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Air date: 12/02/2025

About This Episode

In this wide-ranging conversation, Marlon Weems and Arturo Domínguez break down escalating U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, the real consequences of sanctions on Venezuela, and what these moves reveal about a deeper collapse of institutional competence inside the Trump administration.

What begins as a discussion of foreign policy quickly expands into a sharp analysis of corruption, elite criminality, and the normalization of incompetence at the highest levels of power.

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About Arturo Domínguez

Arturo Domínguez is the editor of Antagonist Magazine, a decolonized journalism project focused on Latin America, immigration, policing, and human rights. His work challenges U.S.-centric narratives and centers the lived realities of communities affected by imperial policy, sanctions, and state violence.

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Key Themes

• U.S. military escalation in the Caribbean and Venezuela

• Why sanctions consistently fail — and still keep getting used

• The destabilization risks facing Latin America and the Caribbean

• Trump-era governance: incompetence, corruption, and impunity

• Market manipulation, insider advantage, and elite self-dealing

• How power, wealth, and spectacle have replaced accountability

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Why This Matters

This episode connects U.S. foreign policy abroad with institutional decay at home. The same forces driving reckless military action — arrogance, impunity, and elite self-enrichment — are hollowing out democratic governance inside the United States.

The result is a government that is louder, more dangerous, and less serious than ever.

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About Marlon Weems

Marlon Weems is the writer behind The Journeyman, an independent, un-paywalled newsletter covering politics, economics, markets, and media power. A former Wall Street professional and fintech analyst, Marlon brings a structural, historical lens to current events — connecting policy decisions, market behavior, and democratic risk. He is also the founder of The Journeyman Network, a creator-owned media collective focused on independent analysis and accountability journalism.

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