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.
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.