Trump Elected: The True MAGA Era Begins, Now What?

[Beau]

The renaming of the Western "departments of war" into the Orwellian "departments of Defense" is another such move away from the postwar order - interesting that the US just reverted back to "department of War".

Yes. I don't have any issue with the renaming, since that is what that department IS managing. Calling it the Dept. of Defense feels like it was partly done just to mollify liberals and pearl-clutchers who didn't like the idea of a department of war, but if they are just "defending" well that just feels better on the inside. That's basically the intent behind all the nonsensical rules-based order. Nevermind that there is nothing defensive about the DoD and Pentagon. The US was always doing offensive war so might as well call the department what it is instead of the Orwellian double-speak it's been since WWII.

And really, this is another Trump move that's mainly about optics and vibes. Just like renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. He's not about to turn into some warmonger blitzing through Central and South America taking over countries. He's not going to start ordering every random big boat to be bombed either. He makes calculated moves that are as much about creating political capital than anything else. So it's good to see that Vance "doesn't give a shit." People should be happy that there are finally leaders who are through with that nonsense and are being straight instead of the two-faced liars who have run the US for 80 years.

 

[Possibility of Being]

Some thoughts on the drug trade and blaming other countries:

And yet a few more.

Not sure where the 'problem' lies? Defending the US citizens from a weaponized chemical compound by force by a branch that is constitutionally authorized to do so, saves lives.

Let's face it: This is a very recent report by Research Nester with the HQ in NY predicting and basically encouraging the Big Pharma to produce more of Fentanyl. A few quotes:

[that's about the legal market]

Fentanyl Market in 2025 is evaluated at USD 17.92 billion. The global Market size surpassed USD 17.02 billion in 2024 and is projected to witness a CAGR of over 6.6%, crossing USD 39.07 billion revenue by 2037. North America is poised to cross USD 13.67 billion by 2037, fueled by growing population, research activity, and the increasing affordability of advanced cancer treatments in North America. ...

Moreover, increasing global healthcare spending is estimated to boost the growth of the global fentanyl market. ...

The North American fentanyl market is projected to hold the largest market share of about 35% by the end of 2037, attributed to the growing population and research activity; ...

Companies Dominating the Fentanyl Landscape

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
• Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
• Bayer AG
• Novartis AG
• Sanofi-aventis Groupe
• Abbott Laboratories
• Merck & Co., Inc.
• Validus Pharmaceuticals LLC
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
• Siemens Healthcare GmbH

All "because of cancer".

There seems to be no evidence that fentanyl is coming from Venezuela. If it is coming from abroad, it seems to be mostly from or through Mexico. The DEA stated in 2020 that fentanyl precursors come in from China and India to Mexico and then to the US.

Most of those corporations listed above, if not all, have their factories in Mexico. The one on the top even has on its Wiki entry information of a court case due to its close ties with the Gulf Cartel - "a criminal syndicate, drug trafficking organization, perhaps one of the oldest organized crime groups in Mexico". Given criminal history of one kind or another of about each of them, it would be naïve IMO to think they are not among the biggest suppliers for the criminal drug trade mafias.

The fish rots from the head down.

Opiods, statins, vaccines, to name a few. Brought you by the legal pharm mafia.

Yup. And via their "somehow less" legal activities, most likely.

Pretty much. Trump's attack on the "drug boat" was, IMO, a show of force that has little to do with drugs and everything to do with trying to cow Venezuela (and by implication other LA countries) into staying aligned (or realigning) with the US.

There was nothing about "drugs" in that attack - that's just a narrative for international public and US citizens who don't pay attention or suffer from short memory. I think it's all put in place nicely in the video below, it's worth your time (20 min).

 

[rognaill]

Calling it the Dept. of Defense feels like it was partly done just to mollify liberals and pearl-clutchers who didn't like the idea of a department of war, but if they are just "defending"

Great points Beau and I wanted to add that the irony here is that using DoD service members to "defend" the US borders causes everyone to lose their you know what.

 

[luc]

Well, for one thing it doesn't seem to work at all. Wouldn't the opposite approach of legalizing hard drugs and basically leaving it up to the self-responsibility of each citizen be a better approach? It could also put the cartels out of business (and probably reduce the CIA black budgets considerably).

In an ideal world, sure, but in this world there is no doubt that drug consumption is not only demand-driven, but also supply-driven, see Crack epidemic, Opium war etc. The issue here is that the "supply side" is deeply embedded in the system (CIA etc.), but that doesn't mean it can be shrugged off, quite the contrary.

