Where is Europe going? Can it afford the promises it made? How are the people reacting? 

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/08/29/europe_in_the_balance_153233.html

 

"So in panic, a perennially delinquent NATO is not only promising to spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense but also increasing arms budgets to 5% of GDP, a higher rate even than that of the U.S.

No one knows how Europeans will afford such massive rearmament.

To do so would require opening up their economies, adopting far more flexible and traditional energy policies, securing their borders, ending illegal immigration, pruning the welfare state, increasing their fertility rates, and dropping the DEI salad bowl while re-embracing the melting pot of integration and acculturation.

We will soon see whether Europeans can adopt such needed reforms, or find the necessary medicine worse than their current crippling continental disease."

 

France is in trouble:

https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-allies-francois-bayrou-france-politics-allies-national-rally/

 

How can France lead, but not even run its own affairs?

 

 

German is retreating into national socialism/authoritarianism again. 

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/if-you-cant-beat-them-ban-them-the-german-establishments-attack-on-democracy/

 

"When JD Vance warned that Germany’s—and Europe’s—biggest threat to democratic security comes not from outside but from within, he proved prescient. He correctly noted that tackling Germany’s problems requires politicians with strong democratic mandates and that “fearing your own voters is a surefire way of destroying democracy.”

 

Id be interested in hearing the opinions of some critical thinkers on the issues raised. I know that Ill get the usual flames, Trump derangement, anti americanism, anti semitism, personal insults and thumbs down, but I hope there are a few Euros out there who can help us promote a vigorous and respectful discussion about the important issues raised.

 

 

 

You are not a European so keep your big fat neb out of our affairs.

6 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Where is Europe going? Can it afford the promises it made? How are the people reacting? 

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/08/29/europe_in_the_balance_153233.html

 

"So in panic, a perennially delinquent NATO is not only promising to spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense but also increasing arms budgets to 5% of GDP, a higher rate even than that of the U.S.

No one knows how Europeans will afford such massive rearmament.

To do so would require opening up their economies, adopting far more flexible and traditional energy policies, securing their borders, ending illegal immigration, pruning the welfare state, increasing their fertility rates, and dropping the DEI salad bowl while re-embracing the melting pot of integration and acculturation.

We will soon see whether Europeans can adopt such needed reforms, or find the necessary medicine worse than their current crippling continental disease."

 

France is in trouble:

https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-allies-francois-bayrou-france-politics-allies-national-rally/

 

How can France lead, but not even run its own affairs?

 

 

German is retreating into national socialism/authoritarianism again. 

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/if-you-cant-beat-them-ban-them-the-german-establishments-attack-on-democracy/

 

"When JD Vance warned that Germany’s—and Europe’s—biggest threat to democratic security comes not from outside but from within, he proved prescient. He correctly noted that tackling Germany’s problems requires politicians with strong democratic mandates and that “fearing your own voters is a surefire way of destroying democracy.”

 

Id be interested in hearing the opinions of some critical thinkers on the issues raised. I know that Ill get the usual flames, Trump derangement, anti americanism, anti semitism, personal insults and thumbs down, but I hope there are a few Euros out there who can help us promote a vigorous and respectful discussion about the important issues raised.

 

Yes France is in financial trouble. Germany has pledged to rearm at the cost of billions and will pass the cost on to future generations via massive debt.

 

That's the bad news. The good news is that Germany still makes the best cars, Mercedes have just released a car that holds the range world record for EVs, Porsche produced the best EV to date, the Taycan, and industry is mostly aware how China will copy you without mercy now.

 

Women are still not having children. And nobody in Europe comes close to the giant status Trump has, there is noone on the Horizon who could implement serious reforms in Europe.

 

Speaking of women, an old girls' network is now in effect, and Merkel ensured von der Leyen was put at the head of the EU, and there's a slew of female party politicians in the Baltic states. The politicians generally are wildly out of sync with the population.

 

In short, the whole of Europe is fiddling whilst the world is burning. An unhealthy anti-Russian obsession has taken hold in Europe, with NATO propaganda casting Russia as some sort of James Bond villiain.

