Rotterdam – Peace sounds good in speeches. It looks neat on campaign posters. But when you scroll through the headlines today, the world feels anything but peaceful. From Ukraine to Venezuela, from Taiwan to the South China Sea, the map is dotted with flashpoints. Each one is wrapped in political rhetoric, but underneath it all lies the same hard reality: money, power, and resources.
This piece dives into the contradictions of modern geopolitics, showing how promises of peace clash with the economic system that seems to demand conflict. And yes, even if you’re sitting in Rotterdam or Antwerp, these global tremors are closer than they appear.
The Promise of Peace That Never Was
Donald Trump built part of his political brand on the claim that he would bring peace. No more endless wars, no more American soldiers dying in far‑off deserts. His slogan “America First” was meant to signal a retreat from global entanglements.
But reality doesn’t match the promise. In Venezuela, Trump has already ordered military actions against boats accused of smuggling drugs. Over eighty people were killed in these attacks. Officially, this isn’t called a war. But tell that to the families of those who died.
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The trick lies in definitions. Trump avoids large‑scale invasions like Iraq or Afghanistan. Instead, he opts for smaller, targeted strikes. They don’t look like wars on paper, but they carry the same consequences: bloodshed, instability, and geopolitical escalation.
Venezuela: Oil, Migration, and the Dutch Connection
Why Venezuela? The answer is simple: oil. The country holds the largest proven reserves in the world. For Washington, that’s a prize too valuable to ignore.
But there’s another layer: geography. Just 65 kilometers off the Venezuelan coast lie the ABC islands—Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. They’re part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- Strategic location: Curaçao hosts a military airbase used by both Dutch and American forces.
- Perception: Even if the Netherlands insists the islands aren’t involved in U.S. operations, Venezuela sees them as part of the American sphere.
- Risk: If tensions escalate, the islands could easily become targets.
That means the Netherlands, whether it likes it or not, is tied into this conflict. Rotterdam may feel far away, but the ABC islands are literally in the line of fire.
Migration as a Political Tool
Trump also frames Venezuela as a migration problem. Millions of Venezuelans have fled the crisis, and around 800,000 ended up in the United States.
But here’s the catch: migration isn’t something Venezuela “forces” on America. It’s the result of U.S. policy choices. Washington decides how many migrants to accept, under what conditions, and through which programs.
By presenting migration as a threat, Trump creates a narrative that justifies military action. It’s not about humanitarian concern—it’s about political leverage. The migration story is a convenient mask for deeper motives: oil, influence, and control.
Nigeria: Religion as a Façade, Economics as Reality
Trump’s rhetoric isn’t limited to Latin America. He also threatened Nigeria, claiming Christians were under attack by Boko Haram.
The reality? Boko Haram has killed thousands, but most of its victims are Muslims. The group operates mainly in Nigeria’s northeast, a region that is overwhelmingly Muslim.
So why the focus on Christians? Because it resonates with Trump’s base in the U.S. Religion becomes a façade, a way to frame intervention as moral.
Behind the façade lies the real issue: Nigeria’s oil wealth and its growing independence from the dollar. The Nigerian government has started trading in other currencies, challenging the dollar’s dominance. That’s a direct threat to U.S. economic power.
The Dollar Hegemony: Silent Backbone of Power
The dollar isn’t just a currency. It’s the backbone of American global influence.
- Most international trade, especially oil, is priced in dollars.
- Countries need to hold dollars to buy resources and pay debts.
- This creates constant demand, keeping the dollar strong and allowing the U.S. to run deficits without collapse.
If countries like Nigeria or Venezuela switch to trading in yuan or euros, demand for the dollar falls. Less demand means a weaker dollar. A weaker dollar means inflation in the U.S. And if enough countries join the shift, the entire system could wobble.
That’s why Washington reacts so aggressively when nations talk about “de‑dollarization.” It’s not just economics—it’s survival of the American model.
Crises and Wars: A Historical Pattern
History shows a clear link between economic crises and wars.
- 1770s: Britain’s debts after the Seven Years’ War led to heavy taxation in the colonies. The backlash sparked the American Revolution.
- 1929: The Wall Street crash triggered the Great Depression. Economic collapse fueled extremism in Germany and Japan, paving the way for World War II.
- 2008: The mortgage crisis caused a global recession. While it didn’t lead to a world war, it reshaped geopolitics, strengthening China and Russia and fueling populism across the West.
The pattern is simple: economic instability breeds social unrest, which opens the door to conflict.
Why War Feels Built Into the System
It may sound cynical, but war often functions as part of the economic system.
- Industry: War drives production, creates jobs, and stimulates economies.
- Influence: States use war to maintain or expand their spheres of control.
- Resources: Conflict secures access to oil, gas, and rare metals.
- Currency: War protects the dominance of the dollar and other financial structures.
That’s why peace remains elusive. Even leaders who promise it find themselves pulled into conflicts. The system itself seems to demand war as a way to reset or sustain itself.
Europe’s Position: The Netherlands in the Middle
For the Netherlands, this isn’t just theory. The ABC islands make the country a direct stakeholder in the Venezuelan crisis.
As a NATO member, the Netherlands is also bound by collective defense agreements. If Venezuela were to strike the islands, it could trigger NATO involvement. That means Europe would be pulled into a conflict that started as a regional dispute.
Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Antwerp may feel far from Caracas, but the economic and military ties are real. Energy prices, trade routes, and security policies are all shaped by these tensions.
The Bigger Picture: A Multipolar World
The world is no longer unipolar. The U.S. doesn’t stand alone at the top. China, Russia, India, and Brazil are building their own networks of influence.
- Ukraine: A direct clash between NATO and Russia.
- Venezuela: A test of U.S. dominance in its own hemisphere, with Russia and China watching closely.
- Taiwan and the South China Sea: A flashpoint between the U.S. and China over trade routes and sovereignty.
These aren’t isolated conflicts. They’re interconnected. Pressure in one region amplifies tension in another. Together, they form a chain reaction that could spiral into something bigger.
Conclusion: Peace as Illusion, War as Reality
Trump’s promise of peace was always fragile. By avoiding large invasions, he can claim to keep his word. But the reality shows otherwise: targeted strikes, economic warfare, and escalating tensions.
The Netherlands, through its islands and alliances, is part of this story. Europe, through NATO and trade, is tied in as well.
What we hear in the news—religion, migration, democracy—is often a façade. The real drivers are money, power, and resources. War isn’t an accident. It’s a feature of the system.
Final Thought
We live in a moment where multiple crises overlap. It feels chaotic, but it also reveals the mechanics of global power. Behind every headline lies the same logic: protect influence, secure resources, and defend economic models.
Peace may be the word leaders use. But as long as the system runs on conflict, peace remains more illusion than reality.
Dutch Echo 
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