Chavez threatens to cut off oil to U.S.

I'm gonna assume Chavez is throwing in his hat with Russia and China, warning the U.S. to back-off on Iran (as well as himself). Either that or he's sensing that the U.S. might be figuring it'd be best to take Chavez out first, before the actual strike on Iran begins, to prevent just this kind of thing from happening....

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned he could cut off oil exports to the United States if Washington goes "over the line" in what he has said are attempts to destabilize his left-leaning government.

Chavez made his threat Friday, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Venezuelan government posed "one of the biggest problems" in the region and that its ties to Cuba were "particularly dangerous" to democracy in Latin America.

"The government of the United States should know that if they go over the line, they are not going to have Venezuelan oil," Chavez said.

"I have already taken measures regarding this. I'm not going to say what because they think that I can't take these measures because we would not have any place to send the oil," Chavez said."

Oh, and I can't resist quoting this line as well:

"You create your front Mr. Danger, we will create ours," Chavez said. "We are going to defeat the empire."

I'm already on record as saying the invasion of Iran is not going to happen...because of just this reason.

"Also, a war with Iran would further weaken the US's defensive and economic position, which would leave countries like China and Venezuela in the tempting position of being able to undertake any kind of actions they might wish that would run contrary to this US administration's interests."

I would imagine that within days of any strike on Iran oil exports to the U.S. would drop by some large percentage and China would initiate some form of aggression against Taiwan.

Note to the idiots at the wheel: Can you boys just hold off on this stuff 'til later this summer maybe? I should be moved into a rural community by then and have a starter garden in the ground....

Comments

[Chris]

When the sly cats ordered those planes into the towers years ago, they must've been poets: because what happened to those buildings is what's now happening all around.

What they don't know is what we are really capable of becoming once the scales finally fall off.

[SurvivalAcres]

The United States has long practiced economic sanctions against any country it found 'disfavorable', such as the decades of sanctions against Cuba (as if Cuba was any possible threat to the US). Now the shoe is on the other foot and the morons in Washington don't like it. This would be hilarious if it weren't for the morons in Washington who will lie their way into any premptive action they deem necessary to protect their global interests. The real laughing matter is the United States has had ample opportunity to become independent of foreign oil - but refused, repeatedly. Now the chickens come home to roost because of decades long failed domestic policies. The irony should be obvious - blame the fabricated 'enemy' for our own stupidity and blunderbuss attitudes for failing to take care of business at home.

[Montysano]

Power politics has been played in the Middle East for thousands of years. Let me say that again: literally, thousands of years. They're quite good at it, and the US is, in comparison, a bunch of gullible rubes.

I've always believed that Iran was actively playing us to get us to attack Iraq. Chalabi's Iran connection is well known, and through him came much of the dubious "evidence" of Saddam's nefarious plans. I remember, back at the start of the Iraq war, that Bush said that an Islamic government in Iraq would be "unacceptable." Well, guess what......

Is Iran seeking to become the major player in the Middle East? Probably. What is the main obstacle to this? Israel, propped up by the US. So, Ahmadinejad pushes our buttons, hoping that we, like the Russians in Afghanistan, will take the bait and commit to fighting a war that we cannot possibly afford to fight. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Iran works to weaken the dollar's hegemony.

Iran knows our true purpose in the region, and they know that it ain't "spreading democracy". They've thrown down the gauntlet; they want us gone from the region. Unless we can suddenly put a million troops on the ground, we'll eventually have to go.

We're in a weak position; the neocons know this. They see it all slipping away. That's why they would consider something as insane as attacking Iran.

[Shep]

The U.S. is like a dying animal trying to take out as many as possible before giving up the ghost. The endgame is obvious; what isn't is how many innocent people will die.

The attack on Iran will happen. Mark my words. Chaos worldwide will result, but the U.S. will be the ultimate loser in the conflict.

Let's face it, the world simply can't afford to have the U.S. around any longer. For the planet to survive, it will have to be vanquished.

[crz53]

"Let's face it, the world simply can't afford to have the U.S. around any longer. For the planet to survive, it will have to be vanquished."

Shep,
While I agree with this statement, I'm not too sure that it would put the world on track toward a sustainable global culture. Even if America is gone, there is still the issue of China and their apparent desire to replicate our consumerist ways. If that is still possible in wake of the coming energy crisis, might we not find ourselves in more or less the same boat we're in now?
- Mike Lorenz

[Morgan]

Chavez has the IQ of a box of rocks and a juvenile bravado mentality that will bring his country nothing but problems. He will be gone within three years.

If Chavez stops selling the US oil then he needs to sell that oil to another country to replace the lost revenue. The US will simple act as a third party agent and purchase Caracas oil, Iranian oil and other countries oil from a second party. At a higher price but still a market price. The US will counter Chavez by turning the economic screws on his countries in a variety of ways. He knows this. He is blow hard.

The situation in Iran is totally isolated from anything Chaves says or does. The situation with Iran is simple. The US and Israel will not allow that country to produce and export nuclear fuel and weapons for obvious reasons and if that means military force then that will happen.

[p]

Montysano: wow, I've never heard anyone describe the situation like that.

Somehow, I never even considered the possibility that Iran is playing the US for chumps.

I'm going to have to think about this!