Trump says 8 European countries will be charged a 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland

[Lesh]

ShockedCanadian is an idiot. Trump is putting us in danger. He is working to end the Western Alliance, which is exactly what China wants.

Putin too

 

[Hollie]

Aren't tariffs supposed to be used to remedy unfair trading practices? Not used as retribution by a petty, petulant, doddering moron.

“retribution by a petty, petulant, doddering moron.”


But enough about you.

 

[IM2]

Putin too

Yep. But that's what Trump wants to be. He wants to be seen as someone to fear. That's because he's been soft his entire life.

 

[otto105]

Yep. But that's what Trump wants to be. He wants to be seen as someone to fear. That's because he's been soft his entire life.

He is a TACO.

 

[IM2]

From what? It has done very little for us.

And you have proven my comment by what you have said. Because of that alliance, we have been able to stop terrorist attacks on our country due to the intelligence shared with us by the Europeans. Thats just one.

 

[IM2]

He is a TACO.

Tacos are tougher than Trump.

 

[Hollie]

One thing they’d do is end every single US military lease in Europe. Close Ramstein. Close Aviano. Our ships won’t be able to dock. Our planes can’t fly through their airspace.

The US global reach is a function of US global alliances.

Nonsense, US bases in Europe are a goldmine for the Europenises.

 

[otto105]

Nonsense, US bases in Europe are a goldmine for the Europenises.

Not the question old lady.

Why are you being a simpleton?

 

[Zincwarrior]

China and Canada are already moving on
.

 

[Hollie]

Not the question old lady.

Why are you being a simpleton?

The real question, why did you neglect to treat you syphilis infection?

 

[Marener]

Nonsense, US bases in Europe are a goldmine for the Europenises.

Are they? Let’s see the numbers.

 

[Zincwarrior]

He is a TACO.

Putin's dream come true.

 

[otto105]

Putin's dream come true.

He’s always been Putin’s useful idiot

 

[Hollie]

Are they? Let’s see the numbers.

Her ya’ go darlin’

'If they pull the plug here, we will be socially destroyed' says the German people as they struggle to imagine life without U.S. airbase | Fortune

The wider sense of shock at the changing transatlantic dynamic is felt in Ramstein, where many residents have lived closely with American service personnel and their families for decades.

fortune.com

“They’re also important customers here, for everything from real estate to nail studios,” she said. “If they weren’t here, Ramstein would be bankrupt.”

 

[evankeal]

China has actively sought to cultivate divisions within the EU and between the EU and the U.S., promoting concepts like "EU strategic autonomy" to weaken transatlantic ties. Some EU member states have occasionally prioritized bilateral ties with China for economic gain, which could be interpreted as indirect support for Beijing's global ambitions.

Historical Context and Instances Potentially Supporting the Theory​

The EU's relationship with China has evolved from optimistic engagement in the post-Cold War era—when both the EU and U.S. saw economic integration as a path to mutual benefit—to a more cautious stance today. Early cooperation reflected a belief that trade could encourage China to align with global norms, but some actions could be seen as enabling China's rise at the expense of U.S. influence.

• Support for China's WTO Accession (2001): The EU, alongside the U.S., backed China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), viewing it as an opportunity to integrate China into the global economy. This helped fuel China's rapid economic growth, which has since challenged U.S. economic primacy. European leaders, including those from Germany and France, advocated for this, seeing potential markets for EU exports. Critics argue this indirectly supported China's ascent by providing access to Western technology and markets without sufficient safeguards against unfair practices like subsidies and intellectual property theft.
• 
  
• Early Trade Agreements and Summits (1985–1998): The first major EU-China trade agreement in 1985 focused on economic cooperation, followed by annual EU-China summits starting in 1998. These were established during a period when Europe sought to diversify from U.S.-centric alliances, especially amid transatlantic frictions like the Iraq War (2003). China has used these forums to position the EU as a counterweight to U.S. unilateralism, with Beijing endorsing EU "strategic autonomy" to drive a wedge between Europe and Washington.
• 
  
• Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Participation (2013–2023): Several EU countries, including Italy, Greece, and Portugal, joined China's BRI, a massive infrastructure project aimed at expanding Beijing's global influence. Italy's 2019 memorandum of understanding with China was seen as a win for Beijing, potentially fragmenting EU unity and aligning parts of Europe with China's vision of a multipolar world order. Hungary and Serbia (EU candidates) have also deepened ties, with Chinese investments in ports and railways. This has been interpreted as Europe tacitly supporting China's challenge to U.S.-led institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
• 
  
• Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) Negotiations (2020): The EU pushed forward with the CAI despite U.S. objections under the Trump administration, aiming for better market access in China. Though the deal was frozen in 2021 due to EU sanctions over human rights in Xinjiang, its pursuit highlighted Europe's willingness to engage bilaterally with China, even amid U.S.-China tensions.
• 
  
• Recent Diplomatic Engagements (2023–2025): Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2024 visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary emphasized Europe's role as a "major trading partner" and encouraged "strategic autonomy" from the U.S. French President Emmanuel Macron has echoed this, advocating for Europe to avoid being a "vassal" of the U.S. in U.S.-China rivalries. Amid U.S. tariffs under Trump, some EU officials have suggested closer ties with China to counter American protectionism, as seen in 2018 when the EU and China jointly criticized U.S. unilateralism.

None of this even addresses the repeated protection of China during covid, when they demand apologies or stop purchasing products as politicians visit Taiwan etc.

Wake up. You can be a mouse or you can be a Mensch.

Impressive. I fact checked everything and found:

China's WTO Accession (2001): TRUE. The EU supported China's entry into the WTO alongside the United States. China joined on December 11, 2001.

EU-China Trade Agreement (1985): TRUE. The EU-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement was signed on May 21, 1985, and entered into force on September 22, 1985.

Annual EU-China Summits (1998): TRUE. The first EU-China Summit took place in April 1998 in London, and annual summits have been held since then.

Connection to Iraq War (2003): FALSE. The summits began in 1998, five years before the Iraq War, so they could not have been established in response to it.

Italy joined BRI (2019): TRUE. Italy signed a Belt and Road memorandum of understanding on March 23, 2019, becoming the first G7 country to do so.

Greece, Portugal joined BRI: PARTIALLY TRUE. Greece participated in BRI projects (Port of Piraeus). Portugal signed a memorandum in 2018. Hungary and Serbia also participated.

CAI negotiated despite U.S. objections: TRUE. The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment was concluded "in principle" in December 2020. The U.S. expressed concerns.


CAI frozen in 2021: TRUE. The European Parliament froze ratification in May 2021 after China imposed sanctions on EU lawmakers.

Xi visited France, Serbia, Hungary (2024): TRUE. Xi Jinping visited these countries May 5-10, 2024.

Macron "vassal" comment: TRUE. In April 2023, Macron stated "Being an ally does not mean being a vassal" after visiting China.

EU describes China as "systemic rival": TRUE. Since March 2019, the EU officially designates China as "a cooperation partner, negotiating partner, economic competitor, and systemic rival."

"Europe repeatedly protected China during COVID": INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE. No specific examples were provided to fact-check. Josep Borrell actually warned about Chinese propaganda during COVID

 

[otto105]

Her ya’ go darlin’

'If they pull the plug here, we will be socially destroyed' says the German people as they struggle to imagine life without U.S. airbase | Fortune

The wider sense of shock at the changing transatlantic dynamic is felt in Ramstein, where many residents have lived closely with American service personnel and their families for decades.

fortune.com

“They’re also important customers here, for everything from real estate to nail studios,” she said. “If they weren’t here, Ramstein would be bankrupt.”

The article actually shows how much of a simpleton you are hollie. Without that base or other bases in Europe where would we go.

Turkey?

 

[Hollie]

The article actually shows how much of a simpleton you are hollie. Without that base or other bases in Europe where would go.

Turkey?

Your untreated syphilis infection is displaying obvious symptoms regarding your cognitive decline.

“Without that base or other bases in Europe where would go.”

You have obvious brain damage.

 

[Rogue AI]

The article actually shows how much of a simpleton you are hollie. Without that base or other bases in Europe where would we go.

Turkey?

Why exactly do we need to be there at all?

 

[IM2]

If China is trying to cultivate such a division, Trump is making sure it happens.

 

[Rogue AI]

And you have proven my comment by what you have said. Because of that alliance, we have been able to stop terrorist attacks on our country due to the intelligence shared with us by the Europeans. Thats just one.

Have we really? We do have over a dozen intelligence agencies. Do you doubt their effectiveness? We haven't been there over 80 years because of terrorism. It is time to bring our people home, let the children off the apron strings and such. We have plenty to do in our own hemisphere.