199. THE US IS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS: Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela & the Crisis of American Power

199. THE US IS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS: Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela & the Crisis of American Power

From Colonial Outcasts by Colonial Outcasts

August 31, 2026 · 1h 51m

About this episode

This episode discusses the limitations of US military interventions in Iran, Ukraine, and Venezuela amidst a crisis of American power.

A bombshell leak to the Washington post on Sunday, August 31st, demonstrated that US General Officers in the Pentagon are vying for increasingly finite assets and matériel across Combatant Commands, limiting the military viability of interventions in Iran, Ukraine, and Latin America. This episode examines how and why that is. Here is our general outline: Part 1: Russia–Ukraine Why did the CIA Director urgently fly to Russia? The US trying to freeze the Ukraine conflict NATO’s fragility Can the US rebuild its industrial base? Part 2: Iran, Sanctions & Economic Warfare The limits of military force The new sanctions / economic isolation Iran’s capacity to withstand the war Iran’s international partners Part 3: Venezuela & Latin America Securing Latin America The Venezuela deal Long-term objectives China & multipolarity in the Americas Final synthesis: ● The three sections ultimately connect: ○ Ukraine: limits of US/NATO military power. ○ Iran: limits of US military and financial coercion. ○ Venezuela: attempt to compensate by consolidating influence closer to home. ● Central question: Is the US adapting to a declining relative position—or attempting to reverse it through…

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Washington Post, CIA

Places: Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela, Latin America, US, NATO, Russia

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