Germany wants Europe to form a 'counterweight' to US

[fitpOsitive]

Do you really think all those Bin Dollar idiots will ever do anything that is even remotely against US interests?

They have done a lot of things in past, they might do it again.

 

[vostok]

Will se how Nord Stream-2 ends. It is the real test of German sovereignty.

 

[vi-va]

are you forgetting that the Saudis "and others" are totally reliant on getting the latest and best defense tech from the US, not anywhere else? i bet they'll stick to dollars-only policies.

@fitpOsitive
If those expensive toys (gosh, hundred of billions) can not defeat Houthi with slippers. Those so called best defense tech is useless anyway.

 

[PeaceGen]

Can Europe survive without Germany, it can't... Germany is the head of Europe and most powerful economy in Europe. It has its point to speak for Europe.

UK has reduced itself to be a sidekick of American. It even need USA permission just to wrangle it's tail. British Johnson as PM of UK is nothing but disaster. He cannot see UK beyond without US. What a useless fellow.

i disagree with this opinion as well.

Johnson is smart to extend the hand of friendship toward the US. it'll protect the UK, and NATO as a whole too.

 

[vi-va]

Will se how Nord Stream-2 ends. It is the real test of German sovereignty.

At most half sovereignty.

 

[PeaceGen]

Iran should build ICBMs and nuclear weapons. Russia and China should assist Iran in its quest. That’s the only way to deter against Western gangsters. A strong Iran is an excellent counterbalance to Western global aggression.

Russia and China would be expecting a pawn or bishop or rook or horse to enter the field of geopolitics, but they'd get a horse with ambitions to be a king or a queen!
Think twice, Chinese and Russians. it's in your best interest.

 

[Beidou2020]

Russia and China would be expecting a pawn or bishop or rook or horse to enter the field of geopolitics, but they'd get a horse with ambitions to be a king or a queen!
Think twice, Chinese and Russians. it's in your best interest.

Iran should be built up as an ally in the Middle East for Russia and China.

 

[PeaceGen]

Iran should be built up as an ally in the Middle East for Russia and China.

except, Iran doesn't play by the same rules as either Russia or China.
they play by their own (hidden as well as advertised) rules.

Iran is into building empires based on Islamic principles.
And as such, it has many adversaries in the middle east who simply do not want to be ruled by Iranians.
Adversaries that *will* get armed by the west and it's other allies like the Japanese, if the Russians and Chinese start an arms race to create this ally out of Iran for themselves.

So at the very least, if you embark on this geo-political course, you'll be spending *a whole lot of* tax-payer dollars on your militaries, and at worst you plunge the middle east into a regional war with potential even for nuclear war as a result of *that*.

 

[Beidou2020]

except, Iran doesn't play by the same rules as either Russia or China.
they play by their own (hidden as well as advertised) rules.

Iran is into building empires based on Islamic principles.
And as such, it has many adversaries in the middle east who simply do not want to be ruled by Iranians.
Adversaries that *will* get armed by the west and it's other allies like the Japanese, if the Russians and Chinese start an arms race to create this ally out of Iran for themselves.

So at the very least, if you embark on this geo-political course, you'll be spending *a whole lot of* tax-payer dollars on your militaries, and at worst you plunge the middle east into a regional war with potential even for nuclear war as a result of *that*.

A strong Iran is very much needed to counter Western aggression. Russia and China can arm Iran to the teeth. Iran can in turn arm it’s regional allies as a multiplier effect. Japan is already armed unlike Iran and Japan is being armed regardless anyway. China spending just 3% of GDP on military is $720 billion in PPP. Money is not a problem for China. Iran can cause the West a lot of problems and distractions. Iranians are tough bastards. Give them the weapons necessary and you have the strongest military in the Middle East.

 

[PeaceGen]

A strong Iran is very much needed to counter Western aggression. Russia and China can arm Iran to the teeth. Iran can in turn arm it’s regional allies as a multiplier effect. Japan is already armed unlike Iran and Japan is being armed regardless anyway. China spending just 3% of GDP on military is $720 billion in PPP. Money is not a problem for China. Iran can cause the West a lot of problems and distractions. Iranians are tough bastards. Give them the weapons necessary and you have the strongest military in the Middle East.

you do know you're advertising mass-suffering there, do you?!

