Problem: Politics is something I used to think only mattered during election seasons, but sitting in my dorm room watching the Venezuela operation unfold on the news made it feel a lot more real. Who is getting what, when, and how is answered every time the U.S. deploys force or writes a defense contract. The power operating is federal executive authority - the president's ability to turn spending, intelligence, and military force into outcomes faster than any other country can match. What struck me watching Venezuela was how long Maduro had been allowed to operate. He rigged elections, imprisoned opponents, and displaced seven million of his own people while also being federally indicted for running cocaine into American communities. On January 3, 2026, the U.S. launched Operation Absolute Resolve, capturing Maduro and flying him to New York to face charges. The operation lasted less than thirty minutes. Who got what: Americans got a narcoterrorist removed. From where I was sitting, it was hard not to be impressed by how precisely it came together. Ukraine hit differently because it showed how the U.S. projects power without boots on the ground. Watching Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman become household names during that conflict made me realize how deeply the defense industry is woven into foreign policy. Who got what: Ukraine got to survive, Lockheed got billion-dollar contracts, and the U.S. weakened a rival without American casualties. What can you say about this? Need Assignment Help?