Seems logical, China being the second largest trading partner for Europe, empowering consumers with cheap products and affordable electric cars. Meanwhile the only thing the US is empowering is genocides and inflation.
I guess this is so in many more places, we look at the world and wonder who has power. Most Europeans will see two big players: China and the US.
China (unlike Russia) was never a true enemy, but neither ever a true ally. It has been going back and forth between a dependable business partner and a hostile state, stealing technological secrets, overflowing our market with unsafe low-cost goods.
The US behaved like a dependable friend for a long time. They did things we ('the rest of the west') didn't like, but they also helped us out all the time. Obvious to anyone here, this is no longer the case. We cannot predict whether their next policy will help or hurt us, the only thing we can say for sure it will be whatever works best for them. That's not the behaviour of an ally.
I sincerely wonder what the future holds. China doesn't have to be an enemy of the west and vice versa. But i guess we (or actually, each world leader) all have to choose how we position ourselves on the global stage.
I agree with you except for "the only thing we can say for sure it will be whatever works best for them. "
Too often lately US policy hurts US interests as well (giving Argentina billions of dollars to support their beef industry, for example).
Yeah it's no longer a question of what is in America's interests, it's now what is in the interests of a small number of billionaires who control the US govt. If it gives power or money to the Fanta Felon and his henchmen that's the choice they'll make.
Your Argentina example is exactly that - he doesnt mind hurting Americans if it helps his cronies
If you mean Chinese propaganda, then I'd say you're mistaken
China doesn't need to do shit to look good at this point as the orange cheeto has worked so hard to pull the US through the mud. Not that the US was ever a normal non evil country before, it has been evil at least since WWII, but trump really just dropped all pretences.
Well to be fair, it literally was still happening in our parents' or grandparents' time. People born in 1940 were still involved in the kidnapping of Congolese children and bringing them to belgium, and the issue of racism here is still extremely prevelant and widespread.
But yes, we try to bury it here like there Americans do about slavery. Germans are far more open about the Nazis and get far, far more education about it in school.
Imo the Germans really deserve props with how they treat their black page, compared to how other countries around them still try to hide what they did during colonial times (which to some extent, continues to present day)
20 Comments
CovertOperative@piefed.zip · 56 pts · 83d
But not as the biggest adversary, which is the other half of Belgium.
flandish@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 83d
they should because the US is a terrorist state.
blackbeans@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 83d
Seems logical, China being the second largest trading partner for Europe, empowering consumers with cheap products and affordable electric cars. Meanwhile the only thing the US is empowering is genocides and inflation.
ieGod@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 83d
They are.
huppakee@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 83d
I guess this is so in many more places, we look at the world and wonder who has power. Most Europeans will see two big players: China and the US.
China (unlike Russia) was never a true enemy, but neither ever a true ally. It has been going back and forth between a dependable business partner and a hostile state, stealing technological secrets, overflowing our market with unsafe low-cost goods.
The US behaved like a dependable friend for a long time. They did things we ('the rest of the west') didn't like, but they also helped us out all the time. Obvious to anyone here, this is no longer the case. We cannot predict whether their next policy will help or hurt us, the only thing we can say for sure it will be whatever works best for them. That's not the behaviour of an ally.
I sincerely wonder what the future holds. China doesn't have to be an enemy of the west and vice versa. But i guess we (or actually, each world leader) all have to choose how we position ourselves on the global stage.
BigTwerp@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 83d
I agree with you except for "the only thing we can say for sure it will be whatever works best for them. " Too often lately US policy hurts US interests as well (giving Argentina billions of dollars to support their beef industry, for example).
thanksforallthefish@literature.cafe · 4 pts · 83d
Yeah it's no longer a question of what is in America's interests, it's now what is in the interests of a small number of billionaires who control the US govt. If it gives power or money to the Fanta Felon and his henchmen that's the choice they'll make.
Your Argentina example is exactly that - he doesnt mind hurting Americans if it helps his cronies
huppakee@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 83d
Yeah i guess i should have written what seems best for Trump & co.
nosuchanon@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 83d
China has only its own interests in mind. They don’t care about anyone else.
Not that America is very different.
bandanawearingbanana@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
As long as those interests do not include disrupting global supply chains and making me personally poorer, I'm fine with that.
stupidcasey@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 83d
Half of the Us sees the Us as a bigger threat than China, that's what propaganda will buy you.
phoenixz@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 82d
If you mean Chinese propaganda, then I'd say you're mistaken
China doesn't need to do shit to look good at this point as the orange cheeto has worked so hard to pull the US through the mud. Not that the US was ever a normal non evil country before, it has been evil at least since WWII, but trump really just dropped all pretences.
doingthestuff@lemy.lol · -1 pts · 83d
The US and China don't think of Belgium at all.
Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de · 16 pts · 83d
Yet they think of Brussels all the time.
Lucky_Acid@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 83d
Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de · 12 pts · 83d
As a black page in our history that happened before our time.
So about the same as how Germans view the Nazis. Or Americans see the transatlantic slave trade.
nednobbins@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 83d
Given Germany's uncritical embrace of Israel, it's pretty clear that the Nazis have not been forgotten.
The problem is that instead of learning to guard against fascism, Germany's lesson was that Israel is above criticism.
General_Effort@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 83d
As a German, I don't find this all that reassuring.
JustEnoughDucks@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 83d
Well to be fair, it literally was still happening in our parents' or grandparents' time. People born in 1940 were still involved in the kidnapping of Congolese children and bringing them to belgium, and the issue of racism here is still extremely prevelant and widespread.
But yes, we try to bury it here like there Americans do about slavery. Germans are far more open about the Nazis and get far, far more education about it in school.
huppakee@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 83d
Imo the Germans really deserve props with how they treat their black page, compared to how other countries around them still try to hide what they did during colonial times (which to some extent, continues to present day)
EatingOnions@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 83d
Most likely as not a direct threat
bitteroldcoot@piefed.social · -5 pts · 83d