Let's pray for victory in this fight we're in for faith and freedom.
Posted on 04/21/2020 6:52:36 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Thanks.
My one quibble is this:
Chevron was there for almost 100 years, long before Chavez/Maduro destroyed the country. They didn't "gamble" on Venezuela, their business was corrupted just like everything else in the country.
I posted this back in November 2018:
Chevron has been in Venezuela for close to 100 years, long before the socialist takeover of Hugo Chavez.Could it be that Chevron is expecting to be there for the people once the current regime does collapse? Where else will the people of Venezuela turn to when the time comes to begin rebuilding their nation? Chevron will have been there as the caretaker of their most valuable resource, waiting for their return to normalcy.
Is it possible that Chevron thought they could ride it out in order to maintain the equipment in running order for when normalcy finally returned to Venezuela?
-PJ
I think Chevron was hoping for the best. As I recall and I am not bothering to look it up, they had invested a large amount of money in Venezuela shortly after Chavez took power. It was alleged that Chavez was bribed heavily and/or demanded large bribes from foreign companies to remain there.
The writing was on the wall when Chavez began “nationalizing” everything. I don’t want to see Chevron get hurt, but the only way they lasted this long in Venezuela is because they had been there this long.... everyone else fell by the wayside. It’s time to cut off the cash to this corrupt regime for our own national interest and the people of Venezuela.
They voted for Chavez, but they did not vote for what he did after he was in power nor did they truly elect Maduro. It’s a mess and very sad - such a beautiful country!
Russia will be happy to have Chevron’s assets for virtually nothing. When oil prices recover later, they stand to make billions.
-PJ
more informative report than fake news AP:
Trump administration is simply not renewing Chevron’s license to operate in venezuela, like they’ve done so far every few months up until now ...
chevron is the last US major operating in venezuela, and their production is helping to prop up maduro, a narcocriminal wanted by the U.S. for drug trafficking ...
so what’s going to happen, is that maduro will take over chevon’s oil fields and run them into the ground:
“It’s the last U.S. oil company standing in Venezuela after ExxonMobil US:XOM and ConocoPhillips US:COP left years ago rather than accept the terms set by Venezuela’s socialist government to operate as minority partners in joint ventures with PDVSA.
Russ Dallen, head of the Miami-based investment firm Caracas Capital Markets, expects the Venezuelan government to take over Chevron’s operations itself and predicts Maduro’s administration will eventually run them into the ground. That is what happened to a long list of U.S.-built factories that fell into the socialist government’s hands when they decided to leave or were expropriated, he said.
“It may take years of decay for the government to destroy the Tiffany diamond that Chevron has built there,” Dallen said. “I have no doubt they’ll be able to destroy it.””
Why?
What’s yer line of reasoning?
“The company made bad decisions.”
Chevron has the right to make business decisions, some good, some bad, as should all American companies. Most decisions made by large oil corporations are based upon long-term conditions, which in this particular case might have been to be the only one left in Venezuela doing business AFTER Maduro was removed or no longer in power. They have every right to take such a position if they think it will pay off in the long run.
What I don’t agree with is the U.S. government essentially using an American company to conduct foreign policy and asking their share holders to bear the cost. We all pay taxes for that purpose and the weapons for removing someone like Maduro are readily available to a President. Use those weapons that are already paid for.
...
What would the US position have been if in the middle of WWII, a US company chose to build a company location in Japan or Germany? We are at war. Undeclared or not, we are at war. We are fighting an asymmetrical war, but war never-the-less.
I love Trump, but I don’t think he understands that 80+% of the federal government is unconstitutional. This is a good example. Where does the Constitution authorize the federal government to tell private business what to do (other than a genuine issue to remove blockage to free commerce between states)?
Maybe a few are waking up to the fact that the feds have gone so far off the rails that they are now essentially a totalitarian government. Not too long ago while listening to an argument before the US Supreme Court, one Justice asked the government counsel, “Is there anything the federal government can’t do?” The government attorney had no answer. That is how far we’ve gone from the Rule of Law of the Supreme Law of the Land of the Constitution which limits the power of the feds and is our only legal bulwark against the tyranny of the feds.
I hope and pray that Trump’s second term will be about MAGA by dismantling the 80+% unconstitutional potion of the feds and restoring our Free Constitutional Republic.
