Bangladesh, Jan. 12 -- At first glance, Venezuela and Denmark appear to occupy opposite ends of the international order. One is a Global South country long subjected to sanctions, coups, and covert operations; the other is a wealthy Nordic state, firmly embedded in NATO and the European Union, often portrayed as a model of liberal democracy and “values-based” governance. Geography, climate, culture, and economic standing could not be more different. Yet recent developments suggest that, in the eyes of Washington, these differences are becoming increasingly irrelevant.

What unites Venezuela and Denmark today is not ideology or history, but exposure to the same raw logic of power. Under the United States current strategic postu...