Nicolás Maduro’s removal should be welcomed by anyone who values liberty. Yet data show Americans are turning noninterventionist.
The stunning U.S. raid on Venezuela that removed President and socialist thug Nicolás Maduro from power to face trial in the U.S. raises questions: What’s next for long-suffering but hopeful Venezuelans, what is the legal basis for snatching a country’s head of state without congressional authorization, and where do Americans stand on the Trump administration’s nation-building project? We’ll have to wait and see on the first point, and the answer to the second is that there is no legal basis for unilateral presidential missions to depose foreign leaders. But while the public will need some time to digest these events, we know Americans—especially young ones—are increasingly dubious about foreign adventures.Young Americans Sour on World Engagement
«Younger adults are much less likely than their elders to value active U.S. engagement in world affairs», Pew Research reported two weeks ago. «39% of adults ages 18 to 29 and 44% of those 30 to 49 say it is extremely or very important that the U.S. play an active role in world affairs. By comparison, 59% of those 50 to 64 and 73% of those 65 and older say the same.»
Normally this is the point to note wide partisan differences on the issue, with the overall numbers overshadowed by major disagreements between supporters of the two major parties. But there’s only a 9 percent gap between the opinions of Democrats (59 percent favor an active role for the U.S.) and Republicans (50 percent want an active role). The age gap is much wider.
«Younger adults are far less likely than older adults to prioritize the U.S. maintaining military superiority over other countries», Pew notes. «For example, a quarter of adults under 30 view this as important. This rises to 52% among those 65 and older.»
Generational disagreements over the proper role of the United States in the world are especially relevant when the U.S. parks a powerful fleet off the coast of Venezuela, bombs its military bases, and stages a movie-ready snatch-and-grab of the country’s tyrannical leader as a step toward regime change. It’s precisely the sort of operation about which younger Americans seem especially dubious.
But Americans in general are skeptical that the U.S. has a role to play in Venezuela. In December, Quinnipiac University pollsters asked Americans if they «support or oppose U.
