By Ayinde
January 10, 2026
“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are already dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done, discover your humanity and your love in revolution.”
—George L. Jackson
The U.S. is not just attacking Venezuela; let us be clear about what is at stake. While the U.S. obviously prefers that its corporations’ benefit from Venezuela’s oil, this conflict also has implications for China, Russia and the wider world.
The U.S. is demonstrating to China that it can be blocked from using South America and the Caribbean to further diversify its energy sources. Yes, the U.S. would sell oil to China, but it wants China to pay in U.S. dollars—thus helping to preserve the U.S. dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency. The U.S. also wants to demonstrate that it can choke China’s energy supply in this region.
Moreover, the U.S. is sending a message to Russia and to the wider world—starting with those in the Western Hemisphere—that it can do what it likes, when it wants. To ensure that countries fully grasp what is at stake, the U.S. has removed the veneer of democracy-building and humanitarianism as pretexts for expansionism. In other words, there is a clear change in imperialist strategy which previously employed veiled objectives and propaganda, to a more brazen approach.
No doubt, this new manoeuvre is intended to humiliate intended targets and generate enough fear to deter resistance. The U.S. and Israel have already tested what they could get away with through their genocide in Palestine. Unlike previous genocides that most people just read or heard about, with the prevalence of social media, almost no one could escape the images and videos depicting the brutal and gruesome murder of Palestinians. Notwithstanding some condemnations, how many countries came to the aid of Palestinians to stop what was—and still is—taking place there? It has also become increasingly clear that no country is immune from this kind of atrocity. It is therefore of critical importance that those who do not know this history, who engage current affairs via news headlines, or who accept mainstream perspectives without challenge, use this as an opportunity to sharpen and to learn. We all see what is happening, but if learning does not occur, experience could prove the greater teacher.
People who understand world history, especially colonial history, know that Trump’s conduct is not very different from that of former and some current U.S. and European leaders. Many countries still experience colonialism and other forms of subjugation today. Ironically, Trump is also threatening to annex Greenland. Without self-reflection, European nations are protesting that move today. Evidently, the chickens have come home to roost.
This is what many of us have been explaining for decades. This is what China prepared itself for. This is what Haiti and other countries in Africa have been resisting. This is why Cuba did not cave in to the illusion of Western democratic development. This is why North Korea was demonised for resisting the U.S. People have been conditioned to love their subjugators and to hate those who resist oppression. Racism is sustained because of this. Frantz Fanon, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Henry Sylvester Williams, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, C.L.R. James, and so many more of our great revolutionary elders wanted us to be on guard against the illusion of freedom.
The colonial powers have not atoned for their evil. In fact, they benefit tremendously from the legacies of Chattel slavery and indentured servitude, and thrive off present-day socioeconomic systems that have evolved from these institutions. Unfortunately, a main feature of Western capitalism is the creation of miseducated workers and consumers who do not challenge control. This is not to suggest that resisters of slavery and colonisation had everything worked out. But they, and we, were denied the right to develop through different political models.
Trump is now engaging in the same imperialism, only this time without pretenses. This unfolding affair is historical déjà vu: the failures in the education system and the inability to properly impart and analyse our history is partly to blame. Also culpable is our failure to work out our differences so that we might unite and stand together to stop murder and imperialism. This inability to come together to resist the bully also explains why slavery lasted so long. It is not just the “powerful” that suffer from poor character; victims also exhibit weakness. A collective demonstration of courage and integrity are essential to right many wrongs. This is the revolution that is needed.