Trump grew weary of Bolton’s push
for military force against Venezuela
McClatchy Washington Bureau,
by
Michael Wilner
Original Article
Posted By: Pluperfect,
9/15/2019 5:56:07 AM
WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump ousted John Bolton in part due to frustration with his third national security adviser’s guidance to pair military power with economic pressure against Venezuela, according to current and former administration officials.
One senior administration official said that Trump had grown weary of repeated vows from Bolton that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be out of office in short order. A second official said that they had clashed over Bolton’s efforts to advance planning for military intervention.
That official pointed to the administration’s national security strategy, which predated Bolton’s tenure and called for “strong diplomatic engagement” to isolate rogue nations in the Western Hemisphere. “That has been
Reply 1 - Posted by:
chumley 9/15/2019 6:28:13 AM (No. 180252)
I'm glad Bolton never got mad at the girl scouts.
12 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
philsner 9/15/2019 7:45:56 AM (No. 180304)
Beware of unnamed sources from the fake news media.
25 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 9/15/2019 8:01:11 AM (No. 180322)
Venezuela was once one of the most prosperous countries in South America, but those days are long gone thanks to the corrupt Commies that are running (and ruining) everything. They were elected into power, but will require force to be removed.
Don't know if Trump will ever specifically answer why he let Bolton go. Its entirely possible that Bolton was running his mouth too much, and alerting enemies to our plans. Or saying things that were not being considered at all. Trump may not say much because it has to do with foreign policy that he isn't willing to discuss in public.
16 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Mekkkk 9/15/2019 8:20:20 AM (No. 180331)
He was not the best person for that position...
6 people like this.
When your favorite tool is a hammer, everything else looks like a nail. That's the problem we've had in "national security" since our smashing victory over the Grenadians and a few Cubans. Every "crisis" demands American intervention. The US needs to stop playing this "policeman of the world" schtick - it's expensive, costs lives, and generally accomplishes little except to commit the USA to decades of "restoring democracy". This may sound harsh...some peoples/societies cannot handle democracy.
34 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
starboard 9/15/2019 8:46:06 AM (No. 180347)
#4 The best person for that position was General Michael Flynn
15 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
chance_232 9/15/2019 9:03:20 AM (No. 180367)
Why should we intervene?
If its that bad, the countries surrounding Venezuela should take the lead. Its no more our business than Yugoslavia was our business.
Everyone demands that the US fix other regional problems, and as thanks we get nothing. The Venezuelans voted for what they got, its up to them to fix it.
Besides.....Venezuela is the example that can be pointed to to demonstrate failed socialism.
25 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Strike3 9/15/2019 9:21:43 AM (No. 180401)
It's always wise to hear both sides of every argument but Trump is the President and Bolton is not. The US has a great military but an abysmal record at nation rebuilding.
14 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
bigfatslob 9/15/2019 9:28:28 AM (No. 180411)
One thing for Bolton he can mend bridges with the left who criticized him when he was at the UN. His big rambling, won't shut up mouth got him fired. Now Bolton can blabber over at CNN where he will be a darling bashing Trump and leave Fox News. I won't miss him with his 'got milk' look moustache.
9 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
fayebeck 9/15/2019 10:27:35 AM (No. 180482)
With the knowledge that I will be labeled a "troll" or Rino or a "never Trumper", I am with Bolton in regards to Venezuela. With a "successful" socialist regime in power (in power is the definition of a successful socialism) America can now form an opposition to the Venezuelan thugs with the hope of changing them. Like Cuba, China and North Korea forever. It was and still is said that "if only Truman would have let Patton march directly into Russia that we could have ended that successful thugocracy". Same was said of McArthur in Korea. All Bolton believes is what many Americans have believed for decades. Stop the crap before the thugs are entrenched. N. Korea? Rocketman is a very successful socialist. It' not about socialism people. It's about power and the eventual destruction of America. Bolton is right.
6 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
GO3 9/15/2019 10:49:43 AM (No. 180496)
Qualifier: The US military has an abysmal record of nation building post-WWII because unlike WWII we never defeat the enemy. Like it or not, the best the military has achieved is a stalemate. In a multiple choice question as to who is to blame, the best answer is "all of the above."
7 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Lucky5 9/15/2019 10:50:38 AM (No. 180498)
#5 100% agree. Well said.
2 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
NotaBene 9/15/2019 12:00:23 PM (No. 180570)
I think toppling Maduro is a good idea. Trump has done one very good thing which is to equate Venezuela with Cuba. If we squeeze Cuba a lot more Maduro will fall. Elliott Abrams does not seem to be doing much, however.
2 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
tlyons1 9/15/2019 1:18:41 PM (No. 180637)
We rightfully blame hilbama for the poofy military brass, but actually ALL of the dem leaders all the way back to Woodrow have been waffly on foreign policy... we ‘won’ WWII and then told Stalin to take what he wanted... until President Trump the world has looked at the US as a sugar daddy!! The deep State is almost insurmountable.. not to mention the msm.. Bolton didn’t want Iran to have nukes... the world changes if that happens!
2 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
joew9 9/15/2019 2:51:31 PM (No. 180685)
It was McCain that pushed us into a lot of wars.
Thanks goodness his term has expired.
2 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Italiano 9/15/2019 6:49:25 PM (No. 180809)
Are there any countries to which Bolton would not recommend sending American soldiers and Marines to die in?
It's even a more untenable strategy now that America is out of the war-winning business.
0 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
bighambone 9/15/2019 7:15:24 PM (No. 180827)
President Trump was elected, John Bolton was not!
1 person likes this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Butch 9/15/2019 8:47:16 PM (No. 180863)
#7 nails it. Venezuela is surrounded by three large countries that have very strong, well-armed military forces that cound take care of this: Brazil, Colombia, and Perú. It´s time for regional powers to step up to the plate. The voters of Venezuelan elected Hugo Chávez in free and fair elections. (Maduro´s elections are much hazier; I think he cheated,) In any case, he´s not going anywhere until his neighbors stand up to him.
It´s easy to vote socialists into office, but they have a dreadful record of relinquishing power when they´re voted out; they simply rig election after election. If lefties in the USA had any sense -- which of course they don´t -- they might learn a lesson from what´s happened in Venezuela before they vote for Bernie Sanders.
2 people like this.
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