I hate this simplified take, it gives people the wrong idea. They aren’t trying to physically get Venezuela’s oil, just like they weren’t trying to physically get Iraq’s oil. In fact, the US would be pleased as a pig in shit if not a single drop of oil ever left those countries. What they are trying to do is start another war to control the price of oil.

The US produces plenty of it’s own oil and is a massive net exporter. They do not need any other country’s oil, except for oil with different weights (which no one ever talks about, and the general public is barely aware of the differences). But when other countries start selling oil for cheap, the US doesn’t like that because it weakens their place in the global market. THAT is the reason for these kinds of wars, the US wants to control the price of oil. Not necessarily the oil itself.

So while saying “it’s a war for oil” is technically true, it lacks a lot of context and makes people who only look at surface level facts think the US is on some “I drink your milkshake” kind of crusade for finding oil, when it’s really just about price control.