It seems that EU leaders have realized that the US can squeeze them, not just with tariffs, but with natural gas supplies. It used to be that Europe got most of its natural gas from Russia, till the pipelines were blown up, probably by the US. Now they pay much more to get shipped LNG from America.
Trump has hit European countries who oppose him annexing Greenland with increased tariffs. That’s not a big deal, but an LNG squeeze would be. It’s not that Europe wouldn’t be able to get enough LNG, if it wasn’t sold to them directly, they’d get it indirectly, just as they have continued to get a lot of Russian hydcrocarbons, but they’d pay more and energy prices are squeezing European (German) industry to death.
At the end of the day Ukraine is not a member of NATO or the EU. Denmark belongs to both. For Ukraine and the US, the Euros submitted to de-industrialization. They also sent almost all their weapons and ammo to Ukraine, and are damn near disarmed.
This policy is essentially hysterical, based on cold War trauma and driven hard by various Eastern Europeans and the Baltics.
But the situation the EU finds itself in is fundamentally simple. They’re de-industrializing. France is losing its overseas vassals, and with them cheap resources. They can’t get cheap resources from Russia and the expensive resources from America are controlled by a hostile and untrustworthy power whom it is impossible to cut a deal with. Say what you will about Russia, but they keep their deals and even after everything has happened if they were to agree to sell to Europe, they’d keep the deal.
Now I want to be very clear about the stakes here. Europe has no resources at scale other than farm goods to sell to the world. It has a very high population for its land mass, and its industry is legacy industry. When you look at tech lead lists, the EU as a whole is not even in the top four. (China, America, Japan, South Korea.)
To put it simply if they mishandle this the European standard of living is likely to crash by half in twenty years.
A deal must be cut with both China and Russia. Of the two Russia is more important. This is currently impossible because the Eastern EU nations will not allow it and the way the EU system is set up they have enough power to stop it from happening.
At the same time they are essentially welfare recipients, receiving stipends from Germany and France, who are the two real EU powers. Most of them should never have been allowed into the EU in the first place, especially the Baltics, who are undefendable and offer nothing.
Germany and France need to decide what to do to save themselves. If that means changing the EU or leaving it and forming a new association that’s what they need to do. They need to re-arm with their own weapon stack, not American weapons, and in the meantime they should probably buy Chinese weapons, but to do so they’d have to leave NATO or kick the US out of it, which, again, they’re going to need to do anyway, because, as the line goes, “the threat is inside the house.”
If they don’t sort this out and soon, they will suffer a catastrophic loss of standard of living. If that happens they face internal revolution.
The current EU leadership is some of the most pathetic in the world. Trained and raised as American vassals they just cannot understand that the world has changed. It’s not just Trump, Biden was draining them dry too, his administration was just smart enough to, as it were, “boil the frog.”
While the EU still has an industrial base it needs to act to save that base.
As for current tactics, what should be done is simple enough. Counter-tariffs make no sense. Break the DMCA and go after American internet and tech companies which make vast amounts of money in the EU. Force Ireland to cooperate. Let people break the digital locks on American tech, and give them right of repair. If it goes far enough break patents and start producing in the EU. (The US broke Germany’s chemical patents in WWI and basically US chemical industry is based on those broken patents.)
The other step is to stop EU money from flowing into America and force EU wealth to be used inside the EU to create industry and improve tech. The EU sends vast amounts of investment money to the US. Stop that, repatriate as much as possible and get to work with real industrial policy. This will hurt Trump’s real base, the oligarchs, and help Europe.
Europe must end its US vassalage and cut deals with its “enemies” because the US is a greater threat than China or Russia. And if the Eastern EU states aren’t willing to go along with this, cut them loose. They offer very little and are a drain on the actual productive parts of Europe. (Not just Germany and France, but Italy, the Nordics and the low countries.)
The Euros don’t have a lot of time to deal with this, there in severe decline that will end in, not just disaster, but catastrophe.
(And no, I don’t think they’ll do most of this, but there’s value in laying it out.)
This site is only viable due to reader donations. If you value it and can, please subscribe or donate.
Nat Wilson Turner
Strong piece. I don’t expect the current roster of EU politicians to do anything but cling to delusion until they are forcibly removed from power.
Mark Level
A brilliant post, Ian. Great minds often think alike, and in fact Alex and Alexander of the Duran covered about 95% of what you say here yesterday, with a few additional points.
I will summarize what they said, and add a few of my takes (less reliable perhaps, but nearly as well-informed.)
