It Is Really Very Simple.

 And it is a well-known fact. 

A number of countries that Russia considers “unfriendly” have privately pitched proposals on improving economic cooperation during the G20 Summit, the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Maksim Oreshkin, told reporters on Sunday. The summit brought together leaders representing the world’s 20 largest economies in Johannesburg, South Africa, this weekend. “A number of countries we consider unfriendly have approached us with specific proposals for cooperation – on how to improve economic relations with Russia and implement joint projects,” Oreshkin said at a press conference. He added that he would not elaborate on which countries made the offers “lest their colleagues be offended later.”

This is the reality of Kardashev Scale which correctly puts energy, its extraction and use, as the main criterion for the type of civilization. Obviously, we, Earthlings, are still way-way out of even Type-I level, we are somewhere near 0.6-0.7 at best, BUT ... If to use Russia as a reference point as Type=1.0 within Earth's present energy paradigm, then countries like Germany, Italy or even France will be, ahem--somewhere between 0.4-0.5 at best. And they DO NOT have any prospects for getting higher without ... right--you get my drift. Their march to backwardness accelerates and they did it to themselves. 

This also explains Trump's desperate desire to get his hands on Venezuela's oil, but while understandable for purely vulture reasons, risks attached to it are huge for the United States, and even under the most favorable conditions that will not solve US economic problems. They are systemic and cannot be resolved by mere imperial acquisitions, especially with dramatic breakthroughs in energy generation happening this very moment as I type this. But, of course, Venezuela may become, as Larry notes. 

As the US continues to build up its military forces off the coast of Venezuela, it is worth asking about the risks associated with an actual US invasion with ground forces. I think that US military planners, regardless of what Donald Trump is saying, have cautioned their bosses about the extreme risks that such an operation would entail. During my appearance today with Judge Napolitano, I suggested we compare what a possible military operation inside Venezuela would entail compared to our 2003 attack on Iraq… Venezuela is a much tougher nut to crack than was Iraq. 

Moreover, Iraq can hardly serve as a yardstick and as Lieutenant-General Klokotov stated in 1992, and I remind you:

And that was in 1992, when the US Armed Forces have been in a much better shape than they are today. So, make your own conclusions.