2025 U.S. - Venezuela conflict

[QV]

Thank goodness for equalization.

not without Alberta money there isn’t.

 

[Altair]

Who is going to fund all that?

And where are they going to get the people? All the skilled when is Venezuelan oil engineers move to Alberta.

There are plenty of Americans who can and will fly into Venezuela to work the fields before returning home. Weather is nice in Venezuela as well.

As for funding, 100b is a drop in the bucket for American oil companies and capital markets.

 

[Altair]

not without Alberta money there isn’t.

Believe it or not, Alberta once received equalization payments.

and if Alberta is destitute, and Ontario and Quebec are more wealthy, equalization will flow from Quebec and Ontario to Alberta once again.

 

[PrairieFella]

Who is going to fund all that?

And where are they going to get the people? All the skilled when is Venezuelan oil engineers move to Alberta.

I hear you.

I could imagine the Americans are going to pull something greasy like demanding reparations for nationalization and funnelling it into infrastructure funding at the behest of oil giants like Exxon or Chevron. The personnel I dont know.

 

[brihard]

I hear you.

I could imagine the Americans are going to pull something greasy like demanding reparations for nationalization and funnelling it into infrastructure funding at the behest of oil giants like Exxon or Chevron. The personnel I dont know.

See my reply a short time ago.

I fully expect no meaningful amount of that money will go back to the Venezuelans. Trump will make the most out of the purported claim to Venezuela's oil wealth to offset what was nationalized decades ago. I fully expect the US will also lay claim to an entitlement to the value of the profits they will argue they would have made since then too.

 

[MilEME09]

not without Alberta money there isn’t.

Equalization is a formula based on the average national fiscal capacity to the capacity of the province. If ABs oil industry collapsed, that would drag down the average, and likely put AB far below average. Which in turn could turn Ontario and quebec into Have provinces and lead to AB receiving Equalization.

 

[Altair]

I hear you.

I could imagine the Americans are going to pull something greasy like demanding reparations for nationalization and funnelling it into infrastructure funding at the behest of oil giants like Exxon or Chevron. The personnel I dont know.

Those who work the oil fields in the USA are largely transient.

Why wouldn't they take a flight to Venezuela work for a while, then fly home?

The USA could train people in Venezuela, but there is a large workforce in the USA who would probably prefer the beaches near Maracaibo to the scenery of dakota.

 

[brihard]

This is a mistake. He should STFU.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2007461129308565875

This aged like a fine milk given that it took Trump mere hours to say that he would be excluding Machado and power would transition to Maduro’s own illegitimate VP.

 

[Altair]

This aged like a fine milk given that it took Trump mere hours to say that he would be excluding Machado and power would transition to Maduro’s own illegitimate VP.

Makes PMMC keeping his powder dry seem more wise.

PP has had a problem of shooting from the hip before all the facts are known.

 

[Good2Golf]

I have not seen any meaningful movement to suggest a “team Canada” approach to thwart that yet…

Canada-Alberta November energy agreement MOU confirming bitumen pipeline to coastal waters is a. Canadian ‘National Interest’ program that supports implementation of the pipeline through provision of exemptions to otherwise applicable Federal environmental and legislative constraints.

QV:

If Alberta collapses while a part of confederation and becomes destitute, and then following that the US offers massive economic improvements to join, what are a people to do?

Accept transfer payments from the ‘have’ provinces as noted earlier. The formula doesn’t change. If Canada’s GDP drops 4.5-5.5% because Alberta goes to 0 bbl production, the country will limp along, but things don’t grind to a halt.

 

[Altair]

Accept transfer payments from the ‘have’ provinces.

As much as it would suck for it to happen, it would be ironic to have the Alberta government accepting equalization payments from have provinces in the rest of Canada as a result of this after complaining about it the program for so long.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

not without Alberta money there isn’t.

 

[JLB50]

With Alberta’s oil exports a major contribution to Canada’s economic engine and economic survival, Canada best make haste on the ability to export off the coasts. If what some of you are suggesting, that the US could be just playing to the eventual economic demise of Canada, what is Canada doing to mitigate that risk? I have not seen any meaningful movement to suggest a “team Canada” approach to thwart that yet…

I agree. Team Canada…an absolute must. Or as Benjamin Franklin himself once said: “We must all hang together or we will all hang separately“. Interestingly, as you may recall, on the behalf of the Continental Congress, Franklin made a secret trip to Montreal in 1776. He was hoping to get Quebec to secede from Britain and join the U.S. He failed despite his best efforts.

