Much ink has been spilled over the seemingly imminent invasion of Venezuela by the United States. Tensions have escalated to the point where it seems nothing may prevent this war.
That hasn’t kept the Venezuelan dictator from trying. President Nicolás Maduro has already offered Venezuela’s natural resources, invited US President Donald Trump to peace talks and even serenaded him with a terrible version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” So far, none of that has worked. But kudos to his social media team for those remixed speeches.
Here is one last solution Maduro hasn’t tried: giving Trump a personal peace offering.
Personality diplomacy
Trump’s brand of domestic and international politics is one of personality. He has a big ego and loves to be flattered. Petting Trump’s back is what has helped New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani endear himself, rehabilitated Canada’s image and helped countries and companies like Apple dodge billions of dollars in tariffs.
This approach to foreign policy is tried and true. For millennia, leaders have given each other peace offerings to stop conflicts. More than 3,000 years ago, states sent gold to Egyptian pharaohs to maintain good relations. The English did the same with the Vikings 25 centuries later. Spain and Portugal married off members of their monarchies to prevent wars.
Maybe Maduro has a personal reserve of gold bars lying around, or a daughter (or son) to offer Barron? Is turning the Miraflores Palace into a Trump Hotel Caracas in the books? Build Trump the largest-ever statue, or throw him a giant military parade? He also seems to like Venezuelan ladies; Venezuela won the Miss Universe pageant four times when he ran it. Okay, last one: Give him the Isla Margarita as free real estate. In the interest of peace, nothing should be off the table.
An ideology built on ego
The business magnate has very little ideological core. Trump has flipped on most issues (except maybe for trade) and has campaigned on both sides of every policy debate. He has campaigned and governed for and against immigration restrictions, public healthcare, social security, spending cuts, the Iraq War and government shutdowns.
What lies at the core of his belief system, however, is his supreme belief in himself. Trump’s only allegiance is to Trump. His ideology is whatever will help bring him power, wealth and, most importantly, attention. The man would do just about anything for his own personal ego — including perhaps running for president in the first place.
He bears this quality in common with lots of other leaders with a cult-like following and authoritarian instincts, including President Juan Perón of Argentina, Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Like Trump, these men were also highly susceptible to personal flattery. Perón, whose governing philosophy was similarly incoherent to Trump’s, insisted on being referred to as “El Líder” (“The Leader”) and surrounded himself with innumerable sycophants who would buy into his worship, like his own wife Evita, who called him “Mi General” (“My General”).
Hussein’s petty idolatry was most epitomized by his obsession with praise and self-portraits at all levels of society, including in schools, hospitals, music and poetry. Kissing the ring was rewarded with political favors, wealth and status, while critics were immediately tortured and killed. Similar to Trump’s cabinet meetings, the Madman of Iraq had every government gathering start and end with extolments of his own qualities.
Mussolini also maintained a tightly curated image as a scrupulous strongman who gets things done, like running the trains on time — which, turns out, wasn’t quite true — and bearer of a new Golden Age worthy of Caesar. He routinely appeared at plays and sporting events (sound familiar?) and looked on menacingly, seeking idolization. All criticism, no matter how substantive or small, was treated as a direct affront to Il Duce and, thus, to Italy’s Greatness.
Like other charismatic wannabe autocrats, the key to Trump’s mind is through his heart. Flatter him, and you might be rewarded with favors. Cross him, and you will be subjected to the ferocious fire of a thousand suns until you are condemned to the ash heap of history. Maduro might want to give that option a shot if he wants to stay alive long enough to actually learn the lyrics to “Imagine”.
[Kaitlyn Diana edited this piece.]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
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