Venezuela Regime Change and the Theater of the Absurd

On Saturday, a friend and I were comparing notes about the events following the U.S. raid on Venezuela. Leaving aside any questions about what the White House is trying to accomplish in Venezuela, my biggest takeaway from the events of the past week is this: As President Trump’s popularity and power erodes domestically, he will respond with more aggressive assertions of power in areas where his executive powers and prerogatives remain unfettered, where his domestic popularity matters least. (This obviously applies, but not only, to his military powers abroad.) Anything else would not be consistent with Trump’s character, which is inflexible and unchanging, although perhaps hardening with advancing age. The current situation between the United States and Venezuela shows how irregular, unstable and unequal the situation can become.