Should US be allowed to Steal other countries Oil , Gold , and resources?

[888theGreat]

Trump says US owns the oil refineries in Venezuela. When did US own those? This is what Saddam said about Kuwait by the way before he invaded Kuwait.

Yes , US should be allowed to invade any country and stop others for invading other countries

No, it is theft and Trump is acting like a thug , like Saddam did in Iraq

[Lliam]

Venezuelan oil does not belong to the U. S.

Hugo Chávez took control of all remaining private oil operations in Venezuela, especially in the crucial Orinoco Belt, by forcing foreign companies to accept majority state control (around 60%) or have their assets expropriated in 2007, solidifying the nationalization of the industry under the state-owned PDVSA, though some companies stayed as minority partners. This move, following Venezuela's initial nationalization in 1976, gave Chávez's government ultimate control over the world's largest proven oil reserves.

The Venezuelan government, first in the 1970s and then expanded by Hugo Chávez in the 2000s, moved to put the country's oil industry under state control. This involved forcing foreign companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips to become minority partners in joint ventures or seizing their assets entirely.

The key point of contention is the expropriation (government seizure) of physical assets, equipment, and facilities built and operated by these U. S. companies.

The foreign companies argued they were not sufficiently compensated for their seized assets, leading to international arbitration cases. International tribunals subsequently ordered Venezuela to pay billions of dollars in compensation to companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, but Venezuela has largely refused to pay these judgments.

Some U. S. political figures, notably President Donald Trump and his aides, have used the term "stolen" to describe these events, framing the uncompensated expropriation of American-owned assets as a major theft.

The U. S. government overthrew Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, in 1953 (Operation Ajax) primarily due to his nationalization of Iran's oil industry, threatening British and Western economic interests.

The U. S. overthrew the Guatemalan government in 1954 through a CIA-backed coup (Operation PBSuccess) primarily to protect the economic interests of the powerful
United Fruit Company (UFCO). The government wanted a share in the profits from UFCO.

The overthrow of many other countries followed.

How dare countries want independence from colonial powers and want to manage their own destinies! And how dare they want a share of the profits from their own resources!

But the U. S., Britain and other imperial powers think they have a right to control other countries' governments and resources.

Trump is no different from from the thugs who came before him.

But there is another unspoken factor in Trump's obsession with overthrowing Maduro.

Nicolás Maduro's stance on Israel is highly critical, characterized by unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and severe condemnation of Israeli actions, which he frequently describes as "genocide" and "war crimes".
Venezuela cut all diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009 and has not restored them since.

Israel uses the U. S. to destroy countries like Libya, Syria, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela that refuse to ally with Israel.

[Lliam]

@888thegreat. Thank you for the MHO.

[c704710]

There was a time when sovereigns agreed that they had a "Right of Conquest." But then some people killed a princess with pikes and paraded her head around on the end of one, tied hundreds of prisoners to a boat and sank it, executed many of other prisoners by grapeshot cannon fire which didn't work so they had to finish them off with sabers and bayonets, and most famously, thousands were beheaded. They called it The Enlightenment. This political movement eventually rejected the Right of Conquest and chose to respect borders. Pick your poison.

[XXblack88]

Not unless USA is trying to start trouble with a other country

[douride2]

Keep this up & it's going to end with a war of some kind.

[douride2]

Thanks for a MHO.

[OneViewpoint]

No we shouldn't be allowed to attack other countries or overthrow their government to plunder their natural resources. But we've been doing it for about 150 years and no one has the power to stop us. So we're doing it again with Venezuela, an energy rich and militarily poverty stricken country right in our backyard.

Why do we even bother pretending there is any moral imperative or noble cause at this point. The USA military are just fucking pirates in the employ of the 1%. It's the world's biggest protection racket. Give us a piece of the action or we'll burn down your business.

