I would love to resolidify the Atlantic alliances, but I'm not sure we can ever go back to having a relationship of anything more than "shared interests" again. Brussels is increasingly authoritarian. Their persecution of Hungary is shameful. What they did in Romania can only be described as a coup. These are not the actions of a people that value liberty or freedom or democracy.
Obviously Atlantic trading integration with Europe is superior to Pacific integration with China. But honestly, Brussels tactics increasingly look like scribbles from the CCP playbook. The EU already has pervasive CCTV. They're starting to hook that up to AI facial rec. Does anyone think they wouldn't institute a social credit system? (To keep the dangerous people like Marine LePen and Alice Weidel at bay, of course.)
And these are supposed to be our friends? The people we trust to supply us critical manufactured goods?
Concur 100% Brian, your spot on. Europe is working on building a police state as you have alluded to. That is what all of the immigration stuff is really about. London Brussels and Frankfurt tell us it is about building GDP to have enough young to support the old soon, like real soon. This demographic bomb was talked about for years, but the elites buried these people when they spoke out and shunned them, literally.
When your population and especially universities become socialists/ communists or basically really nihilists then you believe in nothing. No belief system no way to deal with hard times. This is easy when times are good. You can be weak and it doesn't matter. But that can only go on for so long as history has proven time and time again. This has happened time and time again in cultures and civilizations that were conquered, and mostly because for one reason or another lost their beliefs in their own society. So, Europe is probably gone, they lost it 100 years ago. The USA is still up for grabs. The 2028 elections will see which way we go? Liberals come back we will go as we did before. Conservatives better embrace some commonplace themes to placate the people. The republican party of today still lacks. No affinity for working people. Your middle class. They lack.
So, police state yes i agree it is coming and fast.
The era of economy for economy’s sake is over. The western democracies have grown used to relying on the US for security and focus on their economies on maximizing consumer spending. Those days are gone. I am not sure if they could recover psychologically from these ‘good days’ and dig deep into themselves to become manly again. Simple substitution of China for US will backfire for sure. Besides ideological differences, these countries still enjoy a far more affluent life style than the average Chinese do, you think the Chinese would foot the security bill at their own expense? That’s pure fantasy. Grow up, people, before it’s too late.
China still wants to give payback for their deep humility back in the early 1800's. Ok got it. (Don't we all of some from of humility in us, I do. Please, get over yourselves). But I have read some on this and I get a take that seems very similar to today. When Europeans, British and a few Americans went there to trade the Chinese basically said no go away nothing to do with you. Your big nosed uncouth stinky loud barbarians. Of course, they didn't we wanted the cool things they had and made. China said to them, look you have nothing I want! Nothing. BUT then they said they did want one thing and one thing only, Silver (China backed their system with silver, the west with gold). So, as all of the silver flowed out of Europe and especially London this became a great great problem. To solve this the Brits came up with the system of using Opium to trade for the tea and other stuff they wanted to take back to Europe. This took care of the giving up all of their silver to China (Sounds kinda familiar in a way here, doesn't it?) to get their stuff to go back to Europe.
A lot of similarities in that time as today. I find it interesting when I read. Fentanyl ties into all of this too.
Funny you said would the Chinese finance Europe like we had been doing!? ha lol so hilarious. Not in a million years!
Your story line was out of date. What happened in the 19th century had little to do with the rise of China since 1978. The Chinese avoided the suicidal pride of the past this time around and really went capitalistic ways, not the free kind but in a state directed and controlled way. That worked, at least worked well enough to be a fast follower. Given its huge size, even moderate success means dominance as a national power. The free world must learn how to deal with the new China, not the 19th century one. I am afraid that the West is wholly unprepared for that. The US is the first to wake up and is now experimenting with some strategies (eg tariffs). Other western democracies are still clueless as are the media and the economists here in US. They will wake up one day and find themselves on the street unless they mend their ways, fast! Trump might and will make mistakes but at least he is trying. The economists such as this author are sophisticated but clueless
I still see some similarities to early 1800's China and us today in many regards.
But yes, you are so right. And yes, Trump is trying. However, he is fighting against a lot of people who have made fortunes off of the present corrupt system. Defense industry/ Pentagon, CIA, many politicians, Wall St/ TBTF bankers. They own the media so they have many weapons to try to keep this going as long as they can. And they may still win especially if the old liberals come back into power.
