> more closely defends the interests of the US. Uhm, you did notice the threats of invasion and annexation to allies, didn't you? This is not "more closely def

> more closely defends the interests of the US. Uhm, you did notice the threats of invasion and annexation to allies, didn't you? This is not "more closely defending interests", this is a 180° change of policy after half a century. Maybe this feels like some minor issue to you, but generally, countries take direct threats to their sovereignity extremely seriously. And the thing is - while Europe didn't do the whole "growth above all" thing in recent years, it still has the best median quality of life in the entire world. Maybe there is a point, where it's just good enough? Maybe the price of eternal exponential growth is too high. I've been hearing those doomsday "europe is going to get destroyed economically" stories for my entire life. Yet the median quality of life and other societal markers kept going up. Do you really not notice what you are doing to supposed allies, without whom the US is essentially nothing? This is a two way street. And without protection from the US, why should american outstanding political influence be a thing anymore? The US and its citizens aren't special, just one country among many others now.