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European Council President says Trump poses threat to Europe

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-Plasma Reus-

-Plasma Reus-

Service guarantees member status
R

robertsan21

Member
Good stuff.
Never thought I would say this: But I have also decided not to travel to the US until Trump is out and they have sane person in charge of the country.

Boycott USA.
 
V

Vagabundo

Member
Trump Response:
SxwZHoG.gif
Click to expand...
 
Gormless Noodle

Gormless Noodle

Member
It might not survive regardless, if the next batch of elections follow the current populist trend. Brexit has already been a massive blow, leaving a vacuum I don't think can be filled. Pressure is piling on from all angles really, if it manages to get through all of this I'll be thoroughly impressed, but in all honesty, things are looking very bleak.
 
A

Air

Banned
Good, because he very much is a threat to Europe (ironic due to the white nationalists love for Europe)
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
It is not an attack, but a declaration. And while unusually blunt by European standards, it stops short of calling Trump an existential threat. I dislike The Independent's sensationalist title and I've edited this thread as such.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press-releases-pdf/2017/1/47244654122_en.pdf

The challenges currently facing the European Union are more dangerous than ever before in the time since the signature of the Treaty of Rome. Today we are dealing with three threats, which have previously not occurred, at least not on such a scale.

The first threat, an external one, is related to the new geopolitical situation in the world and around Europe. An increasingly, let us call it, assertive China, especially on the seas, Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and its neighbours, wars, terror and anarchy in the Middle East and in Africa, with radical Islam playing a major role, as well as worrying declarations by the new American administration all make our future highly unpredictable. For the first time in our history, in an increasingly multipolar external world, so many are becoming openly anti-European, or Eurosceptic at best. Particularly the change in Washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation; with the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy.

The second threat, an internal one, is connected with the rise in anti-EU, nationalist, increasingly xenophobic sentiment in the EU itself. National egoism is also becoming an attractive alternative to integration. In addition, centrifugal tendencies feed on mistakes made by those, for whom ideology and institutions have become more important than the interests and emotions of the people.

The third threat is the state of mind of the pro-European elites. A decline of faith in political integration, submission to populist arguments as well as doubt in the fundamental values of liberal democracy are all increasingly visible.
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We should use the change in the trade strategy of the US to the EU's advantage by intensifying our talks with interested partners, while defending our interests at the same time. The European Union should not abandon its role as a trade superpower which is open to others, while protecting its own citizens and businesses, and remembering that free trade means fair trade. We should also firmly defend the international order based on the rule of law. We cannot surrender to those who want to weaken or invalidate the Transatlantic bond, without which global order and peace cannot survive. We should remind our American friends of their own motto:
United we stand, divided we fall
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That said, I'm sure the EU's apparatus is already working on contingency plans. The transatlantic friendship may be no more in a few months if things go the way they are going and an isolationist America may greatly increase the EU's profile it it manages to keep its shit together. Which may be difficult considering that America's potential ambassador to the EU relishes the idea of dismantling the EU. Either way, America is no longer a trusted ally.
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
FDR, Truman, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama were and all for maintaining important alliances with European allies for peace and stand on guard of the Soviet/Russian threat

Trump is a traitor to all 10 Presidents who preceded him.

Trump has a 19th Century isolationist World View which will lead American into obscurity
 
N

Nerazar

Member
Putin's plan works, great! Now Donald can declare Russia an ally, maybe even put out a "Treaty of Friendship between the US and Russia", splitting the world among both, and we can see what happens.

But yes, the EU has to work and live without the US now. The way Trump "leads" his country, he cannot be considered a reliable ally. One day he states that NATO is obsolete, the next day he states something entirely different. One day he states that Russia never invaded Ukraine, just to tell us that he meant that they wouldn't do when he was President. Now that he is President, they invade the country bigly and what? No reaction from him.

I think that the EU is strong enough to pull it off. Our society is no longer caught by surprise facing the propaganda styles of Putin and Trump and we have upped our game. It will require a lot of effort, but I am willing to do my part. And if that fails, to prepare for worse.
 
M

mnz

Unconfirmed Member
Can someone explain to me what the US could gain from an anti-EU stance? I just don't get it. It makes no geopolitical sense whatsoever.
 
T

Toxi

Banned
mnz said:
Can someone explain to me what the US could gain from an anti-EU stance? I just don't get it. It makes no geopolitical sense whatsoever.
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Nothing. They're our biggest trading partner.

None of this makes any sense from a practical standpoint.
 
Q

QuicheFontaine

Member
Funky Papa said:
It is not an attack, but a declaration. And while unusually blunt by European standards, it stops short of calling Trump an existential threat. I dislike The Independent's sensationalist title and I've edited this thread as such.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press-releases-pdf/2017/1/47244654122_en.pdf

That said, I'm sure the EU's apparatus is already working on contingency plans. The transatlantic friendship may be no more in a few months if things go the way they are going and an isolationist America may greatly increase the EU's profile it it manages to keep its shit together. Which may be difficult considering that America's potential ambassador to the EU relishes the idea of dismantling the EU. Either way, America is no longer a trusted ally.
Click to expand...

