...Venezula is doing with oil to China. Watch how the US gov't responds to that one, especially with the continuous rising in gas prices. The US can't afford a fight with China, that's why they won't have Taiwan's back, but I guarantee they'll start calling Venezula a "terrorist state" and we send some troops down there to protect our oil interests. 11% of our oil comes from down there. If decide to cut ties (ie-sucession from the overlord), all hell is gonna break loose. Our economy (ie-1860's Northern States) is too fragile to allow that to happen.

And people ask "what good is history?" That shit will always repeat itself.