 

[Beau]

Great points Beau and I wanted to add that the irony here is that using DoD service members to "defend" the US borders causes everyone to lose their you know what.

Not everyone. Majority of Americans voted for better control of the southern border, one way or the other. People losing their minds are the vocal minority and anti-Trump agitators in the media.

Also, this is the official use of the Northern Command along the southern border:

Military personnel do not directly participate in civilian law enforcement activities. The active-duty personnel will support enhanced detection and monitoring efforts and repair and emplace physical barriers. Military personnel who have provided border security support as part of the FY2025 Department of Homeland Security request have performed duties to include detection and monitoring, logistics, and transportation support that enhances CBP’s ability to impede or deny illegal crossings, maintain situational awareness, and apply the appropriate law enforcement response in support of its overall border security mission.

 

[mabar]

And really, this is another Trump move that's mainly about optics and vibes. Just like renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. He's not about to turn into some warmonger blitzing through Central and South America taking over countries. He's not going to start ordering every random big boat to be bombed either. He makes calculated moves that are as much about creating political capital than anything else. So it's good to see that Vance "doesn't give a shit." People should be happy that there are finally leaders who are through with that nonsense and are being straight instead of the two-faced liars who have run the US for 80 years.

Just Venezuela?

 

[Beau]

Just Venezuela?

Hyperbolic nonsense at this point. Trump wants to get the flow of drugs into the US under control. Americans don't want fentanyl coming in. He's giving Americans what they want. If the Venezuelan authorities won't do anything about the drug cartels using their country to do that, is it any surprise Trump is threatening them? And how is that a bad thing? But instead you act like we are going in there like we did in Iraq, which is clearly not the case.

 

[Beau]

Well, for one thing it doesn't seem to work at all. Wouldn't the opposite approach of legalizing hard drugs and basically leaving it up to the self-responsibility of each citizen be a better approach? It could also put the cartels out of business (and probably reduce the CIA black budgets considerably).

Terrible idea. Look at the results of the legalization of marijuana in the US. That has been a social disaster. MJ has now become so strong that people go crazy from smoking it. The black market still exists. People (and children) have to smell it in every big city public space. You have zombified masses because the strains have been hybridized and created in a lab with THC levels never before seen. Assuming that legalization of hard drugs would hurt the cartels is just plain wrong and we have the legalized marijuana industry to prove that. There's tons of articles about cartels running legal dispensaries, and if you think the alphabet agencies aren't involved I have some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you. This is an irresponsible idea. I'm all for self-responsibility, but it's not relevant in this situation.

 

[SummerLite]

Yes it's funny (as well as gross!), but I do think "this" has had it's head attached to another 'performers' body. I must admit it's not altogether too far fetched...

I think it's really him!

 

[SummerLite]

In an ideal world, sure, but in this world there is no doubt that drug consumption is not only demand-driven, but also supply-driven, see Crack epidemic, Opium war etc. The issue here is that the "supply side" is deeply embedded in the system (CIA etc.), but that doesn't mean it can be shrugged off, quite the contrary.

When seeing this it reminded me of Chinas' Opium War, which worked very well as a tactic of conquest and here we go. It looks like a war on drugs to me. Trump spoke a lot about this while campaigning and had many family members who lost loved ones give their testimonials. This is taken very seriously in the US. It's a world wide system and there are many factions involved of course.

Grand jury indicts 3 U.S. citizens, 22 Chinese nationals, 4 Chinese pharmaceutical companies in international drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracies​

“Protecting Americans from fentanyl is one of this Department’s most important missions — and it starts with dismantling the international pipelines that bring deadly drugs and precursor to our shores. We will not rest until we stop Chinese companies from shipping poison to our citizens and bring everyone involved in this lethal trade to swift, complete justice.”

U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace

“Our indictment alleges that Chinese companies and affiliated foreign nationals intentionally and openly marketed, delivered, and exported to the United States controlled substances and other compounds that they knew would be used by domestic drug dealers to increase the yield and potency of fentanyl distributed in this country.The One World Or

As explained in court documents, these deadly drug mixtures were then sold directly into our communities here in southern Ohio.”

FBI Director Kash Patel

“Today’s announcement marks a first-of-its-kind international operation for the FBI targeting the fentanyl plague that has killed tens of thousands of Americans and indicting the companies and individuals in mainland China that manufacture the precursor chemicals fueling the destruction of our communities. This operation has already seized enough fentanyl powder to kill 70 million Americans and enough fentanyl pills to kill another 270,000. And we have now indicted the Chinese precursor companies and exposed the funding streams that facilitate this deadly trade.

