US Imperial Gangsterism Replaces Soft Power With Criminality

Chapo Trap House · January 06, 2026 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title: 999 - Nazis, Pedophiles, Drunks, Rapists & Thieves (1/5/26)

TL;DR

The US is transitioning from a global hegemon to a regional bully empire, evidenced by its increased reliance on overt criminality and intimidation rather than soft power, which may lead to future confrontations with adversaries like China and Russia.
The US's embrace of overt criminality and disregard for international law, exemplified by the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, signals a shift towards a "might makes right" approach, potentially eroding global stability and alliances.
The political opposition's failure to articulate a clear anti-war or anti-imperialist stance allows figures like Trump to exploit the vacuum, enabling blatant acts of aggression and undermining democratic norms and international law.
The normalization of extreme actions, such as the Venezuelan operation, is facilitated by public acceptance of worse transgressions, like those in Gaza, creating a cycle where escalating violence becomes increasingly permissible.
The US's imperialist behavior, while historically present, is now more brazen and less justified, with leaders openly admitting to actions like kidnapping, indicating a complete breakdown of previously established norms and guardrails.
The consolidation of power by figures who benefit from or are complicit in these aggressive foreign policies, such as donors and political operatives, ensures the continuation of plunder and murder, regardless of public opinion or potential negative consequences.
The psychological comfort derived by a segment of the population from demonstrations of American power and bullying, even when not personally beneficial, reinforces a nationalistic sentiment that prioritizes dominance over peace and cooperation.

Deep Dive

The United States has transitioned to a blatant, unvarnished form of imperial gangsterism, exemplified by the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This shift signifies a move away from even nominal adherence to international law and norms, driven by a "might makes right" mentality that prioritizes raw power and criminal exploitation over diplomacy or democratic ideals. The implications are far-reaching, including the potential for increased global instability, the erosion of any remaining international trust in U.S. foreign policy, and the normalization of state-sanctioned criminality for perceived national benefit, even if that benefit accrues only to a select few.

The operation to capture Maduro, regardless of whether it was a direct raid or a facilitated handover, highlights a disturbing new operational doctrine. The initial justification of drug trafficking charges versus the implicit acknowledgment that the operation is about oil control reveals a cynical disregard for any pretense of legitimacy. This marks a significant departure from previous U.S. foreign policy, which, while often interventionist, at least paid lip service to democratic ideals or strategic alliances. The current approach, characterized by open criminality and a blatant assertion of power, suggests a late-stage imperial phase where coercion replaces soft power, and the U.S. acts as a regional bully with no effective opposition.

This blatant gangsterism has profound implications for global order and U.S. standing. The lack of significant international condemnation or effective counteraction from other major powers like China or Russia suggests a vacuum of authority and a chilling precedent for similar actions. Domestically, the political discourse around the Maduro capture reveals a fractured opposition more concerned with partisan point-scoring than with challenging the fundamental illegitimacy of the action. This paralysis extends to the populace, many of whom seem desensitized to such blatant abuses of power, either through apathy or a cynical acceptance that this is simply the new reality. The podcast also touches on the physical and psychological toll of this approach, noting the sedentary nature of the enforcement apparatus and the potential for a deeply ingrained American psychology that finds comfort in displays of bullying and cruelty, even when it does not directly benefit the average citizen. The discussion also pivots to Donald Trump's aging and health, framing it within this broader context of a leadership that prioritizes personal image and denial over genuine well-being or responsible governance, further underscoring the corrosive nature of the current political climate.

Action Items

Audit US foreign policy decision-making: Identify 3-5 instances of "vulgar McKinleyism" and analyze their justification processes.
Create a framework for evaluating US military interventionism: Define 5 criteria to assess proportionality and adherence to international law.
Track media coverage of US foreign policy actions: Analyze 10-15 articles for instances of euphemism or justification of aggressive actions.
Develop a risk assessment model for US geopolitical actions: Identify 3-5 potential second-order consequences of aggressive foreign policy.
Draft a policy brief on international law adherence: Outline 3 key principles and propose mechanisms for their enforcement by global powers.