Of course, that’s how civilizations rise and fall, change is not optional. Those who fail adapting to new circumstances die as did the China of 19th century. The West of 21st century could follow its steps unless we learn to adapt ourselves to new realities. The beneficiaries of the old ways will fight tooth and nail to hold on to the existing system by default. This is beyond good and evil. This is evolution unfolding in real time
Niccolò Machiavelli argued that initiating a new order of things is the most difficult, dangerous, and uncertain of all endeavors because the innovator inevitably faces fierce enemies among those who profit from the old order and only lukewarm support from those who might benefit from the new. This resistance arises partly from the fear of adversaries who have the laws on their side and partly from human incredulity, as people rarely trust new things until they have tested them by experience.
To navigate these challenges, Machiavelli emphasized that leaders must adapt their conduct to the times to achieve constant success, noting that those whose policies clash with the demands of the era are doomed to failure. He further observed that while institutions change very slowly and painfully, requiring a whole republic to be in a state of upheaval, individual prudence lies in the ability to adjust one's nature to suit changing circumstances, a quality he deemed essential for survival and prosperity.
Key insights from Machiavelli on change include:
Asymmetry of Passion: Opponents of change are often fierce and passionate partisans, while supporters remain lukewarm and passive, creating a deadly imbalance that endangers the leader.
The Necessity of Force: When persuasion fails, Machiavelli suggested that force is sometimes necessary to overcome the inertia of the status quo, as the first method of contesting is by law and the second by force.
Human Nature: Change is difficult because men are generally incredulous, meaning they do not readily believe in new things until they have had long experience of them.
Strategic Timing: Successful reformers must recognize that one change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others, making the process a continuous cycle rather than a single event.
There are a lot of truth in these ancient wisdom. Unfortunately, the moderns tend to flatter themselves as superior to those who lived centuries ago and fail to see the dark shadows that remain dominant in themselves as well as society today. The profession of economics is one example. The so called ‘experts’ are so narrowly focused and devoid of wisdom that they are ill equipped for navigating change that we face today. The more people wake up to the reality, the more likely that we will make the changes necessary to survive. That means that we have to ignore the technical experts who are clueless of the larger world beyond the narrow focus of their technical discipline. In this case, Adam Smith is infinitely wiser than the economists today.
Sander, one thing that always bothers me is what I thought growing up and what I read and see as the truth today. Europe has been going down for quite some time. Not just in the last few years.
Look at WWI and WWII. For instance, WWII most of Europe was either neutral or against us?! With us - England (I guess so, they were literally under siege) France gone in 3 weeks, Norway gone in a week, Poland gone in a week, Finland took about a year to submit, China, and Russia (after Hitler screwed them). Ironic here huh? lol China and Russia and USA won the war.
The rest of Europe was neutral - France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and many more.
Against us - Hungary, Italy, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Greece, most of North Africa under the Vichy's.
So, even today this carries over. They have been unreliable and not good partners ever since we the USA formed. London and still to this day tries everything they can to stop us and hinder us. This is their playbook. Are they right to do this. Depends on who you are of course? lol
Maybe Europe can save itself if it is really really backed against the wall like when France with Marte and later Charlamagne had to rally and take back Europe from the invading Muslims. It was almost lights out back then until France, Hungary, Poland, later Spain finally made their successful stands against the invading Muslims. It was close to lights out in 800 AD.
Can they do it again? I don't think so. They are nihilists socialists now and believe in nothing. They have no real belief system. When this happens how do you stand up for yourself when you have no belief system in place. It works in easy times but in hard times you have to believe in something or you will be conquered by others. If this is acceptable to you then ok so be it.
Oren's willingness to give a nod to the truth is further evidence of Don's continuing collapse. Until now, he's dutifully saluted. But as Don's administration crumbles, and his incoherence and dementia become undeniable, former apologists will face another choice.
Oren is joined at the hip with JD, he of multiple names, religions, and political ideologies. JD increasingly finds himself in a pickle, wanting to decouple from Don's disastrous implosion. Accordingly, JD leaked to Politico that he was opposed to MAGA's Middle East war, and I suspect he's asked proxies like Oren to dunk on Don when possible.