Mercouris didn’t say “in a vice,” but what he did say is Europe is in the worst position it has been in since the collapse of the Roman Empire (the Western, I think he meant), isolated and resource-poor, culturally stagnant as well.
They went on at length about the cultural dependence on the US, that the Euro-vassals get their Internet (Apple, Google, Facebook, the monopolies) from the US, and developed nothing of their own over decades since the 1990s Internet boom. China of course did the opposite.
Even in areas where they previously excelled, e.g. take the German case, machinery and machine tools, automobiles, also pharmaceuticals, they went into shared business with bigger US interests and theirs atrophied, or became dependent on US supply chains. Your point that even Biden was exploiting them is important. And it went beyond installing his drug-addict son on the Burisima Energy Board in Ukraine and the well-known “10% for the Big Guy” (& a cut for Hunter) grift.
Douglas MacGregor not long ago was talking about EUrope’s military weakness to a not-bright source who believed the “Russia is in a stalemate with Ukraine” pablum. He informed the idiot that in fact, Europe only has “little boutique armies”, useful for fighting as a US Empire adjunct animal-herders in Afghanistan or Africa, but not a modern Military Superpower like the Russian Federation.
They delude themselves with Superpower visions, additionally. Here I’ll disagree with once claim you make, that “the Baltics, . . . are undefendable and offer nothing.” The former is true, the latter not so much, what they offer is shrieking, hysterical Russophobia with bellicose threats to kill all the orcs, and steal their resources. See the mental case Kalla Kallas (Callouses on the feet should be removed) whose hyperbolic CryBullying is equal to Donald Trump’s claims he has ended 11 wars, or whatever the current # is. She shrieks that Russia has invaded “19 countries” in the past few years, but as with Joe McCarthy, she never produces her list or shares her work as to what 19 these are. The Estonians pissed their pants when a Russian jet flew over one of their uninhabited islands en route to Russian territory, this is certainly one of the “19” cases, also at one point, downed, no longer functional Russian drones were shipped from Ukraine to Poland and put on display sitting atop a haystack, e.g., in a lame attempt to claim an “attack” on the Poles and invoke Article 5. Nobody bought that except some media swine. And according to Kallas nobody, not Ukrainians nor the 3rd Reich, nor Georgia in Ossetia, etc. has EVER in recorded history attacked Russia. Napoleon never existed!!
The Duran duo made the very obvious points that you make– 1. Europe needs immediately to start reindustrializing and nurture its own competitive enterprises instead of depending on US Monopoly corporations, but let’s admit it. They’d be slow to succeed if they did so, haven’t even begun and likely won’t. 2. They need to exploit their historic position as a transit point between “the West” and Asia and work with both. To what percentage should they divide their collaboration– 50/50, e.g. The Duran predicted (& I agree) their historical, race and Empire-based animus will make them go 80% with the failing US Empire, and 20% at best with Russia, China and others (Japan, etc.) to the East. It won’t work, the US only bleeds its dependents, and 20% in fairer trade with the East won’t do much.
I think European white racism and arrogance has doomed these clowns. Let’s all recall the Spanish “Socialist” Jospep Borrell’s screed about “The Jungle and the Garden.” We are the Garden, the French have great cuisine and pate from overfeeding Geese, dirty Africans eat grubs and tubers, likely worship rocks, the Spanish have beautiful cathedrals (though most are too smart to bother with religion.) Okay there are some good Africans and Pakistanis, the ones who play for the Euro-football clubs or appear as “exotics” in cinema. Beyond this ingrown racialist arrogance, also very evident in US Empire there is a bigger systemic hobble that cripples Europe.
The EU is an entirely undemocratic, predatory Organization of Elite looters, warmongers and shitheads. It imposes the US model of Austerity and Corporate rule. Ursula von der Lyin’ is the model incompetent, arrogant and homicidal apparatchik. She failed first as a German Defense minister (all agree) but failed upward. She’s “(s)elected” by like 28-32 other Elite Davos ghouls. There is more open dissent in “authoritarian” Russia than is allowed inside the EU. See the example of Orban (who I’m mostly not a fan of, however he is reasonably sane and very pragmatic) and Hungary, the other Slavic states who want to side with the winner and not wage eternal war against the subhuman, Asiatic “Orcs”– They have their franchise within the EU denied if they disagree on anything (like not going without Russian oil), their funds looted by the EU and only returned if they are blackmailed into agreeing to some fuckery that is like a game of Russian Roulette long-term. Others, like Slovakia’s Robert Fico get shot repeatedly for not playing nice with their betters. How dare those dirty Slavs not accept what Bill Clinton did to Yugoslavia and being torn to bits for rapacious “integration” into the West? The Rules-Based Order (sic) says boundaries can’t be changed except if you are not in the White Colonial Club, Palestinians, Syrians, and many others can have their lands handed over to genocidal death-cults or Jihadis, that’s the way of the world, innit?
