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To Open The Sky

The Front Pages of Christopher P. Winter
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United States of Aggression
Updated 9 February 2026

True to form, Trump started the new year off with another atrocity.

On the morning of Saturday, 3 January 2026, came the news that US forces had invaded Venezuela's capital Caracas, destroyed its air defenses, and abducted President Maduro and his wife. At this writing they are reportedly aboard the USS Iwo Jima bound for New York City, where Trump intends to try them for drug trafficking.

There's no need to say much about this illegal act. It is profoundly illegal. It violates the United Nations charter, the Geneva Conventions, and various US laws.

In addition, it establishes the precedent that might makes right. But the Trump Regime has been following that precedent throughout this term. Trump is, remember, that man who said in 2019: "I have an Article 2 where I have the right to do whatever I want as president." This was a lie; Article 2 of the Constitution says nothing like this. But we know that Trump lies. He lied 30,573 times in his first term, and he certainly hasn't stopped in his second. But he has less need to lie now, because there are fewer constraints on him. The Supreme Court has given him immunity for any official act, and this illegal invasion of another sovereign country certainly qualifies.

It's not the first time Trump has violated international law with respect to Venezuela. He ordered a strike on the docks from which he claimed drugs were being shipped to the US. Before that he had military forces bomb boats in the Caribbean that he claimed — without evidence — were bringing those drugs to American shores. Any evidence there might have been blew up with the boats. To date, 126 people have been summarily killed. The first of these strikes, on 2 September 2025, left two men alive and clinging to the remains of the boat. A second strike killed them — a war crime explicitly forbidden by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

On 22 June 2025, he launched Operation Midnight Hammer in which a flight of B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran's underground nuclear facilities with "bunker buster" bombs. Trump claimed "complete obliteration" of the sites; experts disagreed. In particular, there is evidence that Iran moved its stocks of highly enriched uranium because Trump telegraphed the operation. This continues a history of action against Iran based in part on evidence fabricated by Israel with US help.1

US forces have struck in eight other countries during 2025. Trump renamed the Department of Defense to "Department of War," and appointed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War. Hegseth focuses on "maximum lethality" of his forces while dismissing conventional rules of engagement. Trump has talked of annexing Canada, and Prime Minister Carney seeks to form a trade pact with China because of hostility from the US. Trump now makes noises about taking Greenland by any means necessary. Greenland is a protectorate of Denmark, a NATO ally. Trump now doubles down on his nonsensical claims about Greenland, and vows to impose more tariffs on the European nations that defend its sovereignty. With all this, Trump claims he has stopped eight wars and therefore deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. He even threatens violence against Norway because it did not award him the Peace Prize.2

A spreading skein of ramifications will flow from this invasion. Others, begun in anticipation of it, will acquire greater force. One example is the move by the BRIX Alliance to create an alternative to the petrodollar. Trump, of course, cares nothing about such unintended consequences.

But much worse are the things that will weaken or fade as a result of Trump's transgression. The two that matter most are trust between America and its European allies, and respect for the rule of law. A world in which laws and rules can be ignored is pleasant for a leader only so long as his nation holds the most power. There is no guarantee that America will always be the world superpower. Indeed, its power may already be fading, thanks to Trump's ignorance and corruption. Natural laws too must be respected, for they operate regardless of anyone's political posture. Trump foolishly thinks he can, by proclamation, convince people they don't matter.

So the last thing I'll say on the subject is this: Would you like to live in a land without laws, or one in which the leader pardons lawbreakers he likes and punishes law-abiding people he hates?3 Recent history has shown us that sort of land several times, but we never seem to remember the lessons it teaches us.

Sources:

1 For a deep look at this, see Scott Ritter's 2018 book Dealbreaker. Here's my review.
2 Although the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are selected by Norway's parliament, the Committee's choices are not dictated by Norway. See Norwegian Nobel Committee (Wikipedia, 30 January 2026)
3 Leaders like that also tend to throw their weight around overseas — which invites retaliation.
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This page was last modified on 9 February 2026.