But alas, that strategery is bound to fail. It will be delicious to watch Don do to JD what he's done to virtually all of his past appointees and supporters-humiliate them publicly. I can't wait. Oren best be careful...
The EU is levelling trade investigation after trade investigation against China. 20/33 2024 cases, a record, were about China. Hard to argue DG trade is in
Don is Xi and Vlad’s wet dream. Meanwhile, MAGA has dutifully morphed into neomagacons upon instruction from Don as he mindlessly prosecutes MAGA’s Middle East war. Cults and conspiracy theories are fascinating, though frightening.
Poor Trump is finding out on just about everything he does he doesn’t have the cards. He’s proven time and again he’s out of his depth and not much more than an old man who yells at clouds.
LOL. Right. So he whipped the entire Democrat party establishment including their big globalists corporatist oligarchy... three times if not for the pandemic election cheating gift to the Democrats from the CCP. And yet "he does not have the cards".
Right. That is what lefties keep telling themselves to make them feel better about their sorry woke and chronic losing selves.
Divorce is always expensive and disruptive. However, when a relationship is exploitive and/or dangerous there is no alternative regardless of the cost. This is where we are with Europe. Obama started the pivot to the East and rightly so. Blaming it all on Trump is a sure sign of TDS. I am not going to repeat everything Mr. Villanueva said though I strongly agree. I will add if the conflict with China ever goes kinetic, we are going to need Russia which Europe is trying to destroy. So we had better start working on that. Europe will be completely useless in a conflict with China. Even if it is just economic struggle, Russia is needed.
Europe deserves to be swallowed up by China. Generational apathy and appeasement over international relations and balance of power moves leads them to self destruction WW1. WW2 Ukraine Iran on and on Europe goes no common sense or loyalties to freedom liberty and self determination So Sad
I'm glad Commonplace is finally showing the courage to stand up and stop pretending Trump is prosecuting your agenda. I hope Vance is paying attention and thinking what he will do differently if he becomes President. But so much trust has been destroyed in Europe that rebuilding it will be hard. Although we moaned about the initial tariffs we got down and did deals but since then they have been on and and off, up and down for reasons nothing to do with balance of trade. We recognised and accepted the justice of being told we needed to pay for our own defence and we should buy weapons for Ukraine but then Trump starts actively helping Putin and trying to bully Ukraine into surrender, he threatens to invade a European country and then starts a war in our backyard, without consulting us, that he cannot win, that will seriously damage our economies, may foist another refugee crisis on us, and then complains we're not helping clear up his mess, apparently oblivious to us needing to stay focused on Ukraine and preparing to defend ourselves from a Russia that is learning from Ukraine. Your economic arguments about the economic threat of China to Europe are sound but politically at the moment they are easier to deal with than the USA.
I was voting for Vance in 2024. Trump was simply a vehicle to get Vance to 2028. The global trading system needed to be broken, or more accurately, the existing brokenness of the system needed to be acknowledged. Trump has achieved that. But he isn't the person to rebuilt it. Vance is. (Or perhaps Rubio, but I'm still wary of him)
I would love to resolidify the Atlantic alliances, but I'm not sure we can ever go back to having a relationship of anything more than "shared interests" again. Brussels is increasingly authoritarian. Their persecution of Hungary is shameful. What they did in Romania can only be described as a coup. These are not the actions of a people that value liberty or freedom or democracy.
Obviously Atlantic trading integration with Europe is superior to Pacific integration with China. But honestly, Brussels tactics increasingly look like scribbles from the CCP playbook. The EU already has pervasive CCTV. They're starting to hook that up to AI facial rec. Does anyone think they wouldn't institute a social credit system? (To keep the dangerous people like Marine LePen and Alice Weidel at bay, of course.)
And these are supposed to be our friends? The people we trust to supply us critical manufactured goods?
Concur 100% Brian, your spot on. Europe is working on building a police state as you have alluded to. That is what all of the immigration stuff is really about. London Brussels and Frankfurt tell us it is about building GDP to have enough young to support the old soon, like real soon. This demographic bomb was talked about for years, but the elites buried these people when they spoke out and shunned them, literally.
