May i remind you that the US spent billions and is literally the reason why Europe was rebuilt post WW2 with the Marshall plan. Even after that, it was the sole reason why the Soviets didn't move past east Germany. Fast forward to today, Europe has no navy and wouldn't even be able to protect its water ways. Without the US, Houthis can effectively shut down all trade through red sea as they wish, while other trade in the Mediterranean, or around Africa would also come under threat of piracy. We continually overspend and over contribute to NATO while Europe severally underspends for decades.


So in the grand scheme of things, if you are so upset over tariffs (which with Europe, Japan, SK are clearly designed for negotiation) that you get amnesia of the historical realities i highlighted, well, Europe can hardly be labeled an ally, more so a parasite.

This post was edited by ofthevoid on Apr 12 2025 02:36pm

This. The EU and NATO as a whole are ungrateful.

The Marshall Plan was enacted to stop the spread of communism that the US feared was an existential threat to western democracy. It was done to serve your interests. Of course, Europe would have always rebuilt without it, considering its pool of high quality human capital. In more recent history, we also spent billions in Iraq and Afghanistan, blindly following your efforts to police to world.

If the tariffs were just designed for negotiation, you'd threaten them to get your partners to the negotiating table, rather than applying the tariffs first. Allies would talk about it first, but there were no such trade talks preceding the 'liberation day' tariff announcements.

Many European countries have been spending over 2% of GDP on defence for decades. Deficiencies in military capability are just as much a result of the inefficiencies of having 27 separate member state armies as certain countries not pulling their weight (Germany, Spain, etc...).

This post was edited by dro94 on Apr 12 2025 03:16pm

They're spoiled to the point of being wholly detached from reality

I pushed back against the notion that Europe has no meaningful industrial capacity anymore and is mostly a service-based economy. A rough economic patch doesn't contradict that (or have much to do with it in general).

Also note that the DIHK is a lobbying group of Germany's manufacturing and commercial industries, they're the equivalent of the chamber of commerce in America. Not exactly an unbiased source. They're trying to get government handouts for their members.


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If Europe really wanted to fight back against the US in this tariff war, they would impose tariffs or fees on the software and the digital services which Europeans buy from Microsoft, Google et al.
Once you factor in Big Tech, the trade balance between the US and Europe looks far less unbalanced...

This post was edited by Black XistenZ on Apr 12 2025 04:59pm

Europeans are making me sick right now. Vile, ungrateful creatures. Without the USA, your shattered, zombie-like cultures would be completely overrun either by Nazis or Soviets. It is only because of America that the Western half of your continent has enjoyed life in the "liberty" corner of the political triangle. Eating cheese, sipping wine, resting easy knowing the world's military hegemon is in a mutual defense treaty with you. Yet you look down upon your benefactor with scorn and snark. Choke on what ever becomes of you, most likely demographic replacement by hostile 3rd world invaders who will take advantage of your soft populace and devour it inside and out.

Have you considered that this administration has a pretty short timeline to implement some of the big changes they want? 'Talks' could take many months if not years to finalize. Talks are also a mechanism to delay action, with the hope that by some later point in the timeline enough special interests have forced a watered down version of what would have initially been asked for or doesn't even happen.

Good example of this was border security. Biden for years let in record number of immigrants and then turned around and blamed it on republicans in congress saying they didn't want to negotiate or have 'talks' (the reason they didn't want to negotiate is because democrats wanted pork and other concessions, --which in reality should have nothing to do with securing the border.) Fast forward to Trump taking office and literally within a month or two, illegal crossings with Mexico plummet. You know why, because the inertia of the bureaucracy was evaded.

I agree that the execution was rough, but i rather have short term volatility and something that gets done instead of it being dragged through the sausage making progress of bureaucracies, something Euros truly excel at.

NOBODY is getting “off the hook” for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst! There was no Tariff “exception” announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff “bucket.” The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. What has been exposed is that we need to make products in the United States, and that we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People. We also cannot let them continue to abuse us on Trade, like they have for decades, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The Golden Age of America, which includes the upcoming Tax and Regulation Cuts, a substantial amount of which was just approved by the House and Senate, will mean more and better paying Jobs, making products in our Nation, and treating other Countries, in particular China, the same way they have treated us. The bottom line is that our Country will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114332337028519855

This post was edited by zorzin on Apr 13 2025 04:15pm

Damn he’s really leaning fully into his very stable genius bag isn’t he.

tbh the UK is the one that is getting the shaft more than literally anyone. consistent defense spender, left the EU, fought in the middle east with us, and consistent good trade partner. its about the only country i feel really sorry for. then again what you all did to william wallace maybe its just karma. should have beheaded the monarchs too.