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6 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

They finally caught it, people don’t realize how fast those tankers are.

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  • Carrizo Chorizo
    Carrizo Chorizo

    Trump has focused heavily on foreign policy to his own detriment. I wish he would focus more domestically, but what can I do? Let's go way back to January 2025. What was one of the first big push

  • Do you not see any upside in taking out the dictator of a socialist regime that is actively cooperating with our three biggest adversaries, has large amounts of natural resources, has a significant ro

  • aggie08
    aggie08

    So, just so we're clear on your logical consistencies: Supplying weapons and funding to a sovereign nation who was invaded unprovoked by a country with a heavily vested interest in destabilizing the

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Trump is stealing oil and putting it in private banking accounts after kidnapping a foreign President. In a normal age, this would be the biggest scandal in US political history.

Edited by kevwun

9 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Trump is stealing oil and putting it in private banking accounts after kidnapping a foreign President. In a normal age, this would be the biggest scandal in US political history.

I know nothing... NOTHING!" ممه Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, in  response to EVERYTHING.

Frustrated Ryan Gosling GIF

We had to get help from the Brits to catch a fucking oil tanker.

We are becoming Russia.

On 1/4/2026 at 12:47 PM, 956 Worldwide said:

All Latin American food outside of Mexico and some of the Caribbean islands is pretty mid. God gave Mexico maybe the greatest cuisine on the planet and then shrugged as he went south. A few real gems like some South American ceviches and southern cone wine and grilled meats but none of it is close to a good mole or jerk.

Jesus fucking Christ.

4 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Jesus fucking Christ.

He can be a bit of a blowhard at times.

Welcome back, btw.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance participated in an interview recently with Fox News commentator Jesse Watters, discussing several topics, including the recent military operation in Venezuela:

Watters: “Taking out a dictator in Venezuela, how does that help the average American?”

Vance: “First of all, what it means is we're going to be able to control the incredible natural resources of Venezuela, which is good for America in a few ways. Number one, it allows us to put leverage on our enemies. Number two, it makes sure that if Americans need high quality, low cost power, we're always going to have access to it. And then the third thing is it does demonstrate American military excellence, which makes people afraid to cross us in the future. Some of the best ways that you maintain the peace is to make it clear that you carry a very strong sword if you ever need to use it.”


Ricky Gervais Lol GIF

He's not even hiding that it's about the oil and not the drugs.

AP News
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Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation i...

The statement on official media late Sunday said the Cuban military and police officers were on a mission the Caribbean country’s military was carrying out at the request of Venezuela’s government.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/01/05/operation_absolute_resolve_anatomy_of_a_modern_decapitation_strike_1156732.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/i-was-cia-chief-in-venezuela-here-are-a-few-hard-truths/ss-AA1TGVqC?uxmode=ruby&cvpid=5d98d48a6af74b428656e6b038915dcc#image=1

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THE MEDVEDEV COROLLARY

How 150 Minutes Over Caracas Rewrote the Physics of Global Power and Triggered the Second Nuclear Age

It's amazing how propagandized the American public is. Cheering on an empire using violence to extract resources. Sad.

9 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Jesus fucking Christ.

You're back?!?

9 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

“First of all, what it means is we're going to be able to control the incredible natural resources of Venezuela, which is good for America in a few ways. Number one, it allows us to put leverage on our enemies.

https://x.com/bxieus/status/2008696299328053373?s=20

Could be referencing this?

Evidently the heavy oil is best for making fuel for tankers and heavy ships. We corner Chinese access to that, then they're less likely to fuck with us on rare earth minerals?

1 hour ago, Bolero88 said:

It's amazing how propagandized the American public is. Cheering on an empire using violence to extract resources. Sad.

We shouldn't use our power to secure vital resources for our citizens? Every major power does that.

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Can you just tell us what your former handle is now so as not to spend the next 5 pages derailing the thread guessing what retread you are?

44 minutes ago, Covri said:

Can you just tell us what your former handle is now so as not to spend the next 5 pages derailing the thread guessing what retread you are?