Key Quotes

"but i welcome him to this borough of ours and wish him all the best one of many people brought into brooklyn from the outside who had to remain seated the entire time or on real new yorkers so it's not too power over them yes no i i i will ask that uh he continues to defer to my judgment on uh how long you have to be here to count as a real new yorker but that well obviously we got to start here what a way to kick off the new year you know waking up saturday to find out that uh delta force had uh attacked venezuela basically blacked out the entire capital city uh killed around 40 80 people and uh kidnapped uh the president nicholas maduro and his wife uh sort of absconded with them to an aircraft carrier and now uh maduro is in brooklyn where he will stand trial for uh drug trafficking and my favorite one of the charges possession of machine guns"

Felix, one of the hosts, uses this quote to introduce the central event of the episode: the alleged kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by Delta Force. He frames this event with a sarcastic welcome to Brooklyn, highlighting the perceived absurdity of the situation and the charges against Maduro. This sets a critical and skeptical tone for the discussion that follows.

"but like the thing is we hear a lot about america as a fading empire or a dying empire or that like a government that would do something like this is you know evidence of our our waning influence elsewhere on the world so we're just going to try to create this kind of petro empire a petro drug trafficking empire in quote our hemisphere which it certainly seems to be a limiting of traditionally the ambitions of the us empire but the thing is a fading empire that still has like the largest most powerful military in the world and crucially no other country on the planet is able to resist us or or or fight back in any way i mean like the the late stage imperial capitalism fading empire it it it begins to sound like cope because like i don't know like we may be lashing out but like who's going to stop us no one"

The speaker here analyzes the broader geopolitical implications of the event, questioning the narrative of a "fading empire." They argue that despite potential decline, the U.S. military's dominance and lack of global resistance make such actions possible, suggesting that the "fading empire" narrative might be a form of self-deception or "cope." This quote probes the paradox of American power in its current state.

"and like you know i mean who who's to stop them right because like if you are the uh leader of a country if you live in a country that finds itself at odds with the united states of america like what are you going to do who are you going to appeal to i mean as as i said before there is no faction of our own government that seems to be opposed to this in any way uh by you know i'm i will credit the uh democratic leadership which just seems to be annoyed that they weren't consulted about it and have couched every statement in like now we all know maduro was an awful evil oppressive dictator who we all hate and that we should like or the idea that they should credit that like there there should be some international law needs to be respected or that there should be some democratic transition of power like after this is like who are you fucking kidding here"

This quote highlights the perceived lack of effective opposition to U.S. foreign policy actions, both internationally and domestically. The speaker criticizes the Democratic party's response as being more about annoyance at not being consulted than genuine opposition to the act itself, and points out their willingness to condemn Maduro while ignoring the implications of the U.S. action. This suggests a systemic issue where no one is truly positioned to challenge such U.S. interventions.

"and like you know i mean who who's to stop them right because like if you are the uh leader of a country if you live in a country that finds itself at odds with the united states of america like what are you going to do who are you going to appeal to i mean as as i said before there is no faction of our own government that seems to be opposed to this in any way uh by you know i'm i will credit the uh democratic leadership which just seems to be annoyed that they weren't consulted about it and have couched every statement in like now we all know maduro was an awful evil oppressive dictator who we all hate and that we should like or the idea that they should credit that like there there should be some international law needs to be respected or that there should be some democratic transition of power like after this is like who are you fucking kidding here"

The speaker criticizes the Democratic party's response to the event, suggesting their opposition is superficial and rooted in annoyance at being excluded rather than a principled stance against U.S. interventionism. They highlight how Democrats frame Maduro as an "awful evil oppressive dictator" to align with the U.S. action, rather than questioning the legality or morality of the operation itself. This illustrates a perceived lack of genuine political opposition to such foreign policy actions within the U.S.

"and like you know i mean who who's to stop them right because like if you are the uh leader of a country if you live in a country that finds itself at odds with the united states of america like what are you going to do who are you going to appeal to i mean as as i said before there is no faction of our own government that seems to be opposed to this in any way uh by you know i'm i will credit the uh democratic leadership which just seems to be annoyed that they weren't consulted about it and have couched every statement in like now we all know maduro was an awful evil oppressive dictator who we all hate and that we should like or the idea that they should credit that like there there should be some international law needs to be respected or that there should be some democratic transition of power like after this is like who are you fucking kidding here"

The speaker critiques the Democratic party's reaction, noting their focus on being excluded from the decision-making process rather than opposing the action itself. They point out that Democrats have characterized Maduro as a dictator, seemingly to justify the U.S. intervention, and question the sincerity of any calls for international law or democratic transitions from a party that appears to condone such actions. This highlights a perceived hypocrisy in the political response.

