
Coffee and a Mike Matt Bracken #1263
Dec 6, 2025
Matt Bracken, a Navy SEAL, author, and historian, explores the complexities of Venezuela's political landscape and why ground troops would be a costly mistake. He delves into the failures of the drug war, the implications of Russian and Chinese influence, and the risks of being drawn into an unwinnable conflict. Bracken also critiques the current media landscape and discusses economic fragility in the U.S. His insights range from operational military risks to the impact of public sentiment on upcoming elections.
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End Of The Debt Cycle Shapes Everything
- The global crises across geopolitics and markets all stem from an unavoidable end-of-debt-cycle.
- Leaders will manufacture external crises to shift blame away from fiscal mismanagement.
Multiple Narratives Around Venezuela
- The Venezuela standoff carries multiple competing narratives: drugs, voting machines, and Cuban influence.
- Bracken warns these narratives may be used to justify kinetic action without clear public evidence.
Use Targeted Maritime Operations
- Use proportionate maritime assets to interdict drug boats instead of carrier groups and large troop deployments.
- Focus on disabling smugglers' chains at the source to collapse the trafficking network.