Its GRU. Always is. A fucking sorry excuse for a human being.

2 hours ago, Saint Austin said:

Cool, now do Greenland.

There are 8 Republican Senators who are already publicly saying not to fuck with Greenland/Denmark, and there may be a vote soon. That will be an easier sell than the vote over Venezuela, which I'm actually surprised - that there are Republicans who are willing to rebuke him.

How long until Venezuela is announced as the 51st state? A 30M population is a lot of Electoral College votes and we can for sure trust elections in Venezuela.

Here is someone else that explains how this was a move against China:

CHIEF

Man, Trump didn't do anything sophisticated. If some subtle good results, that's an almost pure accident.

This is 100% "might makes right."

While that aphorism is always true in the literal sense, we have always been at least a little bit wary of exercising our might for a variety of extremely valid reasons, all or most of which Trump ignores because he's a 6th grader, at best.

36 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

Here is someone else that explains how this was a move against China:

15 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Man, Trump didn't do anything sophisticated. If some subtle good results, that's an almost pure accident.

What Twicehorn said - we can believe this is a chess move against China, or we can believe that the owner of Citgo, who donated millions to Trump, was looking to get access to that oil.

46 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

Here is someone else that explains how this was a move against China:

CHIEF

He just gave a license to Xi, Putin, and every other tinpot tyrant out there to violate international law and fuck with their regional rivals.

“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time.”

Do you want to live in a world like that? Shit, do you want to live in a town or neighborhood like that? Does that sound like a safe place to live? Were you the schoolyard bully who took other kids' lunch money and never learned your lesson? Is that why you have a hard-on for stealing another country's primary natural resource and means for improving the lives of its citizenry?

Because all of that is what you're asking for: A shitty ghetto where everyone's trying to swipe each other's shit at the end of a gun.

When the rule of law dies, the rule of the gun arrives.

BOLVERK

Edited by bolverk

one of many fuckups with VZ "policy", but also maybe the funniest

Screenshot 2026-01-08 at 10.29.28 PM.png

Edited by Chopper

22 minutes ago, Chopper said:

one of many fuckups with VZ "policy", but also maybe the funniest

Screenshot 2026-01-08 at 10.29.28 PM.png

I've lived out in the West Texas patch for a couple of years now, and there are some real fucking idiots out here who were making stupid money, so they got bored and went all in on the idiotic culture war shit, acting like they were some sort of oppressed minorities.

My backyard looks out over from a ridge, and today, a couple of miles away, I can see five idled rigs on the other side of town, just standing there. Depending on how you count all the knock-on effects (direct, indirect, and induced) for each rig, that's probably a total of 400-500 great-paying jobs now gone. But hey, the local private prison might reopen because of a new ICE contract, producing about the same number of jobs, but those guards only make about $40K a year.

Had to get gas today: $2.22.

Edited by bolverk

It's sorta like CHIEF up above playing chess: "I don't care if I lose my queen, I'm gonna take that goshdurn pawn!"

They just don't think things through.

15 hours ago, Bolero88 said:

It's amazing how propagandized the American public is. Cheering on an empire using violence to extract resources. Sad.

I think in a vacuum it's a flex straight out of the "might is right" era. In much the same way you can disagree with the IDF in Israel, you have to give them credit for their effectiviness. In a lot of ways it's reminding the world that the US is no longer bluffing! No more tweets and finger wagging. Special forces will build an exact replica of your villa, then pants your China-built ‘anti-stealth’ defenses, kill 32 of your crack Cuban bodyguards, and haul you before a New York judge without even suffering a grazed knee.

That strength and ability must shake our enemies a little bit you'd think. "It weakens any despot’s perceived security behind sovereignty, raises the costs of defiance, and encourages the next Maduro to just hold elections instead of dancing on TV."

Edited by Vegas64

3 hours ago, bolverk said:

He just gave a license to Xi, Putin, and every other tinpot tyrant out there to violate international law and fuck with their regional rivals.

“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time.”