Both British Columbia and the First Nations need to realize the forces that are lining up against us and that we need to be united. We absolutely need to diversify our trade with countries other than the U.S. Because of the American threats, not having a pipeline line to the coast or to the north or even to the east could end up leading to our demise. I don’t consider myself a friend of Big Oil. But the language of business today is Oil and that’s unfortunately where our bread and butter is coming from, if not directly than indirectly. While it may be an unfortunate reality it is, nevertheless, the reality.

 

[Altair]

I agree. Team Canada…an absolute must. Or as Benjamin Franklin himself once said: “We must all hang together or we will all hang separately“. Interestingly, as you may recall, on the behalf of the Continental Congress, Franklin made a secret trip to Montreal in 1776. He was hoping to get Quebec to secede from Britain and join the U.S. He failed despite his best efforts.

Both British Columbia and the First Nations need to realize the forces that are lining up against us and that we need to be united. We absolutely need to diversify our trade with countries other than the U.S. Because of the American threats, not having a pipeline line to the coast or to the north or even to the east could end up leading to our demise. I don’t consider myself a friend of Big Oil. But the language of business today is Oil and that’s unfortunately where our bread and butter is coming from, if not directly than indirectly. While it may be an unfortunate reality it is, nevertheless, the reality.

Listen, I would love a pipeline to the coast. I really would.

But Canada bought and paid for a pipeline already. Private industry needs to step up and build it. And if they fail to do so, the province of Alberta needs to. But Canada should in no way shape or form build and operate another pipeline. Especially after removing every hurdle in the way.

 

[mariomike]

The Beaverton put it this way ( satire)

Poilievre lights emergency flares to beg Trump to invade Canada

OTTAWA - Canadian Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre was reportedly seen lighting emergency flares, in hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump would "liberate" Canada in the same fashion that he has done with Venezuela.

www.thebeaverton.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Odd thing to say about the opposition leader given she likely won the last election that was rigged.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2007509050062455119

In Trumps eyes, respect= fear, submission. So in his view the statement is correct. The civil government, oil industry and military are stacked with loyalists to the Chavez/Marduro regime. It's unlikely they give up power easily and worry that people will come for them if the regime is gone. So likley they will oppose any attempts to place the legitimate government into power.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I think our position in any negotiations with the USA, for anything, were just weakened, badly.

I see this as a move where the USA is truly broadcasting they have no need for us.

Spot on.
I’ve said on here in the past that the Donald wants to get their resources from Russia et al.
No environmental hang ups, no union standards, cheap labour, no indigenous negotiating, just raw access.

 

[Altair]

The Beaverton put it this way ( satire)

Poilievre lights emergency flares to beg Trump to invade Canada

OTTAWA - Canadian Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre was reportedly seen lighting emergency flares, in hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump would "liberate" Canada in the same fashion that he has done with Venezuela.

www.thebeaverton.com

I thought the beaverton was supposed to be satire.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I will be waiting patiently for those who have defended this because Maduro’s election was illegitimate to come back and offer their insight and revised opinions now that Trump has excluded the popular opposition and is empowering Maduro’s own vice president. I’m sure the takes will be rational, principled, nuanced, and consistent.

Trump is shortsighted and who goes for who has something to give him now. They have no choice but to interact with her for the moment, but that tactic can change in a heartbeat. We have to wait and see what she offers up.

 

[brihard]

In Trumps eyes, respect= fear, submission. So in his view the statement is correct. The civil government, oil industry and military are stacked with loyalists to the Chavez/Marduro regime. It's unlikely they give up power easily and worry that people will come for them if the regime is gone. So likley they will oppose any attempts to place the legitimate government into power.

So what happens if Trump’s puppet regime in Venezuela has no option to hold onto power but to resume violent repression of the civilian populace?

Trump is shortsighted and who goes for who has something to give him now. They have no choice but to interact with her for the moment, but that tactic can change in a heartbeat. We have to wait and see what she offers up.

She has already offered up compliance according to Trump. That will suffice for him for now.