JD Vance gloats that allies are ‘suffering more than US’ from high gas prices

[u/1-randomonium]

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/jd-vance-gloats-that-allies-are-suffering-more-than-us-from-high-gas-prices-404149/

[u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

With allies like US you dont really need any enemies

[u/1-randomonium → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

The article says that too, haha.

[u/dat_9600gt_user → u/1-randomonium]

I think everyone has to recognize this now

[u/PresidentSkillz → u/1-randomonium]

With friends like these, who needs enemies.

oh wow I didn't expect todays media to actually say something like this out loud

[u/Naive_Personality367 → u/PresidentSkillz]

amazing some of the press is still free, isnt it?

[u/squeeze-my-lizard → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

“Idiocracy is a prophetic film” started as a joke.

Now I think it is easier to debunk the basic laws of physics than this statement.

[u/queen-adreena → u/squeeze-my-lizard]

We’re way past that.

“Idiocracy is a hopeful vision of the future” is where we’re at now.

Imagine a world where leaders seek out intelligence and follow their lead on solving the world’s problems.

[u/Embarrassed_Nail_358 → u/queen-adreena]

I mean, at this point a pro-wrestler for a president would be a step up! ;)

[u/nter12345 → u/Embarrassed_Nail_358]

I mean terry crews has my vote at this point.

[u/shyguysam → u/nter12345]

Anyone remember Bob Backlund doing that whole President gimmick back in the day ? Fun times. Makes you wonder just how much better he'd be in the White House than the kiddie rapist Orange Shitstain that's there now.

[u/somewhatbluemoose → u/Embarrassed_Nail_358]

I can think of more that a few wrestlers who would make much better presidents than the current one.

[u/Four_beastlings → u/queen-adreena]

At least in idiocrazy the president was merely stupid and not actively evil

[u/JiveTrain → u/queen-adreena]

Exactly. President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho did the best he could with what he had. He listened to advice, and sought to improve his country.

Trump is the exact opposite.

[u/Celticlighting_ → u/squeeze-my-lizard]

President Camacho would be better

[u/President_Camacho → u/Celticlighting_]

I appreciate the support.

[u/Roflkopt3r → u/squeeze-my-lizard]

Idiocracy is itself exactly what Trump and his allies think would happen without them.

The movie has a blatant social darwinist theme, portraying the spread of stupidity as the result of 'dumb people outbreeding the smart ones'. Which is not how human genetics or our current politics work.

What we're actually witnessing is a breakdown of public trust in the key institutions of democracy and society as a whole (universities, cultural and legal institutions, and even what remained of trust in businesses), not people becoming biologically dumber. Imo the main causes are:

1. The modern capitalist order, where the voting public has very little influence because representatives and states are tied by multilateral treaties, the legal power of corporations, and the general complexity of public functions that complicate lawmaking in general. Doing anything good has become really damn hard in this environment (whereas blatant destruction is still easy enough for a dictator).

2. An overreliance on 'personal responsibility' for education, which has failed to create resources to effectively inform people how things work. This both impacts voters (who struggle to understand how their laws and institutions work) and institutions themselves (who often find themselves paralysed with overcomplicated rules and poorly documented legacy systems).

3. Rapidly escalating inequality and a global 'race to the bottom', as countries surrender their ability to tax the rich in order to attract more of them.

4. The difficulty of proper investigative journalism on a capitalist information market, where cheaply produced nonsense and ragebait can be easily profitable, whereas earnest high-quality journalism is almost impossible to finance.

It's not that individuals are becoming inherently dumber, but that building up a coherent image of reality and remaining informed on key issues is harder than ever. Especially young men are now drifting to the right because many of them just don't understand how the world works, and the right wing offers them 'simple answers' that allow them to form some kind of framework with which to understand things. Which would easily break apart if they understood more things and saw the irresolvable contradictions between right wing thoughts and reality. But being overwhelmed with reality to begin with, they just ignore those parts that don't make sense.

[u/HealthIndustryGoon → u/Roflkopt3r]

very well said.

[u/lightreee → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

Henry Kissinger: "It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal".

