Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar 1/8/26: Trump To Run Venezuelan Oil Forever, Trump Iran Bombing Likely, Blackstone Stock Craters
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Jan 8, 2026 
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute and a foreign policy expert, dives deep into U.S.-Iran relations. He discusses the potential for military strikes on Iran amid rising tensions and how Trump's optimistic outlook on Venezuelan oil could dangerously skew risk assessments. Parsi also examines the geopolitical implications of access to Venezuelan oil and the shift in focus regarding Iran's capabilities. Additionally, the conversation touches on protests in Iran and their limited impact on regime change.
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US Control Of Venezuelan Oil Feels Like Neo-Colonialism
- The U.S. plan to control and market Venezuelan oil reads like a modern form of direct extraction and nationalization.
- Such control risks deepening repression, provoking local resistance, and becoming a long-term imperial quagmire.
Empire Requires A Permanent Bureaucracy
- Returning to explicit territorial control repeats historical mistakes of empires and creates permanent bureaucratic entanglements.
- Trump risks recreating an entrenched administrative apparatus that undermines his anti-establishment rhetoric.
Massive Military Spending Escalates Domestic Tradeoffs
- Trump proposes a $1.5 trillion military budget, a 50% jump that would dwarf global peers.
- Shifting massive tax dollars to defense amplifies corruption risk and diverts funds from domestic priorities.