With its woeful trade deal, Europe prostrated itself before the president. We need a leader who will tell him where to shove it, says Guardian Europe columnist Alexander Hurst
I don’t think that’s much of a factor in geopolitics outside of the implementation of hard power. The problem with nuclear weapons is that there’s only so much brinkmanship you can participate in before your threats start to lose leverage.
It’s basically the equivalent of someone trying to achieve a goal by threatening to kill themselves. The ends just don’t logically justify the means.
European leaders are appeasing the US because it’s the most advantageous thing to do for capital holders. The instability that the US is creating is more manageable than the consequences of standing up to the US in a meaningful way would entail.
Capitalism has a great aversion to risk, and will almost always back the option closest to “business as usual”. The current US administration is a risk to profitability, an upending of business relations with the US is an existential threat.
Nukes are off the table for the US. It’s not like Trump has a big red button. Launch orders go through a chain and if nothing else, the sub/base commander would put a stop to it.
I think the Soviet Union ordered launches on two (?) occasions and the trigger man stood down.
I think the underlying, but mostly unspoken, fear is that you have a mad man with nukes.
France also has nukes and submarines able to deliver second strikes.
While I agree that we should act more forcefully, I still prefer to go without any kind of strike.
Of course we shouldn’t strike anything. I am just trying to point out that the EU has a credible nuclear deterrent thanks to France.
I understand the domino effect. I was just giving what I thought might be a reason for EU being cautious around mister trump.
I don’t think that’s much of a factor in geopolitics outside of the implementation of hard power. The problem with nuclear weapons is that there’s only so much brinkmanship you can participate in before your threats start to lose leverage.
It’s basically the equivalent of someone trying to achieve a goal by threatening to kill themselves. The ends just don’t logically justify the means.
European leaders are appeasing the US because it’s the most advantageous thing to do for capital holders. The instability that the US is creating is more manageable than the consequences of standing up to the US in a meaningful way would entail.
Capitalism has a great aversion to risk, and will almost always back the option closest to “business as usual”. The current US administration is a risk to profitability, an upending of business relations with the US is an existential threat.
Nukes are off the table for the US. It’s not like Trump has a big red button. Launch orders go through a chain and if nothing else, the sub/base commander would put a stop to it.
I think the Soviet Union ordered launches on two (?) occasions and the trigger man stood down.