r/europe Europe 13h ago

News Von der Leyen: €300 billion in European savings flown overseas every year, primarily to the US, will be invested in Europe from now on. All 27 EU states agreed to establish the S&I Union, a step toward the full Capital Market Union

https://streamable.com/4h43qk
19.5k Upvotes

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

13

u/toomucheyeliner 12h ago

The benefit of the trust & soft power the US cultivated for decades and the current administration has effectively dismantled across most of the world. The ripple effects of its loss will take time and develop quite subtly but the impact will be immense..

1

u/YikesTheCat Ireland 11h ago

It all seems so pointless too, innit? What's the point of threatening to anschluss Canada? US doesn't win; Republicans don't win. Hell, there isn't even a Trump corruption or grift angle that I can see.

"We have a good thing you stupid son of a bitch!"

1

u/toomucheyeliner 10h ago

I try not to assume the answer is idiocy, that there is some more reason to it. There’s also the question whom it serves to weaken the US: China and Russia, the autocratic world. What influence do they have on the administration? I can’t see a good reason for threatening the annexation of Canada, Greenland, as well as undermining international law, belittling and threatening allies, praising autocrats - all over being a very poor example of western society ideals in a difficult time and a challenging future.

Why? Just … Why? And why do the American people tolerate and support it. This last question is the biggest reason that this damage is long term. This administration got voted in a second time. The US citizens wanted this, and as it all develops, those that are against it aren’t motivated enough now to do anything to stop it. Sure there are some meek and irregular protests but that ain’t gonna cut it. All of this, this It is the will of the American people.

3

u/YikesTheCat Ireland 9h ago

When it comes to Donald J. Trump personally, I think it's pretty clear that almost everything he does is motivated by an all-consuming narcissism, which is basically just a different way of saying "idiocy". I don't think he has a grand plan or consistent world-view or anything else. It's all very superficial – shockingly superficial really.

The voters I understand less. "Drain the swamp" by electing the swamp creature? Interesting approach. But almost 20 years of unhinged madness (counting from start of tea party movement) with no signs of slowing down, the "why" barely even matters any more.

1

u/favorscore 4h ago

What? They dont like this. He has no approval. He is going to get demolished in the midterms and a democrat will be the next president. I dont disagree with the rest of the comment but to say Americans support what he is doing is factually untrue