Messages inadvertently shared with Atlantic journalist lay bare the unvarnished truth about how Vance and Hegseth feel about European allies
From the Article:
“If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again,” Vance replied. Hegseth agreed that “I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.” But, he added, “we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this.”
Miller, the Trump confidant, effectively ended the conversation by saying that the president had been clear. “Green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return.”
“I think we are making a mistake,” wrote Vance, adding that while only 3% of US trade goes through the Suez canal, 40% of European trade does. “There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary,” he added. “The strongest reason to do this is, as [Trump] said, to send a message."
Vance was contending that once again the United States is doing what Europe should be.
Houthis wouldn't be attacking ships if it weren't for the US' meddling in the Middle East.
Waltz, a foreign policy traditionalist, said: “It will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes.” But he agreed that the administration sought to “compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans”.
Maybe we should levy on the US the costs of the multiple refugee crises they have caused in our neighborhood
It's Europeans fault too. For too long we followed the same line with USA on the middle east crisis, and many have no problem with the genocide that is on the work there. The neighbourhood of Europe (and now even part of it) is unstable from poverty and war, and we were fine with that.
Most of the issues really have been created by Europe. Jewish settlement was supported by the British for a long time. Not creating a Kurdish state was also a massive mistake, which has a good chance of leading to a genocide in Syria right now. Sudan was drawn up by the Brits and that mess has been in civil war for ages. Not to mention Germany with the Holocaust, forcing millions of Jews to the Palastine.
That is not to say the US is perfect, but especially the UK and France really created a lot of the fault lines.
@nuko147@Damage Bullshit... The Americans were the first ones to kick the anthill... Yes, you could blame us for standing by and watching them do it and sometimes even helping, but that's what you do when your (back then) friend asks you for help.
Article 5 proved to be a bit of a trap card, because that's the reason Europe was dragged into the post 9/11 middle eastern wars, but I guess European NATO countries could've just ignored it or whatever.
What’s incredible is the extent kool aid is being drunk.
It’s easy to imagine the admin's distaste of Europe being largely theatre for self serving purposes, but no, they really look down on Europe. They really view a purely transactional, begrudging relationship as desirable, like old allies are just filthy liberals.
…I guess this is another Nazi parallel. Where some parties/groups thought the antisemitism was partially for show.
But also, that is bonkers. Disconnecting from Europe will devastate the US, just to start. The Nazis were at least coldly pragmatic, but it feels like ideology has completely detached much of our country from reality, and it goes down the whole stack.
This would be a great moment to remind conservatives as well as everyone in general that the United States has been the only ally that has invoked Article 5 of NATO.
And even that shitshow was sketchy asf. I'm not saying it was an inside job but like, it seems like they took advantage of the tragedy to the fullest extent.
How is it possible to "accidentally" add a reporter from the Atlantic magazine to a Signal group chat? You can't tell me this wasn't deliberate.
Imho it was deliberately leaked by someone in the administration who wants to drive a wedge between the transatlantic partnership. Beneficiaries: Russia, China.
Just like Vance's hissy fit with Zelensky and his speech on Munich security conferences were all deliberately staged stunts. Vance is probably getting paid by Russia to do this.
Btw. 60% of maritime EU-China trade goes over the Suez canal, so China is also a huge beneficiary of keeping the canal open, yet China contributed absolutely nothing to keep it open, so why didn't Vance and Hegseth call China a "freeloader"?
How is it possible to "accidentally" add a reporter from the Atlantic magazine to a Signal group chat? You can't tell me this wasn't deliberate.
It's doable if you're grossly and utterly incompetent while also being convinced that you're the smartest bunch of people on earth (so mistakes are impossible).
Btw. 60% of maritime EU-China trade goes over the Suez canal, so China is also a huge beneficiary of keeping the canal open, yet China contributed absolutely nothing to keep it open, so why didn’t Vance and Hegseth call China a “freeloader”?
China has a deal with the Houthis so they do not attack Chinese ships.
Btw. 60% of maritime EU-China trade goes over the Suez canal, so China is also a huge beneficiary of keeping the canal open, yet China contributed absolutely nothing to keep it open, so why didn’t Vance and Hegseth call China a “freeloader”?
Because you can not charge an enemy as freeloader, accusing him of doing nothing to save his trade. If he is doing nothing and he is an enemy, why are you helping him then? The big picture is sending a message to Iran, they do not give a fuck about the trade, its only an excuse to send us the bill.
Houthis are not attacking European ships. They are enforcing a blockade on Israeli ships in protest of Gaza politic of starvation and more recently US ships due to US bombardments.
They're attacking ships with any link to Israel, any ships mistakenly believed to have any link to Israel, any ships that might have links to Israel, and any ships that go by while they're bored
The problem is these dipshits don't understand what soft power is. We get a ton in return for our investment. USD is the reserve currency of the world(for now). We get trade deals, we get cheaper goods, we get allies that when we invoked article 5 they showed the fuck up...yet here's these braindead fucks who think this is somehow making us look strong by telling everyone we need something in return....we already get something in return you smooth brained cock wagons.
And the US gets to sell their weapons to allies. This acts as a subsidy on the development of new weapons systems, and prevents possible competitors from developing theirs. It is easier to win a war when your opponent cant make any weapons, or cant scale their weapon making fast enough.
It also provides an ever present treat to Europe:
All those US bases scattered over the European continent are a reminder that Europe is free to choose their own political path, as long as they don't deviate much from what Washington approves.
American exceptionalism and arrogance on full display. They're #1, and everyone else sucks. We can't even wipe our arses without the guiding hand of the great bald eagle, they saved our arses in WWII and are responsible for taking care of everything ever in human history