 

[PeaceGen]

A strong Iran is very much needed to counter Western aggression. Russia and China can arm Iran to the teeth. Iran can in turn arm it’s regional allies as a multiplier effect. Japan is already armed unlike Iran and Japan is being armed regardless anyway. China spending just 3% of GDP on military is $720 billion in PPP. Money is not a problem for China. Iran can cause the West a lot of problems and distractions. Iranians are tough bastards. Give them the weapons necessary and you have the strongest military in the Middle East.

but, for argument's sake.. (everybody else : please note these are 2 arm-chair generals discussing things over here, nothing more)

let's assume *you're* right, and that *i'm* wrong.
that the whole strategy of one side being significantly stronger in (nearly) every way, is simply wrong, and the cause of much mass-suffering throughout the world (starting well before WW1 i think)...

that we need a more balanced world, where we're basically always in a heightened state of alert, in an armsrace, and where we could at any time see our militaries or politicians or a combination thereof, take things too far, and cause actual regional or large scale war..

but that in the end such catastrophes could always be avoided (please do remember : free press *can* be "silenced" or made to sing the government's tune, as we here in the west believe that that is exactly what's happening in China and Russia at the moment)...

then, still, why spend so much on hazardous military hardware when you don't really need to, when you're better off with a "let's use their free press to achieve our goals instead" strategy??

 

[Nasr]

Germany wants Europe to form a 'counterweight' to US

The German foreign minister has said it was high time that Europe reassessed its partnership with the United States. He advocated an EU payment system independent of the US in order to save the nuclear deal with Iran.


German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said that Europe should form a "counterweight" to the United States whenever Washington "crosses red lines."
In a guest article for German business newspaper Handelsblatt, Maas said Germany wants a "balanced partnership" with the United States, in which it "brings its weight where the US withdraws."
"Single-handedly, we will fail in this task. The main goal of our foreign policy is therefore to build a sovereign, strong Europe," Maas wrote.
Maas' article comes amid strained relations between the US and its European allies after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, and pulled out of a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers.
Europe has been scrambling to persuade Tehran to remain in the 2015 accord. But with European firms wary of far-reaching US financial penalties, it's proving to be a challenge.
Read more: Donald Trump's trade spats with Europe, China and NAFTA ― What you need to know

EU-US trade relationship
More than a trillion euros in trade
The European Union is the US' largest export market, accounting for about one-fifth of all US exports. Similarly, one-fifth of EU exports go to the United States. EU-US trade in goods and services was €1,069.3 billion in 2017. The EU imported €256.2 billion in goods from the US, and exported €375.8 billion.
EU payment system
Maas said Europe needs to set up payment systems independent of the United States if it wants to save the nuclear deal.
"That's why it is indispensable that we strengthen European autonomy by creating payment channels that are independent of the United States, a European Monetary Fund and an independent SWIFT system," Maas wrote. "Every day the deal is alive is better than the highly explosive crisis that would otherwise threaten the Middle East."
Iran called on Europe to speed up efforts to save the deal after French oil group Total formally pulled out of a major gas project on Monday.
The EU has vowed to counter Trump's renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures.
"Given the circumstances, it is of strategic importance that we tell Washington clearly: We want to work together," Maas wrote. "But we will not allow you to hurt our interests without consulting us."
ap/rt (AFP, Reuters)

Germany: Europe must form a 'counterweight' to US – DW – 08/21/2018

The German foreign minister has said it was high time that Europe reassessed its partnership with the United States. He advocated an EU payment system independent of the US in order to save the nuclear deal with Iran.

www.dw.com

Europe can't do squat, until and unless they kick-out all non-European military and intelligence personnel of the anglo-sphere, permanently. Disband NATO and establish an independent foreign policy, with zero influence of Washington DC or London. Until such a precedent is enacted, it's all hot air.

 

[PeaceGen]

Europe can't do squat, until and unless they kick-out all non-European military and intelligence personnel of the anglo-sphere, permanently. Disband NATO and establish an independent foreign policy, with zero influence of Washington DC or London. Until such a precedent is enacted, it's all hot air.

and thanks to WW1 and WW2, that's never going to happen.

and just because some foreign minister says it, doesn't mean that all of the population wants that, either.

 

[RoadRunner401]

Very very usefull initiative. Meanwhile Saudia and others can also break chains by accepting payments in Chinese Yuan , Russians Rubel and Euro.... Perfect timing, I will say.

I love it when some still pretend Saudis are the victims and not the actual perpetrators, not sure how to break this to you Its Called "Petrodollar " for a reason.

 

[letsrock]

If they really wanted to support Iran shouldnt they be working for an international system where no rich/powerful country can bully a small/weak one ? instead they want to create another super power to take on US apparently.
There is no way Euro can replace dollar. US imported $2.5 trillion USD in 2019 where as EU did 990 something billion.