“We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us”
Walt Kelly “Pogo”
By Kenneth J Uva, January 6, 2026
Watching MSNow this morning, I have come to the conclusion that this country is in more trouble than we admit. Today is the fifth anniversary of Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election by sending supporters to attack the Capitol. The conjunction of that anniversary and the recent events regarding Venezuela provide a good perspective of where we are and where we are going. There is nothing encouraging.
On “Morning Joe” there was a panel of foreign policy experts, Congressmen, and the host, Joe Scarborough. The discussion was about Venezuela. What struck me is that the entire panel was made up of establishment types who approached the issue from an “inside the Beltway” perspective, completely ignoring the larger issue that is now confronting the United States.
One matter under discussion was whether Congress was informed of the military operation, should have been informed, and what information Congress is getting now. Everyone praised the planning, efficiency and success of the military operation that plucked Maduro and his wife from Venezuela and ultimately deposited them in a New York City courtroom to face various charges. Another thread of the discussion was the lack of planning the next step, how is that country is to be governed now that the head of state was removed?
With the caveat that Maduro is a bad guy, this panel, along with most of the mainstream media, has missed the greater point that the US is descending into a fascist oligarchy with no checks on the actions of the president.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is one of the public faces of the administration on this matter. He has consistently said that the United States does not intend to run Venezuela, that this is a matter of criminal law due to Maduro’s alleged connection to drug trafficking. Meanwhile, President Trump said exactly the opposite, that the US will “run” the country and allow American oil companies to take oil from the largest reserve on the planet.
Despite all the hype about how it is a good thing that Maduro has been removed, the real issue is the seizing of resources from a sovereign nation and turning them over to oil companies. Meanwhile, Trump keeps making noises about taking over Greenland, an island under the jurisdiction of Denmark, a NATO ally.
So far the leadership of the Democrats in Congress are raising the issue of process, was the strike authorized, what to do next, etc. The fact is the Democrats, the media, and the chattering class of talking heads, are treating this matter as if it is a normal debate about process and procedures.
I have yet to hear anyone who gets media attention addressing the real issue, that we have a demented, narcissistic president, empowered by his minions in the White House and lackeys in Congress, who believes that he is under no restrictions that prevent him from doing whatever serves his needs, including suppressing the Epstein files, and those of his billionaire supporters. We are seeing the end of our democracy as Trump threatens other countries, and keeps mentioning Greenland. This is not normal political dialogue. It must be pointed out that Trump is following Putin’s lead to take what he wants regardless of international law, morality, or respect for the lives of those who get in the way. It does not serve the nation or the world to discuss this from the establishment perspective. We are way beyond normal politics.
What is most distressing is that there is no call from the establishment classes to look at history, to German, Japanese, and Russian takeover of other countries, and to see the historical parallels to what is happening before our eyes. We are waiting for the shouts about what is really happening, that mad King Donald is leading the nation into a dictatorship while the suits discuss whether or not Congress should be consulted and what are the next steps for “running” Venezuela. These shouts have to come from elected officials, the business elite, religious leaders, cultural icons, and from people voicing their horror over where Trump is leading us.
Venezuela must not be considered in a vacuum. Aside from bad policies such as tariffs, weakening of health mandates and civil rights protections, in less than a year, Trump has taken us down the road to authoritarianism. Deploying troops in Democrat run cities, unleashing masked agents in communities of color, taking legal action against opponents, and pardoning hundreds of those convicted of the Capitol attack, are all examples of using the power of government for personal political ends. Threats to annex Greenland are consistent with Trump’s authoritarian abuse of power.
These are not ordinary times. Trump is not an ordinary president. Congress must take action before there will be no way to stop the loss of our democracy. A president who emulates his heroes and who acts without the noisy interference of Congress, the press, and the American people is not who should be leading the United States on its 250th anniversary.
For the record, I am not buying any commemorative item that he sells with or without his picture.
