David Vance SubstackRead More
Well, President Trump has really rattled the Europeans in the past 24 hours with his dramatic announcement of 10% tariffs on all exports to the US from Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands. Norway, Sweden and the UK from 1st Feb. This will rise to 25% in June unless a comprehensive deal is reached on the US acquisition on Greenland!
This was Trump’s blistering reaction to the unbelievable inept deployment of troops from most of these countries to Greenland this past week. In essence, they f*cked about and now they have found out! The UK finds itself also caught in this situation having sent ONE military officer there. What were they thinking? Could they not see how ridiculous it all looked and how insulting it was towards the President?
It’s been fun watching the outrage from those about to be tariffed. Starmer is very cross about it and has insisted that the UK “stands with Greenland”. The fact he puts Greenlands borders security ahead of that of the UK is not lost on many people. But apart from his cliched rhetoric and “strong words” to Trump, what can he do but bluster? Does he think that the UK economy is in a place where it could withstand 10% tariffs on US exports, let alone 25%? The answer is of course it can’t but yet Labour politicians are doing the rounds of the media channels to inform us that such tariffs would also hurt the US? REALLY?
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have called the threats “unacceptable” and warned tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a “dangerous downward spiral”. There is a suggestion that the EU will void the trade deal with the US.
It’s all such bluster. Once the Europeans have calmed down, they will grudgingly accept Trump must get Greenland, pressure will be brought on Denmark to concede Greenland, one way or another. That’s how this works. The faux outrage of Eurocucks means next to nothing. The idea that Denmark has a choice is laughable.
In the age of American Empire, this is how things work.
