Politics as a Drug: When the Dose Matters More Than the Cure
AI generated image A contemporary paradox In international politics, as in medicine, the strongest intervention is not always the most effective one. Sometimes the most effective treatment isn’t the one that promises an instant cure—it’s the one that delivers a poison with precision, capable of healing when the dose and timing are just right. The recent U.S. approach to Venezuela, defined by selective involvement and the decision not to enforce a full regime change, has puzzled many observers. How can a country take action decisively and yet leave much of the existing power structure in place? Several commentators have described the situation as an “intervention without rupture,” highlighting the surprise generated by the absence of a clean handover of power to the opposition. The intuitive reaction is straightforward: if you effect change, you replace; if you challenge a government’s legitimacy, you install an alternative. But political practice rarely follows moral expectations...
