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This is the second of a two-part post about Europe.

 

 

What can Europe do if Trump and his minions take Greenland by force?

 

Let’s look at the options.

 

NATO will either cease to exist or it will be forced to exclude the United States. The alliance that has prevented a third World War will be history. We will not be losing multiple, democratic, strong, and consistent allies (think Desert Storm); we will be creating multiple, democratic, strong, enemies.

 

Enemies.

 

In response to our unilateral, unprovoked aggression, Europe will close every U.S. military base on the continent. Ramstein in Germany, RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath in UK, Nsval Station Roto in Spain, Aviano  in Italy: gone. Our ability to project power into the Middle East and Africa: gone.

 

Then comes the economic fallout. We are not the largest market in the world. Nor is China. The European Union is the largest single market in the world and they will weaponize it. Our companies will be expelled from every NATO member. Apple, Google, McDonalds, and every major American-domiciled corporation will be banned. Trillions of dollars in market capitalization: gone.

 

Next, do you know what props up our debt? Other countries not coordinating to call in the money we owe them. How much money do we owe other NATO countries?

 

Here are just a few of our debts:

United Kingdom - $700-800 billion

Luxembourg - $400+ billion

France - $375-400 billion

Canada - $350+ billion

Norway - $150-200 billion

Germany - $100+ billion

 

All of them will likely move to call in their U.S. Treasuries and dump their dollar reserves sending the value of our currency into a death spiral. Do you know what happens to the dollar when $2 trillion in bonds are called at once? I don’t because I’m not a Nobel laureate economist. Even they probably don’t know all of the ramifications. But I’m fairly certain it will be a very, very dark day economically.

 

We also will lose any claim to the moral high ground. Every despot and dictatorship from China and Russia to Iran and Yemen will laugh in our face when they invade their neighbors. You can kiss Taiwan goodbye which probably means nothing to Fox-addicts (“just another far-off country”) but means literally the world to you and me, not to mention our military. ICYDK, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Company is the world's largest dedicated chipmaker and the largest manufacturer of advanced AI chips. Your smartphone, laptop, car, and home appliances all rely on these chips. MRIs, pacemakers, traffic lights, data centers, cell networks, Bluetooth all need them.

 

We will not be trusted for the foreseeable future. Germany couldn’t invade Poland and then claim a new government so all is forgiven. The damage will most certainly last the rest of my lifetime. We, you, me, our kids, will not be welcome in any NATO country. There will be no winners other than the oligarchs who want Greenland as their own fiefdom. (If you think I’m making this up, read some of Peter Thiel or Dryden Brown’s writings or Google Praxis or Andreessen Horowitz.)

 

I can’t believe we have no say in becoming the predators and pariahs of the world. Sucks.