When your population and especially universities become socialists/ communists or basically really nihilists then you believe in nothing. No belief system no way to deal with hard times. This is easy when times are good. You can be weak and it doesn't matter. But that can only go on for so long as history has proven time and time again. This has happened time and time again in cultures and civilizations that were conquered, and mostly because for one reason or another lost their beliefs in their own society. So, Europe is probably gone, they lost it 100 years ago. The USA is still up for grabs. The 2028 elections will see which way we go? Liberals come back we will go as we did before. Conservatives better embrace some commonplace themes to placate the people. The republican party of today still lacks. No affinity for working people. Your middle class. They lack.
So, police state yes i agree it is coming and fast.
The era of economy for economy’s sake is over. The western democracies have grown used to relying on the US for security and focus on their economies on maximizing consumer spending. Those days are gone. I am not sure if they could recover psychologically from these ‘good days’ and dig deep into themselves to become manly again. Simple substitution of China for US will backfire for sure. Besides ideological differences, these countries still enjoy a far more affluent life style than the average Chinese do, you think the Chinese would foot the security bill at their own expense? That’s pure fantasy. Grow up, people, before it’s too late.
Yan so true. I agree. Thank you.
China still wants to give payback for their deep humility back in the early 1800's. Ok got it. (Don't we all of some from of humility in us, I do. Please, get over yourselves). But I have read some on this and I get a take that seems very similar to today. When Europeans, British and a few Americans went there to trade the Chinese basically said no go away nothing to do with you. Your big nosed uncouth stinky loud barbarians. Of course, they didn't we wanted the cool things they had and made. China said to them, look you have nothing I want! Nothing. BUT then they said they did want one thing and one thing only, Silver (China backed their system with silver, the west with gold). So, as all of the silver flowed out of Europe and especially London this became a great great problem. To solve this the Brits came up with the system of using Opium to trade for the tea and other stuff they wanted to take back to Europe. This took care of the giving up all of their silver to China (Sounds kinda familiar in a way here, doesn't it?) to get their stuff to go back to Europe.
A lot of similarities in that time as today. I find it interesting when I read. Fentanyl ties into all of this too.
Funny you said would the Chinese finance Europe like we had been doing!? ha lol so hilarious. Not in a million years!
Thanks again.
Your story line was out of date. What happened in the 19th century had little to do with the rise of China since 1978. The Chinese avoided the suicidal pride of the past this time around and really went capitalistic ways, not the free kind but in a state directed and controlled way. That worked, at least worked well enough to be a fast follower. Given its huge size, even moderate success means dominance as a national power. The free world must learn how to deal with the new China, not the 19th century one. I am afraid that the West is wholly unprepared for that. The US is the first to wake up and is now experimenting with some strategies (eg tariffs). Other western democracies are still clueless as are the media and the economists here in US. They will wake up one day and find themselves on the street unless they mend their ways, fast! Trump might and will make mistakes but at least he is trying. The economists such as this author are sophisticated but clueless
There is no free world. Europe in a bunch of autocratic states.
Agree with you, spot on.
I still see some similarities to early 1800's China and us today in many regards.
But yes, you are so right. And yes, Trump is trying. However, he is fighting against a lot of people who have made fortunes off of the present corrupt system. Defense industry/ Pentagon, CIA, many politicians, Wall St/ TBTF bankers. They own the media so they have many weapons to try to keep this going as long as they can. And they may still win especially if the old liberals come back into power.
Yes, hopefully we can stand against this.
Of course, that’s how civilizations rise and fall, change is not optional. Those who fail adapting to new circumstances die as did the China of 19th century. The West of 21st century could follow its steps unless we learn to adapt ourselves to new realities. The beneficiaries of the old ways will fight tooth and nail to hold on to the existing system by default. This is beyond good and evil. This is evolution unfolding in real time
Machiavelli nailed this 500 years ago.
Niccolò Machiavelli argued that initiating a new order of things is the most difficult, dangerous, and uncertain of all endeavors because the innovator inevitably faces fierce enemies among those who profit from the old order and only lukewarm support from those who might benefit from the new. This resistance arises partly from the fear of adversaries who have the laws on their side and partly from human incredulity, as people rarely trust new things until they have tested them by experience.
