Today, I read a couple of Foreign Affairs articles. This one was really good. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/america-fearful
On this point I agree with Trump. The world laughs at the US. But not for the reasons he had in mind.
I can remember the times where Obama was president. You literally never heard anything bad about Obama in German media. The media until today glorifies him. And the reason is Trump.
The German mainstream media covers US politics like CNN and MSNBC. You barely hear anything bad about the Democrats. Whereas they cover German politics more in a leftwing German perspective. They say Americans just have a different relation to inequality, taxes etc. However, you hear a lot of bad things about the US healthcare system. One reason might be that Germans shall be thankful for what we have here.
I was in school when Trump was elected for the first time. Everyone made fun of him. Everyone made fun of MAGA. The supporters are considered morons because his policies favor mostly the rich. There are not many Germans that speak positively about Trump. The far-right AfD is ambivalent. In some ways they are in favor of Germany first. They are opportunists. However, the AfD politicians and voters have often a better notion of Russia. The AfD is very strong in East Germany and many are nostalgic about the GDR. There are few publications that report positively about Trump. Some right-wingers talk about Trump in juxtapositions to Merkel. This is one narrative that unites the transatlantic right. Merkel's refugee policies were allegedly the roots for Europe's decline. Merkel was in favor of Nordstream 2 whereas Trump warned us about it. Her decision to quit nuclear energy after Fukushima has been criticized.
Right-wing commentators enjoy to talk pejoratively about Merkel's legacy. And also in the mainstream Merkel is seen increasingly critically. Also by myself. But only to a certain extent. I think she was idealized in the past and now her policies are torn apart.
I think in some way the US is feared in Germany. Because we know Germany's business model is threatened. And it is true Germany was a freerider. We didn't want (some to this day) to invest our fair share in the military and national security. We profited from a world where the US enabled Germany to focus primarily on the economy. But the US also benefited from that e.g. massive investments in the US market, the dollar as global currency, lower interest payments for the US. American consumers lived over their means and the world financed it. This is at least what they say. When we look at GDP per capita Americans have way more money than Germans. I think though these statistics are heavily distorted. Americans pay insane amounts of money for their health insurance. Trump says Americans subsidize lower costs for medication in European countries. There might be a small amount of truth in this statement. But it distracts from the mafia-like middle men in the US health care system, the negotiations in favor of the pharma industry. I think it is not smart to think in zero sum calculations. And this is what the Trump administration does. Merkel said about Trump he has a wrong notion of how politics is done. He considers himself a deal maker. She noticed he comes from building industry where mutual benefits in deals are very seldom. One side usually cheats/dominates the other side. Though, in politics there can be deals where both countries (bilateral) or multiple countries (multilateral) that agree on a contract can be considered winners. I give you an example. The technology called artifical intelligence was also developed at European universities in fundamental research. But who makes all the money with it? Americans. Not the average Joe and Jane. But a handful of wealthy billionaires. In an indirect way we are benefited from the technology too. But thus far Americans tech companies generate massive investments that boost the American economy. Some say it is only a bubble. Some prefer European stocks dueto the fact they are undervalued. I am not sure whether making debts for infrastructure and the military (old tanks, and American overpriced jets) is really a solid way to build an economy on though.
I think the billionaires screw the American working class way more than European countries. It is true we were and are leeches when it comes to military spending, information from intelligence services, satellites, national security. I think though Trump wants us to be the scapegoats to distract from his billionaire friends who rob the US blind. The corruption of the Trump administration is insane. But maybe I am just a European who wants you to think like that... (I doubt it though...)
I think our politicians hate Trump. They hate having to treat him like a king. They hate having to deal with his fragile ego. I listen a lot to Switzerland news and well Trump was just fed up of the federal president of Switzerland. So he just gave them tariffs of 39%. But eventually Swiss business leaders intervened brought Trump some gold and some rolex watches and everything was fine again. I think most European elites despise Trump, consider him a man-child and just pray that the GOP gets crushed 2028. Many say this thinking is very naive. And I agree with that. It's wishful thinking. Also Democrats won't go back to the status quo.
I think I will end it here. It wasn't very sophisticated. Maybe I post another thread and then watch a movie. Not sure.
