
Will be interesting to see what Maduro’s trial judge says.
CircaV@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 226d
As IF he gets anything close to a fair trial. Everything about this kidnapping was illegal to begin with. All world leaders can now be kidnapped in their beds by US Special Forces. What happened to Noriega will happen to Maduro.
Why haven’t they captured genocider Netanyahu?? Oh right…….
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 226d
There’s a longstanding law which says a court can disregard how the defendant ended up in the courtroom, regardless of the legality of the means used to get them there.
OshagHennessey@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 226d
The US media is owned by the same oligarchs who benefit from his fascism. Why would they bite the hand that feeds?
sturmblast@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 227d
This was an act of war wrapped in the shroud of narcotics enforcement
Naevermix@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 227d
Who actually believed that justification? Not even the MAGA crowd believe it, they just straight up say its about oil. Back in 2016 they called neocons "rhinos", now MAGA is neocon, cheering for the very same things they previously hated Bush Jr. for.
sturmblast@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 226d
I agree, I'm describing what THEY call it
velindora@lemmy.cafe · 7 pts · 228d
It’s just locker room abduction.
CircaV@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 227d
SHAME
roserose56@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 228d
Why they would? like come on dude! do you want to be taken to el salvador ? like wake up! USA is a dead country where people are deported for what they are saying. Why The media or any media would want that?
USA started a war with Iraq and many other countries including Venezuela. We all pretend that didn't expect it, but yet we knew, and we are partners in a crime. The thing is we didn't stop it and we wont(as countries).
Sit and watch.
stiffyGlitch@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 227d
nah bro its just a gentle love tap
tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 227d
"Special Military Operation"
Lembot_0006@programming.dev · 5 pts · 228d
Does Venezuela see this as an act of war? Regardless of if they're going to fight or not. Ask people.
NateNate60@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 228d
The Venezuelan government might. But according to some DW reporting and footage earlier today, the actual reaction of ordinary Venezuelans is mixed, and mostly concern and confusion rather than anger or fear. Maduro is generally not popular in Venezuela but I doubt many people really wanted the US to come and kidnap him. And understandably those who supported him are in the streets calling for his release.
HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club · 3 pts · 227d
The Venezuelan government could likely consider this to be an act of war based on international law. The question right now is if it wants to.
Technically, Trump performed this attack without declaring war and his war powers without a Congressional declaration. Per American law, the USA isn't at war with Venezuela. If Venezuela declares that this is an act of war, it gives Trump a better pretense to get war declared on Venezuela. It also vastly changes how neutral powers can treat both countries during the war.
Countries have fought wars without declaring wars before. The military action surrounding the invasion of the Falklands was done without either nation officially declaring war.
Lembot_0006@programming.dev · 0 pts · 228d
Of course Maduro government doesn't like the situation, but people's opinion is important.
Yes, the method is still not right, but for now from my Eastern-European point of view the situation become better than it was.
Let's wait for how the power transition will end.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -2 pts · 227d
Situation is so much better now that 100 people have been murdered in the name of oil!
Lembot_0006@programming.dev · 0 pts · 227d
Venezuela was supporting Russia, now that will stop most probably. And Russia kills hundreds every day in Ukraine.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -5 pts · 227d
The US + EU kill half a million yearly through economic sanctions alone, much more than the mortality from the Ukraine war. Should we also destroy those countries?
Lembot_0006@programming.dev · 0 pts · 227d
Oh, and of course EU sanctions Russia just for the sake of evil? As soon as Russia retreats from Ukraine, shoves its army to Putin's ass and compensates the damage, sanctions will be lifted. Russia is the cause of all this shit. And destroying Russia is a good way as long as Russia is unwilling to stop aggression.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -3 pts · 227d
The EU sanctions Russia because we're US puppet states, but the sanctions are more harmful to other countries like Cuba, Venezuela or the DPRK, none of which has invaded any other country. The half a million deaths per year mostly come from such countries and not Russia (though I fail to see how it's morally good to prevent medical goods from entering Russia or anywhere in the world).
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -1 pts · 227d
Why would anyone trust pro-genocide Zionist media on their reporting about Venezuela and the opinions of Venezuelans? Might as well ask Netanyahu himself.
Rhoeri@piefed.world · 3 pts · 228d
Anyone that doesn’t is on his payroll and not to be trusted.
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · -4 pts · 226d
International law is very clear that the seizing of ships is not a casus bellum. Claiming it is a “clear act of war” suggests the author is more interested in rabble-rousing and news-as-a-team-sport than answering the question, which is disappointing.
It’s churnalism like this that landed us with Trump, Bolsonaro, Johnson, and all the other crap.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · 7 pts · 226d
Seizing of ships? My sibling in Christ Nicolás Maduro was kidnapped by the USA
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · -1 pts · 226d
Its in the article.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · 4 pts · 226d
I'm aware the US has seized ships, the act of war would be the invasion of the country, bombing of civilians, and kidnapping of the president
ohulancutash@feddit.uk · -1 pts · 226d
Right, but the article claims theyre all acts of war.
schuelermine@leminal.space · 4 pts · 226d
I think this is not necessarily the case, the article could be interpreted as calling these “acts of war” from a colloquial standpoint, which is a judgement informed by the fact that we know now that the USA performed the kidnapping. It’s not necessarily saying that these acts should’ve already been called acts of war back then.
