Summary
The Trump administration has directed the U.S. military to develop plans for increasing its presence in Panama, aiming to “reclaim” the Panama Canal and counter China’s influence.
Options range from security partnerships to a highly unlikely military seizure of the canal.
Trump views a visible U.S. military presence as essential, while Panama denies any foreign interference.
The move follows Panama’s rejection of a key Chinese infrastructure deal. U.S. firms, including BlackRock, are investing in Panama’s ports as part of efforts to limit China’s role in the region.
Option 1: Leave it the fuck alone
It’s good to know military seizure of the Panama Canal is unlikely. Wish Trump would shut his trap.
I bet there were plenty of officials in 1930s Germany who would have told journalists that it was highly unlikely the camps they were ordered to design would ever actually get built
I’m still worried, but there’s a million things to worry about so I’m trying to prioritize.
Ok, yeah that’s totally fair
U.S. Southern Command is developing potential plans that vary from partnering more closely with the Panamanian military to the less likely option of U.S. troops seizing the Panama Canal by force, the officials said. Whether military force is used, the officials added, depends on how much the Panamanian military agrees to partner with the U.S.
So either you give it to us or we kill you and take it. The American way.
Manifest Destiny 2.0: from southern to northern tip of the Americas.
25th Amendment.
If I were Panama, I’d be setting charges to collapse the canal at key points requiring years and billions to repair should such an invasion occur, no different than Taiwan and their semiconductor infrastructure killswitch that would royally fuck over the world should China try to take Taiwan by force, making it China’s fault.
Fuck em, and by em I mean us because we’re the baddies. If the people that live, work, and die down there aren’t the beneficiaries of the revenue of the canal they operate, no one trying to steal it certainly should.
Live cooperatively or let the wannabe dictators of the world conquer a heap of ashes. Ill bet the global capitalist leech markets would be mourning the loss of such an efficient trade route.
Here are your options:
Leave it alone.
Or go around.