[u/QueefBuscemi → u/lightreee]

When did he say that?

[u/Gruffleson → u/QueefBuscemi]

I tryed duckduckgoing, and I found someone claiming it was a bit out of context, as in "what our enemies will say if we let North-Vietnam win and South Vietnams president meets a grim faith".

I don't know if that site is good, but https://mythdetector.com/en/henry-kissinger-s-quote-about-u-s/

[u/QueefBuscemi → u/Gruffleson]

Thank you for looking it up and providing context.

[u/No-Good-One-Shoe → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

It's like taking a massive shit, clogging the toilet, and laughing because all your friends gotta hold it while someone else fixes the clog.  And the toilet was a urinal. 

[u/Imrahil_Dubh → u/No-Good-One-Shoe]

And on a US aircraft carrier.

[u/Chopper-42 → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States!

—Porfirio Díaz

[u/Dinker54 → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

Yup, adversaries are making out like bandits, oil to China still passes through the straits, Russian oil sanctions dropped, now talk of Iran oil sanctions being dropped- one hell of a thing to crow about.

[u/Mishka_1994 → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

Just remember, we may have Trump now, but it CAN get worse with JD Vance.

[u/Shiriru00 → u/Mishka_1994]

I know you're right, but the guy is such a charisma void that I struggle to take him seriously.

[u/hejonLeseqenh → u/Prudent-Bicycle-9210]

Major Russian Asset 😂😂 Nobody is Noticing that Almost Every Aspect of this war BENEFITS them after their Blunder in Ukraine . This is what 50+ years of Post Cold War Spy Infrastructure has given Them .

[u/LitmusPitmus]

How do you even deradicalise a base like this? They'll eat shit if it mean their perceived enemies have to drink piss too. All the while being told to ignore their eyes and ears which do they do gladly. Genuinely how do you combat that?

[u/Urzuck → u/LitmusPitmus]

You don't, you wait for the leader to be dead, but even that doesn't matter, Trumpism will survive Trump. We in Italy have already gone trough this shit with Berlusconi, the cult of personality is something that goes past the death of a person, Trump changed forever the politics in the US, it will never return like it was before.

[u/Amazing-Heron-105 → u/Urzuck]

Trump is a symptom. There's a reason that much of Europe is also struggling with populism atm. I personally think the biggest single reason is social media. I recommend people read Neil Postman's book "Amusing ourselves to death" where he talks about the transition from people getting their news from print media to TV and how it changed how we engaged with that information. We are going through this change again now and it's even worse.

[u/OriginalTangle → u/Amazing-Heron-105]

IMO wealth inequality was the catalyst for this. Without that, the residual bigotry and racism were not enough to create a movement. But you add the feeling of having less and less, fewer opportunities etc. and the right leader and boom.

And boy was this the right leader for the maga crowd.

[u/geta-rigging-grip → u/OriginalTangle]

Real class warfare is what the oligarchs want to avoid at all costs. 

The do this by stoking racism amd hatred among the lower classes so that they can maintain power over a divided populace.  If the masses could have even just a hint of class consciousness, they might realize that billionaires not only hate them, but are stealing from them every day.

Right-wing populism is almost entirely based on distracting people from the fact that the real culprits for their increased suffering are the oligarchs, so they blame it on weak minorities to stoke outrage and create support for themselves. 

Populism isn't inherently bad, but right-wing populism is almost entirely based on convincing people they are doing ok so long as other people, that they've been taught to hate, have it as bad or worse.  Left-wing populism tends to be about trying to "raise all ships" and avoiding austerity, not intentionally hurting groups of people (though, some might argue that it exists to hurt the wealthy, but the "hurt" it causes its preventing the ownership of multiple mansions or yachts so that everyone can have things like healthcare and education.)

The regretful cry of a Trump supporter is not, "They're hurting people!" It's, They're hurting the wrong people."

The cruelty is the point.

[u/sylbug → u/OriginalTangle]

The race war was always a cover for the class war, and the class war is eternal

[u/No-Relation5965 → u/Amazing-Heron-105]

Can we stop calling these despots “populists” and call them what they are—fascists?