These cultures that integrate in the EU have a clear pecking-order, culturally they have little in common and it was always an unworkable Rube Goldberg device in which the smaller states get ripped off and shit on. See Merkel’s and Germany’s crashing the Greek and Italian and other Southern economies a few decades back, and condemning their youth to mass unemployment and crippling (for decades if not generations) IMF-World Bank Loans and Austerity.
This shit never ends well. How’d the Delian do in “defending” against the Persians in the ancient world? IF there was a single leader in the EU who actually desired long-term survival for Europe, or perhaps their own country, inside the EU, they’d be sidelined at best, or shot like Fico at worst. IF one person in the leadership accepted that going 80-20 with Asia (the bigger economy and a demographic Giant) over the Predatory West (want to be under Mafia Don’s purview? Donnie doesn’t do “Soft Power”, he just takes what he wants, as the Danes are about to learn. So glad they gave all their jets and arms to the “Ukraine, As Long As It Takes” Children’s Crusade, that ended well, didn’t it?)
Some countries (the Zionist state is the best example, Islamic state a less successful variant) are purely genocidal, others have a death-instinct they turn inward on themselves. Much of Europe is now here. There may be a few countries which, wisely (not the Brits, they are destroying their own country but at least had enough residual self-interest NOT to stay in the EU, which only their Elites wanted) might (?) belatedly experiment with Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest.
I’ll close by giving the Brits some credit. When Katherine the Great ruled, the Russians and Prussians were massive and undefeatable. Were Germany again to ally strategically with Russia, they would benefit massively. But the Russians don’t need or trust them at this point, it’s clearly too late. Germany as a nation nearly always followed its worst, most authoritarian and robotic instincts. Now it will pay the price.
I’d like to think that some of the smaller cultures could break away and form a local economy. The Niederlanders and Belgians, e.g. seem to me not to (for the most part) be hate-filled lunatics over most of their history as some of the bigger players have been, especially Perfidious Albion, of course. I wish them well, but am not confident they will do the right thing in the short term.
GrimJim
Standard of living cut by half in 20 years?
It’s more like back to medieval serfs, peasants, and noble masters in less than 10, with Black Death levels of death though by starvation and deprivation (lots of frozen deaths in the north).
When the shooting war starts, Western Europe will be abandoned and forgotten, live Britain and the Romans.
Mark Level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC3RIAVQ9dY
Synchronicity– the always thoughtful and well-informed Glenn Diesen has on a senior German politician, Max Otte, with an interesting background. His father served in the Wehrmacht “the last few months” of the war, he says without combat, he is an academic also, in the lat ’90s labeled as a Euro-Skeptic, knew it wouldn’t take. He talks about the “brainwashing” right after the War, and the vassalage that war guilt led to. Also the sell-out of Joshka Fischer, at one time a genuine radical who sold out the Greens bit by bit until you get Annaleena Baerbock shrieking about starting WW III.
Gerhardt Shroeder hated in Germany today for peaceful economic coordination with Russia. Interesting.
Feral Finster
“Europe has no resources at scale other than farm goods to sell to the world.”
Europe has tourism, legacy industries, luxury goods, certain kinds of services, and an outrageously inflated sense of their own moral self-worth and importance.
Feral Finster
Shoulda added:
“They need to re-arm with their own weapon stack, not American weapons, and in the meantime they should probably buy Chinese weapons, but to do so they’d have to leave NATO or kick the US out of it, which, again, they’re going to need to do anyway, because, as the line goes, “the threat is inside the house.”
Not gone happen. Even forgetting the logistical, supply chain and interconnection problems, we’re talking about europeans as soldiers, here.
Their military track record in recent decades has been poor. Moreover, as a continent, europe is *old* and its populace is poorly motivated. There is a reason that very few military recruiters have hit upon the secret sauce of cruising old folks homes for geriatric metrosexuals, hoping to snap up the prime candidates.
