Oil, Cellphones and Craziness

Plausibly Live - The Dave Bowman Show Podcast · Sep 2, 2026 · 38m · transcript

Washington has always been skilled at confusing an announcement with an accomplishment. President Trump’s new Venezuelan oil agreement sounds impressive: American control over billions of barrels, lower gasoline prices, and new supplies for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Then reality intrudes. Venezuelan crude resembles tar more than Texas oil, thecountry’s infrastructure is collapsing, and its government has a long history of confiscating foreign investments. A press release cannot repair pipelines, restore the electrical grid, or manufacture the rule of law.

Government confidence becomes…