Under an official declaration of war, I see no problem with trump's action here. Without one, it's an entirely different situation. We are NOT at war with the country of Venezuela. In this instance, Trump is doing more harm to an American company than either Chavez or Maduro. Chevron has a long standing presence in Venezuela which predates it's recent dictatorships. Even with Chavez and Maduro, they are still in business there while Trump wants to put them out of business entirely. In earlier times when our government didn't like the leader of another nation it took him out in some form or fashion. Now, it seems, we take out American companies and punish their share holders. Something is wrong with this picture.
Having an American presence there of some sort has strategic value to the national security interest of this nation. Chevron doing business there represents some semblance of American presence without the burdens that come with trying to engage their leaders on a diplomatic level. Why throw this asset away by running them out of the country?
What would the US position have been if in the middle of WWII, a US company chose to build a company location in Japan or Germany? We are at war. Undeclared or not, we are at war. We are fighting an asymmetrical war, but war never-the-less.”
Under an official declaration of war, I see no problem with trump’s action here. Without one, it’s an entirely different situation. We are NOT at war with the country of Venezuela. In this instance, Trump is doing more harm to an American company than either Chavez or Maduro. Chevron has a long standing presence in Venezuela which predates it’s recent dictatorships. Even with Chavez and Maduro, they are still in business there while Trump wants to put them out of business entirely. In earlier times when our government didn’t like the leader of another nation it took him out in some form or fashion. Now, it seems, we take out American companies and punish their share holders. Something is wrong with this picture.
Having an American presence there of some sort has strategic value to the national security interest of this nation. Chevron doing business there represents some semblance of American presence without the burdens that come with trying to engage their leaders on a diplomatic level. Why throw this asset away by running them out of the country
...
A lot of words and not a whole lot of thing said. You should run for office
Thank you.
Ok, I'll break it down for you.
1. You asked about what "if" this was during WWII?...and I simply made the point that there has been no declaration of war made so it doesn't apply.
2. I noted that Chevron has invested in Venezeula long before Chavez and Maduro came along and that their presence there deserves to be considered in this light. They didn't do anything to warrant being punished by an American President simply because they had a long standing investment in a country that only recently had come under a dictatorship. Those two dictators have already punished Chevron for being there but at least have allowed Chevron to remain in business. Trump wants to pull the plug entirely. What is worse for Chevron?
3. I pointed out that our government has other resources of it's own to deal with diplomatic issues that it wants to resolve and has done so repeatedly in the past. We taxpayers have already paid a handsome amount of money funding these resources. Why should the share holders of Chevron stock be forced to lose 2.6 billion dollars as a result of our government not liking the leader of another country? Is Trump going to force all American companies currently located in China to close and lose everything they have invested there? China has done much more economic and health related damage to this country than Maduro ever could dream to.
4.Chevron, as an American based company being there in Venezuela has strategic value to the United States in a time when our diplomatic efforts are strained. They represent our "troops on the ground" so to speak without us having to actually deploy militarily. To deploy militarily would require a confrontational level of action that would possibly lead to a much larger and worse situation than what we are currently dealing with. Chevron being there already is an asset in this regard and throwing this asset away is not a wise decision.
When it comes to trade with hostile nations that’s foreign policy and executive branch has authority. Same reason companies aren’t allowed to trade with Cuba.
Let's pray for victory in this fight we're in for faith and freedom.
A lot of words and not a whole lot of thing said. You should run for office”
Ok, I’ll break it down for you.
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You must have a cornucopia of time. We are at war with China. There likely won’t ever be said declaration. If you don’t agree, then go help Ron or Rand Paul run for office. If a new chemical plant helps China kick our butt, that is problematic.
I think he does understand it but also understands he has to work with the reality of today...if he were able to have 10 terms, he might be able to make a dent in what has occurred between the onset of the Civil War and today....but the reality is that can’t happen so it’s up to us to show every bit of the rabid tenacity that the Left exhibits...we make arguments and they go out en masse to supplement their constant barrage of propaganda...we make our arguments, which have next to zero effect on the ignorant entitlement would-be slaves and they dance to the tune of “Let’s get physical”.
China has helped to harm or kill more Americans post WWII than any country around. Either coming over the hills in Korea or aiding and helping the NVA. Yet we always give them a pass. Just look at the problems right now, Trump and crew have given them a large pass Trillions in damages but as long as they buy billions from US.
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