Bill H
Sort of trivial, but your title implies that Europeans have crashed an Epstein party. I think what you mean to say is that they are being crushed by a vise.
Olivier
Voiding the DMCA and patents is also the strategy recommended by Cory Doctorow.
Ian Welsh
LOL @ Bill. Fixed, thanks for the catch.
spud
i think in the end, the E.U. will cave on Greenland. of course appeasement might lead to the loss of the Faroes, Iceland, maybe even northern Norway.
all are choke points to Russia’s ice free port, Murmansk. the fascist wilson knew how important that port was to russia, when he invaded russia after WWI.
the E.U. was simply the continuation of the third Reich. hitler and mussolini basically were the ones who were going to force that on europe, once the war was over.
so no sooner were many of the war criminals from WWII were let out, they constructed the E.U. and got the idiotic elite worker hating left to sign on.
this was written before trumps second term. but the premise holds true on what fascism is.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nationalism-is-rising-not_b_10281138
George Friedman
Contributor
Geopolitical Forecaster and Strategist
Nationalism Is Rising, Not Fascism
06/03/2016 02:18 pm ET Updated Jun 04, 2017
Recently, there have been a number of articles and statements asserting that fascism is rising in Europe, and that Donald Trump is an American example of fascism. This is a misrepresentation of a very real phenomenon.
The nation-state is reasserting itself as the primary vehicle of political life. Multinational institutions like the European Union and multilateral trade treaties are being challenged because they are seen by some as not being in the national interest.
The charge of a rise in fascism comes from a profound misunderstanding of fascism. It is also an attempt to discredit the resurgence of nationalism and to defend the multinational systems that have dominated the West since World War II.
Nationalism is the core of the Enlightenment’s notion of liberal democracy. It asserts that the multinational dynasties that ruled autocratically denied basic human rights. Among these was the right to national self-determination and the right of citizens to decide what was in the national interest.
The Enlightenment feared tyranny and saw the multinational empires dominating Europe as the essence of tyranny. Destroying them meant replacing them with nation-states. The American and French revolutions were both nationalist risings, as were the risings that swept Europe in 1848. Liberal revolutions were by definition nationalist because they were risings against multinational empires.
Fascism differs from nationalism in two profound ways. First, fascists did not consider self-determination a universal right. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco, to mention three obvious fascists, only endorsed nationalism for Germany, Italy and Spain. The rights of other nations to a nation-state of their own was, at best, unclear to the fascists.
In a very real sense, Hitler and Mussolini believed in multinationalism, albeit with other nations submitting to their will. Fascism was an assault on the right of nations to pursue their self-interest, and an elevation of the fascists’ right to pursue it based on an assertion of their nations’ inherent superiority and right to rule.
But the more profound difference was the conception of internal governance. Nationalism accepted that the right to hold power was subject to explicit and periodic selection of the leaders by the people. How this was done varied.
It also requires that opponents of the elected have the right to speak out against them, and to organize parties to challenge them in the future. Most important, it affirms that the people have the right to govern themselves through these mechanisms and that those elected to lead must govern in the people’s name.
Fascism asserts that a Hitler or a Mussolini represents the people but is not answerable to them. The core of fascism is the idea of the dictator, who emerges through his own will. He cannot be challenged without betraying the people.
Therefore, free speech and opposition parties are banned and those who attempt to oppose the regime are treated as criminals. Fascism without the dictator, without the elimination of elections, without suppression of free speech and the right to assemble, isn’t fascism.
Arguing that being part of the European Union is not in the British interest, that NATO has outlived its usefulness, that protectionist policies or anti-immigration policies are desirable is not fascist.
These ideas have no connection to fascism whatsoever. They are far more closely linked to traditional liberal democracy. They represent the reassertion of the foundation of liberal democracy, which is the self-governing nation-state. It is the foundation of the United Nations, whose members are nation-states, and where the right to national self-determination is fundamental.
Liberal democracy does not dictate whether a nation should be a member in a multinational organization, adopt free trade policies or protectionism, or welcome or exclude immigrants. These are decisions to be made by the people – or more precisely, by the representatives they select. The choices may be wise, unwise or even unjust. However, the power to make these choices rests, in a liberal democracy, in the hands of the citizens.
What we are seeing is the rise of the nation-state against the will of multinational organizations and agreements. There are serious questions about membership in the EU, NATO and trade agreements, and equally about the right to control borders. Reasonable people can disagree, and it is the political process of each nation that retains the power to determine shifts in policy. There is no guarantee that the citizenry will be wise, but that cuts both ways and in every direction.