"but like the thing is we hear a lot about america as a fading empire or a dying empire or that like a government that would do something like this is you know evidence of our our waning influence elsewhere on the world so we're just going to try to create this kind of petro empire a petro drug trafficking empire in quote our hemisphere which it certainly seems to be a limiting of traditionally the ambitions of the us empire but the thing is a fading empire that still has like the largest most powerful military in the world and crucially no other country on the planet is able to resist us or or or fight back in any way i mean like the the late stage imperial capitalism fading empire it it it begins to sound like cope because like

Resources

External Resources

Books

"No Pasaran" - Mentioned as a book available for purchase.

Articles & Papers

"Axios" - Mentioned as the source for a piece detailing Democratic grumbling about their party's stance on the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
"Wall Street Journal" - Mentioned as the source for reporting on Donald Trump's health and aging.
"The Washington Post" - Mentioned as the source for a report on why Donald Trump was not interested in boosting Maria Corina Machado.

People

Nicholas Maduro - Mentioned as the President of Venezuela, captured and brought to the United States for trial.
Hugo Chavez - Mentioned in relation to the desecration of his mausoleum.
Donald Trump - Mentioned as the President of the United States, involved in the capture of Nicolas Maduro and discussed regarding his health.
Marco Rubio - Mentioned in relation to the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his political stance.
Paul Singer - Mentioned as a donor who has been given "sitgo."
Maria Corina Machado - Mentioned as a political figure in Venezuela, discussed in relation to her Nobel Peace Prize and potential political role.
Ahmed Chalabi - Mentioned as a comparison to Maria Corina Machado.
Lindsey Graham - Mentioned as wearing a "Make Iran Great Again" hat.
Daniel Ellsberg - Mentioned in relation to the Pentagon spying on him.
Hakeem Jeffries - Mentioned as a figure in the opposition party.
Chris Murphy - Mentioned as a figure in the opposition party.
Osama bin Laden - Mentioned in relation to the Obama administration's raid.
Benny Fazio - Mentioned in a story about being beaten up.
Matthew Madonna - Mentioned as a Gambino family soldier.
Peter Mendelson - Mentioned as someone who could be appointed to a special position.
Kamala Harris - Mentioned as a figure in the Democratic administration and in relation to the election.
Joe Biden - Mentioned in relation to a song.
John Fetterman - Mentioned as a figure in the Democratic party and in relation to the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
Liz Cheney - Mentioned as backing Kamala Harris's stance on the military.
Dave Thomas - Mentioned in relation to Wendy's hamburgers.
Rachel Dolezal - Mentioned in relation to her natural hair.
Adam Johnson - Mentioned as paraphrasing his description of ICE.
Will - Mentioned as the person who will start doing basic housekeeping for episode 1000.
Chris - Mentioned as confirming the 1000th episode.
Barbabelle - Mentioned as Donald Trump's physician.
Mike F - Mentioned as a friend of the speaker who died at a young age.
Patrick Bateman - Mentioned as a character from American Psycho.
Joe Gruters - Mentioned as the Republican National Committee chairman.

Organizations & Institutions

Delta Force - Mentioned as having attacked Venezuela.
CIA - Mentioned in relation to Sam Crow.
ISIS - Mentioned in relation to parallels.
NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned in relation to sports discussion.
New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Mentioned as a data source for player grading.
Mayans MC - Mentioned as the headquarters for a group.
American Anglo-American Israeli axis - Mentioned in relation to parallels.
US Empire - Mentioned in relation to waning influence.
NATO - Mentioned in relation to Greenland and Denmark.
EU (European Union) - Mentioned in relation to European leaders.
Gambino family - Mentioned in relation to a soldier.
DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) - Mentioned in relation to agents.
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) - Mentioned in relation to a crusade.
FBI - Mentioned in relation to taking over security for Nicolas Maduro's transfers.
NYPD (New York Police Department) - Mentioned in relation to city resources for transfers.
FDNY (Fire Department of New York) - Mentioned in relation to city resources for transfers.
SWAT teams - Mentioned in relation to city resources for transfers.
Sacklers - Mentioned in relation to subscription models.
Aei (American Enterprise Institute) - Mentioned in relation to foreign policy people.
Republican National Committee - Mentioned in relation to its chairman.
Mayo Clinic - Mentioned in relation to aspirin dosage.
White House - Mentioned in relation to staff and operations.
The Pentagon - Mentioned in relation to spying on Daniel Ellsberg.
The Joe Biden song - Mentioned in relation to a character.
The Toro Company - Mentioned as being stolen from.
Chapo Trap House - Mentioned as a podcast and in relation to merchandise and live shows.
Bad Egg - Mentioned as the seller of a comic.
Patreon - Mentioned as a platform for the podcast.
Instagram - Mentioned as a social media platform.

