In the first year of Trump’s second term, he imposed his thuggery on the United States. In the second year, apparently he will impose it on the hemisphere. 

America’s takeover of Venezuela — because it’s in our “backyard” and we didn’t like its leader — strengthens Putin’s claim over Ukraine, Xi’s over Taiwan, and Netanyahu’s over the West Bank and Gaza. 

Make no mistake: Venezuela’s Maduro was a vicious dictator who harmed Venezuela and its people. But the world is populated by many vicious dictators. We don’t take over their countries. 

The postwar order was supposed to stop thugs who use aggression to take over their “backyards,” as Hitler had done in Europe and Japan in East Asia. 

But Trump is now reverting back to the pre-World War II, might-makes-right,........

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