The current rise of nationalism in Europe is the result of European institutions’ failure to function effectively. Eight years after 2008, Europe still has not solved its economic problems. A year after the massive influx of refugees in Europe, there is still no coherent and effective policy to address the issue. Given this, it would be irresponsible for citizens and leaders not to raise questions as to whether they should remain in the EU or follow its dictates.
In the 1950s, the McCarthyites charged anyone they didn’t like with being communists. Today, those who disapprove of the challengers of the current system call them fascists. Now, some of the opponents of the EU or immigration may really be fascists. But the hurdle for being a fascist is quite high.
Fascism is far more than racism, tinkering with the judiciary, or staging a violent demonstration. Real fascism is Nazi Germany’s “leader principle” – which dictated absolute obedience to the Führer, whose authority was understood to be above the law.
We are seeing a return to nationalism in Europe and the United States because it is not clear to many that internationalism, as followed since World War II, benefits them any longer. They may be right or wrong, but to claim that fascism is sweeping Europe and the United States raises the question of whether those who say this understand the principles of fascism or the intimate connection between nationalism and liberal democracy.
——————-
from 1993 till today peaceful change was thwarted by the bill clinton democrats, and here we are.
https://www.socratic-method.com/quote-meanings/john-f-kennedy-those-who-make-peaceful-revolution-impossible-will-make-violent-revolution-inevitable
John F. Kennedy: ‘Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.’
—————-
this time there will be no FDR who knew that fascism and communism would violently clash, or even a Truman who saved the new deal.
the rich will win, but not for long.
Feral Finster
n.b. Rutte’s fawning note to Trump: “I am committed to finding a way forward in Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark!”
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-leaks-private-texts-from-nato-allies-read-in-full-11384740
As noted, europeans make crap soldiers, although they are very skilled in the Arts Of The Courtier, in whispering campaigns, malicious rumors, in simpering and fruity pageantry.
Still, even by euroepan standards, this is a bit much.
KT Chong
spud: “i think in the end, the E.U. will cave on Greenland. of course appeasement might lead to the loss of the Faroes, Iceland, maybe even northern Norway.”
I have a feeling that after Greenland, Canada could be next. Trump may not be able to seize all of Canada at once, but a province like Alberta? Very plausible.
It’s like the Chinese boardgame of Go: you gradually outmaneuver your opponent, surround a block, and then claim it — block by block.
Right now, Canada is being surrounded.
StewartM
A deal must be cut with both China and Russia. Of the two Russia is more important. This is currently impossible because the Eastern EU nations will not allow it and the way the EU system is set up they have enough power to stop it from happening.
At the same time they are essentially welfare recipients, receiving stipends from Germany and France, who are the two real EU powers. Most of them should never have been allowed into the EU in the first place, especially the Baltics, who are undefendable and offer nothing.
So spot-on.
IF NATO is so essential, and if a NATO will go the way of the League of Nations it it does not react to a totally unprovoked attack on a NATO member without any response, then by all means then the eastern Russophobes should be kicked out pronto and the core NATO re-restored. Who are those Russophobes going to turn to?
It was folly to let them into NATO in the first place, not without also offering Russia membership. In fact, it was folly to recognize the dissolution of the USSR, I always thought that internal wars might break out when these countries were independent and nationalists who constantly “waved the bloodly” flag to keep alive past grievances came to power. All these countries were better off under the USSR’s umbrella. For one thing, all these nationalist hatreds were suppressed, and like British India, Russians and non-ethnic Russians lived and intermarried in relative peace. Like British India, when instead of independence came it was not a single political entity and instead India became two countries, divided by religion, the result has been two countries now seemingly irredeemably hostile to each other, and with nukes pointed at each other too! Previously, Hindus and Muslims had lived together in almost every village and city in India in relative peace. That’s “better”?
People deserve good government. But they don’t deserve their own country.
And it goes without saying–economic and political alliances with Russia and China is a must. I have been active in several historical discussions, on WWII and elsewhere, and what your’e seeing from Trump and MAGA is in essence what you saw under Dubya and Reagan, just extended further, and it’s the George S. Patton lie that we won WWII by ourselves and we can do it all alone, as opposed to the competent people in the room like George C. Marshall, who knew better and knew that we needed the Soviets and the British to help. It’s staggeringly stupid arrogance at work.
Mark Level
Stewart M– Thank you for an excellent post.
