On March 9, 2015, President Obama of America declared an economic war against Venezuela by imposing new sanctions against Venezuela; declared her a threat to America’s security and seemed to support an attempted coup in Caracas.
But Venezuela is so less powerful compared to the US that many people cannot believe the story of Venezuela posing a threat to the security of America, the most powerful nation in the world. In the jungle which our world is, a cat cannot be a threat to a lion; and in boxing, a heavy weight like Mohammed Ali can never be a threat to a feather weight.
Because it is in human nature to sympathise more with the weak than with the strong, when the mighty American Goliath declares war against the weak Venezuelan David, it is easier for us to call upon America to let Venezuela go unless the small Venezuela is threatening the survival of America, which it is not.
Venezuela should also be supported because assisting the one in trouble is ultimately promoting human survival. When humans refuse to assist others, they end up being victims of the same problems they refuse to solve for others.
Since in war it is very difficult for the weak to defeat the strong, though it happens, one wishes all nations lived in peace and no country made war against another. Unfortunately, countries and communities are all the time making war against one another, unfortunately led by the US under its various Presidents, including President Obama this time round.
Understandably, when Obama became President of the USA, the whole world and especially weak nations of the world celebrated – and in particular, African countries went on holidays for days to celebrate a leader whose leadership they believed would better the world. But has it?
In Kenya, Obama was seen as a compatriot and brother, their saviour and that of the world. Today, many think otherwise.
And well, Kenyans were not alone in their ecstasy. The Nobel Committee bestowed Obama with Nobel Peace Prize for becoming the first black President of America and nobody complained because many people believed that Obama’s Presidency, coming from the marginalised of the world, had to make a difference for the better.
For many years that Obama has been President of America, however, the USA has not become a better and more peaceful nation in the world. If anything, America continues on a war path against nations she disagrees with, more for American interests than good of mankind.
But has America declared war against Venezuela because Obama is personally belligerent or because it is in the nature of the American system to make war – ravaging the world for resources like oil and minerals and anyone, including an American President like John Kennedy will be eliminated if they stand in its way.
When Patrice Lumumba threatened to protect the wealth of DRC, he was quickly eliminated by a coalition of America, Belgium, France, Britain and their local lackeys who had no shame surrendering their national wealth to forces of western imperialism.
Quite recently, America united with NATO forces to cruelly murder Muammar Gaddafi for protecting Libyan oil and daring to develop Libya to the level of Europe.
Before Patrice Lumumba and Muammar Gaddafi, America had imposed economic sanctions and blockaded Cuba for more than 50 years, all for daring to build socialism in the backyard of America.
After all these years, however, President Obama was good enough to concede that American aggression against Cuba had not worked, and it was time for America to make peace with Cuba. Right now, Cuba and America are negotiating on how to normalise their relations, renounce war and become peaceful neighbours. Other than instituting Obama-care in America, normalising relations with Cuba is Obama’s best gift to the world, and a key pillar to his legacy.
But as the world hails Obama for normalising relations with Cuba, he has badly dented his legacy by declaring war against Venezuela and other countries like Iraq and Libya, where America should not be waging war.
It completely beats logic for America to accept that her foreign and domestic policies to isolate, blockade, cripple and impose capitalism upon Cuba have been wrong, and should be ended and simultaneously declare same war against Venezuela. Why can’t America leave Venezuela alone the way she has now left Cuba, Brazil, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and other Latin American countries to chart the path of their own destiny?
America war for independence and civil war to end slavery and slave trade have inspired freedom fighters the world over. Why does America want to soil her history and legacy by fighting weak countries like Venezuela and Libya that should be running to America for friendship and protection?
America championed struggle for equality, democracy and independence but now fights countries that demand sovereignty, independence and freedom to build socialism in order to feed and take care of their people. Until America accepts that Venezuela and other countries are free to choose their ideology, leaders and economic systems, her democracy will be false. As America has freedom to be capitalist, let Venezuela be free to choose Hugo Chavez and socialism, Europe and Scandinavia to choose social democracy. America must not make war on any country for the choice of her leaders, ideology and socialism.
Planet earth belongs to all human beings. No country should claim more right to it than others.
As a Kenyan who shares blood with Obama, I am embarrassed to think of him as a war monger. The huge resources that America possesses must never be used to destroy the world. World resources should be used to make the earth a better place for everybody. America should be a nation of peace, not a nation of war.