 

Europe still has the largest single market, and developed economies, with top pharma, automotive, machine and robotics companies. There is still substance. But whether it will be enough to compete with China and the US is doubtful.

 

 

13 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

In short, the whole of Europe is fiddling whilst the world is burning. An unhealthy anti-Russian obsession has taken hold in Europe, with NATO propaganda casting Russia as some sort of James Bond villiain.

Yes, strange what an insignificant little invasion of a neighboring country resulting in just a few hundred thousand deaths can do to a person's reputation.

Crazy, innit!

8 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

 

You are not a European so keep your big fat neb out of our affairs.

As predicted, together with their thumbs down.

19 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Where is Europe going? Can it afford the promises it made? How are the people reacting? 

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/08/29/europe_in_the_balance_153233.html

 

"So in panic, a perennially delinquent NATO is not only promising to spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense but also increasing arms budgets to 5% of GDP, a higher rate even than that of the U.S.

No one knows how Europeans will afford such massive rearmament.

To do so would require opening up their economies, adopting far more flexible and traditional energy policies, securing their borders, ending illegal immigration, pruning the welfare state, increasing their fertility rates, and dropping the DEI salad bowl while re-embracing the melting pot of integration and acculturation.

We will soon see whether Europeans can adopt such needed reforms, or find the necessary medicine worse than their current crippling continental disease."

 

France is in trouble:

https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-allies-francois-bayrou-france-politics-allies-national-rally/

 

How can France lead, but not even run its own affairs?

 

 

German is retreating into national socialism/authoritarianism again. 

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/if-you-cant-beat-them-ban-them-the-german-establishments-attack-on-democracy/

 

"When JD Vance warned that Germany’s—and Europe’s—biggest threat to democratic security comes not from outside but from within, he proved prescient. He correctly noted that tackling Germany’s problems requires politicians with strong democratic mandates and that “fearing your own voters is a surefire way of destroying democracy.”

 

Id be interested in hearing the opinions of some critical thinkers on the issues raised. I know that Ill get the usual flames, Trump derangement, anti americanism, anti semitism, personal insults and thumbs down, but I hope there are a few Euros out there who can help us promote a vigorous and respectful discussion about the important issues raised.

"....a perennially delinquent NATO...."

 

What moron writes such drivel??🤣

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

As predicted, together with their thumbs down.

You haven't gotten any thumbs down, buddy, so please release the death grip you have on your pearls, okay?

8 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

The good news is that Germany still makes the best cars, Mercedes have just released a car that holds the range world record for EVs, Porsche produced the best EV to date, the Taycan, and industry is mostly aware how China will copy you without mercy now.

 

Electric vehicles are niche, especially when the cost $100K.

 

Gas prices in the US are the lowest in 5 years. $2.22 a gallon down the street from me last I looked.

 

I am a Mercedes fan I will say. 8 cylinder bi turbos, great engines.

3 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

What moron writes such drivel??🤣

You contention is that Nato is not perpetually delinquent?

4 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

You haven't gotten any thumbs down, buddy, so please release the death grip you have on your pearls, okay?

As usual, you add nothing useful to the discussion.

19 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Where is Europe going? Can it afford the promises it made? How are the people reacting? 

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/08/29/europe_in_the_balance_153233.html

 

"So in panic, a perennially delinquent NATO is not only promising to spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense but also increasing arms budgets to 5% of GDP, a higher rate even than that of the U.S.

No one knows how Europeans will afford such massive rearmament.

To do so would require opening up their economies, adopting far more flexible and traditional energy policies, securing their borders, ending illegal immigration, pruning the welfare state, increasing their fertility rates, and dropping the DEI salad bowl while re-embracing the melting pot of integration and acculturation.

We will soon see whether Europeans can adopt such needed reforms, or find the necessary medicine worse than their current crippling continental disease."

 

France is in trouble:

https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-allies-francois-bayrou-france-politics-allies-national-rally/

 

How can France lead, but not even run its own affairs?

 

 

German is retreating into national socialism/authoritarianism again. 