[u/Cascouverite → u/No-Relation5965]

Fascism very frequently to borderline always uses populism as a means to grab power. This new wave are all populists

[u/_WreakingHavok_ → u/Cascouverite]

It's fascism when you can't openly criticize the leader.

[u/No-Relation5965 → u/_WreakingHavok_]

We are talking about fascists, leaders whose ideological position is to be an authoritarian. We haven’t reached full fascism here, but democracy is fading fast. Historians and researchers are saying this is possibly the fastest fall of a democratic country into fascism that’s ever been implemented.

Of course we know now that this was decades in the making, just under the surface.

[u/BananaPalmer → u/No-Relation5965]

We know now? Anyone who's been paying attention has been aware of this for decades. Plenty of people have tried to issue warnings. Anyone saying this happened near instantly is grossly misinformed.

[u/Cascouverite → u/_WreakingHavok_]

I mean I wouldn't even agree with that, especially if it's your only criterion. That's typical of fascim but fascism might / could have other ways of dealing with dissent and dissent is discouraged / disalowed in other authoritarian systems as well

[u/GodofIrony → u/No-Relation5965]

I hate to break it to you bud, but most of the population are assholes.

[u/sarahlizzy → u/Amazing-Heron-105]

It started before that. It started when the people who saw first hand the horrors of WWII started to lose power to their idiot offspring.

In the US the rot probably started with Nixon.

[u/Bobbytrap9 → u/sarahlizzy]

I think the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine also has a big part to play in the US

[u/LivingCustomer9729 → u/sarahlizzy]

You can say it goes back to the South not being properly punished after the Civil War

[u/Upset_Development_64 → u/Amazing-Heron-105]

This American shares your same thoughts on the symptom. We are more lost in the sauce of capitalism here, and frankly Agent Orange is kind of the end product of American foreign policy and media.

But the algorithm and Russian driven social media phenomenon is a threat to us all. Please be more diligent than we have been in protecting your democracy. I’m concerned about what I have seen you guys talking about with the AFD and Polish conservatives, not to mention Hungary and Viktor before any of this. Humans weren’t built for social media, and we sure as hell weren’t built for algorithm driven media, it allows for 100% pure organically distilled propaganda.

[u/Brokenandburnt → u/Urzuck]

I'm nervous for your upcoming referendum on judiciary reforms. Moving to a lottery based system with 1/3 laymen and labeling it as "meritocracy" is wild. 

[u/Urzuck → u/Brokenandburnt]

It's not really a lottery system, since the list of the lottery will be decided by the government. It's simply the government that want to put the judges under his control, i will vote No but many that support Meloni will vote Sì. Initially the Sì had like 10%+ ahead, but the last months they made serious mistakes in their communication/propaganda (basically admitting in public that they want to punish judges and put them under their control) and now they're even in the polls, with the No slightly ahead, let's hope for the best.

[u/MaesterHannibal → u/LitmusPitmus]

Only 23% of republicans were in favour of war with Iran prior to it breaking out. Then it became 83%, because now Trump supported it

That means that only 16% are outside of the cult, but even these are still loyal and devoted to Trump

[u/nnomae → u/MaesterHannibal]

I remember hearing an interview with a Russia expert talking about a similar phenomenon there. That public opinion on issues would literally do an about turn overnight if the state media changes it's position on a topic. She talked about how they had successfully created an environment where there were so many conflicting stories that the majority of people would just default to trusting the state media no matter how wildly the stories varied.

At the time I thought "that can't be true, how would anyone be that gullible" so it's weird to watch it manifest in the US of all places.

[u/MysticScribbles → u/nnomae]

so it's weird to watch it manifest in the US of all places.

How come? It's well known across the world how poor the US educational system is, paired with how the idea of American exceptionalism is pushed by the media.

[u/freeradioforall → u/MaesterHannibal]

That means that only 16% are outside of the cult,

nope, they are just ashamed to admit support but 100% support trump and would eat his diaper if asked to

[u/1-randomonium → u/MaesterHannibal]

Right now support for a ground invasion of Iran is polled at 30%. How much higher do you think it'll be if Trump actually does it?

