Hillbilly wisdom: consider the gift from Venezuela. How fortuitous, trade talks with Canada have broken down. Canada is the largest exporters of oil to the United States. From the US point of view, why deal with an ally when you can take it from a puppet state for basically nothing. Who benefits?

The draw down of petroleum products from the emergency reserves was handled via energy companies. These companies received oil as a loan to be paid back in the future when oil dropped below 70 per barrel. Contributions by the same energy companies to the Trump campaign had nothing to do with these transactions so don’t go there. Capitalism is great. Borrow oil and sell above 80 and return it when prices go below 70, all financed at the expense of the world.

The next step down the rabbit hole is the transition from capitalism to Trump’s socialism. Socialism defined as government ownership of means of production. The gift of oil from Venezuela looks something like this: United States gets 35% of Venezuelan oil deposits; management of Venezuelan oil production will be a board with a majority of American citizens; the applicable law will be U.S. Law. The US will get 20% of total output at cost and 1^st refusal of remaining 80%. Total control is ownership. The Office of Strategic Capital states “the United States does not take equity stakes in private companies.” Socialistic nations do. Venezuelan oil deposits will be totally controlled by the United States.

The deal is nothing short of stealing the assets of a foreign nation being run by a puppet government installed by the United States. These actions will eventually be ruled a crime and the American citizens will be left holding the bag. Neither the installed puppet nor the US president have the authority to make this deal. What are our representatives doing?