MBR
@flame89.bsky.social
Can’t say too much about my job these days but international affairs (especially Asia) is my specialty. I love films, novels, and history. Degrees from Oxford, Virginia Tech, and the London School of Economics. Opinions are entirely my own. He/him
Pinned
MBR
@flame89.bsky.social
· 2d
I think the Maduro regime is terrible. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a grotesque, despicable, clearly premeditated attack. Totally and completely opposed.
International history nerds this weekend
January 5, 2026 at 3:53 AM
International history nerds this weekend
Reposted by MBR
Yeah, people are fixating on a Cabinet Secretary being given a sovereign country to run because the president waged war without congressional approval and kidnapped the old leader. Weird that they’d get hung up on that.
WELKER: Mr. Secretary, are you running Venezuela right now?
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
January 4, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Yeah, people are fixating on a Cabinet Secretary being given a sovereign country to run because the president waged war without congressional approval and kidnapped the old leader. Weird that they’d get hung up on that.
Reposted by MBR
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump said the US is going to 'run Venezuela.' Under what legal authority?
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
January 4, 2026 at 4:21 PM
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump said the US is going to 'run Venezuela.' Under what legal authority?
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
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But what if Maduro’s involvement in the drug trade was an “official act”?
January 3, 2026 at 3:32 PM
But what if Maduro’s involvement in the drug trade was an “official act”?
“Everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an oversea empire and make no end of coin by trade.”
-The Heart of Darkness
-The Heart of Darkness
They won that election telling the dupes they’d keep them safe at home and when they won they got dreams of empire.
January 4, 2026 at 2:33 PM
“Everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an oversea empire and make no end of coin by trade.”
-The Heart of Darkness
-The Heart of Darkness
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The notion that we should invade the territory of a NATO ally where we already have a major military base because our security somehow demands it is … bizarre.
They won that election telling the dupes they’d keep them safe at home and when they won they got dreams of empire.
January 4, 2026 at 4:42 AM
The notion that we should invade the territory of a NATO ally where we already have a major military base because our security somehow demands it is … bizarre.
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Weirdos.
They won that election telling the dupes they’d keep them safe at home and when they won they got dreams of empire.
January 4, 2026 at 4:39 AM
Weirdos.
They won that election telling the dupes they’d keep them safe at home and when they won they got dreams of empire.
January 4, 2026 at 4:30 AM
They won that election telling the dupes they’d keep them safe at home and when they won they got dreams of empire.
Reposted by MBR
Moulton: "When we had briefings on Venezuela, we asked, 'Are you going to invade the country?' We were told no. 'Do you plan to put troops on the ground?' We were told no. 'Do you intend regime change in VZ?' We were told no. So in a sense, we have been briefed, we've just been completely lied to"
January 3, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Moulton: "When we had briefings on Venezuela, we asked, 'Are you going to invade the country?' We were told no. 'Do you plan to put troops on the ground?' We were told no. 'Do you intend regime change in VZ?' We were told no. So in a sense, we have been briefed, we've just been completely lied to"
Sterling analysis as usual from @ldfreedman.bsky.social
I've just updated my previous post on the military intervention in Venezuela. I was right to be sceptical of Trump's claims that VP Delcy Rodríguez was prepared to hand over the country and its oil field to US - as she has now made clear. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/trump-madu...
Trump, Maduro and the Panama Precedent
Once again the US has undertaken a military operation that was effectively executed in support of an uncertain political objective.
samf.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Sterling analysis as usual from @ldfreedman.bsky.social
Reposted by MBR
I've just updated my previous post on the military intervention in Venezuela. I was right to be sceptical of Trump's claims that VP Delcy Rodríguez was prepared to hand over the country and its oil field to US - as she has now made clear. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/trump-madu...
Trump, Maduro and the Panama Precedent
Once again the US has undertaken a military operation that was effectively executed in support of an uncertain political objective.
samf.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
I've just updated my previous post on the military intervention in Venezuela. I was right to be sceptical of Trump's claims that VP Delcy Rodríguez was prepared to hand over the country and its oil field to US - as she has now made clear. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/trump-madu...
A superb film. Gorgeously shot. Great romance. If you need something totally different than our present crisis tonight, you could do a lot worse than this.
Evening viewing recommendation? Watch BRIGHT STAR (2009), Jane Campion’s rapturous period romance, an exquisite vision of transcendent love set in the literary world of the nineteenth century — now playing in our Ben Whishaw collection! ❤️
January 4, 2026 at 12:19 AM
A superb film. Gorgeously shot. Great romance. If you need something totally different than our present crisis tonight, you could do a lot worse than this.
Reposted by MBR
the administration wants to frame this (bizarrely) as law enforcement. but if law enforcement conducted a raid for a suspect and killed 40 people, including an unknown number of unarmed civilians, it would be treated as a clear disaster like Waco.
NYT:
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
January 3, 2026 at 11:32 PM
the administration wants to frame this (bizarrely) as law enforcement. but if law enforcement conducted a raid for a suspect and killed 40 people, including an unknown number of unarmed civilians, it would be treated as a clear disaster like Waco.
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Cheers to the millions of delulu voters who bought this bs. Twice.
January 3, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Cheers to the millions of delulu voters who bought this bs. Twice.
Reminder!
At some point, practically every Republican President lusts to be involved in some military absurdity in Latin America.
January 3, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reminder!
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January 3, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by MBR
The Glengarry leads
bsky.app/profile/tiny...
bsky.app/profile/tiny...
January 3, 2026 at 6:52 AM
The Glengarry leads
bsky.app/profile/tiny...
bsky.app/profile/tiny...
Reposted by MBR
What about a pointless fucking war in Venezuela, Tyler?
January 3, 2026 at 6:49 AM
What about a pointless fucking war in Venezuela, Tyler?
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Trump’s opposition to liberal norms must mean that he is opposed to the use of military force. I am a super genius
January 3, 2026 at 6:50 AM
Trump’s opposition to liberal norms must mean that he is opposed to the use of military force. I am a super genius
Reposted by MBR
This is, unfortunately, very true. And honestly true of some other members of the Latin American community as well. There are plenty of people with views like Rubio and they will exult in this moment.
Not even kidding: this was a big reason a lot of Venezuelans in South Florida stuck by Trump even after he canceled TPS for their loved ones and sent other Venezuelans to El Salvador.
January 3, 2026 at 12:56 PM
This is, unfortunately, very true. And honestly true of some other members of the Latin American community as well. There are plenty of people with views like Rubio and they will exult in this moment.
Reposted by MBR
Hey Tulsi just circling back on this
January 3, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Hey Tulsi just circling back on this
Reposted by MBR
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Everyone else getting a lot of messages like these too?
January 3, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Everyone else getting a lot of messages like these too?