🌊 Inside The Clinton DOGE

"Were you shocked by what Vance said? Do you agree with it? " No, I was relieved to hear his speech on European soil. Finally some acknowledgement of what the majority of Europe believes. Almost all countries lean to the right, yet European and national policies are extremely left-wing.

I am European, I live in the UK, but was born in France and have Dutch ancestry.

I watched Vance’s speech and it’s probably the best thing I watched all week. Americans tend to be very vocal on their beliefs, whereas Europeans can be a bit more reserved.

I strongly believe that JD Vance articulated the thoughts and feelings of a large group of people all across Europe. Our beloved continent is wasting away and our politicians wipe their hands cleans.

For the US to face European leaders with this uncomfortable truth is just short of humorous.

Two days after the election in the US, we were working in Vienna. The cab driver who picked us up at the airport was eager to talk about the election. During our ride to the city, he described the fear and awareness of the Austrian people about the need for them to step up their spending and contributions to NATO. They are FULLY AWARE, and have been, that the EU needs to "get it's act together." This thoughtful cab driver knew that the spending for defense will be increased in the EU and their social programs (including Green initiatives) will suffer as a result. If Vice President Vance's speech at Munich spurs full realization and action, as your article suggests, the EU can now begin to fully revise their expectations about our role in their security.

This time is reminiscent of the The Gathering Storm, Churchill's remarkable tome about the events preceding WWII. History repeats itself.

While Vance had some good points in his speech, I worry that it was less about trying to bring some sense back into the room and more about burning bridges. I worry that we're heading toward the kind of isolationism and America First thinking that we saw in the 1920s and 1930s. While there is something to be said about taking care of problems at home before looking abroad, I really don't think that's the intention of Trump and Vance. If Russia sparks off the next Great War, I worry that Trump's response will be to sit back and watch the flames, not caring until they threaten to jump the ocean to light America on fire.

From Vance’s speech and the ongoing negotiations over Ukraine, it seems to me that Russia is this administration’s ally, not Europe. That is a risky move to this demonstrably risk-averse administration, but one that is likely a calculated risk. I would now not be surprised by a Putin visit to Washington or a Trump visit to the Kremlin, but what is the Trump administration hoping to gain and what risks are they, if not ignoring or taking for granted, at least minimizing?