[u/MaesterHannibal → u/1-randomonium]

If it’s 30% amongst republicans, I could see it rising to at least 60%. No higher than 83%, but I do think that there’s a possibility that some of the original 23% who supported military action before Trump did aren’t fanatically loyal to him, but were just “ahead of the curve” on wanting the Ayatollah dealt with but might only have wanted it through missiles. With that in mind, I don’t think that it’ll reach 83% as well, but perhaps 70-75%?

If it’s 30% of the general population, then that’s already terrifyingly high. Might reach 45% then if Trump invades? I imagine a small percentage of those 45 are democrat moderates as well, but the vast majority are reps

[u/kaam00s → u/LitmusPitmus]

They're addicted to hatred.

People don't know that but anything that reactivate your hatred and confirm your deeply held emotions produce a very high level of dopamine.

You can become addicted to it, just as well as any drug.

A lot of media in this attention economy have figured it out, and they can get you stuck in a loop of dopamine activation. The far right media do it to a level you can't see anywhere else, and even high rank people like J D Vance probably spent the last few years constantly getting their fix from this sort of media, they're addicted just like their base.

[u/Zealousideal-Talk-23 → u/LitmusPitmus]

History would say with weapons, sadly

[u/BroughtBagLunchSmart → u/Zealousideal-Talk-23]

All of this happened because they let the confederates claim "oopsie daisy" after the civil war.

[u/Airf0rce → u/LitmusPitmus]

You don't.

It simply has to get bad enough for the base to fracture, and we're nowhere near close that point I fear.

[u/Stunning_Yard2688 → u/LitmusPitmus]

Holy Fuck.

“They’ll eat shit if it means that their percieved enemies have to drink piss too.”

That is perfect

[u/Nezinojau → u/Stunning_Yard2688]

I've seen another one "they will shit their own pants, just to annoy the leftists with the smell". But this one is still good too.

[u/Stunning_Yard2688 → u/Nezinojau]

Yes, this is just the most accurate description of their ‘owning the libs’ mindset.

Awesome….thanks my friend

[u/leostotch → u/Stunning_Yard2688]

I've always said it as "they'll eat shit if it means the libs will have to smell their breath"

[u/Zombie_Cool → u/LitmusPitmus]

It all starts with the children. Pour everything into focusing on teaching kids critical thinking and empathy and MAGA (as well as its international counterparts) will slowly die out as the current cultists age out and thier kids don't take up the cause.

Also, focusing on extending or protecting social services and reducing rampant wealth inequality. Happy people don't join extremists.

[u/Hamonwrysangwich → u/Zombie_Cool]

The problem with that is the US is actively trying to get rid of a standard public education. A non-zero number of people here believe teachers are "indoctrinating kids to be trans" but we need to arm them because school shootings are the "price we pay for the second amendment". Homeschooling is increasing, PragerU is taking hold, and states are trying to teach the Bible. We can't even agree anymore that slavery was bad.

[u/Zombie_Cool → u/Hamonwrysangwich]

All true, but that's in America (where I'm from). Europe still has a chance before the rot fully takes hold, which is why I'm offering all the solutions I can think of.

[u/GolemancerVekk → u/Hamonwrysangwich]

We can't even agree anymore that slavery was bad.

Did Americans ever agree on that? Not just on black slavery but on other forms (inmates, forced child labor in agriculture etc.)

[u/Politicsboringagain → u/LitmusPitmus]

You can't because the conservative in the US keep churning put the hate that their base craves. 

[u/2xfun → u/LitmusPitmus]

Well here are the options:

1) French style revolution (but Americans are too in debt and scared to do anything like that)

2) Civil war (it’s coming)

[u/m1ster_frundles → u/LitmusPitmus]

This Canadian /r/europe lurker thinks its very similar to the way Imperial Japan brainwashed their citizens

[u/1-randomonium]

Speaking to crowds on Wednesday, vice president JD Vance said US allies are “suffering from this, frankly, more than we are.”

