
Know Your Enemy The Donroe Doctrine (w/ David Adler & Matt Kirkegaard)
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Jan 26, 2026 Matt Kirkagaard, Progressive International analyst on Latin American politics, and David Adler, PI organizer specializing in regional interventions, unpack US moves in Venezuela and Greenland. They trace Monroe Doctrine legacies, map Trump-era tactics across the hemisphere, and debate whether coercion drives countries toward China. Fast-paced, strategic, and sharply geopolitical.
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Law-Enforcement Frame Lowers Legal Barriers
- The administration reframes interventions as law enforcement (narco-terrorism) to avoid war powers and legal constraints.
- That framing reduces oversight and normalizes operations like cross-border abductions.
Venezuelans Demand Sovereignty Amid Shock
- Venezuelan public reaction was mixed: mass rallies defended sovereignty while opposition abroad celebrated.
- David Adler emphasizes Venezuelans mostly demanded respect for institutions amid high uncertainty.
Mixed U.S. Signals Create Diplomatic Confusion
- U.S. agencies send mixed signals, leaving foreign governments unsure who speaks for the U.S.
- Kirkagaard calls it a 'reverse Kissinger' problem: Venezuelans don't know which U.S. actor to trust.






