By Wellington C. Ramos
The United States is in a Cold War with China and Iran, not Russia. China is now the richest country in the world exporting worldwide. The more a country produces and sells overseas the richer they become. Also, the more a country import and purchase from overseas, the more dependent and poorer they remain.
China cannot match the United States when it comes to military hardware. Russia is the only country in the world that competes with the United States military, nevertheless, they have problems with naval submarines. The United States has the edge in the Navy and its Air Forces, Army might be about the same.
All these countries including Iran possess nuclear missiles. They have a choice to destroy the world and themselves. The concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a reality and these nations know fully well, the consequences of nuclear warfare can bring to their people and nation. A case in point is the assassination of the Iranian General in Iraq. Iran responded by firing a missile at US forces stationed in Iraq and threatened to fire subsequent missiles. Russia and China called on Iran and the United States to cease their hostilities.
Brian E Plummer in his letter to the editor spoke about the national debt of the United States, however, this has nothing to do with the United States foreign policy. If the US interest is threatened, they will not hesitate to use force. They have demonstrated that over time. However, in Iran’s case, the US threat or use of force is not that easy for the following reasons;
- Their alliance with other Muslim countries, China, Russia, the nuclear weapons they possess;
- The threat to Israel and US troops stationed in Iraq;
- Iraq is controlled by Iran and is no longer beneficial for the United States to station troops there;
- Venezuela is now an ally of China, Russia and Iran – a direct result of the United States’ ongoing aggression.
In foreign policy, nations practice that an enemy of my ally is my enemy as well. Now, because Venezuela is an ally of China, Russia and Iran they have all become the United States’ enemy except Russia. Why? When Russia and the United States ended the Cold War, they signed several agreements to engage in joint programs. These agreements were enforced until president Vladamir Putin came to power. He was not in favor of agreements before becoming president, while he was the head of the KGB. So he ended the enforcements. He ordered his troops to invade Georgia and Ukraine and this caused presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr and Barack Obama to proceed with caution.
The election of Hillary Clinton would have led to the reactivation of the Cold War and the Russians did not want that to happen. Putin declared his support for Trump from the time he announced his candidacy. The relationship between the United States and Russia is not hostile but accommodating. After Putin invaded Crimea which is Ukraine’s territory, the Americans did not respond. Crimea is now annexed to be a part of Russian territory and the world has done nothing of significance. The United States and other countries refuse to declare war with Russia over Crimea which belongs to Ukraine.
Complicating the Venezuelan situation is their claim on Guyana. If they continue to claim parts of Guyana, the United States will use it as a rallying cause to invade Venezuela and will get the support of many countries including some CARICOM countries that Venezuela has relations with.
This is despite the fact that Guyana and Venezuela have both agreed like Belize, to grant the International Court of Justice (ICJ) permission to hear their case on the territorial dispute.
The elections in Guyana recently added fuel to the flame; therefore, the countries that were afraid of Venezuela, Russia, and China’s advancement, support the current government to stay in power.
Guyana is an oil exporter and many countries want a piece of it. These countries are not too concern about the people and country, it is all about the oil – colonialism was replaced by neocolonialism.
There is always direct and indirect control of nations implemented centuries ago by colonialist nations. Executing direct control, the external force come in and do everything themselves. Indirect control, the representatives of the people in the nation elect, are agents of external forces and act in their interest.
Weighing options as a leader of a country is extremely difficult, particularly when you lack the resources to govern. In too many cases, money is given to political parties to win elections and after they have won, they take orders from foreign countries like boys and girls in the remit of their parents.