Do you want to live in a world like that? Shit, do you want to live in a town or neighborhood like that? Does that sound like a safe place to live? Were you the schoolyard bully who took other kids' lunch money and never learned your lesson? Is that why you have a hard-on for stealing another country's primary natural resource and means for improving the lives of its citizenry?

Because all of that is what you're asking for: A shitty ghetto where everyone's trying to swipe each other's shit at the end of a gun.

When the rule of law dies, the rule of the gun arrives.

BOLVERK

I'll channel my inner briskettexan here.

"Have you not being paying attention the last 100 years? There is NO International law. It never existed! It was just some made up, dressed up shell cover for hard US power. It hasn't been international law stopping China from invading Taiwan all these years it's been the US seventh fleet. Same as it ever was!"

In a major blow to Donald Trump, the Senate voted 52–47 to advance a resolution that would bar the president from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Republican Sens. Paul, Hawley, Murkowski, Collins, and Young supported the measure, along with all Democrats.

22 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

I'll channel my inner briskettexan here.

"Have you not being paying attention the last 100 years? There is NO International law. It never existed! It was just some made up, dressed up shell cover for hard US power. It hasn't been international law stopping China from invading Taiwan all these years it's been the US seventh fleet. Same as it ever was!"

Hollup. There's hard power, and then there's soft power. You're thinking all hard power. You need both.

Sure, you've got to have hard power initially as an implicit threat to enforce rules, norms, and such. But over time, you build trust and gain buy-in from others who decide to join your side willingly. And, well shit, then you really prosper through all sorts of creative and productive trade (if managed wisely and fairly).

You don't fuck that up by using only hard power, because then you always have to waste resources to keep others in line, and the only "gains" made are through forced exploitation and suffering. You also might lose your soul.

5 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Hollup. There's hard power, and then there's soft power. You're thinking all hard power. You need both.

Sure, you've got to have hard power initially as an implicit threat to enforce rules, norms, and such. But over time, you build trust and gain buy-in from others who decide to join your side willingly. And, well shit, then you really prosper through all sorts of creative and productive trade (if managed wisely and fairly).

You don't fuck that up by using only hard power, because then you always have to waste resources to keep others in line, and the only "gains" made are through forced exploitation and suffering. You also might lose your soul.

I hear you. I just think we are seeing that political power and history, well...it doesn't repeat but rhymes as they say. Much like fashion and trends, it seems like there is a cyclical "come back" of styles and we are certainly in our Brat Boi Winter era as a country.

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

In a major blow to Donald Trump, the Senate voted 52–47 to advance a resolution that would bar the president from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Republican Sens. Paul, Hawley, Murkowski, Collins, and Young supported the measure, along with all Democrats.

What does this actually do? Can Trump veto it? Does it require a similar bill in the House?

8 hours ago, CHIEF said:

Here is someone else that explains how this was a move against China:

CHIEF

Office Space Case Of The Mondays GIF

  • Author
10 hours ago, CHIEF said:

Here is someone else that explains how this was a move against China:

CHIEF

I mean, it IS an ancillary benefit, but merely a coincidence. This admin is nowhere near this strategic.

31 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I mean, it IS an ancillary benefit, but merely a coincidence. This admin is nowhere near this strategic.

I just saw this podcast whatever this morning, but it’s from a few days ago and talks more about the mafioso-style angle (don’t have to watch, can be listened to like podcast).

21 hours ago, Covri said:

Can you just tell us what your former handle is now so as not to spend the next 5 pages derailing the thread guessing what retread you are?

‘Retread’… autocorrect got ya

8 hours ago, Vegas64 said:

I think in a vacuum it's a flex straight out of the "might is right" era. In much the same way you can disagree with the IDF in Israel, you have to give them credit for their effectiviness. In a lot of ways it's reminding the world that the US is no longer bluffing! No more tweets and finger wagging. Special forces will build an exact replica of your villa, then pants your China-built ‘anti-stealth’ defenses, kill 32 of your crack Cuban bodyguards, and haul you before a New York judge without even suffering a grazed knee.

