malchior wrote: ↑Sat Sep 25, 2021 11:25 pmIt is hard to understand what is going on because it doesn't make sense.
As usual, my take is somewhat more optimistic than yours. I think everything makes perfect sense, given the new assumptions I suspect are in play.
We're not treating Europe with "straight up disrespect." Biden had a very cordial phone call with Macron right after this event came out. We're not abandoning the EU to the Russians, we haven't stopped doing the basics, and we're not acting crazy.
We've just changed one of the core variables of our diplomacy. Since the end of WW II, our focus has been Europe. So whenever European interests and another foreign interest clashed, Europe would win. Frankly, that approach made a lot of sense for a very long time - Europe was the place both World Wars started, after all, and it was the prize the USSR was after.
But the world has changed. And now its becoming obvious that our foreign policy is changing as well. We didn't just hang Europe out to dry for no reason - we had two competing interests, and the Pacific interest won out. That is a huge shakeup for the established world order, but I don't think its irrational. Sometimes, you can't make everyone happy, so you pick the most important client and make THEM happy. This time, that was Australia. Sorry, France.
This will be a big adjustment for the EU, but if it forces the EU to start behaving more like the continent spanning government it clearly aspires to be, maybe it will ultimately be a healthy one.
/. "She climbed backwards out her
\/ window into Outside Over There."