3d ago

US to demand EU pulls away from China in return for cutting tariffs

www.irishtimes.com

12 comments

lol that's such an infantile strategy, and it will work since the EU are their lackeys larping as if they're not
- Im not even sure it will work. Tf are the euros supposed to do? They don't have any industry. America certainly doesn't either. Not in what matters. Where are they supposed to get stuff from? China is the majority of the entire worlds industrial capacity it's not like they can just replace it easy peasy with some other trade partner. Are the euros just going to agree to give up all their toys, and even essentials to make the americans happy? What exactly is the sell there? "You get to keep selling us like the 5 things you sell to us if you give up pretty much every modern amenity an industrial society provides."
  This to me smells like when they "stopped buying russian gas." but didn't actually stop buying russian gas and just pretended to.
  
  I hope to goodness that Europe shows a tiny bit of spine, but I wouldn't hold my breath
  
  I'm with you on this. In post-WWII, the US had strong global positioning, while many others had been ravaged by the war. But now, the US mostly seems to be riding on pre-existing benefits from that post-WWII global positioning. China is pulling ahead in technology and has a huge influence over global supply chains, while also not being hyper dependent on external trade like the US is. And China is also not bearing down on other countries, demanding they change their ways and pay protection fees. So if someone is an EU oligarch or whatever, they're gonna get far more stability for much longer siding with China.

i'm convinced that the eu would rather stick with the trump dumpster fire than hitch their wagons to any alternative; i full expected them to cave on this one point since they've already started with the chinese EV & green tech tariffs.
- I expect so as well

12 comments