Podcast Summary: "The One Where Mr. Global and I Take Venezuela"

Podcast: Unlearn16: Class is in Session
Host: Unlearn16
Guest: Mr. Global (Matt Randolph)
Release Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging and witty episode, Unlearn16 welcomes energy analyst and commentator Mr. Global (Matt Randolph) for a deep, sometimes irreverent conversation about Venezuelan oil, U.S. foreign policy, the global oil market, and the tangled dance between economics, power, and politics. The hosts unravel the historical and current contexts behind the U.S. interest in Venezuelan oil, the concept of the petrodollar, echoes of imperialism, the practical and moral challenges of Canadian pipelines, and the cyclical, often self-serving, logic of global resource extraction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Imperialism and Resource Acquisition

[02:28-04:32]

• Imperialism vs. Colonization:

  • Mr. Global coins the term “corporate colonization.” Unlearn16 pivots, preferring “imperialism.”
  • Unlearn16: “Britain sent their army, and the United States sent Starbucks... It’s capitalistic colonization.”

• Century-Long Strategies:

  • The U.S. perfected gaining access to developing nations' resources under the guise of assistance—“We're going to develop this resource for you... rolls into economic colonialization.”

• Modern Examples:

  • Mr. Global: “If you look at Ukraine, we’re still trying to do that... If you want our help in Ukraine, give us your minerals.”

• Presidential Transparency:

  • Both agree that while U.S. administrations have always played this game, Trump is the first to say it out loud:
    • Unlearn16: “Trump is the only guy just saying it.”

2. The Venezuelan Oil Play: U.S. Interests, Competition, and Logistics

[04:13-08:12]

• Similarity to Canadian Oil:
  • Venezuelan oil is heavy, sour crude—much like Alberta’s, creating potential competition for Canada if the U.S. pivots.
  • Mr. Global: “It will be a competitor with Canada if Donald Trump achieves what he hopes to achieve... Is this really a play sorta against Canada?”
• Logistical Barriers:
  • Difficulties in developing Venezuela’s oil: weak infrastructure, corruption, and risk.
  • Interconnectedness favors Canada: “Pipe runs right into the U.S.; companies own resources on both sides.”
• Instability & Corruption:
  • Venezuelan corruption runs deeper than any one leader:
    • Unlearn16: “It’s not just about who’s sitting at the top of that mountain... it’s about how the mountain was built.”

3. The Petrodollar and Oil’s Impact on Global Finance

[09:05-12:21]

• What is the Petrodollar?
  • Mr. Global: “We agreed with the Middle East that oil would be traded in dollars... At the time after Bretton Woods, the US Dollar was already the reserve currency... trading oil in US Dollars was genius.”
• Shift in Dollar Dominance:
  • Oil used to be key but is now “a small piece of the dollar’s dominance.”
  • Mr. Global: “Financial markets are a thousand times bigger than the oil market.”
• BRICS and Alternatives:
  • Discusses BRICS countries trying to trade outside US currency. Is it plausible?
  • Mr. Global: “It could be the first step [in a domino effect]... but I don’t think it’s as big as it’s been made into.”

4. Canadian Oil Dependency and Pipeline Debates

[12:21-22:50]

• Pipeline Pros & Cons:
  • Unlearn16: “Unless we’re willing to take it on the nose, I don’t see a way around the dependency [on the U.S. market].”
• Energy Monopoly:
  • Mr. Global: “It’s almost impossible to develop anything to compete... It’s all about who gets the control and the power.”
• Partnership Realities:
  • Canadian-U.S. trade is unavoidable given geography, but Canada needs to diversify.
• Pipeline Dilemma:
  • Environmental harm vs. economic leverage.
  • Mr. Global (17:16): “I think Canada should broaden its ability to trade... but the pipeline is very sensitive. I’m 50/50 on it.”
  • Unlearn16: “If the pipeline’s not going through rich neighborhoods, why is it okay for indigenous land?” (24:22)
• Wealth & Power:
  • Environmental sacrifices are distributed to the powerless:
    • Mr. Global: “We wouldn’t even be looking at Venezuela if not for what you’re talking about right now [pipeline opposition by the rich].” (24:34)

5. The OPEC Cartel—U.S. Irony & Market Manipulation

[25:28-27:07]

• Venezuela’s OPEC Roots:
  • Venezuela was a founding member of OPEC... ironically, after learning cartelization from U.S. oil barons.
  • Unlearn16: “[Venezuela’s president] learned this from Texas—there’s something so beautifully ironic about it.”
• Cartels Everywhere:
  • Mr. Global: “The U.S. oil industry is a cartel in itself.”
• Price Fixing & Influence:
  • U.S./OPEC manipulate output to stabilize/destabilize markets, often for political reasons.

