After Venezuela, how far could Trump really go? |
After illegally invading Venezuela — and capturing its dictatorial leader — President Donald Trump is threatening to launch similar attacks against a wide array of countries.
On Sunday, the president reiterated his belief that the United States must annex Greenland, since its waters are “covered with Russian and Chinese ships.” He further declared that the US may take military action against Colombia, as its president “has cocaine mills and cocaine factories.” Mexico may also warrant a bombing, Trump suggested, in light of its failure to police its cartels. And he also warned Iran’s authoritarian regime that, if it starts killing the protestors who’ve recently amassed in its streets, “they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
Of course, the president says a lot of things. If Trump’s words were a perfect guide to US policy, America would currently be governing the Gaza Strip.
Therefore, until this weekend, it seemed safe to assume that the president’s most outlandish military threats were mere bluster. Now that he has greenlit the overthrow of a foreign leader, who had ordered no attack against the United States, it is hard to be so sure.
Yet, there is one big reason to think that, in military terms, Trump’s bark still exceeds his bite.
Why Trump’s military interventions could get bolder
Before turning to the causes for doubts about America storming the beaches of Greenland,........