SillyGooseQuacked@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 226d
If you told me ten days ago the US would capture Maduro, bomb the shit out of a variety of military sites, and kill a bunch of civilians in the process, I would ask which American navy vessel was attacked to start the war.
But, uh.
timewarp@lemmy.world · -12 pts · 228d
First, the MSM always props up the MIC. If this is surprising to you now, maybe you should revisit history. Second, the capture of Maduro was also Biden's policy. Did you forget already?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9ezyw0keo
WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 228d
Funny... I don't recall Biden invading Venezuela, or drumming up lies about drugs then stealing their oil.
timewarp@lemmy.world · -15 pts · 228d
Proud Zionist Biden upped the bounty leading to Maduro's arrest, claiming he was an illegitimate leader in favor of the US-backed Zionist puppet. Trump had his goons arrest Maduro. If you don't like what Trump is doing then don't vote for politicians that support genocide & regime change.
HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club · 8 pts · 227d
Colombia and Brazil both declared Maduro's election as illegitimate. They have also been in opposition of the capture of Maduro by the USA.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -8 pts · 227d
Source?
Aljernon@lemmy.today · -1 pts · 227d
google.com
I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 227d
This may come as a surprise to you, but you can both condemn Trump's actions AND recognize that Maduro was an illegitimate leader that stole an election according to every third-party audit. And not just like "well it was close, who's to say who really won?" but like the votes went 2-1 to his opponent. He lost BAD, but decided to lie, cling to power and attempt to imprison his opponent. Maduro is a vicious dictator and calling him an illegitimate leader is not just a claim, it's a fact.
And yes, it's also true that Trump's actions were an illegal act of war. Full stop. No questions at all there. But the people trying to condemn this by making Maduro out to be some innocent saint are either trolls ignoring his corruption, or people so ignorant as to the situation that they should maybe just shut the fuck up until they spend more than 2 minutes learning about it.
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -7 pts · 227d
Maduro is not an illegitimate leader. The Bolivarian revolution was widely supported among the people of Venezuela and freed millions from poverty, until USA sanctions demolished their economy. The express purpose of USA sanctioning, according to the US government is to, and I quote, "bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government". USA+EU sanctions additionally murder half a million innocents per year according to recent serious sociologic and medical studies.
By defending regime change under extreme economic sanctioning, you're approving the murders of 38 million people over the past 50 years of economic sanctions, and directly supporting the CIA strategy of "starve them until they change their minds".
dogslayeggs@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 227d
A) They didn't up the bounty for his arrest. They upped the reward for legitimate information that could be used to support having him arrested. Since Biden never gave that bounty to anyone and didn't arrest him or request he be arrested, then that should trigger in your thinking process that there is a huge fucking difference in policy between "We are investigating whether it is legally valid to pursue narco-terrorism charges against a world leader who we think did not win a legitimate election" and "We are invading a nation to capture a person to bring to trial without showing any evidence."
B) That link was about getting information leading to his legal arrest through international cooperation in a court system, not about unilaterally deciding to invade a country and kill a bunch of people to extract a high value target.
timewarp@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 226d
A) First, I don't know if you can be even more clueless to understand what "information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro" refers to. Do you think that just means a bounty that doesn't get enforced? It literally is to there to provide information to assist the US in arresting Maduro.
B) Ah yeah, I forgot they were going to send in the international police to arrest him despite not having an arrest warrant by the ICC. I do know of one person that had an arrest warrant by the ICC though that Biden was very friendly with, sending money & weapons to help murder children while his admin vetoed bills to stop the genocide.
frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io · 2 pts · 227d
There was ever so much whining about Obama using drone strikes
Mihies@programming.dev · -16 pts · 228d
It's all Western media. And governments. EU deserves Greenland to be invaded - I wonder what'll be the reports then like.
velindora@lemmy.cafe · 3 pts · 228d
I bet you loathe Taiwan too.
Mihies@programming.dev · 1 pts · 228d
If they are fine with US invading random countries, why would they be concerned when they are invaded?
velindora@lemmy.cafe · 2 pts · 227d
I don’t think they are fine with it.
Mihies@programming.dev · 0 pts · 227d
Mihies@programming.dev · 0 pts · 227d
Did they publicly accused US of war and kidnapping, perhaps filled a lawsuit or something about it or at least condemned US? Or did they say it's fine as long as international law is followed, we are with US blah blah? Rhetoric question, obviously.
SeeMarkFly@lemmy.ml · -1 pts · 228d
Trump needs to be stopped before he hurts someone.
Oops, too late!
Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com · -8 pts · 227d
Why would we loathe any Chinese province? China is pretty cool