- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
- cross-posted to:
- europe@feddit.org
Summary
Trump has rejected the EU’s “zero-for-zero” tariff offer on cars and industrial goods, demanding instead that the bloc commit to purchasing $350 billion of American energy to offset the trade deficit.
Following his implementation of 20% tariffs on EU goods last week, which triggered significant market downturns, Trump indicated openness to negotiations while emphasizing his “America First” stance.
He also criticized EU product standards as “non-monetary barriers” designed to block American exports.
This is just Mafia like extortion. It doesnt really matter now if/when these tariffs are undone - Trump has totally destroyed the US reputation as a reliable ally and trade partmer.
No deal with the US is worth the paper its written on, as everything is dependent on the whims of one person.
Presidential systems are sources of weakness and instabilty it seems. They’re no better than monarchs, and the whole system can easily be twisted into dictatorship. Look at Russia and now the US.
He also crippled the trust in us tech. It will be a slow change but the EU will eventually get rid of Microsoft 365.
And Azure (process is already running at work) and Google workplace like things (searching for a eu partner).
Turns out that allowing people to choose from a very limited pool of potential rulers every couple of years doesn’t actually give them any real power over their society, and maybe it’s just a way to delay revolution while the true ruling class gets all the benefits of the old monarchs with almost none of the blowback, because we’re all too divided over which potential ruler is less blatantly evil to address the real problems.
It’s a very effective method of social control, but it would be a really bad idea for one of the de facto ruling class to try to step into the de jure ruler’s office and try to run it for himself like a dictator. That would probably blow up in his face.
It’s a classical pol sci example for how to do or not do things. Emerging democracy’s that adapts presidential systems are far easier to go back to a dictatorship than a semi presidential or parliamentary system is. So all US advisors in south America pushed for presidential systems.