Websites & Online Resources

Chapo Trap House dot store - Mentioned as the website for book and merch sales.
Bad Egg dot co - Mentioned as the website for comic sales.
Patreon dot com slash chapo trap house - Mentioned as the podcast's Patreon page.

Other Resources

Brooklyn - Mentioned as a borough where Nicolas Maduro will stand trial.
Carhartt jacket - Mentioned as something Nicolas Maduro has been seen wearing.
Socialism in New York City - Mentioned as a topic discussed on the show.
Cool kids scene in New York City - Mentioned as a topic discussed on the show.
The Brooklyn Left - Mentioned as a topic discussed on the show.
Reagan model margin - Mentioned as a political reference.
Alternate timeline - Mentioned as a hypothetical scenario.
Drug trafficking - Mentioned as a charge against Nicolas Maduro.
Possession of machine guns - Mentioned as a charge against Nicolas Maduro.
Coup - Mentioned in relation to Venezuela.
Petro empire - Mentioned in relation to the US.
Late stage imperial capitalism - Mentioned as a concept.
Fading empire - Mentioned as a concept.
World War One numbers - Mentioned in relation to fighting.
Petro drug trafficking empire - Mentioned in relation to the US.
Non event event - Mentioned as a description of a coup.
World altering ramifications - Mentioned in relation to an event.
Norms and political niceties - Mentioned in relation to the US.
Soft power and coercion - Mentioned in relation to the US.
Imperialism - Mentioned as a concept.
Mafia - Mentioned as a comparison to a group.
Sex criminals, drunks, and pedophiles - Mentioned as descriptors of a group.
International law - Mentioned as a concept.
Law of the jungle - Mentioned as a concept.
Bay of Pigs - Mentioned as a historical event.
Green Brigade - Mentioned in relation to a past event.
Obama situation - Mentioned in relation to a past event.
Osama bin Laden hit - Mentioned in relation to a past event.
Hitlerite people - Mentioned as a descriptor.
Immigration restrictionism - Mentioned as a concept.
Real politic - Mentioned as an angle.
Zero sum game - Mentioned as a concept.
Propaganda - Mentioned in relation to a Nobel Peace Prize campaign.
Law enforcement operation - Mentioned as a description of an event.
Act of war - Mentioned as a description of an event.
Narcotraficking - Mentioned as a charge.
Pardons - Mentioned in relation to Donald Trump.
Ponzi schemes - Mentioned in relation to Donald Trump's pardons.
Neocon - Mentioned as a political descriptor.
Lethal aid to Ukraine - Mentioned as a policy.
Embassy to Jerusalem - Mentioned as a policy.
Midterms - Mentioned in relation to political events.
Reagan Mondale type environment - Mentioned as a political comparison.
Bay of Pigs 2.0 - Mentioned as a hypothetical event.
Nazi pedophile empire - Mentioned as a descriptor of the US.
South China Sea - Mentioned as a potential conflict zone.
PL 15 and PL 16 missiles - Mentioned as Chinese weaponry.
Air superiority - Mentioned as a military concept.
Medal of Honor citation - Mentioned as a type of award.
Air support - Mentioned as a military concept.
Zianist Fifth Reich - Mentioned as a political descriptor.
Greenland - Mentioned as a potential target.
Vassal state - Mentioned as a political status.
Feral American nationalist - Mentioned as a descriptor.
Suicide pact - Mentioned as a hypothetical.
Manufacturing - Mentioned as a capability.
Infrastructure - Mentioned as a capability.
Indigenous fighter jet engine program - Mentioned as a capability.
Rules - Mentioned as something that can be set.
American empire - Mentioned as a concept.
Criminality - Mentioned as a characteristic.
Guardrails - Mentioned as a concept.
Plunder and murder - Mentioned as actions.
Nazi rapists and pedophiles - Mentioned as descriptors of a group.
Genocide in Gaza - Mentioned as a related event.
International community - Mentioned in relation to Gaza.
EU and NATO - Mentioned in relation to Gaza.
Vulgar McKinleyism - Mentioned as a political approach.
South China Sea - Mentioned as a potential conflict zone.
Philadelphia of Europe - Mentioned as a descriptor for Spain.
Sedentary empire - Mentioned as a descriptor for the US.
Crusade of jobless people against the employed - Mentioned as a description of ICE.
Regional bully empire - Mentioned as a descriptor for the US.
Global hegemon - Mentioned as a past status of the US