The World Without the US

[rareboy]

Portugal just cancelled their F-35 order from the USA to get jets made in Europe.

I suspect this will become a pattern now.

 

[Norri]

Maybe eventually but not initially, Europe’s defense industry is not up to the task of supplying the EU with the kind of weapons they will need and they can’t compete with American technology. Additionally it’s American satellites that feed European intelligence and logistics.

They can do it but it will take time and they will have to show the desire to do it.

The French probably have the best defense industry in Europe so start there.

 

[rareboy]

I see where Volkswagen is considering converting some of their factory capacity in Germany to defense.

Don't underestimate Germany.

What the western nations have realized is how dangerous and undependable the US might be and there will be a race to de-couple from dependence on American satellites.

Experience appears to indicate that the US intelligence is now being used by rrrZZia against Ukraine.

Europe and other NATO partners are increasingly concerned about the F-35's because of dependence on the US...so expect Britain and France to fill the gap.

 

[rareboy]

AMU in France has created a 'Safe Place for Science' program, showing that the Europeans are preparing to provide academic refuge and resources to scientists from the US who are effectively being driven out...kind of the reverse of what happened in the 1930's when it was the US that took in some of the leading scientists from Europe as the NAZIs ran roughshod.

Safe Place For Science : Aix Marseille Université prête à accueillir les scientifiques américains | Aix Marseille Université

Dans un contexte où certains scientifiques aux États-Unis peuvent se sentir menacés ou entravés dans leurs recherches, notre université annonce mettre en place le programme Safe Place For Science dédié à l’accueil des scientifiques souhaitant poursuivre leurs travaux dans un environnement...

www.univ-amu.fr

 

[rareboy]

I'm sure that the Kremlin and China will be glad to take over the space. Probably just as well though, because TrumpCo.'s message to the rest of the world is dark and twisted.

 

[rareboy]

Portugal just cancelled their F-35 order from the USA to get jets made in Europe.

I suspect this will become a pattern now.

I posted before this was announced:

On Friday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said the country is actively looking at other fighter jets amid growing political momentum to scrap a $13 billion deal for 88 F-35s that was signed in 2023.

Canada has committed money for its first 16 planes, which are scheduled for delivery early next year. Blair indicated that after accepting that batch of F-35s, Canada could turn to European aircraft to replace its aging fleet of fighters.

Apparently the Gripen fighter is under consideration and could be assembled in Canada.

I still think we should resurrect the Avro Arrow which was destroyed and buried at the demand of the US so that it wouldn't compete with the Lockheed Martin jets.

At this point it would be political suicide for anyone to suggest that Canada continue with the purchase of US jets. Time to turn to Europe.

NATO countries are having second thoughts about buying America’s F-35 as the ‘predictability of our allies’ is doubted amid Trump’s seismic shifts

"There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production."

www.yahoo.com

 

[rareboy]

Two things here.

The first is the statment by the new liberal government that will close out the current session and go to election likely in a few months.

Prime Minister Carney to strengthen ties with France and the United Kingdom and reaffirm Canada’s sovereignty

To that end, the Prime Minister announced today that he will travel to Paris, France, London, United Kingdom, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, from March 16 to 18, 2025, to strengthen two of our closest and longest-standing economic and security partnerships, and to reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and...

www.pm.gc.ca

The other thing worth mentioning is that since 2019, as head of central banks and instrumental in likely saving Canada from total disaster in the 2008 US caused global recession, Carney has been warning coutries to move away form the increasingly unreliable US dollar as reserve currency. With the US likely about to load another 4 trillion dollars in debt to the tab, and the shift toward rrrZZia and away from democracy, the US dollar may be less and less secure, particularly since it has essentially been backed by the ability of the Feds to tax.

 

[rareboy]

And Macron today:

"Those who buy Patriot systems should be offered the new generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy F-35s should be offered Rafale."

I iamgine the US defense industry isn't too happy about this shift in thinking by NATO countries away from their gear.

 

[rareboy]

 

[fallsguy]

Not a fan but at least we finally have a PM doing something.

 

[rareboy]

Of significance, the PM's first visits are not to the US or to meet with Trump.

