So, the U.S. Virgin Islands is facing a slight but increasing risk of being caught in the crossfire of an energy war masked by rhetoric about the importance of democracy in South America, rhetoric equally orchestrated by Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a boisterous president of the United States, Donald Trump, who likens himself as the Don King of Manhattan real estate.

Both have given their support to the president of the Venezuelan legislature, Juan Guaido who has declared himself “interim president” eight months after the democratic election of the current and unarguably inept president. It does not faze the Speaker of the House that Mr. Guaido’s politics are more right-wing than the politics of the Democrats who are falling in line with Mrs. Pelosi.

Nor has it apparently fazed the newly elected administration in the U.S. Virgin Islands that Russia, given its energy and other economic ties to Venezuela, decides to piss on the Monroe Doctrine and orchestrate some type of military action, that the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has a couple Russian subs sitting outside of its harbors on any given day, would be a sitting duck, a perfect target for the Russian Bear.

Let’s face it, USVI, the United States didn’t shell out $25 million back in August 1916 just to have a few beaches to visit. The USVI is still at least a second tier, ready-made submarine base and taking the territory would make Vladimir Putin the new Jack Sparrow of the Caribbean.

While the likelihood of the above scenario is small, people of the Virgin Islands, especially those who have very limited means to exit, should have two takeaways from this discussion.

First, you are part of a geopolitical clusterfuck, and given the U.S.’s responses to the territory during hurricanes, you should not be surprised when the U.S. government treats you like so much spoiled milk and collateral damage during a military action.

Second, current leadership needs to grow some balls and think beyond carnival. When potential crises like this one arise, USVI leadership needs to be more forward thinking and outside the box…. assuming you think your people are worth it.