To navigate these challenges, Machiavelli emphasized that leaders must adapt their conduct to the times to achieve constant success, noting that those whose policies clash with the demands of the era are doomed to failure. He further observed that while institutions change very slowly and painfully, requiring a whole republic to be in a state of upheaval, individual prudence lies in the ability to adjust one's nature to suit changing circumstances, a quality he deemed essential for survival and prosperity.
Key insights from Machiavelli on change include:
Asymmetry of Passion: Opponents of change are often fierce and passionate partisans, while supporters remain lukewarm and passive, creating a deadly imbalance that endangers the leader.
The Necessity of Force: When persuasion fails, Machiavelli suggested that force is sometimes necessary to overcome the inertia of the status quo, as the first method of contesting is by law and the second by force.
Human Nature: Change is difficult because men are generally incredulous, meaning they do not readily believe in new things until they have had long experience of them.
Strategic Timing: Successful reformers must recognize that one change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others, making the process a continuous cycle rather than a single event.
There are a lot of truth in these ancient wisdom. Unfortunately, the moderns tend to flatter themselves as superior to those who lived centuries ago and fail to see the dark shadows that remain dominant in themselves as well as society today. The profession of economics is one example. The so called ‘experts’ are so narrowly focused and devoid of wisdom that they are ill equipped for navigating change that we face today. The more people wake up to the reality, the more likely that we will make the changes necessary to survive. That means that we have to ignore the technical experts who are clueless of the larger world beyond the narrow focus of their technical discipline. In this case, Adam Smith is infinitely wiser than the economists today.
Sander, one thing that always bothers me is what I thought growing up and what I read and see as the truth today. Europe has been going down for quite some time. Not just in the last few years.
Look at WWI and WWII. For instance, WWII most of Europe was either neutral or against us?! With us - England (I guess so, they were literally under siege) France gone in 3 weeks, Norway gone in a week, Poland gone in a week, Finland took about a year to submit, China, and Russia (after Hitler screwed them). Ironic here huh? lol China and Russia and USA won the war.
The rest of Europe was neutral - France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and many more.
Against us - Hungary, Italy, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Greece, most of North Africa under the Vichy's.
So, even today this carries over. They have been unreliable and not good partners ever since we the USA formed. London and still to this day tries everything they can to stop us and hinder us. This is their playbook. Are they right to do this. Depends on who you are of course? lol
Maybe Europe can save itself if it is really really backed against the wall like when France with Marte and later Charlamagne had to rally and take back Europe from the invading Muslims. It was almost lights out back then until France, Hungary, Poland, later Spain finally made their successful stands against the invading Muslims. It was close to lights out in 800 AD.
Can they do it again? I don't think so. They are nihilists socialists now and believe in nothing. They have no real belief system. When this happens how do you stand up for yourself when you have no belief system in place. It works in easy times but in hard times you have to believe in something or you will be conquered by others. If this is acceptable to you then ok so be it.
Oren's willingness to give a nod to the truth is further evidence of Don's continuing collapse. Until now, he's dutifully saluted. But as Don's administration crumbles, and his incoherence and dementia become undeniable, former apologists will face another choice.
Oren is joined at the hip with JD, he of multiple names, religions, and political ideologies. JD increasingly finds himself in a pickle, wanting to decouple from Don's disastrous implosion. Accordingly, JD leaked to Politico that he was opposed to MAGA's Middle East war, and I suspect he's asked proxies like Oren to dunk on Don when possible.
But alas, that strategery is bound to fail. It will be delicious to watch Don do to JD what he's done to virtually all of his past appointees and supporters-humiliate them publicly. I can't wait. Oren best be careful...
Embarrassing article. I was initially impressed with Commonplace but the last few articles have disappointed.
Fighting with the Brussels EUTards is the same as fighting with the CCP. The EUTards are bought and paid for by the CCP.
The EU is levelling trade investigation after trade investigation against China. 20/33 2024 cases, a record, were about China. Hard to argue DG trade is in
cahoots with the CCP.
Don is Xi and Vlad’s wet dream. Meanwhile, MAGA has dutifully morphed into neomagacons upon instruction from Don as he mindlessly prosecutes MAGA’s Middle East war. Cults and conspiracy theories are fascinating, though frightening.