Carney is smart enough to know that he would be walking into a trap.

I am sure that Trump being snubbed by Carney is going to piss him off and the name calling will begin.

 

[rareboy]

I imagine that a lot of investment is shifting to Europe right now.

 

[rareboy]

By the way Mark Carney announces partnership with Australia on early warning detection system in the Arctic.

We can't depend on the US any more. They would likely divide the spoils with the Kremlin.

 

[rareboy]

And....Canada is in advanced talks with the European Union to join the bloc’s new project to expand its military industry.

This a move that would allow Canada to be part of building European fighter jets and other military equipment at its own industrial facilities.

 

[rareboy]

And so the withdrawal from NATO looks like it is about to begin. From Heather Cox Richardson:

"There has been remarkably little pushback from Republicans about the changes being made to the country in their names, but the news that dropped on March 18 that the administration is considering giving up a key role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has sparked public objection from Republicans who care about the nation’s global role. Since NATO organized, the role of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, known as the SACEUR, has been filled by an American.

“For the United States to give up the role of supreme allied commander of NATO would be seen in Europe as a significant signal of walking away from the alliance,” retired Admiral James Stavridis, who served as SACEUR and head of European Command from 2009 to 2013, wrote to Kube and Lubold. “It would be a political mistake of epic proportion, and once we give it up, they are not going to give it back. We would lose an enormous amount of influence within NATO, and this would be seen, correctly, as probably the first step toward leaving the Alliance." altogether.”

The US leaving NATO has been a deal Trump made with Putin a long time ago.

Trump also knows that he needs to have the US out of NATO if he wants to invade and annex other NATO partners.

But at the moment, the US is stuck. It can prevent NATO from accepting Ukraine...but only so long as it is a member.

To give up the leadership does seem to be a tactical error with little on the upside except some paltry savings.

Along with an apparent pullback planned for defenses near Japan, it represents more pullback from playing any kind of role in global affairs and opens the door for China, Rzzia and other players to fill the vaccum.

Lots more as well to read in her Letters from an American today as well.

March 20, 2025

It seems as if the Trump administration is rushing to tear apart as much as it can as opponents of its wholesale destruction of the United States government organize to stop them.

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

 

[rareboy]

So this isn't about tariffs entirely.

It is about trust.

And Lockheed Martin are apparently entering the 'find out' phase as the talk of the US giving up the head of NATO position and likely looking to leave it entirely makes shareholders realize that the entire European, Canadian and other liberal democracies being treated like shit by the US are actively looking for new suppliers of defense aircraft and systems.

 

[rareboy]

The drop was precipitated by Trump suggesting that the US would supply lesser quality planes to US allies because who knows if they might not be enemies one day...and there is growing concern that the Us may have 'kill' switches in f35's that other countries can see being deployed as an extortionate measure or used to disable allies in Europe in favour of rrrZZia if the latter were to attack.

In less than a couple of months, Trump has likely lost the US defense industry any reputation for being a secure provider and has literally cost them billions in lost sales. A conservative Danish politician is the latest to speak out.

 

[rareboy]

Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence Industry and Space:

“There are 450 million Europeans. We should not be crying out for 340 million Americans to defend us against 140 million Russians, who are not even able to defeat 38 million Ukrainians.

 

[rareboy]

Obviously tariffs are going to be a central issue at the G7.

As will the security of western and eastern democracies that make up the G7.

The US has effectively lost its influence at the G7 by aligning with rrrZZZia, threatening allies and attacking their economies.

So Zelensky will attend. I am sure...and the US will downgrade their representatve to Rubio or someone since Trump can't enter Canada...and probably wouldn't be safe from protests if he did.

This will be the norm. The US will no longer be the outsized voice that uses up all the oxygen.

Expect the US to start talking about withdrawing from the Group of 7. Maybe it will shift to BRICS?

 

[rareboy]

Of course...in vino veritas.

Europe gets an unvarnished opinion of what the regime thinks of them. Oddly enough, even though it was Israeli ships that the Houthi were targetting, no mention of having to bail out Israel?

I wonder why?

But it does underscore that Britain and Europe need to likely put warships back in the Gulf.