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/if-you-cant-beat-them-ban-them-the-german-establishments-attack-on-democracy/

 

"When JD Vance warned that Germany’s—and Europe’s—biggest threat to democratic security comes not from outside but from within, he proved prescient. He correctly noted that tackling Germany’s problems requires politicians with strong democratic mandates and that “fearing your own voters is a surefire way of destroying democracy.”

 

Id be interested in hearing the opinions of some critical thinkers on the issues raised. I know that Ill get the usual flames, Trump derangement, anti americanism, anti semitism, personal insults and thumbs down, but I hope there are a few Euros out there who can help us promote a vigorous and respectful discussion about the important issues raised.

There is something wrong in your post:

It is Trump who changes the world by disruption. 

It is Trump who shaped the world into blocks.

It is Trump who made his allies to his enemies.

It is Trump nobody can rely on.

It is Trump who destroys America.

It is Trump who is deluded and incapable to oversee the outcome of his unlawful policy.

It is Trump who left the path of democracy and prefers authoritatism on the way to dictatorship.

These are the milestones of the world. We have a huge combined network of Russia, China, N-Korea and India. And we have Europe. And we have USA. The latter are going differnt ways.

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

You contention is that Nato is not perpetually delinquent?

Is it your contention that the 2020 US election was so compromised that it changed the outcome?

29 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

 

You are not a European so keep your big fat neb out of our affairs.

Can we apply this same logic to the USA and Thailand as well? It's essential for us to remain open-minded about global issues and engage in meaningful discussions that foster understanding and cooperation.

9 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

There is something wrong in your post:

It is Trump who changes the world by disruption. 

It is Trump who shaped the world into blocks.

It is Trump who made his allies to his enemies.

It is Trump nobody can rely on.

It is Trump who destroys America.

It is Trump who is deluded and incapable to oversee the outcome of his unlawful policy.

It is Trump who left the path of democracy and prefers authoritatism on the way to dictatorship.

These are the milestones of the world. We have a huge combined network of Russia, China, N-Korea and India. And we have Europe. And we have USA. The latter are going differnt ways.

Yep, I predicted that we would see such utter stupidity posted in response to a serious issue. 

10 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Electric vehicles are niche, especially when the cost $100K.

 

It is still, but I think we'll see Hybrid motors become the standard. That's what Toyota and now BYD are betting on. So electric motors will play a big role in car manufacturing.

 

Anyway, the point I'm making is that the car manufacturing advantage German companies enjoy continues. If they want to, they build the best car of whatever variety. So European manufacturing can be world class. But it is expensive.

 

Then there's pharma, robotics. There's good things happening in Europe. It's just the politicians are terrible.

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Yep, I predicted that we would see such utter stupidity posted in response to a serious issue. 

The stupidity is on the your side

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Anyway, the point I'm making is that the car manufacturing advantage German companies enjoy continues. If they want to, they build the best car of whatever variety. So European manufacturing can be world class. But it is expensive.

Their biggest market is here and they all build cars here. They do make great cars, but will they have the electric power to continue? How are their highly paid workers going to react when its time to tighten the belts?

2 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

The stupidity is on the your side

Your response is illustrative.

 

 

From the article linked in the OP:

 

"Often, Europe's best and brightest -- and frustrated -- are migrating to greater opportunities and freedom in the U.S., further hampering European research and development."

 

Really?? Can we see the numbers, please?😂

 

BTW, the guy behind the opinion piece is an author whose latest piece of genius is named "The Case for Trump." 

'nuff said,

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Their biggest market is here and they all build cars here.

 

The US is an important market, but quality sells everywhere, German cars are popular in China and all of Europe too.

 

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

They do make great cars, but will they have the electric power to continue?

 

Yes, the energy mess-up the politicians have caused by boycotting cheap Russian energy is a shot in the foot. No doubt about it.

 

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

How are their highly paid workers going to react when its time to tighten the belts?

 

They kind of had to do that recently with astronomical energy bills and companies going bust due to Covid, prices of course going up with inflation. 

 

The malcontent may fuel right wing parties, like in the UK.