A bit strange to complain about sensationalism and then say the bolded imo. The translatlantic friendship runs a bit deeper than that, surely? It's not just dependent on who is in the White House for the next 4
(8)
years. It's forged by multitudes of personal connections and business relationships that exist independently of the political landscape. I'm not cancelling any business trips to the states because I disagree with Trump's immigration policy, for example.
 
M

mnz

Unconfirmed Member
QuicheFontaine said:
A bit strange to complain about sensationalism and then say the bolded imo. The translatlantic friendship runs a bit deeper than that, surely? It's not just dependent on who is in the White House for the next 4
(8)
years. It's forged by multitudes of personal connections and business relationships that exist independently of the political landscape. I'm not cancelling any business trips to the states because I disagree with Trump's immigration policy, for example.
Click to expand...
Well the German VP of the transatlantic bloc in the parliament might not be able to travel to the US anymore, so there goes one connection lol.
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
QuicheFontaine said:
A bit strange to complain about sensationalism and then say the bolded imo. The translatlantic friendship runs a bit deeper than that, surely? It's not just dependent on who is in the White House for the next 4
(8)
years. It's forged by multitudes of personal connections and business relationships that exist independently of the political landscape. I'm not cancelling any business trips to the states because I disagree with Trump's immigration policy, for example.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking about multinationals doing business at both sides of the ocean* nor individuals. I'm talking about diplomacy and governance. The potential American envoy to the EU is openly hostile towards the EU and wishes to break it down. This is a fact. An unprecedented one. The WH's chief strategist also has the same aims.

America and the EU won't become warring actors, but they won't remain in friendly terms. Barring some surprising events, there's going to be mutual distrust from now on. At best, our relationship is going to go from close and friendly to neutral and seeded with wariness.


*this may also change depending on economic policies.
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
mnz said:
Can someone explain to me what the US could gain from an anti-EU stance? I just don't get it. It makes no geopolitical sense whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Not if you're Russia!

The only positive I could see from it would be the EU finally building a standing Army of their own, rather than relying on America. Which would be beneficial to the US, since it would be a relief to their over bloated, over funded military budget. Which has been a crutch for many countries since WWII.

Now, that is under the assumption the US would actually invest that money into their own failing programs back home... Fucking LOL. You know,everything from health care, infrastructure, energy, education, etc. Basically. FUCKING LOL.

But for the EU, it's going to be disastrous either way. Many of the smaller countries are propped up by the bigger ones, that have also been reliant on being Allies with the US for their defense rather than their own military funding. It's going to be a hard gap to fill. And breaking up the EU is both in the benefit of China and Russia.
 
Z

Zaph

Member
If he selects Theodore Roosevelt Malloch as ambassador, then it removes any doubt.

A superpower that's peaked and is now flailing can only become stronger by attempting to weaken what it feels are its competitors
 
X

Xando

Member
QuicheFontaine said:
A bit strange to complain about sensationalism and then say the bolded imo. The translatlantic friendship runs a bit deeper than that, surely? It's not just dependent on who is in the White House for the next 4
(8)
years. It's forged by multitudes of personal connections and business relationships that exist independently of the political landscape. I'm not cancelling any business trips to the states because I disagree with Trump's immigration policy, for example.
Click to expand...

When the Presidents top advisor works with fake news and right wing propaganda that's no behaviour for an ally. That's what Putin does.

Also Trump has been very open about his anti EU sentiment.Trump literally threatens germany with a tradewar and thinks NATO is obsolete anyway.



It's time we start rearming to be independent from Trump and the americans.
It's clear they (and to a lower extent the UK) have different interests than us.
 
M

mnz

Unconfirmed Member
shintoki said:
Not if you're Russia!

The only positive I could see from it would be the EU finally building a standing Army of their own, rather than relying on America. Which would be beneficial to the US, since it would be a relief to their over bloated, over funded military budget. Which has been a crutch for many countries since WWII.

Now, that is under the assumption the US would actually invest that money into their own failing programs back home... Fucking LOL. You know,everything from health care, infrastructure, energy, education, etc. Basically. FUCKING LOL.
Click to expand...
This narrative that the US actually wants to have fewer troops in Europe is pretty new. They had plenty of opportunities after the Soviet Union collapsed, but they wanted those bases and use them for all sorts of things. Drone operations are apparently executed from Germany, for example.
 
S

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
mnz said:
This narrative that the US actually wants to have fewer troops in Europe is pretty new. They had plenty of opportunities after the Soviet Union collapsed, but they wanted those bases and use them for all sorts of things. Drone operations are apparently executed from Germany, for example.
Click to expand...

Not really, scaling down military efforts has been on the block every single year. More now then ever after the collapse of the USSR.

By neither side wants to do anything about it. While both will bring it up that they want to be "independent".
It benefits the US, since they are the only country in the world that basically has bases in every Continent. They can strike anywhere in a few hours.
It also benefits the countries the bases are stationed in since it means they are under the protection of the only military super power in the world.

It also typically grants a stronger trade relationship, but it is also the single biggest expenditure of the US every single year by several folds. Its not a new narrative at all. It comes up every year.... but it's easier to blame social security, welfare, and other shit. Nor do a lot of countries under their shield want to fully replace the US either, since military is always a massive drain on the economy.
 
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