That strength and ability must shake our enemies a little bit you'd think. "It weakens any despot’s perceived security behind sovereignty, raises the costs of defiance, and encourages the next Maduro to just hold elections instead of dancing on TV."

Who gives a shit?

9 hours ago, Chopper said:

one of many fuckups with VZ "policy", but also maybe the funniest

Screenshot 2026-01-08 at 10.29.28 PM.png

None of these dumbasses have figured out the key, ironclad laws of Trumpism. There are laws of the physical universe that will always come to bear -- gravity, for example. You can fight against it, pretend it doesn't exist, all that shit....but eventually, what comes up...must come down.

Well, Trumpism has several such laws. Among them is "HE WILL ALWAYS END UP FUCKING YOU OVER." Always. 100% of the time. The ONLY variables are (1) when and (2) how. When you are dealing with someone who truly believes they are the only human being on the planet of any value, rights, etc.....it will ALWAYS end up that way. You are a tool for HIM to achieve HIS goals, which always end in further accumulation of HIS power and self-aggrandizement. You can sit at his right hand and be the favored son today, and tomorrow, he'll put a bullet in the back of your head with a smile if he thinks it will gain him .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% more power, wealth, or glory.

Fucking idiots. Every last one of them. They fell for the shiny, ephemeral object, and ignored the immutable law.

1 hour ago, Bolero88 said:

Who gives a shit?

You serious, Clark?

On 1/7/2026 at 11:45 PM, bolverk said:

He can be a bit of a blowhard at times.

Welcome back, btw.

Ditto, good to see you back PS.

10 hours ago, Vegas64 said:

I think in a vacuum it's a flex straight out of the "might is right" era. In much the same way you can disagree with the IDF in Israel, you have to give them credit for their effectiviness. In a lot of ways it's reminding the world that the US is no longer bluffing! No more tweets and finger wagging. Special forces will build an exact replica of your villa, then pants your China-built ‘anti-stealth’ defenses, kill 32 of your crack Cuban bodyguards, and haul you before a New York judge without even suffering a grazed knee.

That strength and ability must shake our enemies a little bit you'd think. "It weakens any despot’s perceived security behind sovereignty, raises the costs of defiance, and encourages the next Maduro to just hold elections instead of dancing on TV."

We don't live in a vacuum though do we? Anyway the righteous moral authority backed up by guns is somewhat compromised by loudly proclaiming this is to seize their oil.

And I think the lesson most despots will take is to increase their security.

Yes, international law is a utopian sort of fantasy. It's valid only so long as nations obey it or at least pay it some lip service.

But, as brisket points out, all law, the rule of law, is valid only so long as the participants agree to participate.

A world power like the US just flaunting international law is a recipe for anarchy. Especially if we want to pretend to be a moral world leader.

14 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

What Twicehorn said - we can believe this is a chess move against China, or we can believe that the owner of Citgo, who donated millions to Trump, was looking to get access to that oil.

Citgo gave money to Trump? Funny!

picCorporateStructure.png

I have no idea what exactly is sanctioned and how that impacts Citgo & PDVSA, and Venezuela. Exxon & Conoco are still owed $$$/??? for their assets that were renationalized, so they may have a lien of sorts, or first dibs, on some of these assets.

CITGO has ~ 800,000 BPD of US Refining capacity, ~ 4% of the total capacity, including the big one in Lake Charles.

I am also confident you have looked at this graphic longer than Team Trump.

I would not be surprised if some tankers loaded "sanctioned" oil from Venezuela, transferred it into an unsanctioned tankers on the high seas, and unloaded the "unsanctioned" oil in the US.

On 1/8/2026 at 10:09 AM, eat em up said:

https://x.com/bxieus/status/2008696299328053373?s=20

Could be referencing this?

Evidently the heavy oil is best for making fuel for tankers and heavy ships. We corner Chinese access to that, then they're less likely to fuck with us on rare earth minerals?

We aren' t cornering shit.

Current Venezuela production is ~ 25% of the former capacity. If it isn't being produced now, it won't be missed.

