US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap higher tariffs on European goods if the EU misses a July 4 deadline to approve a trade deal with Washington.
I think the idea of “hurt” deserves some embellishment. Politicians and financiers in Europe are not willing to internalize the potential hardship of making a clean break from the U.S. NATO is still the current paradigm even though the United States shits on it all the time. As long as Russia remains a bogey man, the U.S. will be able to game European politics.
I mean, the choice is basically between 15% tarrifs in the US and 0% in the EU, or more in both. Both hurt the EU, but the latter hurts the EU more - it just also hurts the US more.
That is an objectively bad ““agreement””. It makes us more dependent. Why shouldn’t we do the reverse?
Europe has a weak negotiation position because it’s not willing to hurt itself.
I dunno, this is very willing to hurt itself.
I think the idea of “hurt” deserves some embellishment. Politicians and financiers in Europe are not willing to internalize the potential hardship of making a clean break from the U.S. NATO is still the current paradigm even though the United States shits on it all the time. As long as Russia remains a bogey man, the U.S. will be able to game European politics.
I mean, the choice is basically between 15% tarrifs in the US and 0% in the EU, or more in both. Both hurt the EU, but the latter hurts the EU more - it just also hurts the US more.
I’d prefer the latter. Europe must grow more sovereign, and the US becoming more dependent on us would help.