Editor: Vlad Rothstein | Tactical Investor
Random thoughts
Who cares? To which most will respond what, how can you say that? To which the observer will respond, remember the point is to polarise the crowd. The objective here is not to provide real revelations to the masses but to agitate them. When the crowd is agitated, you can fleece them, and they will not even notice what is going on. On a separate note, no conclusive evidence supports these allegations. Observer Vs regular perspective regarding Russia’s alleged hacking of US elections
Trump’s War on Europe
Initially, the Trump administration’s policy towards the EU appeared to be one of benign neglect. There has been no rush to appoint an ambassador to the EU, and the union was barely mentioned in various strategy documents the administration released in recent months. The US relationship with the EU was only cited once in the National Security Strategy, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hardly mentioned the EU in his sole speech on Europe.
Furthermore, the US’s multibillion-dollar trade relationship with the EU, which has been a cornerstone of the transatlantic relationship, was not mentioned in Tillerson’s speech. However, this week, Trump announced tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum imports, which caused shock among European policymakers. While the move was not directed specifically at Europe, the announcement was unexpected and reinforced European concerns over Trump’s protectionist agenda.. Full Story
Europe thinks Trump ‘hates us
While aides to US President Donald Trump insist that his disputes with Europe are part of a long history of disagreements between leaders who, in the end, share deeper interests and values, senior officials from over a dozen countries, most of whom have decades of experience with the transatlantic relationship, insist that the breaches under this administration go beyond the types of policy disagreements of the past. Speaking mainly on the condition of anonymity out of fear of worsening the situation, they voiced a consistent message of concern, pointing to a more organic breach of collaboration, a collapse of institutions, and, most worrisome, the obliteration of any sense of predictability.
Many European officials believe that Trump is redrawing the transatlantic relationship in ways that will last far beyond his presidency. The President has not appointed US envoys to numerous United Nations institutions in Europe or to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which plays a crucial role in monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine. A career diplomat, the US ambassador in Estonia, recently announced his retirement, partly in response to Trump’s negative comments about the EU. Full Story
New US ambassador to Germany under fire for rightwing support
Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, has caused controversy by saying in an interview with far-right news outlet Breitbart that he wants to empower other conservatives throughout Europe. Grenell, who has only been in the role for less than a month, went on to say that there is a “groundswell of conservative policies” as a result of the “failed policies of the left”.
His comments drew criticism from German politicians, with the foreign ministry calling for clarification and others accusing him of breaching diplomatic protocol. Some have noted that Grenell’s remarks represent a departure from the approach of past US ambassadors, who focused on building bridges rather than party politics.
A member of the Social Democrat party and German-US parliamentary friendship group, Metin Hakverdi, has criticized Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, for his comments in a Breitbart interview.
Hakverdi said that Grenell’s comment about “failed policies of the left” was irritating and represented a breach of diplomatic protocol. He also noted that as a member of a left-wing party that has collaborated with the US in the past, he did not appreciate the ambassador’s remarks.
Additionally, Hakverdi pointed out that US ambassadors should not seek to empower political parties, as highlighted by US Senator Chris Murphy. While acknowledging that Grenell is new to his post, Hakverdi hopes that such irritation will not occur in the future..” Full Story
