This is great news, though a higher percentage would be welcome. The sooner Europe rips off the bandaid, the better.
Europe waking up would even be good for the US long term. The US has coasted on success and grown fat on lack of competition.
Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
111–120 of 395 posts
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#112I wish Europe would just push back. More than what they are currently. There is so much potential there, but somehow the EU all look at the US as some form of idealogical father figure. Excuse the hyperbolic-talk.
The problem is NATO, a lot of the EU is reluctant to push back because at the end of the day the US guarantees that Russia cannot pursue the type of landgrab it is currently trying to do in Ukraine against other states. The risk that the US runs into when trying to take Greenland is that this argument loses weight instantly, so the expectation is that the EU will be much more willing to use its anti coercion tools if…
Russia already fails in Ukraine where they are fighting with our old junk, and the other EU States are kicking their defense industry in full gear. What makes you think they could win a full scale war against the EU
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#113A badge of honor. Although it's good to be cautious about retaliatory measures, it is perhaps time to think about imposing a digital services tax. That being said, it's quite weird that these tariffs are imposed only on some EU countries (plus UK). How could that possibly work? EU companies can just export goods via other EU countries.
Wasn't there some kind of military exercise around Greenland the other day? I assume these are the countries that participated?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Arctic_Endurance
how I believe the tripwire would legally work: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46634146
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#114Takes century to bake biggest cake ever. Clown enters stage, applause. Clown throws cake to the ground. Audience waits for joke. Curtain falls. 38 trillion dollar bill for cake. Audience is the joke.
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#115I wish Europe would just push back. More than what they are currently. There is so much potential there, but somehow the EU all look at the US as some form of idealogical father figure. Excuse the hyperbolic-talk.
they can't back down on this one
if the moron continues, we will go to the brink
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Trump has repeatedly backed off when he's challenged. It's happened time and time again. It's the reason TACO is a thing. The best strategy against him is to be relentless about pushing back, even if on paper the US is more powerful.
It seems you can also just lie to help him save face, like Canada did when it agreed it would adopt very strict border control policies to stop "drugs coming into the USA," and listed out steps that all were just existent Canadian laws and policies.
The problem that US generals have right now is that Trump has gotten the idea that the US (viz., he himself, in his mind) ought to literally own Greenland and he does know how real estate works. Treaties, mineral deals, guarantees for additional military bases that would mean de facto control over Greenland would work with a rational person. However, they won't work with someone who insists on buying or annexing a country to own its territory.
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
Transforms. Look at history, they’ve always done that when convenient to them.
True. Those who think they are being unfair just now, this is actually the fairest they've been since forever. Fairest in terms of arm twisting and other tactics being applied to everyone equally instead of being selective. Previously it was on the lines of the west and the rest, but now its just America and the rest.
As resources become more scarce, tribalism emerges.
A tale as old as time, for those who have even the slightest education in history.
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#118It is wildly fascinating to experience, in real time, how fragile the US system is. Trump really did show that the US is built on the assumption that people in power will behave, basically a honor system. Trump is stress testing every single aspect of the US. He's dousing the US with gasoline, and fumbling around with matches. The people around him, knee deep in gas, are too afraid to take the matches from him. In so…
Yeah those checks and balances that Yanks are always waxing poetic about have turned out to be basically horse shit. There are no checks and balances, they elect a king for 4 years and then hope for the best. That's the American system.
it's the same brilliant system that requires the current incumbent to certify their replacement
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think he knows the end* is drawing near and he hasn't got long to cement his legacy in painting more of the map in his colours. * 'end' being anything from nature's course, to losing the support of his own inner core as they jostle for succession, upcoming midterms leading to impeachment...
Or, he's acting like a man that doesn't have to worry about elections.
In my personal life, I've learned the hard way that when people seem to be acting irrational with regard to an iterated game, before ascribing irrationality to them it can be very helpful to examine if they're short timers, acting rationally with regard to a game that won't be iterated.
Re: Eight European countries face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
#120If I had a hammer…
Hopefully the supreme court comes to its senses and realize that if they don't stop the madness now, the American people are going back to king rule, and their legacy as well as survival of their institution has one big question mark on it.
They’re due to rule on his tariffs soon. If they find he exceeded his power then a real showdown starts.