Comments on: Venezuela Oil Field Seizures Cause Jitters

By: legion

legion — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 14:47:02 +0000

Yeah, sarcasm tags don't always get scanned properly :-)
Depending on just how big an impact this could have on the French or Italian economy (I honestly have no idea), they could raise some serious stinks about it - even to the point of seizing Venezuelan assets, but frankly, I don't see Chirac having the political deftness to pull off any sort of military action, and the Italian gov't is too schizophrenic to keep that kind of focus.

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 23:11:38 +0000

My post was tongue in cheek and spoke about France's position as a NATO ally. We are under no treaty obligation for UN ally, but we are under NATO.

I suspect that we could duck our commitments to the treaty by not viewing it as an attack on France. On the other hand, I suspect that France can make the case this is a causa belli for them if they want the distraction.

So capitalist (or more socialist on the French side) the issue is not so much does this justify a war between France and Venezuela as Does Chirac think it would be convenient for it to justify a war.

After all, the honor of France has been impugned and shouldn't the world's greatest power be allowed to regain its honor by force of arms?

By: legion

legion — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:39:54 +0000

Ummm, I know we live in a capitalist society, but I would like to point out that this is _not_ an 'attack against a UN ally'. It's directed against corporations that happen to be _based in_ UN allies. I'm more concerned about what these actions will do to the global oil market, and if other countries (especially France and Italy) will follow suit in some sort of nationalization tit-for-tat, than I am about what this does to a couple of conglomerates And on a side note, it's quite entertaining to see people on this board jumping to defend _France_, of all places - and under the rubric their being a _UN ally_. Wow, that must have hurt to type :-)

By: floyd

floyd — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:18:55 +0000

it appears exxonmobil's quarterly profit is larger than venezuela's yearly budget,they only lack a standing army.i think i'd rather anger chavez than tillerson![lol]

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:59:26 +0000

Any moment now we can expect to see Chirac try to get his nation's minds off the CPE problem with a short war. I can just see the US response.

We need to enforce the Monroe doctrine. (But we didn't enforce it against the UK in the Falklands).

This is an attack on a NATO Allies. (Italy is a full member of NATO, but the French backed out when they were told that the French generals don't get to do all the driving).

Ah heck. We don't like either side. Let them fight it out. (Of course, it might be a real lesson in French military power as to how well it can project its force outside of Africa).

By: Herb

Herb — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:34:16 +0000

Looks more and more every day that that TV Preacher had it right when he called for the extermination of Chavez.

By: RA

RA — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:20:55 +0000

This is pure and simple theft. The UN should impose sanctions and all of their foreign assets should be siezed.