[boundless]

Venezuelan oil was discovered by Western geologists and then developed by Western oil companies in collaboration with the Venezuelan government. Contracts were sign and deals were made between Venezuela and western corporations such as British-Dutch, Royal Dutch Shell, Gulf Corporation, and Standard Oil. 98% of Venezuela's oil fields were controlled by the above companies that had contracts with Venezuela. Over half of that oil was sent tot he USA and America compensated Venezuela for that resource as per agreements made. Then Venezuela nationalized the oil industry and stole those resources without compensation violating the contracts in a criminal act. So over half of what came out of Venezuela for the past 50 years or so belonged to the USA. They owe us quite a bit...

[boundless]

To go a little deeper on the subject the CIA funded by American tax dollars maintains a network of clandestine contracts with foreign nations and American oil companies. The American government helped in diplomacy/geopolitics and in return oil came to America helping to maintain our national security. The contracts associated with Venezuela specifically helped America to win WWII against the Nazis. But we know how much you support the Nazis, thus why you are in support of violating those contracts that helped the Allies win the war.

[888theGreat]

Sort of like the treaties US had with Native American Tribes , US made a deal and then took their land. US is so reliable.

[boundless]

You lose focus so easily. Squirrel! Squirrel! Squirrel!

[boundless]

You know what happens when contracts or treaties among nations are broken and can't be resolved through diplomacy? War. Native Americans went to war with the USA and lost. The USA is also capable of bringing military force against Venezuela as you have seen lately. America is attempting to use diplomacy, but Venezuela doesn't seem to be negotiating. So where do you think that ends? Who do you think will win that? Will more Venezuelan's or American's die? Do the math.

[Jackblue]

I hear about this string of broken treaties, in many cases however it was natives who broke them.

[msc545]

Okay fine, get a court order to seize those assets. You can't just go in and steal them.

[boundless]

@msc545 Technically even on a basic level the Obama administration imposed asset sanctions on Venezuela so the Democrats already authorized this. That out of the way, merchant vessels in a war are open to attack and seizure and since Venezuela is part of the GWOT their oil is fair game under the law of war. The GWOT was also already authorized by the Democrats. So go cry me a river. Trump has multiple legal authorizations to seize their oil. He can pick which ones he wants to use. You can sue him for one to try to stall him, and he can just use the other justification while that case is in court.

[boundless]

Look on the bright side though... Some of your Mexican butt buddies just got back stabbed by their own people... Who knows, maybe someone will back stab you soon...

x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2003937476046671975?s=20

[boundless]

Your Muslim buddies also got their shit rocked, but not in the Al Zutt way...

Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY Christmas to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.

DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[boundless]

Think about what is going to happen soon to ANTIFA and all your high profile celebrities on the Epstein list... Tick tock...

[msc545]

You call murdering their citizens and stealing their ships diplomacy? What kind of a fucking idiot are you?

[msc545]

Goddamn now, do you criminal rapist scumbag warmonger.

[boundless]

@msc545 Don't put words in you mouth homo. Take your Dad's dick out of your ass and put it in your mouth. You have nothing of value to say.

[lightbulb27]

yea it's thuggery. I can understand holding it in reserve until blah blah... maybe.

this is all dangerous power play to get control of venezuela, probably to bail out the USA financially. typical of times like these...

did I say very dangerous?

this isn't too far from what japan did in china, except hasn't been as large scale massacres... yet.

[Kelley1]

It is not a matter of being allowed, nor is it about what is right or wrong. It is all about force. The US has the military and the force to do whatever it chooses. Therefore, that is what the US does and has been doing for over two hundred years. If the US wants something, the US takes it. Whoever fights for their rights, is murdered.

[MikeMcMansion]

It won’t matter if no one can stop them. In the process of a nation building up its national defense and intelligence to not only protect itself but its allies it becomes too big for tax-payers and citizens to reign in. It will develop fifth columns (black operations and double agents) and mercenary companies at the behest of billionaire’s/their lobby-international law firms and other rogue/stateless security firms.