Not to forget Spain, the socialist government there is reaping the benefits of the conservative governments policies so the economy is doing well, however, they are spending on welfare similar to Greece and Italy, ie pensions.

 

It has to be said though Spanish economic performance is impressive at the moment, and they too have major companies in finance, Santander, telecom with Telefonica and so on.

 

But they seem generally fed up with German and English visitors now, and who can blame them. So tourism will most likely decline.

56 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

No one knows how Europeans will afford such massive rearmament.

There is more than enough money to do so, but the money is on private accounts.

That's where the digital euro comes in .

Parts of our money will be "activated" (without our consent) to pay for their 

stupid rearmament and other thing they want.

Digital euro to start next month. First voluntary .

Europe is doomed.

22 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

There's good things happening in Europe. It's just the politicians are terrible.

I think that is Professor Hansons point. Potential being tossed away.

18 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Your response is illustrative.

 

 

As your intelligence

1 minute ago, FlorC said:

There is more than enough money to do so, but the money is on private accounts.

That's where the digital euro comes in .

Parts of our money will be "activated" (without our consent) to pay for their 

stupid rearmament and other thing they want.

Digital euro to start next month. First voluntary .

Europe is doomed.

Are you contending they will use the digital euro to seize private property? 

4 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

As your intelligence

Well Im the one actually debating issues here with some critically thinking folks, feel free to join in so that there is one less childish flamer to respond to.

Just now, Yagoda said:

Are you contending they will use the digital euro to seize private property? 

They will use euro digital to USE part of your money.

There are trillions of euro's on saving accounts in europe.

When they lure people into the digital euro and in the future mandatory,

they will control your money.

Seizing private property is going to happen too. 

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Well there are three articles, but I assume you mean Professor Hanson.

 

"Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; his focus is classics and military history.

Hanson was a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California (1992–93), a visiting professor of classics at Stanford University (1991–92), the annual Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History at Hillsdale College (2004–), the Visiting Shifron Professor of Military History at the US Naval Academy (2002–3), and the William Simon Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University (2010).

In 1991 he was awarded an American Philological Association Excellence in Teaching Award. He received the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism (2002), presented the Manhattan's Institute's Wriston Lecture (2004), and was awarded the National Humanities Medal (2007) and the Bradley Prize (2008).

Hanson is the author of hundreds of articles, book reviews, and newspaper editorials on Greek, agrarian, and military history and essays on contemporary culture. He has written or edited twenty-four books, the latest of which is The Case for Trump (Basic Books, 2019). His other books include The Second World Wars (Basic Books, 2017); The Savior Generals: How Five Great Commanders Saved Wars That Were Lost - from Ancient Greece to Iraq (Bloomsbury 2013); The End of Sparta (Bloomsbury, 2011); The Father of Us All: War and History, Ancient and Modern (Bloomsbury, 2010); Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome (ed.) (Princeton, 2010); The Other Greeks (California, 1998); The Soul of Battle (Free Press, 1999); Carnage and Culture (Doubleday, 2001); Ripples of Battle (Doubleday, 2003); A War Like No Other (Random House, 2005); The Western Way of War (Alfred Knopf, 1989; 2nd paperback ed., University of California Press, 2000); The Wars of the Ancient Greeks (Cassell, 1999; paperback ed., 2001); and Mexifornia: A State of Becoming (Encounter, 2003), as well as two books on family farming, Fields without Dreams (Free Press, 1995) and The Land Was Everything (Free Press, 1998). Currently, he is a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services and a weekly columnist for the National Review Online."

https://www.hoover.org/profiles/victor-davis-hanson

 

Please show us your vitae, genius.

I would love to show you my "vitae" but need to give you a warning; wear sun glasses as it hasn't seen direct sunlight in years!

11 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

It is Trump who made his allies to his enemies.

 

So what?

You never had friends who turned into enemies in your life?

Or friends who were so useless and time-wasters that you had to cut them off? 

 

Who says a country needs to be allied to exactly the same countries forever and ever?

Trump is allying with whoever he thinks can benefit the US interests the most at this point in time based on xyz factors, many of which are not even apparent to us yet. 

 

57 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

What moron writes such drivel??

Yagoda