Footnotes to Plato from the foothills of the Superstition Mountains
Key Takeaways
Trump is treating the European Union as a competitor and even an adversary, as a force that is actively undermining the U.S. economy and the American people.
Trump shares with Europe’s rising national conservative parties the view that far too much power is in the hands of Brussels.
Americans increasingly hold that the European Union does not advance their interests, and stands against the principles of liberty and sovereignty.
Here.
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I am a big eurosceptic, considering that continental Europe was stupid enough to fight two world wars in less than 41 years.
I have never understood Americans who fawn on modern Europe.
I like the High Middle Ages, though.
Europe is decadent, having become unwilling to defend its superior culture against the inferior culture of Muslim invaders. Is ethnomasochism too strong a word?
“Europe’s rising national conservative parties”
Such as the Alternative für Deutschland (AFD), one of whose leaders (Björn Höcke) described Berlin’s Holocaust memorial as a “monument of shame”.
David Barton gave a sermon (lecture) on February 9, 2025, covering the roots of the USA.
The close but no cigar of Jamestown vs Plymouth.
Although the Bible seemingly was at the root of both, that was, significantly, not the case.
The excellent distinctiveness of the United States derives from Plymouth.
Jamestown is worth understanding for its contrast because it represents a road to disaster. It is a big “ROAD OUT AHEAD” sign.
https://calvarycch.org/plymouth-vs-jamestown-kings-and-priests/
The Left has nothing sensible to object to Trump’s agenda, nothing at all. The case is made in detail by Victor Davis Hanson. Here: https://amgreatness.com/2025/04/07/the-poverty-of-the-criticism-of-trumps-agenda/
As for Björn Höcke of AFD, we read in The Guardian,
>>Alles für Deutschland, (“everything for Germany”) was once a Hitler-era rallying cry. It was more recently adopted by Björn Höcke, a high-ranking member of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland at party rallies, for which he was prosecuted.<<
He was PROSECUTED for saying "Everything for Germany"?!? What happened to free speech? There is nothing offensive about that. How does it differ from Trump's "America First"? Only a leftist loon could be offended by Trump's slogan.
The following is AI-generated and accurate:
>>Maverick Philosopher USA
America First is a concept that emphasizes a country’s right to prioritize its own interests over those of other nations, as long as it respects the interests and rights of other countries and their right to self-determination. According to the Maverick Philosopher, this notion is not about dominating other countries but rather about a country prioritizing its own well-being and interests. It is seen as a sound and defensible idea, distinct from chauvinism, nativism, or isolationism, and it promotes an enlightened nationalism that does not exclude immigration but requires immigrants to accept the host country’s values. This idea is similar to the general principle of Country First, where each nation has the right to prioritize its own interests, much like how an individual prioritizes their family’s needs over others.<<
Spot on!
Here is the straight skinny from the horse's mouth: https://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher_stri/2018/03/america-first.html
It appears that The Guardian is engaged in a typical leftist smear.
There is excellent reason to be a Eurosceptic these days.
I agree with author Nile Gardiner. Trump has turned the trans-Atlantic relationship on its head. The Euros are furious with him. What’s he’s doing is revolutionary. Trump has broken with a generations-long Euro-American understanding on security and economics. We’re in uncharted waters.
— Where the Euros want an indefinite confrontation with Russia, Trump wants a Russo-American detente. That’s heresy.
— Where Brussels & Davos represent a globalized world outlook, where borders disappear, Trump comes on with a strong dose of nationalism and a reassertion of sovereignty. That’s heresy, too.
— The Euros feel betrayed because Trump has shut them out of his talks with Russia over Ukraine. He’s shut out Ukraine, too. He seems to prefer a resolution based on an understanding between two great powers, and Europe’s not one of them. The Europeans do not like being treated that way. It’s not in their world outlook.
— The Euros also feel betrayed because the US has broken an 80-year unwritten agreement in which, in the past, the US indulged unfair European trade practices in order to keep Europe economically strong against the Communist threat. That was then. Trump’s tariffs are now. We’re in a different world.
— Yet again the Euros feel betrayed because they suspect Trump’s looking to exit NATO. Trump’s never said that, and as far as I can tell he’s saying all the right things about NATO, but a lot of people on both sides of the Atlantic believe he not only wants NATO to rethink its mission, he wants the US to greatly reduce its commitment.
— And it’s not just the EU and NATO that bother Trump. DJT has shown disaffection with other trans-national organizations: he’s withdrawn from the World Trade Organization and has a low opinion of the UN’s ability to solve problems. His default preference seems to be to cut deals among with sovereign states.
I agree with your analysis, James.
The nations of the world are in the state of nature with respect to one another. The UN and similar organizations are a joke. Internat’l law is a joke as well: laws are just paper without an enforcement mechanism, and who enforces international law?
Sovereign states need to cut mutually beneficial deals among themselves. Nat’l sovereignty and cultural differences must be respected.
Why do the Dementocrats hate DOGE?
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/6/democrats-hate-doge/
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