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The fact you're posting this comment in a thread of a press release of the acquisition of a European startup entity is in itself a counterfactual, wouldn't you

The fact you're posting this comment in a thread of a press release of the acquisition of a European startup entity is in itself a counterfactual, wouldn't you agree? One of the Cofounders of Silo is ex-Nokia... Should tell you everything about zero-sum games. Sure, the US is the dominant financial and technological economy on the planet and that will not change for the foreseeable future. But implying a globalized, technology enabled economy will behave in a zero-sum fashion is just plain wrong. The US is where it is today because post WWII it geniously recognized the value of free and global trade and invested heavily in its Navy to enable and protect said trade. Instead of making things on your own in the US, you could sit in New York and invest globally - the value of your investment and access to its dividends guaranteed by the power of the US military. Relative value against the status quo is created every day everywhere by millions of smart people. What Europe - and Finland in that example - has is a century old tradition and established infrastructure for high education. That investment will continue to pay off for the foreseeable future.

ClumsyPilot 2y ago
> geniously recognized the value of free and global trade and invested heavily in its Navy to enable and protect said trade This reads like a person taking credit for the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. United States is rich for three reasons: Firstly USA stole textile and other technology from the British empire. Secondly, gen 1 ‘non-free trade’ empires like the British got demolished in the war. All of the world’s industrial nations were in ruins. Third step, the ‘genius’ was the Marshall Plan, was giving reconstruction loans to British and the French that they could only spend on American products - remember their industry was demolished, further stimulating American economy. Global trade grew after 1955 when we invented containerisation. And USA does not really believe in global free trade - that’s for its club of friends. Everyone else gets a sudden 100% solar panel tax or a 100% ev tax when they want to export to US. Or they get a sudden coup if their government wanted to stop exporting bananas to US
- mistrial9 2y ago
  oversimplified explanations here - great to relieve some hostility perhaps but not complete.. lots of holes in this blanket explanation. History of trade protectionism ? that is older than sailing ships. Yes, the achievements of old Europe include flaming the largest and deadliest wars in world history. The USA benefited from not being destroyed? sure OK.. maybe war is a bad idea for prosperity. Modern trade values might be divided into "oil and gas" and then everything else.. "arms trade" and then everything else.. Big Pharma ? ok you got me, yes the US rules it financially, but then old Europe has some assets like that, but not on front stage.. thinking textile dye chemistry for an example. The USA has no special awards for inventing trade protectionism, just a vigorous practice at the right time due to the idiocy of others. You speak English pretty well.. maybe that language is part of the success here? many other angles easily come to mind...

ClumsyPilot 2y ago

> geniously recognized the value of free and global trade and invested heavily in its Navy to enable and protect said trade This reads like a person taking credit for the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. United States is rich for three reasons: Firstly USA stole textile and other technology from the British empire. Secondly, gen 1 ‘non-free trade’ empires like the British got demolished in the war. All of the world’s industrial nations were in ruins. Third step, the ‘genius’ was the Marshall Plan, was giving reconstruction loans to British and the French that they could only spend on American products - remember their industry was demolished, further stimulating American economy. Global trade grew after 1955 when we invented containerisation. And USA does not really believe in global free trade - that’s for its club of friends. Everyone else gets a sudden 100% solar panel tax or a 100% ev tax when they want to export to US. Or they get a sudden coup if their government wanted to stop exporting bananas to US

mistrial9 2y ago
oversimplified explanations here - great to relieve some hostility perhaps but not complete.. lots of holes in this blanket explanation. History of trade protectionism ? that is older than sailing ships. Yes, the achievements of old Europe include flaming the largest and deadliest wars in world history. The USA benefited from not being destroyed? sure OK.. maybe war is a bad idea for prosperity. Modern trade values might be divided into "oil and gas" and then everything else.. "arms trade" and then everything else.. Big Pharma ? ok you got me, yes the US rules it financially, but then old Europe has some assets like that, but not on front stage.. thinking textile dye chemistry for an example. The USA has no special awards for inventing trade protectionism, just a vigorous practice at the right time due to the idiocy of others. You speak English pretty well.. maybe that language is part of the success here? many other angles easily come to mind...