Without a strong cultural cohesion and understanding of its religious and philosophical framework, the laws are meaningless and always evolving/being bent to the will of the most powerful and aggressive actors in it or around it. Might makes right is currently the law the world follows whether its actually “right” or not common people can’t even agree on that

[Chazmatazz269]

Nope. Neither should the corporations that will benefit most from our taxes funding the preceding conflicts. It’s interesting how all the people who decry socialism the loudest and the most often are all too happy to pay for foreign wars that enrich the already too rich.
Dummies, the lot of them.

[msc545]

The United States has been a country of criminals since its inception and even a bit before. The people who came over from Europe and settled here as colonists stole land and resources from Native Americans from the very beginning and have continued to do it up until the present day. There is a culture of criminality and theft in this country that extends to not only other countries and other peoples but also to people within the U. S., thus the really incredible crime rate.

[BonzoInBitburg]

Most of Venezuela's oil exports go to China. Invading Venezuela would start a war with China. China is heavily invested there and financed a lot of infrastructure projects through their BRI.

[JHNS98]

I guess the answer to that question depends on how socialist you are. Some might argue that private companies should not be in the resource industry at all.

Jokes aside... The first tanker boarding was actually legal, because that vessel has no valid registration or insurance.

[jshm2]

What else do you think the US has been doing since the second world war?

Why else do you think it's former employees turn into terrorists for stealing their oil?

[exitseven]

When Venezuela government took control of the oil industry it took over American owned companies without giving any compensation.. Up until now there has been no other US President that did anything about this theft.

[msc545]

This is the first I've heard of it, and I'd like you to prove it. I don't think you can.

[exitseven]

@msc545 beleive it or not it is in many sources including the Washington post

[msc545]

Good. Thank you for letting me know about that. Please link some relevant articles from the Washington Post.

[exitseven]

@msc545 www.washingtonpost.com/.../

[msc545]

Thank you, that was an interesting article. So, fifty years ago, a Venezuelan dictator nationalized the oil companies in Venezuela. I get it. That does not exactly give the US license to now steal them back, essentially.

[exitseven]

@msc545 Better late than never.

[msc545]

No, I'm sorry. It actually doesn't work that way. Certainly you've heard of the concept of a statute of limitations.

[Fruitpunch1789]

@msc545 Then shut up about the US being a bunch of inherit thieves.

[msc545]

Fuck you

[888theGreat]

Saddam said same when he invaded Kuwait

[exitseven]

EXXON is an American company. The Hussein Oil Company was just something he made up.

[Fruitpunch1789]

@msc545 Awwww, were you cut from the sex change line? Maybe you should go and tax "white neighborhoods" along with your new best friend, Caitlyn Jenner?

[exitseven]

@Fruitpunch1789 @msc545 gentlemen- if you cannot be civil find somebody else's question to fight on.

[msc545]

Sorry, but I don't know who this person is, and I don't want to know. I blocked him. My apologies to you, sir.

[Anonymous]

no. and the US shouldn't be sending billions of dollars in aid to other countries either. I agree. Let us nasty Americans use American money for Americans and let the rest of the shitty world fend for themselves. 😁 I will not be taking mainstream media's word for what the US does and does not have ownership over. We don't know at this point.

[Sevenpointfive]

we're supposed to be civilized. you should really look into maduro. i didn't know he was jewish! but apparently he's not a good jew and must be replaced by a good one.

[Jersey2]

The US just gave $40 billion to Argentina and has huge oil reserves so we don’t need a couple of tankers of oil. We have huge amounts to Iraq and Afghanistan to help them but they were dumb bastards.

[Jackblue]

The US made deals for those refineries, Venezuela broke those deals when it suited them. We complained, but we didn't invade, Maduro steals the election in venezuela, we send aid to natives starving because of Maduro's policies and he shoots at those natives. Now he commits genocide against our people with his drug smuggling. We have had enough.

