Venezuela Sends Tanks To Colombian Border

[ICantSpellDawg]

Right - he supports the FARC in their attempts to overthrow the Columbian government. He literally called for this to happen. I believe that he is angling for a conflict in order to exert control over the continent. Territorial ambition is written all over his actions.

Why is this so hard to see? Do you read the words that he uses? He sounds like a madman. Oh. I forgot, he dislikes the U.S., so everything that he says must be gospel.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

He sounds like a madman.

I think that's the point. He's probably not strong enough for overt aggression, so talking tough is the only way he can get what he wants.

[spmetla]

It frustrates me to no end that Chavez is itching for a fight. While on one hand I see his right to assert that Venezuela's borders should not be crossed as the Ecquadorian border was his defense and probably active support of FARC in Columbia is of course a giant problem for Columbia. Columbia has enough problems that they don't need or want to fight another war but I could see Chavez trying to liberate Columbians from themselves and perhaps create another Gran Columbia/Bolivia or something.

I just hope this is remains posturing and saber rattling, Columbia's army and airforce is not really equiped for conventional warfare and no doubt the US would get draw in and send a few carriers and probably some marines.

[ICantSpellDawg]

It frustrates me to no end that Chavez is itching for a fight. While on one hand I see his right to assert that Venezuela's borders should not be crossed as the Ecquadorian border was his defense and probably active support of FARC in Columbia is of course a giant problem for Columbia. Columbia has enough problems that they don't need or want to fight another war but I could see Chavez trying to liberate Columbians from themselves and perhaps create another Gran Columbia/Bolivia or something.

I just hope this is remains posturing and saber rattling, Columbia's army and airforce is not really equiped for conventional warfare and no doubt the US would get draw in and send a few carriers and probably some marines.

You see it. Tribesman doesn't. JAG doesn't.

[Tribesman]

You see it. Tribesman doesn't. JAG doesn't.

What I see is that Chavez approach to foriegn relations and his crappy rhetoric is absolutely no different from that of Uribe or Bush .

[ICantSpellDawg]

What I see is that Chavez approach to foriegn relations and his crappy rhetoric is absolutely no different from that of Uribe or Bush .

You think Bush wants to be the leader-for-life of Iraq? You think Uribe wants much more than to make Columbia a legitimate whole nation?

no

But I think Chavez wants much more power.

[spmetla]

I think when we start having to say that someone's foreign policy skills/rhetoric are on par with Bush then perhaps we need to lessen our support of that person. Just because Bush did it does not make it right, Bush screwed up big time and on a tremendous scale. My support for the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are more out of a feeling of obligation to the Iraqi/Afghani people for screwing up their country more than anything else.

Violently spreading socialism is as stupid an idea as violently spreading democracy. It's wrong, it's stupid, and it will never work as intended. I hate the former US policy in Latin American and Africa where we supported violent dictators or funded anticommunists because it screwed up those regions big time but just because the US and the USSR used tactics lack that in the past does not condone the actions like that by other countries.

EDIT:
Additionally any US support of the Columbia army would probably be aerial as well as naval. Venzeuala's navy is small but so is Columbia's and I don't think the US would take kindly to any sort of naval war near the Panama Canal. Columbia does not have aircraft of the quality or quantity to combat the the much more modern though fairly small Venezuelan air force. The US already has advisors training the Columbian army and the only additional boots on the ground support that I could envision would be guys to coordinate US air assests with Columbian army elements (Special Forces) and possibly mechanized Marine elements if the Venezuelans somehow are able to threaten Panama (I don't think Chavez would be above siezing the canal if he could).

[Ice]

Oil Prices anyone?

[Tribesman]

Right - he supports the FARC in their attempts to overthrow the Columbian government. He literally called for this to happen.

Actually he calls for a negotiated settlement to the long running civil war , but don't let that get in your way .

He sounds like a madman.

Thats because he is a madman , but he ain't stupid .
Don't you think your president sounds like a madman too ?