Poor Trump is finding out on just about everything he does he doesn’t have the cards. He’s proven time and again he’s out of his depth and not much more than an old man who yells at clouds.
That list says Frank Lee is a troll bot.
LOL. Right. So he whipped the entire Democrat party establishment including their big globalists corporatist oligarchy... three times if not for the pandemic election cheating gift to the Democrats from the CCP. And yet "he does not have the cards".
Right. That is what lefties keep telling themselves to make them feel better about their sorry woke and chronic losing selves.
Frank Lee is a has-been out of touch loser, pathetically holding on to false hoods. Sad.
Yeah, we are losing...
Canceled cancel culture, deleted DEI and is eliminating destructive wokeism
The 10 year treasury is flirting with sub 4%
Mortgage rates fell below 6% for 1st time in 3 years
Rents are declining
Inflation per truflation is below 1%
Unemployment is less than expected and around 4.3%
The budget deficit is lower than expected
Income tax returns are 15% higher than last year
The stock market is flirting with record highs
Business-killing regulations are being eliminated
Company profits are at records
Record investment is flowing into reshoring industry and manufacturing
Net migration is negative
Opioid addiction and death are down significantly
Life expectancy is increasing
Big pharma power to push harmful drugs is being reduced
Big food power to use harmful ingredients is being reduced
US is on track to become an energy exporter again, with falling energy costs
Nuclear power is being promoted and fast-tracked
The southern border is secure
Dangerous illegal immigrants are being deported
Foreign investment at record highs due to tariffs
Prescription drug prices are falling thanks to Trump's MFN
State farm is reducing auto insurance premiums by 10%
Home prices are falling
Consumer spending is steady
Grocery prices are steady or falling
Gasoline is below $2.50 in many states
Wages are increasing
Cartels are imploding
Illegal truck drivers are being cleared from the road
Crime is down
Military recruitment is at record highs
Government corruption is being addressed
Several international peace deals have been brokered
Communist China is being thwarted from its global domination efforts
Exec order to get tech companies to make their own power for AI data centers
Fast-tracking a brand new oil refinery in Texas in partnership with India
Taking out the last state terrorist regime to bring full peace to the Middle East.
Divorce is always expensive and disruptive. However, when a relationship is exploitive and/or dangerous there is no alternative regardless of the cost. This is where we are with Europe. Obama started the pivot to the East and rightly so. Blaming it all on Trump is a sure sign of TDS. I am not going to repeat everything Mr. Villanueva said though I strongly agree. I will add if the conflict with China ever goes kinetic, we are going to need Russia which Europe is trying to destroy. So we had better start working on that. Europe will be completely useless in a conflict with China. Even if it is just economic struggle, Russia is needed.
Europe deserves to be swallowed up by China. Generational apathy and appeasement over international relations and balance of power moves leads them to self destruction WW1. WW2 Ukraine Iran on and on Europe goes no common sense or loyalties to freedom liberty and self determination So Sad
I'm glad Commonplace is finally showing the courage to stand up and stop pretending Trump is prosecuting your agenda. I hope Vance is paying attention and thinking what he will do differently if he becomes President. But so much trust has been destroyed in Europe that rebuilding it will be hard. Although we moaned about the initial tariffs we got down and did deals but since then they have been on and and off, up and down for reasons nothing to do with balance of trade. We recognised and accepted the justice of being told we needed to pay for our own defence and we should buy weapons for Ukraine but then Trump starts actively helping Putin and trying to bully Ukraine into surrender, he threatens to invade a European country and then starts a war in our backyard, without consulting us, that he cannot win, that will seriously damage our economies, may foist another refugee crisis on us, and then complains we're not helping clear up his mess, apparently oblivious to us needing to stay focused on Ukraine and preparing to defend ourselves from a Russia that is learning from Ukraine. Your economic arguments about the economic threat of China to Europe are sound but politically at the moment they are easier to deal with than the USA.
I was voting for Vance in 2024. Trump was simply a vehicle to get Vance to 2028. The global trading system needed to be broken, or more accurately, the existing brokenness of the system needed to be acknowledged. Trump has achieved that. But he isn't the person to rebuilt it. Vance is. (Or perhaps Rubio, but I'm still wary of him)