The oil complex is a worldwide, zero sum game, driven by macro supply-demand fundamentals. It is mature, with nationalized and private companies buying and selling a commodity with well defined benchmarks; the epitome of supply-demand fundamentals at work. Economics 101, at its core, but quickly transitioning into probably the most complex trading platform that exists.

YARN | A lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous. | The Big  Lebowski | Video gifs by quotes | 1c37276a | 紗

The "bunker fuel" used in marine transportation is the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, between low grade diesel and tar. It is cheaper, and the among the worst environment friendly fuels. Most of the newer marine transportation ships have propulsion from cleaner burning engines, or engines that run on LNG, or batteries.

Some refineries (a lot of the US) are designed form the heavy/sour crude slates, which sell at big discounts to the Oil Market Benchmarks (WTI, West Texas Intermediate, and /Brent (North Sea) grades. That means they are more efficient and profitable refining the lower cost grades, but within reason, they can refine anything. Conversely, refineries that aren't designed top refine heavy/sour crude cannot refine heavy/sour crude. Nobody builds refineries to make tanker fuels, it is the after birth of refining; Aviation fuel > gasoline > diesel >> marine fuels.

China's new 400,000 BPD Guangdong Refinery that just came on line is designed to refine heavy/sour crude. The refinery is owned 60/40, between PetroChina/ & PDVSA. Hmmm? The corollary to the Belt & Road initiative; China will build infrastructure in China, to help monetize natural resources assets in Venezuela. Interrupting the Venezuela supply will affect operations, short term, but they will go into the world market to replace it, from Canada and Mexico and the other producers of heavy/sour crude.

Good thing Canada & Mexico love us. Oh, wait.

The US policy of blocking the Keystone Pipeline was stupid from the word go. It will only get worse. It was a fit for purpose, direct pipeline, from the Canadian production to the US refineries on the Gulf Coast. We forced Canada to find other outlets for their crude oil, so they did, and built an over the mountain pipeline and a huge oil export terminal on the Pacific, which is now the closest source of American heavy/sour crude for China. Not American as in US, but American as in North, Central & South America.

I'm guessing China was getting ready to inject steroids into Venezuela's oil production, and since Xi stiff armed the Donald, the Donald took his ball and attacked Venezuela.

One more point;

While the world oil market is mature, the NGL marketplace is not. It is driven by a handful of US companies, and the development of worldwide gas processing and NGL trading, in and by foreign countries, is in its infancy.

The PetroChina Complex also includes a new world class petrochemical plant that turns Natural Gas Liquids (NGL, ethane and propane) into plastics. There is probably limited interaction between the actual Refining and Petrochemical assets in Guangdong. Colocating them provides synergies in infrastructure, shared utilities, import/export terminals, and operating and maintenance functions and personnel.

PetroChina's NGL imports come primarily (all?) from ... the US. I don't doubt that some of the China petrochemical complex is owned by subsidiaries of US companies. US companies controlling the supply of NGL in the US and exporting the NGL to subsidiaries abroad, away from the legal, environmental, and general NIMBY mindset in the US.

The companies earmarked to come fix Venezuela are probably Exxon, Chevron and Conoco/Phillips. Conoco and Phillips are 2 separate and distinct companies, from the combined companies assets of Conoco and Phillips, that were spilt apart between Conoco, the production company, and Phillips, the refining and petrochemical company. They are separate entities, but joined at the hip, contractually.

These are the same companies behind a significant portion of the NGL trading with China. They are in the middle of taking away China's heavy/sour crude supply from Venezuela and supplying China's NGL's/Pet-Chem business.

They didn't ask to be put in this place, but it goes with the territory.

YARN | Listen, I'm a politician, which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and  when I'm not kissing babies, I'm stealing their lollipops | The Hunt for Red  October (1990) |

2 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Well, what you have to understand is.....he's one of the stupidest human beings to ever walk this planet. And I'm including all hominids when I say "human beings."

Lucy herself would slap her ample forehead in a "geez....this fucking guy" response if she'd ever had to listen to him.

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