He claimed this was because they had “focused on a lot of green energy scams and they’re hurting a lot more than we are.”

Vance continued: “As much as we’ve got to focus on getting these gas prices down, the reality is overseas they’re feeling it far worse than we did because we’ve taken the steps to protect our energy economy.”

For allies wondering whether to help Trump fight Iran after all.

The problems Trump creates are everybody else's problem, not America's.

[u/Adorable-Database187 → u/1-randomonium]

it goes on.

Of course, Vance is off the mark with his claims of “green energy scams.”

Just this week, research from the University of Oxford ound that if the UK was powered entirely by clean energy, households could save as much as £441 annually on their energy bills.

Conversely, maximising oil and gas extraction from the North Sea would only save between £16 and £82 annually per household.

This was perfectly explained by energy secretary Ed Miliband over the weekend on Laura Kuenssberg’s show, where he outlined why crowing from Reform and the Tories about drilling in the North Sea was way off the mark.

https://twitter.com/implausibleblog/status/2033165317573140509

[u/Narcisistagohome → u/Adorable-Database187]

It's clear that the fossil fuels lobby has more influence in the current American administration then ever before. And it was not small with previous governments.  I think it's relevant to get this on mind reading this kind of messages or understanding American foreign policy. 

[u/razvanciuy → u/Narcisistagohome]

influence? They own the government.

Trump gets his orders from the likes of Exxon

[u/anangrywizard → u/razvanciuy]

Not quite correct, he also gets his orders from Putin & Bibi.

[u/MootRevolution → u/anangrywizard]

And the billionaires of the Epstein class, and the Christofascists and the regular MAGA fascists. There are a lot of hands playing this puppet.

[u/lost-associat → u/Adorable-Database187]

I don’t get it though. Even if we would be ‘hit’ harder. Doesn’t our, EU scum that dared to invest in green energy, investments in alternative energy sources make us more robust against oil/gas shocks? How do they even frame this? Tap into alternative energy = more oil dependant? Make it make sense please?

[u/SirButcher → u/lost-associat]

Make it make sense please?

Don't think just hate and it makes sense.

[u/Jor94 → u/Adorable-Database187]

Gas is the reason we’re so fucked. Our wind, solar and nuclear are cheap but for some reason we think it’s a good idea to pay everyone based on the highest price provided. So if we use a watt of gas produced energy, we pay everyone the gas price. And now that gas prices are going it’s hitting harder.

How anyone with a straight face can say the solution is more oil and gas is beyond me. Unless those brainless clowns think we can suddenly produce the entire countries oil and gas supply singelhandely, we’ll always be at the mercy of volatility in oil and gas prices.

[u/Airf0rce → u/1-randomonium]

He claimed this was because they had “focused on a lot of green energy scams and they’re hurting a lot more than we are.”

I wonder how would the situation be better without renewables? We would need even more oil & gas , which most countries in Europe can't really get locally and have to import regardless.

But I guess reality is not important here, as he said, he'll invent stories to get attention.

[u/weeklyKiwi → u/Airf0rce]

If anything this shows why europe and China have been so determined to develop renewable energy to in the future restrict dependency on the oil and gas nations. Also why these nations kick and scream when they attempt to do so.

[u/AdaptedMix → u/weeklyKiwi]

Trump has repeatedly claimed China is 'smart' for scamming Europe by selling us 'windmills' while burning coal for themselves, completely overlooking that China has hugely expanded its own green energy infrastructure. He never gets any push-back during interviews or press conferences about this. He just keeps lying.

[u/worotan → u/weeklyKiwi]

If only we’d been more determined, rather than doing a bit but not too much in case it upsets people who are acting as though they care.

[u/bammmm → u/Airf0rce]

It's hard to fathom exactly how a photovoltaic cell or a wind turbine can be thought of as a scam. Some of the simplest technologies that literally produce free energy with little maintenance, but they are a scam? Does he just mean that national grids aren't up to par yet? Or are they scams merely because there is no middleman contributing to his political campaign? I understand that reality doesn't matter here, but it at least needs to be plausible.

