Trump's Venezuela intervention represents continuity, not departure, from US imperial tradition
Source: Gilbert Achcar. "Donald Trump’s Imperialism Follows a Grim American Tradition." February 16, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that Trump's actions in Venezuela aren't new or shocking - they're just the latest example of America's long history of military interventions abroad. The main difference is that Trump doesn't bother pretending he's spreading democracy; he's openly focused on getting what America wants through force.
Conclusion
Donald Trump's recent intervention in Venezuela is not a radical departure from American foreign policy but rather a continuation of longstanding US imperialism, differing only in that it abandons the pretense of promoting democracy
Premises
- US military interventions have been consistent since 1989, including Panama (1989), Iraq (2003), and Afghanistan, all violating international law
- The Iraq War's failure taught US leaders to avoid regime change through occupation and instead force existing regimes to comply with American demands
- Obama's attempt at 'democratization from below' through supporting Arab Spring movements also failed
- Trump's Venezuela policy follows the post-Iraq lesson: use force to compel regime compliance rather than overthrow governments
- Trump explicitly prioritizes seizing resources (oil) over promoting democratic change, as evidenced by his 'Take the Oil' approach
- Trump has maintained contacts within Maduro's regime and seeks behavioral change rather than regime change
- Western media's sudden use of 'imperialist' terminology for US actions is disingenuous, as they previously reserved this term only for Russia
Assumptions
- US foreign policy has been fundamentally imperialist throughout the post-Cold War era
- The Iraq War represents a clear policy failure that shaped subsequent US strategy
- Resource extraction and strategic interests, not democracy promotion, drive US foreign policy
- Media coverage reflects political bias in how it characterizes US versus other nations' actions
- Regime compliance is more achievable and less costly than regime change