Subject: Re: The strategy,...is working
We've established this is only a partial view of the matter. They use the ME for more than that.

But not materially more than that. They have invested a ton in economic and diplomatic resources in all the countries there, and don't really derive much strategic benefit from Iran's military positioning relative to those economic and diplomatic ties.

Where was all this concern about "depletion of our own military resources" when the proxies of Iran were shooting missiles at US ships in the Red Sea? This board was dead silent. Those several months of playing defense and not cutting off the head of the snake are what you should be angry at.

Again - "cutting off the head of the snake" is another metaphor. When did the Houthi attacks stop? Not because we stopped playing defense, and not because we "cut off the head of a snake." Because of the cease-fire in Gaza. An issue addressed primarily through a diplomatic solution, not the U.S. physically stopping anyone from attacking Red Sea commercial vessels or cowing them into giving up.

And yet, the US is telling Delcy Rodriguez what to do. And she's doing it.

Yeah, because we're not telling her to do anything significant. We're telling her that she has to sell Venezuela's oil through us - why should she care? We've basically given Venezuela relief from sanctions and taken all the pressure off of them to possibly cede power to the lawfully elected opposition - and all we want in return is for us to be able to help them sell their oil? Oh, no! Please don't throw me in that briar patch!

Note, though, we haven't asked her to do anything about her country's ties to China. No expulsion of Chinese nationals, no expropriation of Chinese assets the way that they expropriate our oil company resources, no repudiation of Chinese debts.

How much influence does China have right now in South America?

Still decent, on the whole. Have you looked lately? What they've lost in some countries (like Argentina) they've recovered in increases in other countries like Brazil that have turned to China in response to American protectionism and...being erratic. In fact, China now has an opening to get into all the Mercosur countries for the first time ever - because Brazil has decided to make more of a pivot to Beijing:

BRASILIA/MONTEVIDEO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Brazil is considering pushing for a partial trade agreement between the Mercosur bloc and China for the first time, senior Brazilian government officials said, in what would be a major shift for Latin America's largest economy.

Brazil has long vetoed formal negotiations with Beijing to protect domestic manufacturers from a surge in Chinese imports. But as Beijing has sought deeper commercial ties and Washington has imposed waves of tariffs, the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is now reconsidering that stance.

A joint statement issued during Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi's visit to Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping this week said they hoped free trade negotiations between China and Mercosur could begin "as soon as possible." Mercosur includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Bolivia poised to become a full member.

https://www.reuters.com/world/...
https://archive.ph/0IVC3