Europe’s century of humiliation

8 comments

1. Okay buddy, this is doing too much. Comparing modern Europe to the chaotic Chinese Century of Humiliation is asinine. 

   Especially when the aftermath of WW2 and the Cold War was so much worse for Europe’s geopolitical situation. The tariffs are a tough lesson but nevertheless were meant to provoke European nations into rearmament when they’ve been neutered for decades. 

2. > Even worse, the pledge to buy $750 billion worth of US energy ($250 billion annually over three years) is pure fantasy: the EU’s annual energy expenditure falls far short of that, not to mention that US frackers do not have the capacity to sell Europe so much oil and gas even if the Europeans were willing and able to buy it.

   You silly goose, who says anything about _more_ oil and gas. It’s just going to be more expensive for the same thing as before.

   > Imports from Russia declined from over 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2021 to less than 52 bcm in 2024. This was mainly compensated for by growing imports from other partners. Imports from the US increased from 18.9 bcm in 2021 to 45.1 bcm in 2024. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-the-eu-s-gas-come-from/#0

   In their bid to “diversify” their energy sources away from bad Russia that just sold you stuff from a pipe, EU became more dependent on US LNG, the freedom molecules with a lot of strings attached. Diversifying away from this 16.5%+ of total demand now that it’s a liability and additional leverage for the US is not going to be easy with how all the energy markets have been depleted and all available volumes already bought and contracted for.

   Just about everything EU has been doing in the last couple of years have been patently suicidal, so it’s not a surprise the early onset of a culmination gets to look something like this.

   Europe will do as it’s told. It has no agency or strategy of its own, and it offsourced a few too many important things to someone else they are now being held all but hostage for. American economy needs to eat too, and it has Europe grabbed by you know what. It’s a really sad state of affairs.

   Good article, btw.

3. umm, nobody is humiliating you. literally just pay for your own military and stop bragging about your free healthcare and looking down on america. america is paying for it. nobody can humiliate you if you pay for it yourself.

4. Europe is about to have a [Cultural Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution) too if the right keeps winning the battle of misinformation.

5. Varoufakis is interesting to read and to listen to. He completely nails some points or topics but completely fails on others. I would love listening to him more, but the fact he more and more goes in hand with actual state-paid propagandists of foreign powers is shameful. He doesnt strike me as an “All-European patriot”, but he seems to genuinely want Europe to be strong. Seeing him interact with people who put on a mask about liking Europe while they deeply hate it (Janssen comes to my mind instantly) is so hypocritical of him its insane.

   Also, calling this the century of humiliation is just laughable. The concessions on China were much more devastating, will last for much longer, and have sparked 3 devastating civil wars + aided in Chinese weakness in the 2nd World War. A shitty trade deal that will get renotiated, if not torn apart, in favour of renewed free trade in 4 years is literally scoop of sand in a desert compared to that.

   Some of the content of this article is nothing but truth but he doesnt take into account our situation in the East and his conclussion is completely off base.

6. Are there mass starvations and deadly civil wars in Europe? Territories being ceded?

   Civilains being massacred by imperial powers? Live biotic experiments and vivisections?

   It’s those braindead duh ah “Chinese fentanyl sales are the new Opium War” takes again

   British Empire literally pointed a gun at us for our anti-drug policies.

   Fuck off with your colonialism-apologetic narrative.

7. The comparison with China is exaggerated but it’s interesting how, despite all the negative rhetoric and the derogatory comments directed at the current US President, especially in more left leaning sides like Reddit tends to be, and I am not really his supporter in any way, he used the tools he had to negotiate and seemingly is getting results that are going to leave his country with an advantageous situation. And apparently, there’s not much room for backlash because simply put, the EU isn’t steady, strong enough for it.

   The Americans have been too kind to their allies. It doesn’t seem like we are in a situation like post-war or polarized Cold War times, where it was beneficial for America to strengthen their Allies and it waa crucial to keep as many on their side.

   We are in a multi-polar World with multiple blocks that will have to mostly act independently and protect their interests.

   And so far, Europe, they are kind of failing to play this game in a favorable way for them on the long run.
   Is there going to be anything left of Europe in a few decades that isn’t owned by foreigners? It looks to me like Europe is being slowly bought by Chinese, Americans and others, while their population gets old, birth rates are very low and immigration at the same time keeps things afloat, to the chagrin of some, it also slowly replaces the local community and with thatl the local culture.

8. This article wants to describe a sledgehammer as a scalpel. He’s spent much of America’s amassed goodwill and geopolitical influence to… set some tariffs.

   But apparently the important thing is humiliating Europe? Article wants to treat this as a brilliant and cunning scheme, but also justify it because of some enmity against… America’s traditional allies?

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