Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Interview on the Venezuela situation

In an interview with Edward Pentin published at his Substack, I discuss just war doctrine, the Venezuela situation, and the false choice between globalism and jingoism.

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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2026 at 2:53 PM

    Can we at least rejoice with the Venezuelan people who have longed to see the day that Maduro is removed from power? The results from the Trump administration's action will have more good than bad. Removing Russian and Chinese involvement from the Western hemisphere will be a good thing. The Trump administration will make war on the drug cartels in Mexico and Columbia and the results will be good. Communism will end in Cuba and that will be good. I grieve that you are unable to rejoice when so many of your political allies are rejoicing.

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    1. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2026 at 8:34 PM

      Perhaps you didn't read the interview -- or even the news, for that matter -- but so far only Maduro is gone, not his government. So the situation for the Venezuelan people hasn't actually changed. That's the whole point. Maybe things will work out -- I certainly hope so -- but until we hear of a concrete plan for making that happen, victory dances are premature, to say the least.

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    2. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2026 at 2:21 AM

      There's no rejoicing with an immoral act. A Catholic should know this.

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    3. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2026 at 6:34 AM

      Does the end justify the means? Not in Catholic theology.

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    4. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2026 at 11:08 AM

      Apprehending Maduro was not an immoral act. Further, there is the following. Assertion 1: The end does not justify the means. Assertion 2: We must never celebrate an end achieved by unjust means. Assertion 2 simply does not follow from assertion 1. It is a non sequitur.

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  2. Miguel CervantesJanuary 6, 2026 at 3:23 PM

    There is nothing more pathetic than seeing sanctmonious bullies getting their deserts. Trump and Vance have lowered the bar to piracy, denigration of others and jungle logic. They are going to look a lot less dignified than Maduro when they get treated as they deserve. The corollary of unjust aggression is legitimate defence. Down with the pirates say I.

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2026 at 7:44 PM

    And the Republican Party is solidly behind Trump.

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  4. NormJanuary 7, 2026 at 12:45 AM

    Prof in your opinion how would the proportionality criteria be evaluated here, are we measuring the number of unintended casualties it took to get Maduro against Maduro's crimes as a dictator?

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    1. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2026 at 11:02 AM

      You do realize that the thirty-two Cuban guards who died are not innocent victims, don't you? Maduro hired Cubans because Venezuelans hated him.

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  5. OA PoliceJanuary 7, 2026 at 4:44 AM

    One finds a certain irony in speculating how the U.S.A. in general and the Trump administration in particular would react if some other country took it upon themselves to execute the outstanding arrest warrant against one Benjamin Netanyahu.

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