What does it bother the US? Why do they care?

Good lord, I’m starting to REALLY hate Israel for playing the anti-semitism card whenever it feels like it. They’re weaponizing it, bluntly. At best, this inflationary use doesn’t cause any harm other than watering down the meaning of the word antisemitism. However, at worst it becomes the very reason for the genocide against all of Israels perceived enemies. Which is happening right now.

I like this quote:

“Back in the days, an antisemite was a person, who didn’t like jews. Today, an antisemite is a person, who jews don’t like.” (A holocaust survivor. Forgot the name.)

Because yet another SUV model is exactly what we need right now /s

Thanks for the thoughtful response and the well-reasoned arguments. Sometimes it is difficult to get a proper reality check when your own perspective is not seriously challenged. I think you actually convinced me and shifted my view closer to yours.

Since you seem very well informed, I would also be interested in your opinion on something else: I have the impression that the US and Russia are slowly but steadily moving toward strategic alignment. Perhaps this is because the US increasingly sees Russia as a potential geopolitical partner against the PRC.

What concerns me is that this dynamic reminds me, at least superficially, of the logic behind the Molotov-Ribbentrop-Pact between the USSR and the Third Reich. Do you think it is unreasonable to fear that Moscow and Washington could eventually seek to divide Europe into spheres of influence between themselves? Both powers appear to have imperial ambitions, and both seem increasingly determined to preserve or expand their respective spheres of influence.

Sure, Europe is far from defenseless. But a large-scale two-front conflict, especially if coordinated and sudden, would likely overwhelm Europe’s current military and political capacities. What’s your opinion on that?

Interesting point. My gut feeling tells me the opposite, since the tone of the discourse between the blocs changed to the worse. And Europe still likes to appease the US. But I see your point. US soft power slowly erodes away.

With all these authoritarian things coming from the Trump admin, I honestly wonder why the EU still clings to the US and is so doubtful when it comes to going its own way. I am convinced that the US has colonial plans for Europe. Change my mind. Is the EU leadership füll of Transatlanticists, who still cling to the order if the past decades? Or do they think, that Europe will be whiped out as soon as the US pulls out? I honestly dont get it, please enlighten me.

Ffs, the 22 points manifesto from billionaire Peter Thiel openly calls for including big tech into the US’s defensive/imperial apparatus. This means we need expect big tech and all the possible digital media/propaganda tools to turn on us at any time. Remember, Trump’s new NDS wants the EU in a submissive and subjugated position, so if we let them (or big tech) turn us into powerless vassals, they will take that chance immediately. It only takes a moment of weakness on our side. And they are already testing the waters.

So how about we set an example by swiftly denying market access to non-complicit companies who pull off BS like this? Maybe it doesnt need more than a single, powerfull signal. Honest question, what could go wrong?

Merz is clearly a POS, but his criticism is the first time I’ve heard him say something reasonable.

“Unwarranted intervention” is pretty convenient when you own the platform and write all the rules to unfairly benefit yourself. Android/Playstore is not a neutral marketplace under those conditions. Non-intervention is not neutral either. It locks in default power and keeps competitors at a disadvantage.

So the only sensible option is to regulate the heck out of big tech.

I mean this was the inevitable outcome of clinging to combustion motors and leaving the EV market to the Chinese.

For context, in case you are not aware of the details regarding the Bundeswehr: In Germany we regularly joke about the incompetence of the BW. After WW2 the forces were deliberatly kept small. Over the years, and after the cold war, the budget was further slashed. So the already aged equipment did age further without replacement. Even maintainance cycles were streamlined to save money. It was only in the 2010s, that a report showed that hardly any motorized army vehicle is functioning, let alone ready for combat. Maybe I am a bit overly dramatic here, but Germany was basically defenseless 10 years ago. So saying that Germanys elites are continuing with their work from 80 years ago is somewhat of a stretch, and honestly made me chuckle a bit.

Of course a nations propaganda always portrays it’s own military as “the good guys” or “meant for defence only”. But I would carefully argue that Germany really isn’t that big of an imperialist nation right now, and looking at the Bundeswehr, I highly doubt that we will build an empire anytime soon.

Did he threaten the Falklands, too? I’m out of the loop on his constant bullshittery.

“Trump’s security priorities lie elsewhere” - this is sane-washing, ffs. Just yesterday I argued with self-proclaimed MAGA people (or maybe undercover Russian trolls?) on YouTube. Both argued, that Russia is by far the better partner for the US, because (quotes):

“Europe is weak and has nothing to offer”,

“Europe is a parasite”,

“Europe is actively destroying the US”,

“Europe is friends with Biden!!”,

“EU is not a democracy, but an autocratic dictatoraship”,

“Russia is a real save heaven, a conservative and functioning democracy”,

and my favourite: “Europe will have no other choice than come begging on its knees for US oil. Then Europe will finally be where it eff’ing belongs.”

MAGA consists of nothing but hatred. And that hatred flows right where Fox and Friends point their finger at. Right now, that’s not Russia, nor China, but the democratic strongholds, like Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Europe, etc. - the US was lobbied so intensively by big tech and big oil, that it now has a serious problem with foreign countries being democratic or having checks and balances. And the MAGA folks are nothing but tools for those neofascists.

I honestly cannot remember the last time the US acted respectfully.

As a German, I am very much ashamed for my government. Our ‘reason of state’ (Staatsräson) should not be about protecting Israel, but about preventing fascism & genocides.

I do not think that generalisation quite holds. The Left was never part of a federal government, and the party consistently advocated higher wages, stronger workers’ rights, and broader social protections.

That said, to be fair, The Left was often part of state governments in eastern Germany. In that context, it did have at least limited opportunities to legislate in favour of ordinary people. Many of those people nevertheless grew frustrated and felt let down, because their economic situation did not improve under left-led governments. I would argue, however, that this is only secondary. Primarily, I’d say the rise of the AfD is due to factors rooted in federal politics, flawed decisions made after German reunification, globalisation, deficits regarding political education, and in more recent years: Russian influence.

Looks like the attack on Iran is also an indirect attack on energy transition technologies by reducing the availability of stuff like Sulphur, Aluminium, synthetic Graphite, …

If this was a calculated move to do some fossil fuel lobbyists a favor, then it once again shows this administrations incompetence. Governments already increased their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels as a reaction to the war. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/war-spurs-eu-plan-electricity-tax-cuts-faster-shift-fossil-fuels-draft-shows-2026-04-14/

That is a rather sweeping proposition. Do you want to elaborate?

Im a bit out of the loop on this one. Does anyone know why so many western governments are pushing for some kind of legislation towards age-id-verification? They say it’s to protect the youth, but I don’t buy our governments suddenly turning into altruistic patrons. So… what’s the real reason? What’s the hidden agenda? Data Acquisition? Survaillance? Chat Control?