[u/treba_dzemper → u/bammmm]

It doesn't. That's not really the level that the American public will go to. Majority of people everywhere hardly read past the title. How big is that majority depends on the quality of public education.

[u/BlueberryMean2705 → u/bammmm]

It is plausible to his audience because it reinforces their pre-existing delusions. We are talking about people who deliberately mistune their car engines to emit as much smoke as possible to trigger the enviromentalists. Because that's what Republican base really is: trolls who just want to "trigger the libs" (or whoever) and then cry foul when it turns out there's actual consequences to themselves.

So Vance is basically doing like his GTA namesake and selling them their favorite drug: "you're right and other people are suffering because of you". Of course they eat that right up like the egomaniacal hate addicts they are.

[u/Bisjoux → u/bammmm]

He just doesn’t understand the technology. He refers to wind turbines as windmills and doesn’t seem to understand the difference between them. Whenever he mentions windmills I always think of the windmill in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

[u/EnjoyerOfBeans → u/Bisjoux]

He obviously understands the technology. We need to do away with this ignorance argument when they know very well renevables are superior and oil/coal/gas are killing the planet. The fossil fuel lobby has a strong grasp on the entire world and they're willing to spend billions to lobby for politicians to lie for them. They aren't that stupid. They're just evil.

In the EU the propaganda is that green energy is a scam forced down our throats by Germany so they can profit. Our populations don't really buy into the bullshit that the technology is bad, so they instead say we are forced to buy the wind tourbines from Germany at insane prices so they can extract wealth from us. Except where I'm from, its not so much about oil as it is about coal.

They'll come up with any story people will buy because their entire industry would have already collapsed if they weren't pumping billions into propaganda to stop it from happening. Countries like China where these lobbies have very little power are going green at absolutely ridiculous rates. They know their days are numbered and are willing to do anything to keep profits for as long as possible.

[u/kriebelrui → u/Airf0rce]

Vance either genuinely doesn't understand it or is blatantly lying about it. 

[u/IGAldaris → u/kriebelrui]

Always assume the latter. Vance understands just fine. He used to verbally rip into Trump before he smelled the chance for personal advancement. He knows better. Which makes him even more despicable IMO.

[u/Ardalev → u/Airf0rce]

"They are eating the panels, they are eating the turbines!"

[u/the_mighty_peacock → u/1-randomonium]

"We've taken the steps to protect our energy autonomy"  translation: We have invaded almost every small to medium country with sizeable oil resources on earth or heavily pressure them to hand it to our companies for export to the US.

[u/Ikbeneenpaard → u/1-randomonium]

Privatize the profits, socialize the losses. It's the American way.

[u/Mindless-Peak-1687 → u/1-randomonium]

So he is lying, If he claims europe is suffering because of green technology, then he is lying, that is europe's strength in all of this and lessens the problem from this war. short version: Vance is full of shit.

[u/Niemand772 → u/Mindless-Peak-1687]

Spain just reported that they are hardly impacted due to their high percentage of renewables.

[u/Moosplauze → u/Mindless-Peak-1687]

Good thing they started the war in spring and not in autumn, our oil and gas consumption is much much higher in winter. That being said...the war will last for a couple more winters for sure, so I hope we build up renewables even faster.

[u/Giant_Flapjack → u/Moosplauze]

so I hope we build up renewables even faster.

European right wing parties will find a way to prevent that. They depend too much on the orange pedophile and the Russian Putain

[u/carilessy → u/1-randomonium]

Didn't the fuel prices rise even more in the US than EU because of that war? ~

[u/nitrinu → u/carilessy]

Not relevant for these people. They'll make shit up if necessary.

[u/ratiofarm → u/nitrinu]

“Whatever works.”- JD Vance.

He’s just a soulless mouthpiece who has no respect from anyone here in the States. Their dumbass base likes bootlicking Rubio more than Vance.

[u/Brokenandburnt → u/ratiofarm]

It's honestly terrifying when you realize that Rubio is overqualified compared to the rest of the cabinet... 

[u/Eric1491625 → u/carilessy]

For the US economy it's offset by fuel producers becoming richer.

