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> the faction that is in power allies with one(s) that is so far away from power as to never become a credible threat to it, in order to put the squeeze on a th

by klabb3 2y ago

> the faction that is in power allies with one(s) that is so far away from power as to never become a credible threat to it, in order to put the squeeze on a third faction that is actually a serious contender for the position of the first. Makes sense. I’m sure it happens. However, it’s an advanced construct and just one out of several incentives in a complex system, so I wouldn’t necessarily blanket attribute it to explain things. That said I also think you’re right that the USG does seem less imperialistically engaged with tech than say oil. That could have other explanations, such as less cozy relationships around subsidies and historical geopolitical interest. I mean, I think it’s entirely possible that there’s enough inertia in these systems to explain why one looks different than another. It doesn’t have to be a delicately played 4D chess by a bunch of boomers who don’t even know what encryption is. Don’t attribute to malice yadda yadda. In either case, from my European perspective, I’m not looking so much what the end goals are for the Americans, but rather how the countries in Europe can stand up to geopolitical winds, ie protect their interests. And in my lifetime, there’s a noticeable increase in alignment and strength, at the expense of a (imo) much less harmful set of compromises between individual countries. It all depends on what are the hot issues of the day. When it’s pollution in the Baltic Sea, or the Greeks treating the euro-wallet as a gift card, then we were all like pissy siblings. But now when the issues are war (Russia), economic hollowing (China) or having big brother deciding what’s best for you (US - although this is old), it’s better to set the differences aside, and band together.

coldtea 2y ago
>or the Greeks treating the euro-wallet as a gift card You mean the Germans treating the Euro and ECB as a monetary vehicle to boost their economy and milk the periphery, side-stepping any "hard rules" imposed for others when it was convenient for them, explicitly carot-and-whiping the South to de-industrialize over decades, and then strong-arming the indebted states as a means to pad German investors by moving money from the taxpayers to their banks and investment firms, while buying state assets (from airports and roads to utility companies) for themselves (with a few bones thrown to the French)? At the same time imposing stupid austerity policies (against the advice of expert economists) that made recovery impossible and amounted to war-level destruction for the economies involved? All the while cheerfully reviving racist language and imagery (like "rats" in the european kitchen, and other such niceties, of which calling the southern economies PIGGS was among the most prominent).
- klabb3 2y ago
  Right. I don’t see any conflict with that and Greek corruption and mismanagement. I was always on the side of the Greeks in that battle. If you lend you take risk. If you lend to a state you can’t take their democracy as collateral. The bean counters can kindly piss off, as always.

by klabb3 2y ago

coldtea 2y ago

>or the Greeks treating the euro-wallet as a gift card You mean the Germans treating the Euro and ECB as a monetary vehicle to boost their economy and milk the periphery, side-stepping any "hard rules" imposed for others when it was convenient for them, explicitly carot-and-whiping the South to de-industrialize over decades, and then strong-arming the indebted states as a means to pad German investors by moving money from the taxpayers to their banks and investment firms, while buying state assets (from airports and roads to utility companies) for themselves (with a few bones thrown to the French)? At the same time imposing stupid austerity policies (against the advice of expert economists) that made recovery impossible and amounted to war-level destruction for the economies involved? All the while cheerfully reviving racist language and imagery (like "rats" in the european kitchen, and other such niceties, of which calling the southern economies PIGGS was among the most prominent).

klabb3 2y ago
Right. I don’t see any conflict with that and Greek corruption and mismanagement. I was always on the side of the Greeks in that battle. If you lend you take risk. If you lend to a state you can’t take their democracy as collateral. The bean counters can kindly piss off, as always.