Are Europeans 'pathetic European free loaders'?

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WhatsApp chat released today from the US calling Europeans 'pathetic European free-loaders'.

One of our closest allies! What about support from European countries after September 11th?

AIBU to expect more professional language?

YABU to expect more professionalism from Trump and his band of loons.

But also the leaked WhatsApp’s from the Tories and Cummings referring to people as ‘cunts’ wasn’t any better.

What about the Brexit election interferance by Arron Banks with his links to Russia?

It was undemocratic because nobody actually knew what sort of Brexit they were voting for. We ended up with the hardest Brexit of all which has been disastrous for the economy as we have lost out biggest trading partners.

I'll simply say that the two groups most affected by Brexit, legal EU immigrants and those British people living long term in Europe were excluded from your very democratic referendum. A vote was held to decide my fate after I'd lived here legally and paid taxes for years that I could not take part in. So, no, not democratic and yes, whole heartedly racist if you read any of the comments from Brexiters. I'm very sorry if they're offended by being called racist though.

All true though not everything is rosy in France surely? Such as being more or less broke.

I obviously don't move in government circles, but in many years spent in the US I've never heard it except in reference to what's said in the UK

As you suggested it seems more "our" thing, largely based on our shared language and with a hefty dollop of "If we pretend we're best buddies they'll hopefully be nice to us"

There is a bit of it, but not as much as here. Ironically I'd have said our truly special relationship had been with Canada. But Trump has clearly burnt that bridge to the ground and then pissed on the ashes.

And we’ve foolishly allowed the Americans to buy up too much of our technology eg ARM and DeepMind.

Who cares what the Americans think?

Most Europeans have called Trump far worse.

Well it is rosy.

Apart from the much touted nuclear power stations being knackered from decades of service, and it being horribly expensive to replace them.

Along with the fact welfare reform seems next to impossible because people riot everytime the government tries to make changes to the system. Which will probably lead to systemic collapse within the next 10-20 years.

And the fact that there seems to be some sort of major riot in the streets once a year or so with the police charging barricades and hurling tear gas.

Apart from that France is absolutely fine.

I agree that Vance and friends are as bothered - if not more bothered - by the EU and UK stance on money laundering and proposed digital services taxes as NATO spending.

Whats the point of the EU if they cant make 'enough' money from it?

And I don't believe for one moment that Vance wants to see a militarily strengthened EU (unless we buy everything from the US which clearly wont happen now).

They are already grumbling about nuclear proliferation - ie they dont want EU countries to start co-ordinating on this stuff.

It was visually offensive, and designed to be so, and we were wrong to do/allow it.

Speak for yourself. I was more than happy with it.

I politicians want respect, there is a really really easy way to get it.

Act in a way that deserves respect.

It amuses me how sensitive folks are these days. 21st century political discourse is positively Shakespearian compared to the 1700s and 1800s.

They are already grumbling about nuclear proliferation - ie they dont want EU countries to start co-ordinating on this stuff.

see also: Pan-African congress.

@JHound not particularly democratic when the leave campaign constantly spouted that there would be frictionless trade, less red tape and some kind of customs union would be there - lots of the ‘we too could be like Norway’ - as someone with a business dealing with the EU and physical goods-nothing could be further from the truth - so whilst it wasn’t an undemocratic vote as such the vote was based on a great deal of bullshit that many believed would be the case.

Absolute ignorant CF-ers.

This fella Hegseth is an absolute charmer; paid a woman off for one of his infractions - plenty of other stuff about him.

They've been bailing us out?

That macho 'Murca gung-ho, bullshit attitude they've always had is why they've spent billions upon billions feeding their own military-industrial complex; they love it.

Starting wars that don't need starting, fermenting wars by proxy, elongating wars that suit them politically - we know how they behave, so don't start telling us civilised Europeans that you've just been charitable over the decades.

The US (under this regime) has proved itself to be an unreliable ally, if not an outright enemy.

Siding with their white-nationalist authoritarian mates in Russia.

They can fuck off.

Just for the pathetic.

Virtually every single ‘leader’ in Europe took great delight in insulting and ridiculing the Now POTUS. Are you really surprised that he doesn’t actually like them/ us much?

On paper, the Brexit referendum was democratic, in that we voted. However, the fact that nobody had a clue what Brexit meant made a mockery of the whole thing.
And for the benefit of non Brits, it wasn't people being lazy or stupid and not researching it.The government did not in fact have a plan for if the people voted to leave.

It’s not about being sensitive. He probably didn’t personally give a fuck about the balloon. But I don’t know why we would expect him to treat us (as a nation) well after that. Why would he? If someone is rude or mean to me, I don’t give much of a shit and I won’t be upset by it - but I won’t be seeing them or helping them after that. Not because I’m upset, but because they aren’t worth my headspace/time.

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Pretty much. Plus anti US rhetoric has been around for a while. In the end their voters think you pay then.

Yep.

You see I really wasn't expecting Trump to treat us well in 2016. And he didn't disappoint.

Also, the tone of debate hasn't really changed in over 40 years. I can remember Spitting Image and Not The Nine O'Clock News. If you think Trump has been badly treated, checkout how Reagan got both barrels in the 80s.

@Allthegoodnamesarechosen well maybe if he hadn’t gone around with the unprofessional spiel of ‘you know that horrible liberal lefty person xyz ‘ and constantly badmouthing his opponents or past opponents or indeed anyone criticising him or faking his wealth to keep him out of gaol and paying off hookers - the list is endless of distrustworthy unprofessional shit in fact - then there would have been nothing much to ridicule. Other leaders were not ridiculing Biden or Obama Or even Bush senior or junior- he is quite unique in uniting every major leader who isn’t in his own mirror image.

Yes, it's what I would call franchised politics. Like McDonald's, or a successful TV show with local versions in 50 countries....
The irony is that those claiming to be nationalists are in fact playing a globalist game.

Oh yes referendums - the easily manipulate mob vote beloved of dictators to convince the gullible of a thin veneer of democracy.

There’s a reason why they were banned in Germany post WWII.

And this naivety/ignorance is precisely how we ended up with Boris and the US ended up with Trump.