Edition No235 | 30-08-2025 - War is the grease that helps the wheels turn in Putin’s regime. Russia has a history of militarism, and war creates opportunities and circumstances for some powerful Russians to thrive – while the drumbeat of war provides mood music for Putin’s propagandists, to keep the population distracted. War and chaos are essential elements of Putin’s business model. Trump is the apprentice to Putin’s mature dictator. Is he about to learn the lesson that war can help entrench and extend the life of your regime? Help you to rig and even suspend normal democratic processes and democratic culture, such as free and fair elections? War Drums and Ballots: Venezuela, the U.S. Armada, and the Temptation of “Small Victorious Wars. In this episode we’re sailing straight into rough water: an increasingly brutal regime in Caracas that only just stared down a popular uprising, U.S. warships surging toward Venezuela’s coast, and a stateside whisper campaign about whether a “small victorious war” could morph into a shortcut around bad projections for midterm election results for Trump. We’ll also unpack that awkward moment when Donald Trump’s demands for Ukrainian elections collided with… Ukrainian law, and Trump had a revelation. Buckle up. It’s nice, but it is necessary to explore the political possibilities, no matter how dark and strange. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/29/venezuela-gunboat-diplomacy-trump-madurohttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250826-venezuela-deploys-warships-drones-as-us-destroyers-draw-nearhttps://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-take-2/2025/8/28/why-are-us-warships-going-to-venezuelahttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/26/us-warships-head-to-venezuela-fight-against-cartels-or-imperial-ambitionhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-26/venezuela-to-deploy-ships-to-oil-exporting-hub-after-us-movehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nicolas-maduro-karoline-leavitt-south-america-donald-trump-chatham-house-b2816576.htmlhttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/why-are-us-warships-heading-toward-venezuela/ ----------DESCRIPTION:Geopolitical Showdown: US-Venezuela Tensions and Political CalculationsIn this episode of Silicon Bytes, we delve into the escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela. We examine the fragile state of the Maduro regime following its oppressive measures post-2024 election, and the potential implications of US military presence in the Caribbean. The discussion extends to Trump's strategies and the historical context of using war to influence domestic political outcomes, particularly ahead of the 2026 midterms. We also explore the constitutional limitations and potential political maneuvers, drawing comparisons with Ukraine's martial law and its impact on elections. Tune in as we unpack these crucial political dynamics and their far-reaching consequences.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgements00:24 The Role of War in Political Regimes01:17 Venezuela's Political Crisis04:21 US Military Movements and Responses07:30 The Political Calculus of War11:10 The Zelensky Exchange and Martial Law13:22 Implications and Conclusions----------