By the way, I hope you saw my apology to you in the last open thread; you saw that a commenter on here was trending fascist-adjacent well before I did. I defended that party, and then literally the next day they showed their true colors by both-sidesing Renee Good’s paramilitary execution. (ICE is bad but she asked for it and I don’t care, essentially.)
I’ve been wrong from time to time on here, when I learn better I always try to correct the record.
KT Chong
Another HUGE problem I have with liberals and progressives in America: Russia Derangement.
On the Ukraine war, most liberals/progressives completely ignore the context and history that forced Russia’s hand. They’ve gone past simple solidarity into something closer to moral absolutism—with a side of bloodlust. The only outcome they’ll accept is Russia’s total defeat, and Putin dead, captured, kidnapped, tried, or imprisoned.
This Russia Derangement started after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016. Democrats refused to take accountability for the loss, and scapegoated Russia. Liberals and progressives blame Putin for denying them a woman president. That’s the origin of Russia Derangement.
spud
KT Chong;
you could be right. i also forgot svalbard, and russia occupies a couple of islands. they will never ignore that.
canada, most likely the maritime first, which would cut off canada from greenland, and control the st. lawrence seaway.
west cost, vancover island and vancover, cutting off china and russia, at least eight months out of the year.
spud
StewartM;
i bet putin is kicking himself for saying no one should want to resurrect the soviet union.
the central stans cannot stand on their own, unless russia and china are stupid enough to let iran fall. otherwise the stans are essentially joined at the hip of russia, and russia should excerpt maximum pressure once ukraine is subdued.
i see china now is excerpting pressure on Afghanistan.
mago
The chihuahuas are the yapping
the lap dogs are snapping
while the big dogs are napping or chasing a bone
the kennel is filthy
and nobody’s home
mago
Just for the record, I did not insert ‘the’ in the first line “the chihuahuas are yapping.” Seriously. AI has been screwing with communications left and right in ways great and small.
Nothing good will come of this unless it leads to total collapse. I’m on the sidelines cheering.
mago
Excert, not excerpt is what spud was saying. Another example of AI chicanery.
Eric Anderson
Consider, Ian, your own oil & gas endowed country prying open the jaws of the vice.
Mark Carney comes out swinging at Davos: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mark-carney-speech-davos-rules-based-order-9.7053350
And, consider Canada’s arctic coastline.
Feral Finster
@KT:
you are entirely correct concerning Russia derangement/Russia as boogeyman. In fact, much of the antisemitic rhetoric that was commonplace not so long ago has been repurposed as anti-russianism.
That said, A Scary Enemy is always needed.
1. To justify why we can’t have nice things. Healthcare? Infrastructure? Education? We don’t have time for that now, don’t you know we gotta fight Saddam/Milosevic/Bin Laden/Saddam again/Ghadaffi/Assad/ISIS/Putin/Hamas/Houthis/ad nauseam.
2. To give the rubes a cause to rally around, rather than ask awkward questions.
3. To unify political factions around a common enemy, justify the division of spoils and explain why we can’t have nirvana right at the moment, we’d really like to but the Scary Enemy is stopping us and don’t you know we gotta focus on this fight, right now!
4. To justify crackdowns on civil liberties. You and your namby-pamby Bill of Rights, you hate our freedom! What, are you on the side of the fascists/communists/Islamicists/Russians/ ad nauseam?
Russia fills this role admirably, as Russian can be sold as a communist dictatorship (it’s not) to rightwingers, and as a fascist theocracy (it’s not) to liberals.
different clue
Here is an article claiming to describe some elements of a “vapordeal” on Greenland which President Fat Donny Two Dolls says he is on the verge of getting, or something.
One interesting feature is the supposed granting of U S Sovereignty to certain tiny little pieces of land there. If so, those could be used as “beachheads” to try expanding from, or they might be for the techbros who want to build their “Freedom Cities” somewhere.
Either way, it sounds like a deal well worth refusing. ” He made us an offer we couldn’t accept.”
different clue
Oh, uhh . . . here is the title: ” Mediaite
Trump-Greenland Deal Reportedly Includes U.S. ‘Sovereignty Over Small Pockets’ of Territory ”
And here is the link.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-greenland-deals-reportedly-includes-215512696.html
Mark Andrew Oglesby
Ian Welsh, most excellent analysis as I too wonder why Europe doesn’t see nor realize the “REAL” threat just at their doorstop! Again, excellent analysis and many thanks!