I’m not sure about the troop readiness these days, but afaik, USA is currently very close to its military capacity.
For everything it’s doing by having a quarter of 1 million troop stationed around the world and having between 3 and 5 Aircraft carrier groups floating around the world if they fully commit to an armed conflict with Venezuela they are basically spent.
That’s the moment any army can decide to do whatever the fuck they want and the USA can really basically only bark and look on. (Technically they could of course fight, but that would mean they sacrifice actual defence of homeland). So that would mean that China could take Taiwan, Russia could really take Ukraine or even poke further into Europe. Not to mention the Middle East would basically be without a guard dog.
If this happens this most likely would be the final nail in the coffin of the US Empire and almost analogous with how the Roman empire crumbled. (And of course the ultimate payoff for Vladdy to have helped Donnie get in the White House).
I don’t think there’s a whole lot of risk that the USA will try to take Canada or Greenland because of this.
There are people who are saying that we are at the same point as we were in Germany In the 1930s. I would argue this is much closer to Hitler having just taken all of Europe and now deciding to also go and take on The Russians.
Also don’t forget that Trump is truly one of the dumbest strategists we’ve ever had. The only success he’s having is because he has a very well oiled machine but even a well oiled machine has absolute nonnegotiable thresholds which Donald and Drunk Pete will probably try to ignore by renaming a department from defence to war and by hoping that will work.
Curious what others think about this situation?
E: spelling
Militarily? I don't think so. Politically? Sure, it's quite out of left field.
Personally I think covering the airspace for Israel has done a lot more damage to American military stockpiled resources and defense capacity than the Venezuela stuff over the last months.
That link is hilarious, but it shows my main point: the incompetence at the top brass is all you need to spread yourself too thin. People point out the sheer size of their Navy, the insane logistics capability, the virtually unlimited money.
I have worked in the equivalent of this in the IT world. Non of these are remedies against abject stupidity. Drunk Pete just spend his first day back at work to demote a Democratic veteran who called on soldiers to not follow illegal orders.
Lots of very good points have been made by everyone here, and I’ve learned a lot, I doubt the US military can survive this level of incompetence for 3 more years, let alone if they actually coup and stay in power.