One of the problems with power is that sometimes you can get caught up with your own BS – and you can’t use it as you thought you could when you did everything in the world and then some to acquire it!! Take, for instance, Israel and the US. Everyone assumes that America is the last standing superpower – for now! – and is calling the shots in its relationship with Israel, since the latter’s the largest beneficiary of US aid year in, year out.
Some US$3.5 billion in normal years – and God knows how much when it’s at war – like now. But in that war – not its genocide in the Gaza Strip: that’s not war, but shooting fish in a tank at will – but in the wider one with Iran and its allies, your Eyewitness is wondering who’s the caller of shots and who’s the callee!!
After all, the US – in the form of its government headed by “Sleepy” Joe Biden – made it clear that it doesn’t want the conflict to escalate; since, with nuclear powers in the area, who knows where this might end?!! So, after Israel bombed the Iranian Embassy in Syria – breaking international law and forcing Iran to retaliate – the US was pleased that Iran’s response was measured and designed to play to its populace’s sentiments, rather than inflicting real damage on Israel. Sleepy Joe then publicly told Netanyahu to play it cool. But we don’t have to guess what happened, do we?? Israel just bombed Iran, and Sleepy Joe ended up with all sorts of egg on his face!!
The point is, Netanyahu figures that because of the US’ greater interest in the region – oil, oil and oil!! – of which Israel’s the US prime launching pad for any action to secure its interest, it has Sleepy Joe and any other US leader by the shorts!! It’s not just the tail wagging the dog, but the flea doing likewise!! And this brings us closer to home, where Mad Maduro – a known adversary of the US, and a close ally of Russia and Cuba to boot!! – figures he, too, has America by the shorts for the same reason as Israel – oil, oil and oil!! Venezuela just happens to have more of the Black Gold than even the Saudis!!
And so, while we’ve been getting all sorts of assurances that we’re besties with the States – the latest by the US Principal Deputy Security Adviser – and objectively the renewal of oil sanctions against Mad Maduro should help us, we gotta wonder why Mad Maduro’s so cocky. And the answer is oil, oil and even more oil, which America wants so badly it’s salivating!!
Your Eyewitness notes the Venezuelan gas field TT’s developing hasn’t been re-sanctioned!!
…the PNC hair-pulling??
The latest in the ongoing soap opera – into which the PNC has descended – is that Leader Norton’s hand-picked Chairman Holder just apologized to his predecessor, Aunty Amna Ally!! So, what’s going on?? Everyone figures Holder’s just a placeholder for Norton; his “creature”, so to speak! The young man was voted in only because he was on Norton’s ticket and the PNC folks desperately wanted Norton, whom they figured would be able to “manners” the PPP!!
Well, it’s clear that Norton realized he’d overplayed his hand when he allowed (asked??) Holder to announce, “Amna Ally has no moral authority to say who is unfit to lead the PNCR” – after she said Norton was not fit to play that role!! After all, if Norton says that about a person who’s been in the party longer than he has, what does that say about himself, when longevity’s his top qualification for the job!!
Expect that more blows will be thrown in the clinch. It’s survival time, baby!!
…the Stabroek roof collapse?
Your Eyewitness ain’t surprised by the Big Market roof’s collapse. Imagine the M&CC – responsible for the City’s infrastructure – allowed the iconic City Hall Building to almost collapse when they showed up for work there – daily!!