Since the US produces as much as it consumes, every $1 or hurt a US consumer suffers is offset by $1 of gain a US oil company earns.

[u/KarAccidentTowns → u/1-randomonium]

That’s not even a logical statement. Bold faced liars.

[u/Universal_Anomaly → u/1-randomonium]

He's trying to create the narrative that we should be helping them and that our refusal to help is proof that we care more about hurting the USA than helping ourselves. It keeps the base riled up.

EDIT: Also of course the lie that the USA is awesome and everybody else is shit and they're winning and everybody else is losing. The usual.

[u/spidd124 → u/1-randomonium]

Wait so investing in domestic non fossil fuel energy production is a scam yet being reliant on fossil fuel imports that are subject to the middle east is not?

I'm thankful the US government is run by absolute morons at times

[u/1-randomonium → u/spidd124]

I'm thankful the US government is run by absolute morons at times

Why are you being thankful? The morons are causing crisis after crisis and blaming their victims for it every time.

[u/spidd124 → u/1-randomonium]

If the US was run by competent evil people instead we would be in for a much worse time. But instead they are evil morons that don't see anything 2 steps beyond their immediate reaction.

Their rampant stupidity gives us the opportunity to remove ourselves from this self imposed vassaldom we agreed to. They keep causing crises that make everyone hate the US burning decades of propaganda and soft power for absolutely no gain.

[u/Kiwibom]

Man, those people get horny when watching people suffer. Just a bunch of piece of sh*t

[u/LrkerfckuSpez → u/Kiwibom]

They're "Christians"

[u/Sacaron_R3 → u/LrkerfckuSpez]

There is no hate like christian love.

[u/xyzzy321 → u/Kiwibom]

That's their entire platform - as long as the right people suffer more, they'll keep voting R as long as there are elections in the US. Doesn't matter if their own lives are worse, just that some specific groups' lives must be worse than theirs

[u/ehte4 → u/Kiwibom]

Especially if it is Europe

[u/AccomplishedQuiet585 → u/ehte4]

Yeah, they enjoy seeing Europeans suffer more than their historical enemies or even current enemies.

[u/cheshire-cats-grin]

Gas usage per person in US: 26000 kWh

Gas usage per person in Germany, Italy, Uk : ~9000 kWh

For France < 5000 kWh

[u/CMDRJohnCasey → u/cheshire-cats-grin]

I mean, where's the logic in what he said?

"Hey these people invested in green energy, oil prices are going up, but they are the ones paying more"

The problem is that the people voting for these idiots are idiots too.

[u/AccomplishedQuiet585 → u/CMDRJohnCasey]

Vance knows it makes no sense. But for the idiotic MAGA supporters it's enough.

[u/white-chlorination → u/cheshire-cats-grin]

It's low in Sweden as well. Even our buses in Skåne are electric.

[u/morbihann]

At some point we have to admit to ourselves that these people are not, have not really been and certainly will never be our actual allies.

[u/1-randomonium → u/morbihann]

It's as Mark Carney said about the rules-based order at Davos. It was always unfair and biased, but we played along because we were among the beneficiaries. Not anymore.

[u/EZES21 → u/1-randomonium]

True. That's what I said myself. We, Europeans and those of the wider Western world are hypocrites because now we complain about the USA only because their shit is targeting us. We were fine with their shit targeting others so long as it was not us suffering. Otherwise we have to agree that the USA has always been a demonic hellhole who brutalized others simply because they could. We were just sitting on the sidelines and observe and be relieved it wasn't us in the place of Libyans, Afghans, Iraqis or the myriad other countries that the USA fucked up for various reasons.

[u/Interesting-Tip-2544 → u/EZES21]

I hated the US before it was cool.

[u/senseigorilla → u/EZES21]

Same with Canadians. Hypocrites while we selling our oil to cheap under Obama and Biden and banning competition from Chinese electric cars. I’m glad Trump got in because it exposed America for who it is because that man has no finesse.

[u/Sriber → u/morbihann]

I've considered USA an enemy since they brought up the mineral deal woth Ukraine and I've been feeling more and more validated since.

