Why The US May Hestitate to Attack Venezuela Directly

This is an interesting article from 2 years ago, predicting that the US would not attack Venezuela militarily, because WMD sales might drop if the world saw that the US War Machine is not invincible.

They pretty much predicted the method the US would use to destroy the country instead, bribery and starvation. I'm thinking they nailed it.

"Should Venezuelan SAMs or fighters down American F-22 fighters or B-2 bombers it would be a disaster for the image of the American military and for the prestige of the country's arms industry...….Ultimately the risks to the United States' global power will likely prove far too great to risk testing Venezuela's military - and the United States will need to rely on covert means, support for opposition movements and economic sanctions should it seek to depose the Venezuelan government. Against the Venezuelan state, whose intelligence services are far from world leading and whose economy has proven fragile, military strikes to confront its advanced air defence forces appear to be the most difficult and by far the most risky means of bringing about regime change. So long as the country's air force and air defence capabilities remain in service therefore, U.S. military action against the country remains unlikely".

However, the risk to the petrodollar entailed with Venezuela's OPEC presidency may have prompted the US ruling class to decide to take the risk. We'll see what happens.