According to charging documents, from at least 2022 until present, Eric Michael Payne, 39, of Tipp City, Ohio, served as a main supplier of illegal cutting agents to fentanyl traffickers operating in southern Ohio. Payne allegedly purchased several kilogram shipments of the cutting agents from multiple Chinese companies purporting to be online pharmacies and legitimate chemical companies.

It is believed that the U.S. defendants purchased from the Chinese companies at least 10 kilograms of fentanyl cutting agents, which, in turn, could yield more than 150 kilograms of fentanyl mixture bound for street-level sales in southern Ohio. The cutting agents included animal tranquilizers up to 200 times more powerful than morphine.

The companies allegedly used a series of Chinese foreign nationals located overseas to solicit, negotiate, and secure payments for illegal cutting agents from U.S. customers. It is alleged the foreign nationals generally directed U.S. customers to pay for the cutting agents using cryptocurrency transferred to crypto wallets under the foreign national’s control for ultimate deposit into financial institutions located overseas.

Payne’s significant other, Auriyon Tresan Rayford, 24, also of Tipp City, Ohio and Ciandrea Bryne Davis, 39, of Atlanta, allegedly assisted Payne in transferring more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to Chinese foreign nationals associated with the Chinese companies since 2022. Rayford also allegedly allowed illegal substances to be stored at her residence in Ohio.

All the defendants are charged with conspiring with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and conspiring to launder money internationally. Payne is also charged with possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture and tampering with evidence. Rayford is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises.

This is the press conference explaining in more detail the charges. You'll need to see it on youtube if interested.

Grand jury indicts 3 U.S. citizens, 22 Chinese nationals, 4 Chinese pharmaceutical companies in international drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracies

 

[axj]

If the Venezuelan authorities won't do anything about the drug cartels using their country to do that, is it any surprise Trump is threatening them? And how is that a bad thing?

It is a bad thing because Venezuela is not a significant transit country, yet it is the one being singled out while using the US military for what used to be law enforcement, setting a precedent for the future.

If Trump was serious about stopping maritime drug trafficking, he would focus on the Pacific side:

How much cocaine comes from Venezuela?​

According to the World Drug Report, published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) this year, the global production of cocaine reached a record high in 2023, exceeding an estimated 3,708 tonnes – an increase of nearly one-third compared with the previous year.

The UNODC report shows that a majority of the coca bush, from which cocaine is derived, was cultivated in Colombia, followed by Peru and Bolivia. The report also shows that most of the main routes of cocaine trafficking in 2023 and 2024 into the US passed through Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, rather than Venezuela.

Venezuela is used as a “transit corridor” for some Colombian cocaine moving into the eastern Caribbean, Regilme said. “But the dominant maritime pathway for US-bound cocaine remains the Eastern Pacific into Mexico and Central America, where the largest interdictions occur. Recent seizures underscore that pattern.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/4/is-venezuela-the-big-cocaine-menace-trump-claims-it-to-be

 

[Beau]

It is a bad thing because Venezuela is not a significant transit country, yet it is the one being singled out while using the US military for what used to be law enforcement, setting a precedent for the future.

If Trump was serious about stopping maritime drug trafficking, he would focus on the Pacific side:

What you're missing is the political angle. Trump wants to pressure Maduro into "playing ball" with the US economically.

 

[axj]

What you're missing is the political angle. Trump wants to pressure Maduro into "playing ball" with the US economically.

Since it is not about drugs, unlike what you claimed, it is of course about something else: either pressuring Venezuela into cooperation or the continued push for regime change there.

 

[Beau]

Since it is not about drugs, unlike what you claimed, it is of course about something else: either pressuring Venezuela into cooperation or the continued push for regime change there.

I didn't say it wasn't about drugs. Two things can be true at the same time.

 

[John G]

It is a bad thing because Venezuela is not a significant transit country, yet it is the one being singled out while using the US military for what used to be law enforcement, setting a precedent for the future.

If Trump was serious about stopping maritime drug trafficking, he would focus on the Pacific side:

He's certainly going for the easiest target; other countries are either less of an already ongoing enemy or more difficult of an enemy. It's like with Washington, D.C. where one of the things the National Guard was used for was to intercept drugs coming in thus attacking the demand side more directly. Trump would like to be in other cities with the National Guard but they aren't as easy to get into.