[Likes2drive]

That’s possible that he did own them, but no much different than what Putin is doing and getting away with it but killing so many people instead

[Alex-Snow]

I agree with you. Trump is a bully and about the same as Putin. The USA needs to mind our own business

[Snowman84]

No, because it’s illegal and there are treaties that America has committed to.

[Kelly6]

US is pirates, run its captain living in white house.

[blackeagle007]

This is not good. It’s going to be another quagmire. Venezuela will be having insurgents in the jungles.

[msc545]

Those insurgents in the jungle I'm Venezuela will kick the shit out of American forces, just as the Viet Cong did, and just as many other guerrilla organizations have done.

[blackeagle007]

@msc545 Iraq too. How do you beat insurgents in their home country?

[msc545]

You don't. It may take the insurgents a really long time to overcome you, but they always will. History teaches us that, but apparently, we don't listen.

[RedInnocent69]

Saddam had a better argument about certain Kuwaiti oilfields than Trump does. Then again, Saddam was a lot smarter. Equally delusional, though

[dragoblack]

USA has been doing that for years and screwing over prospering countries by putting in dictators, destroying their economy, then bombing the sh! te out of them to take their resources.

[AviatorTom]

Steal? No.

Enforce international law? Yes

[msc545]

There is no international law that says you are allowed to take the resources of another country.

[888theGreat]

@msc545 Trump doesn't believe in rule of law or court decicions

[msc545]

That is true. He believes in taking anything he can take because there is nobody to stop him most of the time if not always recently.

[AviatorTom]

@msc545 You know, I'm a little surprised Trump hasn't invoked the Monroe Doctrine.

[msc545]

Give him time; you can't think of everything bad thing at once.

[loveslongnails]

At best, the USA would bring in technology and equipment in exchange for certain rights. When those agreements expired, they have no claim to the commodity.

[beefcakebradybatson]

No, but they've always done it to enhance its wealth.

[Pohjolan]

Eh better Venezuela than Greenland or Canada. Maybe start distributing this book for the troops:

[Jltakk]

They still never paid Haiti back after literally going to the original National Bank, taking the millions and walking off the island. I'm not kidding, Haiti straight up got robbed in the 1910s.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

United States oil companies own the leases and the oil in Venezuela. My Grandfather and great uncle drilled them.

[snermcger]

All nations in our hemisphere should ay us tribute for protection.
These tributes should be in the form of gold, oil and other assets.

[Nice222]

We will just consider it repayment for the nearly 10 billion in foreign assistance the U. S. has given to Venezuela and it’s surrounding countries taking care of Its refugees.

[Anonymous]

If people from previous generations saw you take the position against the U. S. in every single instance, they would sentence you for treason.

[Snakeyes7]

If they have been a menace to the US, I don't see why not.

[ABC1x1x]

Its sanctioned oil. If you want to fight us for it, good luck.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. White people have a history of stealing land and resources from others.

[goaded]

No. It is illegal, a war crime, iirc.

[Anonymous]

That is imperialism and not who we are.

[Anonymous]

No, of course not.

[Bloodparadise]

The u. s is just showing off..

[Anonymous]

Not stealing if they owe you money

[888theGreat]

There is a thing called Rule of Law and you take this to UN. You don;t become God and attack

[888theGreat]

So Saddam was right? He invaded Kuwait because they owed Iraq. Why did US step in and stop it?

[Opinion Owner]

It was the other way around: Iraq owed Kuwait billions of dollars in loans from the Iran-Iraq War, and Kuwait's refusal to forgive this debt, combined with Iraqi claims of overproduction and oil theft, became a major factor in Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq viewed these loans as aid for protecting the Gulf states from Iran, while Kuwait saw them as loans, leading to a financial dispute that escalated tensions.
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 primarily due to severe debt after the Iran-Iraq War, seeking to seize Kuwait's vast oil wealth and gain control of crucial Gulf access, believing the U. S. wouldn't intervene significantly

[Dargil]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes.