It’s existential survival, not a woke ‘agenda’ you fool
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The US spent enormous resources to rebuild its manufacturing under Biden, but Trump is going to cause a giant mess with his tariff policies and funding freezes of all kinds. Add to that the trillions of dollars of tax cuts (most of which will go to stock buybacks just like in 2017-2019) and massive slash of essential social programs.
As for Europe, I agree that they must spend more on defense, but a quick look at healthcare spending by country can easily dispel the idea that they will need to sacrifice their social spending or that America is subsidizing Europe’s welfare spending.
I used to follow him on Twitter back when I still used it, and he was quite good on economics-related stuff. Not sure about the rest of his output, but it stands to reason that he’s not necessarily going to be as knowledgeable on geopolitics unless he actually did some serious reading and studying. I think based on what I used to see, he used to be quite humble about the limitations of his knowledge at least.
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Says Trump is unfit for president, that he voted for the Democrats, but can’t stop wanking over every single position the far-right take.
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@Magnus’ cats do not like are indifferent to this comment.
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Strong mansplaining vibes.
You imbecile, by not adhering to an ideological climate agenda, Britain has destroyed its competitive and security advantages by refusing to harness the bountiful renewable resources it has.
Not to mention, the reason for the high energy prices isn’t renewables. It’s because of the feed through effect from high oil and gas prices. UK energy prices are based off the most expensive method to generate electricity, i.e. gas. Not renewables.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/why-is-cheap-renewable-electricity-so-expensive/
“BuT I kNoW So muCH aBOut tHe UK”
It’s done nothing of that sort. It’s engaged in more self-sabotage.
@Thomas1195 already addressed the main part of this, but I’d just like to point out that the country is quite clearly more divided than you think, with your whole “Americans are now thinking” bullshit.
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Exactly.
What about the ideological fossil fuel agenda? Clinging on to a destructive energy source in order to keep profits flowing for a small number of corporations and sheikhs.
Oil addiction is also a huge security threat and puts the consuming countries at a grave disadvantage in relation to the producers. The EU has rapidly moved towards renewable energy sources and they make up an ever increasing share of its needs. This is good for the environment, but also good for Europe’s independence.
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The institutions set up by the US after the Second World War have been the framework for the world order that all of us have lived in all our lives. They were set up to solidify US hegemony and maximise its economic advantage. They have been very successful in that aim, providing a relatively stable environment for the US to become the richest country the world has ever seen. There have been costs in terms of the military, but that spending has provided jobs in the States, profits for US corporations and advantages in R&D.
It’s not a simple case of the US spending money to protect the socialist countries of Europe, it’s a system in which the US has benefitted enormously and which has provided an unprecedented period of peace and stability in much of the world.
The destruction of this order is very unlikely to create a more peaceful and stable world.
If US citizens think that any money saved by the abandonment of commitments to European allies will be spent on improving the lot of people in the States, they are in for a big disappointment. This administration is only concerned with the enrichment of the oligarchy.
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Let’s say that I agree that US isn’t responsible for the defense of UK and Europe. Some big problems I see with that premise.
- The US has persisted with its efforts on setting Europe against the Soviet Union and now Russia. With the guarantee of NATO that US will come to their defense.
- No where is it mentioned in the NATO charter that every country has to spend the equivalent percentage of GDP(as what the US does) for their armed forces.
- Also keeping in mind that the US intends for other countries to be buying major arms that US manufactures. This is nothing but a ploy by the US to ensure that it’s war economy is up and running. Let US allow NATO constituent countries to buy fighters from elsewhere.
- Now having had Europe’s back all this whole while on the Ukraine - Russia war , to disengage themselves from Europe just because they foresee that China is their biggest threat speaks of opportunism. US is seeing their biggest allies as essentially cannon fodder.
- US is far isolating themselves from their friends. Do they think Japan/Korea and to a lesser extent India and Australia will engage themselves with QUAD to the same extent that US wants ? The same India who’s having membership in BRICS as well ? As the saying goes , to be America’s enemy is far less dangerous than to be it’s friend. (unless it’s Israel)
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Fuck knows why I was tagging @redalways instead of @toro
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In principle, I’m all for being anti intervention etc/ non aligned etc. But for the US to take that line now with all its prior history is hypocritical.
A long withstanding demand from India being fulfilled by Trump.
The game is quid pro quo , let’s see what happens later.
I totally agree with you about the spectacular act of self-sabotage that is Brexit. But to say the UK is more interested in social services spending and not defence flies in the face of reality. Thanks to the Tories more and more services have become privately owned and the UK is much more billionaire-friendly than it was before.
Maybe this shift by the US will bring the “get our country back” mob to their senses and realise that there might be an actual possibility of losing your country and forge closer ties with Europe again, who knows.
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While China and India continue to ramp up coal and oil production to completely overwhelm anything the UK and Europe does. Do you think Russia cares? They’re the ones threatening Europe.
You think it’s an existential threat? Restructure and gut your industry and power system any way you want. That’s your right as a sovereign country. And you pay for your defense.
Brexit was a vote for less immigration and more economic growth. It led to the exact opposite for both. By any measurable metric, Brexit has been a failure.
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It’s the peace time dividend. With the fall of the Berlin wall, and the end of the Soviet Union, closer ties with Russia and her former allies meant that less conflict was expected. The UK (and Europe as a whole) therefore spent less on their military with the money going on things like healthcare.
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Those are all good points. And the US will continue to assist in the common defense. I’m being maximalist to make a point.
The Trump administration believes that the US can no longer fund the defense of the global trading system on its own. Thirty years ago, that was less of an issue because the US was half the world’s GDP. Today, it is a quarter. For anyone here who argued the Iraqi invasion was a mistake, congratulations. You’ve been proven right. The political after effects of that disastrous war is this.
That means the US is going to refocus its attention away from Europe towards Asia where it sees China as a threat. Europe will have to fund its own defense more. Russia has an economy the size of Italy. Europe can afford to fund its own defense. Countries like Poland, the Baltics, Finland and Sweden are role models for Germany, France, etc.
Or, if the Europeans don’t want to fund their own defense and want continued American protection, they’re going to have to compensate America somehow. That could be through increased tariffs on European goods to literally writing a cheque to the US.
These aren’t necessarily my views, though I do think Europe needs to spend more on defense. But these are the views of the Trump administration.
The other thing that’s coming are tariffs on all goods and services coming into the United States.
Get ready for that.
Thank you for saving me time, as I was about to write something similar. 
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Can hardly wait 
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