11 pointsby tosti19 days ago3 comments
  • jleyank19 days ago
    Diplomatic solutions are only possible when all sides wish to have a diplomatic solution. The history of the 20th and probably earlier centuries have examples of appeasing vs. opposing those interested in upsetting apple carts. I think 1938 shows that there comes a time to push back a little earlier in the process.
    • funkyfiddler6919 days ago
      Yeah, and it's 2026 and one would believe we vote for people whose staff prepares them and adequate responses for such events in advance. But ... I don't want to say self-corruption via shareholdership of friends of friends and a laissez-faire type of law making and enforcement in nooks where it reeaally should not be laissez-faire.
  • vee-kay19 days ago
    Fat chance expecting the European nations to stand up to USA's strong-arm tactics, when they have willingly supported it blindly for every new war in the past (as NATO coalition).

    Oh wait, it was the British+Europeans who allowed the U.S.Dollar to become the dominant exchang currency of the world in the first place, thus enabling USA to do whatever it pleases...

    Here's the interesting tale of how the world economy came to shaped after the World Wars, due to a cunning American and some last-minute forgery.

    The Bretton Woods conspiracy: https://www.damninteresting.com/foreign-exchanges/

  • chewz19 days ago
    It is posturing for internal effects.

    The position of Europe vs USA is analogous to Greek States vs Roman Republic. Good art and lifestyle but nothing in terms of military and economic power.

    When Roman Republic got more authoritarian (transforming to Roman Empire) - Greek states had lost the remnants of its independence.

    Being a satellite state works that way.

    The issue is that in terms of military and economic power EU used to be much stronger 20 years ago and that strength have been deliberately wasted by current generation of politicians still in power.

    Political class in Europe made multiple wrong choices in the last years despite warnings.

    • jleyank19 days ago
      The economic power of the EU >> military power of EU. If it's combined with Canada, Korea and Japan, it's pretty significant and basically self-sufficient for food and materials.
    • rsynnott18 days ago
      > Good art and lifestyle but nothing in terms of military and economic power.

      ... I mean, the context is the Anti-Coercion Instrument. That is essentially economic power weaponised; in the context of EU vs US it's a mutually assured destruction option.

      (Creating an economic doomsday machine is a _very_ EU solution.)