Natasha Wright
And most importantly, is the EU brave enough to dare oppose the USA?
Kim Dotcom, a Finnish-German metaphorical Robin Hood of the online piracy based in New Zealand has published on Twitter a perfectly accurate diagnosis of the current sad state of the geopolitical affairs: First, the US government has got the EU involved in a proxy war with Russia. Then onward we go the sanctions against Russia destroy the economy of EU and then the USA passes a new law so that they are able to support the EU industry by way of (c)overt bribery and lure them one way or another to move their businesses to the USA. On that occasion, Kim asked a rhetorical question 'How stupid can the EU politicians be? They were 'used' with ill intentions all along and literally ripped off right before their eyes. This analysis shows that the Collective West has lapsed into a terminal dying stage of devouring itself/themselves to their own possibly inevitable death. This analysis is surely rather uncomfortable in its Freudian unbequeme Wahrheit potential but it is true and spot on. We can see this analysis lends itself to the gory details of the rip off of the EU by the USA.
Some of these estimates might come across as only too sensationalist and mere scandal mongering to some, but the grim consequences of this savage feast where Europe will be the mouthwatering main course will not be merely sensationalist in nature. European industry is being transferred to the USA - the Financial Times reports. The politicians alert us of the exodus of investors to the other side of the Atlantic because of the more affordable gas prices and additionally thanks to the brand-new US incentive measures. The deafening toll of the political warning bells in the EU resounds, ushering in the new economic and financial package measures by the Biden administration with fanfare or with 369 billion US dollars in subsidies to be more precise and too high energy prices in Europe where even with the recent price decreases, the gas remains five times more expensive than in the USA. Financial Times refer to Emmanuel Macron's words that we desperately need a wake-up call in Europe. Robert Habeck, German Vice Chancellor and minister of economy, is also being quoted with his panic driven warnings that the US is sucking up all the EU finances.
Politico, which was acquired by Axel Springer, a German new publishing company a year and a half ago for one billion dollars, says in what sounds like a very alarmed tone that the clock is ticking for the truce with the Biden government. Politico has always been in favor of EU - USA close ties in politics, economy and finances, which seems to be dwindling away in its probable future prospects. There are only six weeks more to go to avert a Transatlantic proverbial shootout. The Germans come across as rather frustrated because the Biden administration has not come out with any sort of a peace offer whatsoever. With the 1st January 2023 fast approaching, which is the date for the Green Agenda for business to start being enforced, the bogeyman for the Europeans scaring them to bits (and surely out of their coffers), is that all these US investments and subsidies are bound to get them to flee far away from Europe (and its bankers' vaults). These protectionist measures cannot be any worse than they are now because Germany seems to be as if they are already developing a panic disorder since their cutting edge companies are 'pulling up stakes' in order to leave for more arable pastures and make their investments elsewhere. Namely, to the USA.
The last thing the political Berlin needs now is more financial stimuli and subsidies for the business people and investors to give up Europe and 'run for the US hills'.
If this heated argument between the USA and EU turns into a fiery feud, there is bound to be a trade war between the USA and EU of which the Europeans 'under siege' fear the most. The business portal Bloomberg reports that tensions are running high in Europe because of the growing social inequality compared to that in the USA. Eurozone trade surplus has turned into a trade deficit because too high gas prices merely make the European consumers poorer while at the same time get the US exporters richer.
New American protectionist measures along the lines of investments and subsidies for the home producers seem to be rubbing salt in the wounds of the EU producers. Even Henry Kissinger famously said back in the day "It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." because US has attacked allies for whom it supposedly guaranteed security.
Bloomberg adds that so-called sleek diplomacy cannot conceal the truth that the US and EU views differ hugely in that China is the US chief rival and Berlin's major interest is to keep their main trade relations, which are in fact with China.
These are one of the gaping fault lines in the relations between USA and EU due to which the odds are of a forthcoming conflict. Bloomberg goes on to say that the US tends to arrogantly think that the EU is not doing enough in that they are not sending off sufficient military and financial support to the Kiev regime and it is not strong enough in properly opposing China. The Berlin position that Beijing is 'a business partner, and a competitor and a rival' is too vague and elusive a concept for Washington. Bloomberg goes on to further recommend the EU in their typical Anglo-Saxon cynicism, their well and proven tactics 'divide and rule', tried and tested far too many times. Even though France is now well aligned with the USA, France may well assume the position similar to that of Washington and even more so than the position of Berlin. China is France's fifth business partner all in all, while it is the second one for Germany. When Macron met Xi at the G20 Bali Summit, arguably he seemed to have been much more aligned with the Biden administration than he was with Olaf Scholz. Meanwhile in Germany, the leader of the governing Liberal party of North Rhine Westphalia keeps calling for help 'We have been deprived of all the energy supply and now the Russian gas is being taken away from us. The situation in this German province/state, which is the most energy intensive, is particularly dramatic.
The famed German business model as such is under a most severe breakneck pressure. We have to ask ourselves whether in ten years there will be anybody here to produce anything at all and be competitive in the global market? How justifiable is this frightening gloom and doom view of the world?
What on Earth is the USA doing to their EU allies? And most importantly, is the EU brave enough to dare oppose the USA?