How to ‘Trump proof’ the transatlantic relationship?

In this medieval city just east of Brussels, American and European officials have one question on their minds: What to do about Donald Trump?

Over a two-day summit this week focused on trade and technology, the likes of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Commission trade czar Valdis Dombrovskis will flaunt the rekindled transatlantic friendship.

According to a draft communiqué seen by POLITICO, they will announce joint support for next generation telecommunication and semiconductor projects. They will champion so-called sustainable trade practices and stronger links around transatlantic supply chains. And they will coordinate more closely on artificial intelligence standards to push back against China and corral new forms of the technology made famous by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Yet, privately, European Union and United States officials acknowledge this week’s gathering of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council, or TTC, has become a hostage to fortune.

jabjoe,
@jabjoe@feddit.uk avatar

We in Europe need to consider weakening relations with the US if starts turning away from democracy.

There is a real chance that even if Trump loses again, by any democratic measure, he might still try to be president, again, and might succeed or make more of a mess.

We in European need to not be dragged down with US. We need our defences again Russia and China, and if need be, sadly, the US.

FooBarrington,

We shouldn’t wait to do it. Trump isn’t the cause of their political instability, he’s a symptom - and there’s no reason to believe the next republican candidate will be any better, or the one after that. If we wait, it will hit us unprepared, similarly to how we didn’t properly prepare for Russia after their invasion of Crimea.

Their next election will always be the “most important of all time”, and you know their population - they’ll swing republican soon enough. They have turned away from democracy by not jailing Trump, and doubly so by letting him run again.

jabjoe,
@jabjoe@feddit.uk avatar

I agree. I think we need to be turning towards democracy more. In the UK that means sort out FPTP and House of Lords. We need to reengage with Europe.

refurbishedrefurbisher,

Step 1: Force the courts to stop delaying Trump’s criminal trials until after the election.

Step 2: STAR voting

nondescripthandle,

Not going to lie to you I don’t like star voting over other ranked methods and if it was implemented id only vote for the candidate I want. If you like the underdog theres no incentive to rank other people because that necessarily makes the margin you can effect smaller, and why would you give points to someone who could end up overtaking your first choice with those given points?

refurbishedrefurbisher,

Nothing is stopping you from only voting for one person with any ranked choice voting system, but the option to completely avoid the spoiler effect would be a game changer.

nondescripthandle,

I dont disagree at all, and would still push for that system over what we have now for sure.

Sanctus,
@Sanctus@lemmy.world avatar

I know how to Trump proof everything.

sepi,

How? Get rid of trump

FaceDeer,
FaceDeer avatar

That's a stopgap measure. The root problem is the electorate and I'm really not sure how to fix that.

Perhaps the best way to "Trump proof" the transatlantic relationship is to accept that the transatlantic relationship is not an immutable fact of nature and be ready for it to maybe fall apart someday.

ashok36,

This is the only step. If trump is elected he and his cronies will remove, up to and including outright murder, all of his enemies. The only judges and “representatives” left will be ones scared enough or craven enough to do whatever Trump and his masters want. There will be no democracy after Trump if elected.

themeatbridge,

Yes, that’s an excellent first step.

But Trump is one guy. What about the next megalomaniac who is better at hiding his corruption? We have two parties, and one of them is staunchly chistofascist. Both parties suffer from corruption, but Trump has proven that you can be openly corrupt, openly bigoted, and openly criminal and still get a full third of the voting population to worship you.

And he’s really bad at it. Like, ridiculously inept. What happens when the next shitbag actually knows what their doing?

Sanctus,
@Sanctus@lemmy.world avatar

The only way is to decentralize power even more. We need more parties, we need a different voting system, and I cannot stress this enough; Trump needs to die.

tiefling,

In Minecraft

cmbabul,

The best possible scenario right now is that he croaks of a heart attack before he names a VP, then the GOP will rip itself apart trying to pick a leader. I’m not too hopeful about it at this point though

Sanctus,
@Sanctus@lemmy.world avatar

He’s old, it’s coming. We’ll see what emerges of the GOP afterwards. I can’t believe the stress alone hasn’t withered him out. If I was that old going through that I’d just shit myself and call it a day.

kadotux, (edited )
@kadotux@lemmings.world avatar

Exactly. As an european, I’m seriosly concerned that the mighiest (firepower-wise) country in the world is mimicking the steps that happened in Germany back in the days. edit: as in, descendin to fascism, via public vote.

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