Everyone says Venezuela is about oil, gold, and rare earths
But the math doesn't math. Each burns billions for America and goes nowhere fast
Instead, the true White House strategy seems far more novel. They aren't lying—but it's also not what you think 👇🧵
2/ To understand this better first let's delve into each resource.
To monetize a resource you need: verified geology → secure sites → power/logistics → enforceable contracts → processing/export routes → years of capex.
Venezuela fails that chain across almost everything.
The Venezuela “oil grab” story fails on economics.
Orinoco crude is extra-heavy, closer to oil sands than shale: high lifting costs, diluent blending, specialized refineries. A real ramp to 2–3M bpd needs $100–150B and 5–7 years.
Of all the clips from Trump’s 60 Minutes interview, one stands out for policy:
“We can be bigger, better, stronger just working with [China] rather than knocking them out.”
China was one of Washington’s last bipartisan consensus. Has the view changed? Some signals 👇🧵
Key security think tank - RAND’s October 2025 report surprised many. Once hawkish on China, it now calls for “muted rivalry,” urging engagement over escalation and pressing Taiwan toward restraint.
Public sentiment is shifting. The Chicago Council poll from Oct ’25 shows Democrats favor engagement with China while Republicans remain hawkish.
The bipartisan consensus on China as a strategic competitor is fracturing — creating new political room for recalibration.
Trump’s Gaza plan centers on a $70–100B investor-led trust to remake Gaza into a secure trade zone.
Backed by US-Gulf capital, it blends land tokenization, megaprojects, and a trusteeship model to wire Gaza into IMEC—with jobs, ROI, and rare-earth access in play.