On this point I agree with Trump. The world laughs at the US. But not for the reasons he had in mind.
I can remember the times where Obama was president. You literally never heard anything bad about Obama in German media. The media until today glorifies him. And the reason is Trump.
The German mainstream media covers US politics like CNN and MSNBC. You barely hear anything bad about the Democrats. Whereas they cover German politics more in a leftwing German perspective. They say Americans just have a different relation to inequality, taxes etc. However, you hear a lot of bad things about the US healthcare system. One reason might be that Germans shall be thankful for what we have here.
I was in school when Trump was elected for the first time. Everyone made fun of him. Everyone made fun of MAGA. The supporters are considered morons because his policies favor mostly the rich. There are not many Germans that speak positively about Trump. The far-right AfD is ambivalent. In some ways they are in favor of Germany first. They are opportunists. However, the AfD politicians and voters have often a better notion of Russia. The AfD is very strong in East Germany and many are nostalgic about the GDR. There are few publications that report positively about Trump. Some right-wingers talk about Trump in juxtapositions to Merkel. This is one narrative that unites the transatlantic right. Merkel's refugee policies were allegedly the roots for Europe's decline. Merkel was in favor of Nordstream 2 whereas Trump warned us about it. Her decision to quit nuclear energy after Fukushima has been criticized.
Right-wing commentators enjoy to talk pejoratively about Merkel's legacy. And also in the mainstream Merkel is seen increasingly critically. Also by myself. But only to a certain extent. I think she was idealized in the past and now her policies are torn apart.
I think in some way the US is feared in Germany. Because we know Germany's business model is threatened. And it is true Germany was a freerider. We didn't want (some to this day) to invest our fair share in the military and national security. We profited from a world where the US enabled Germany to focus primarily on the economy. But the US also benefited from that e.g. massive investments in the US market, the dollar as global currency, lower interest payments for the US. American consumers lived over their means and the world financed it. This is at least what they say. When we look at GDP per capita Americans have way more money than Germans. I think though these statistics are heavily distorted. Americans pay insane amounts of money for their health insurance. Trump says Americans subsidize lower costs for medication in European countries. There might be a small amount of truth in this statement. But it distracts from the mafia-like middle men in the US health care system, the negotiations in favor of the pharma industry. I think it is not smart to think in zero sum calculations. And this is what the Trump administration does. Merkel said about Trump he has a wrong notion of how politics is done. He considers himself a deal maker. She noticed he comes from building industry where mutual benefits in deals are very seldom. One side usually cheats/dominates the other side. Though, in politics there can be deals where both countries (bilateral) or multiple countries (multilateral) that agree on a contract can be considered winners. I give you an example. The technology called artifical intelligence was also developed at European universities in fundamental research. But who makes all the money with it? Americans. Not the average Joe and Jane. But a handful of wealthy billionaires. In an indirect way we are benefited from the technology too. But thus far Americans tech companies generate massive investments that boost the American economy. Some say it is only a bubble. Some prefer European stocks dueto the fact they are undervalued. I am not sure whether making debts for infrastructure and the military (old tanks, and American overpriced jets) is really a solid way to build an economy on though.
I think the billionaires screw the American working class way more than European countries. It is true we were and are leeches when it comes to military spending, information from intelligence services, satellites, national security. I think though Trump wants us to be the scapegoats to distract from his billionaire friends who rob the US blind. The corruption of the Trump administration is insane. But maybe I am just a European who wants you to think like that... (I doubt it though...)
I think our politicians hate Trump. They hate having to treat him like a king. They hate having to deal with his fragile ego. I listen a lot to Switzerland news and well Trump was just fed up of the federal president of Switzerland. So he just gave them tariffs of 39%. But eventually Swiss business leaders intervened brought Trump some gold and some rolex watches and everything was fine again. I think most European elites despise Trump, consider him a man-child and just pray that the GOP gets crushed 2028. Many say this thinking is very naive. And I agree with that. It's wishful thinking. Also Democrats won't go back to the status quo.
I think I will end it here. It wasn't very sophisticated. Maybe I post another thread and then watch a movie. Not sure.