6. Trump’s Potential Strategies: Invasion, Oil Price Shocks & Corporate Collateral

[27:07-35:35]

• Directness and Danger:
  • Unlearn16: “Do you think he [Trump] really will invade?”
  • Mr. Global: “I actually do think he’s going to invade... I think he just wants the oil. He doesn’t know why.”
• Market Shock as Power Move:
  • Trump may try to crash oil prices — not to help consumers, but to consolidate power for Big Oil.
  • Mr. Global: “Every time there’s an oil crash, [big companies] buy up every competitor... There are no bad times for big oil.”
• Calculated Geopolitics:
  • Mr. Global: “All of these [U.S.] moves are timed to dips in oil prices.”
  • Unlearn16: “This all sounds like the oil version of the 2008 mortgage crisis... the rich love a crash, to buy it all up.”

7. Systemic Nature of Oil Politics—Historic and Ongoing

[36:52-45:16]

• Repeated Cycles:
  • The pattern of toppling regimes and occupying new oil-rich frontiers is ongoing, not historical:
    • Unlearn16: “...people think it’s backstory, but what you’re saying is, it’s just the prequel... it’s a never-ending story here.”
• No Political Incentive to Stop:
  • Regardless of party, U.S. leaders pursue oil interests for power, never purely for democracy.
  • Mr. Global: “If North Korea had oil... what would we do with Kim Jong [Un]?... it’s the only reason we care.”
• Why Is No One Talking About This?
  • Fear of sounding conspiratorial or being accused of siding with enemies silences analysts.
  • Unlearn16: “Why is there nobody articulate enough, intelligent enough, or charismatic enough to have this conversation in front of CNN?”

8. Will We Ever Move Beyond Oil?

[45:35-47:29]

• Technological Innovation:
  • Mr. Global: “We’re not running out of oil—the technology to recover more oil always comes.”
• Oil Addiction Continues:
  • Market and political cycles ensure that as long as oil dominates, power struggles and invasions for resources will continue.

Notable Quotes

• On U.S. Foreign Resource Policy:
  • "Britain sent their army, and the United States sent Starbucks... It’s capitalistic colonization."
    — Unlearn16 [02:34]
• On Corruption in Venezuela:
  • "It’s not just about who’s sitting at the top of that mountain... it’s about how the mountain was built."
    — Unlearn16 [08:12]
• On Big Oil and Market Crashes:
  • "There are no bad times for big oil. That's not a thing."
    — Mr. Global [30:39]
• On Power and Morality in Foreign Policy:
  • "You’re not getting rid of Maduro because you have a problem with Maduro. You’re getting rid of Maduro because he has something and he’s in your way and you want it."
    — Mr. Global [41:53]
• On Politicians’ Motives:
  • "Nobody’s ever doing it... you’re never changing laws ever preemptively until it’s costing you something now."
    — Unlearn16 [41:51]
• On the Endurance of Oil Dependency:
  • "As long as we’re on oil, whoever has it is eventually going to run out, and we’re going to have to go take it from somebody else."
    — Mr. Global [45:17]

Memorable Moments

• Pipeline Justice:
  • Unlearn16’s sarcastic, pointed take: “If the rich people are fine with it going through their waterways and their backyards... let’s have a conversation. But I’m real tired of the only place these pipelines ever go is through Indigenous land.” [24:22]
• Cartel Irony:
  • Recognition that OPEC was modeled in part on tactics forged in Texas—and now U.S. media loves to call OPEC a “cartel.” [25:28]
• Cynicism and Humor Collide:
  • Unlearn16: “The more I learn, the more I don’t really want to know.” [32:11]
• Bruce Willis Moment:
  • Unlearn16 teases Mr. Global: “If Armageddon was actually happening... are you one of the five to go drill on the asteroid?”
  • Mr. Global: “If Steve Buscemi can do it, I can do it!” [48:05]

Timestamps by Topic

• [00:54] – Episode context, TikTok debate origins
• [02:28] – Imperialism, “corporate colonization”, U.S. approach
• [04:13] – Canadian vs Venezuelan oil, geopolitical leverage
• [09:05] – Petrodollar system, U.S. dollar primacy
• [12:21] – Oil’s impact beyond fuel; Canadian pipeline debate
• [19:39] – Environmental and economic pipeline concerns
• [24:22] – Pipelines, Indigenous land, and class
• [25:28] – OPEC’s origins, U.S. cartel parallels
• [27:07] – Trump’s Venezuela play, market manipulation
• [32:11] – Oil market crashes, Big Oil strategies
• [36:52] – The “prequel” nature of resource grabs
• [41:53] – Realpolitik: regime change for resource gain
• [45:35] – Future of oil, technology, finite vs accessible supply
• [48:05] – Armageddon and astronaut joke—humorous close

Tone

The conversation is sharp, accessible, and laced with sarcasm and honesty. Both speakers balance deep technical and historical knowledge with a skeptical, personal tone, using humor to make complex ideas relatable while unmasking the often cynical realities behind international affairs.

Useful For:

• Listeners seeking a primer on Venezuelan oil politics, the petrodollar, or pipeline debates.
• Those curious about how U.S. foreign policy, business, and energy intersect.
• Anyone wanting big ideas presented with unfiltered wit, clarity, and the occasional laugh.

Find Mr. Global (Matt Randolph):
TikTok, Facebook, YouTube: @MrGlobal | Forbes: Matt Randolph | Substack: I am Matt Randolph