Too Little, Too Late (The EU's "Zero for Zero" trade offer is a non-starter)

American Thinker ^ | Charlton Allen

[RoosterRedux]

It took the prospect of a second Trump presidency for Brussels to suddenly discover the virtues of free trade. Ursula von der Leyen now dangles a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal—years too late and painfully transparent.

Yes, really.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Europe should have made that offer a long time ago—before the first tariffs, before the steel and aluminum disputes, before their hypocritical WTO filings.

Without question, before they spent years lecturing U.S. administrations on the supposed virtues of multilateral trade regimes they had rigged to their advantage.

American taxpayers have subsidized European peace, prosperity, and strategic irrelevance for eight decades. From the beaches of Normandy to the barricades of Berlin, U.S. servicemembers gave their lives to offer Europe a second chance at civilization.

They got it.

And they used it to build social democracies on the back of American hard power—and, yes, American manufacturing decline.

Whether through the Marshall Plan or NATO’s Article 5, we supplied the troops, tanks, and treasury. In return, Europe slapped tariffs on American goods, sued U.S. tech companies, outsourced their energy policy to Moscow, and surrendered industrial policy to Brussels.

This makes it all the more bitterly ironic that they now cry foul—that Trump’s tariffs are no way to treat an ally.

[RoosterRedux]

Love this snippet from the article:

Now you come bearing concessions only because you fear a president who demands something in return.

That isn’t partnership.

Simply put, it’s not how friends treat their most vital ally.

[sit-rep]

wow... do they have a new Chief Editor at Thinker?... I actually enjoyed reading this one!

[Liz]

American taxpayers subsidized European peace, prosperity, and strategic irrelevance for 8 decades.
<><>From the beaches of Normandy
<><>to the barricades of Berlin,
<><>US military gave their lives to offer Europe a second chance at civilization.

Whether via the Marshall Plan or NATO’s Article 5, we supplied the troops, tanks, and treasury.
<><>In return, Europe slapped tariffs on American goods,
<><>sued U.S. tech companies,
<><>outsourced their energy policy to Moscow,
<><>and surrendered industrial policy to Brussels.

This makes it all the more bitterly ironic that they now cry
foul— whining that Trump’s tariffs are no way to treat an ally.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Ursula von der Leyen now dangles a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal—years too late and painfully transparent.

Which country does Ursala represent? She's like the UN secretary general.

[DAC21]

“wow... do they have a new Chief Editor at Thinker?... I actually enjoyed reading this one!”

Yes, excellent read.

[rdcbn1]

Trump is saving the EU from itself by incentiving the EU to invest their foreign manufacturing base in America instead of their current suicidal stampede towards China.

Our American off shoring of our industrial base to China has been idiotic and counter productive but the innovative and dynamic US economy is resilient and will recover under Trump.

Europe's moves to China, on the other hand, have literally become a been suicidal, existential threat to Europe's economic future that their stagnant, non productive and protected socialist economies have little chance to recover from

[yldstrk]

“Europe no longer gets to sell cars in Detroit while banning beef from Kansas.”
************
Period, end of story.

[DeplorablePaul]

Worse. Without change of course America is subsidizing the Europe Islamic Republic. Cut the euro trash free loaders loose and let Mohammed rule them. Who cares?

[yldstrk]

President Trump is saving the US, period. He is not saving Europe from itself, all the other countries have been trying to eat the US.

[HYPOCRACY]

This is the end of the socialist free ride in Europe. Trump knows it and they know it.

They’ve used American largess to construct a socialist police state and now they are looking to replace their population with muzzie trash. Well they won’t be able to afford this anymore.

This will topple the EU as well as China. Trump is restructuring the world that can no longer afford to fund socialism.

[Clutch Martin]

“Europe no longer gets to sell cars in Detroit while banning beef from Kansas.”

I wonder if RFKjr can wander into the
meat inoculation business and turn it around. The EU bans a lot of GMO and hormone/antibiotic laden foods from America.

[yldstrk]

That’s just an excuse.

[RoosterRedux]

Good point. The truth is, we have been funding socialism in Europe and communism in China. That must stop.

[A_perfect_lady]

Ursula von der Leyen

That's just her stripper name.

[Sir_Humphrey]

Well what does Trump want? Mutual zero tariffs or repairations for past arraangemenst made right after WWII and in the face of a cold war?

[RoosterRedux]

That was my first question after reading the article. This is what it looks like Trump wants:

1. A truly reciprocal trade deal — not just a symbolic “zero-for-zero” on industrial tariffs, but also including:
   • Agriculture

   • Digital services

   • Energy infrastructure

   • Regulatory compliance (i.e., dismantling EU rules that block U.S. goods)

2. A reset in transatlantic relations based on strategic self-interest rather than legacy arrangements where the U.S. subsidizes Europe militarily and economically without reciprocity.

3. Real defense burden-sharing — specifically, Europe spending 2.5% of GDP on defense now, not years down the road.

4. An end to EU protectionism and hypocrisy, including:
   • Tariffs on U.S. goods

   • Lawsuits against U.S. tech

   • Favoritism toward state-backed European industries like Airbus

Overall, Trump wants genuine fairness, not a token offer that isn't broad enough to be fair. Europeans act like they still think we Americans are a bunch of dumb cowboys. They are about to learn that's not accurate.

We may be cowboys, but cowboys aren't dumb.

[Old West Conservative]

This is a reckoning that had to happen at some point. Admittedly, the sell-off of our debt is a dangerous turn of events for us.

Nevertheless — If we were doing SOOOOO great, how is it that our total national debt exceeds our entire annual economic output? (I’m not asking the question of you in a hostile manner, my hostility is directed at the globalists.)

It is a fact that for about 30 to 40 years, starting with the post-Cold War period, and accelerated regionally by NAFTA, we became the “buyer of last resort”, the mega economy that was entrusted with buying everything that was made that couldn’t be sold elsewhere.

On top of that, we were supposed to also bear the expense of being the world’s cop, all so those worthless Europeans could stop spending money to defend themselves.

if tariffs are so bad for us to charge, as the Democrats, globalists and the legacy media keep claiming — then why is it perfectly OK for other countries to charge us 50%, 100%, 200% tariffs for stuff we want to export?

why does “sauce for the goose and sauce for the gander” not apply here?

Anyone rational knows the truth. The United States has been played as a sucker for 30 years. One way or another, that particular game has to end.

Our true enemies are the EU and China. The only good thing I can say about China is at least they don’t pretend to be our BFFs. The Euro-weenies are hypocrites on top of being our enemies.

All that said — President Trump does need to start delivering some results to which he can triumphantly point, or the weaklings will squawk from the rooftops.

Bottom line: This reckoning was due sooner or later, and what better time to have that reckoning than now, under the guidance of a President who can’t be bought, can’t be sold, and doesn’t have to worry about reelection.

[RoosterRedux]

I think the market sell-off in stocks and debt reflects uncertainty, not a perceived decline in U.S. strength.

This is a paradigm shift—a genuine sea change. What the world looks like on the other side remains unclear.

The U.S. economy will likely emerge significantly stronger, but which individual stocks will be best positioned is still uncertain.

It’s a bit like the country getting Tommy John surgery. Without it, our career’s over. With it, there’s a real shot at a return to glory. But nothing is guaranteed.