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by kivle 46 days ago
It doesn't take much for somebody to seem like a more reliable party to make a deal with than Trump. Trump has already made direct threats of military action against Europe. Making a deal together with China might be the better option.

Also, Trump asking the EU and other allies to contribute seems much more to be about shifting blame and cost. Participating in the quagmire he created, with such an unreliable partner seems like a terrible idea.
1 comments
spwa4 45 days ago
Except ... look at the map. If Iran wins they (and 10 other parties) control Bab-El-Mandeb and Hormuz. Indonesia has already announced they'll close Malacca if Iran wins.

That means that for Europe to trade with Asia, it has to either pay tax to 10 different countries ... or to the US.

In other words, it gives the US the ability to apply import tariffs the way the UK famously did: if France or any EU country wants to trade with China, or any Asian country they'll have to pay tariffs ... to the US. The American revolution coming full circle.

Obviously words cannot describe what a disaster this would be for the EU.

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seanmcdirmid 45 days ago
Indonesia did not announce they would close down the strait of Malacca. Someone made an offhand comment that they would consider tolls if Iran could get away with it, and then the government announced as a response they would never do that.
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kivle 45 days ago
Unless China makes a deal. They definitely want their trade with Europe. Europe is currently a much more reliable trading partner to them than the US.
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spwa4 45 days ago
Why don't you ask the EU how well making deals with Iran went so far? Hell, why not ask Israel? (they've been making deals with Iran for 47 years and saved their bacon, espeically in the Iran-Iraq war, multiple times. The sad truth is that half the Iranian regime, both the regime itself and the individuals involved owe Israel their lives. Most owe both the Mossad and the IDF their lives)

Here's how politico describes the EU's relation with the Iranian regime in one article: "Iran continues to hold and execute European Union citizens, using capital punishment for accused spies or dissidents, leading to severe diplomatic tension and EU condemnation of 'hostage diplomacy'"

You think Trump is untrustworthy? When is the last time Trump invited someone for diplomacy ... then had that person executed?

I mean, I get why people make the point that Trump is the worst US president ever to deal with. That's politics, and there's an election coming up... what I don't understand is why people get confused about that still making him 1000x better than a lot of other parties.

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judahmeek 45 days ago
> When is the last time Trump invited someone for diplomacy ... then had that person executed?

When Trump approved Israel's strike on the Hamas negotiators...

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grebc 45 days ago
>I mean, I get why people make the point that Trump is the worst US president ever to deal with. That's politics, and there's an election coming up... what I don't understand is why people get confused about that still making him 1000x better than a lot of other parties.

You answered your own question - that’s politics. It doesn’t need to make sense to you.

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