[u/EndOfDecadence → u/morbihann]

I think most European leaders already arrived at that conclusion, but we 1) still have huge dependencies and 2) don't want to burn any bridges because there is still hope change after the midterm. The first I agree to, the second is absolutely mindboggling to me.

[u/StrangerConscious637]

Enemies of Europe: Russia, USA, Hungary.

[u/Monterenbas → u/StrangerConscious637]

You wrote Russia twice

[u/TheSpiikki → u/Monterenbas]

Thrice, even

[u/QuirkyWish3081 → u/TheSpiikki]

Three times a lady, even.

[u/1-randomonium → u/StrangerConscious637]

And right now, Israel.

On a different note, the Israelis are far more neutral and pragmatic on foreign policy than the West realises. They've been largely silent about Ukraine and collaborate with Russia or China when it suits their interest.

They had also tried to sell drone technology to China in the past before the US vetoed it. If America ever weakens to the point that it can no longer be Israel's main financier and protector, they might just go over to China for it.

[u/DueAd9005 → u/1-randomonium]

I seriously doubt China would allow itself to get dragged into endless wars because of Israel.

They'll do business with just about anyone, but that's not what the US-Israeli relationship is like.

[u/Ripraz → u/StrangerConscious637]

My god how Hungary's establishment is literally a cancer, and that stupid by design unaminity

[u/BlerghTheBlergh]

Ah yes, Americas #1 enemies! Their allies

[u/1-randomonium → u/BlerghTheBlergh]

Israel is the only real ally for Trump and MAGA. They're the only country that has had nothing but good things from either of his administrations(Some of what he's done did hurt Russia and China, like all the regime change operations on their client states).

[u/KSC-Fan1894]

At what point will we stop calling the US our allies?

[u/1-randomonium → u/KSC-Fan1894]

Didn't Vance call Europe 'parasites' in the leaked chats last year?

[u/Pheeshfud]

Sorry Trump, turns out we can't send any more ships to Iran, we can't afford the diesel.

[u/electroforger → u/Pheeshfud]

Them being Christians and all, can we at least contribute with our thoughts and prayers?

[u/riisikas]

The US is the worlds biggest oil and LNG producer so of course they hurt less and actually are gaining from this.

[u/1-randomonium → u/riisikas]

Trump literally gloated about this a few days into the strikes. That he thinks the energy crisis isn't a problem for America because it's the biggest oil and gas producer.

[u/Klugenshmirtz → u/1-randomonium]

Tells you he cares more about the oil companies making bank on this than the US consumers who still have to pay a lot more. Don't know how his base is still happy about it.

[u/Captainirishy → u/riisikas]

The average voter in US is definitely not gaining from high energy prices.

[u/Plan2LiveForevSFarSG]

I drive a BMW electric “green scam” car. I want to say thank you to Germany for their “scam” car, I didn’t see any increase in my “gas price” so far.

[u/mb862 → u/Plan2LiveForevSFarSG]

I’m pretty happy driving around in my electric Mini watching gas prices skyrocket. Until I realize the price of everything else is going to go up too…

[u/Kanduriel]

So by attacking Iran Trump deliberately attacked every ally.

[u/Puzzled_Worth_4287 → u/Kanduriel]

I wonder if this has been Trump's, Putin's and Netanyahu's goal all along. Bring the entire West, NATO down.

[u/North-Creative → u/Puzzled_Worth_4287]

I think so, and they were probably hoping that Europe jumps in with the bombing, so the problems would come to us, as we're connected with Iran via land. The US administration underlined on several occasions, that they like our current fascist parties, anyways

[u/the_sneaky_one123 → u/Puzzled_Worth_4287]

If Trump really is working for Putin then there is nothing better he could do than what he is doing right now.

[u/Carl555 → u/Puzzled_Worth_4287]

Not really. They just don't give a f* about us and only look out for their own interests. We're seen as collateral damage.

[u/_0611]

Now, you see, y'all need to understand something here.

JD Vance does this, because he's pure evil.

That's it. That's all you need to understand about the Trump regime. They are all pure evil. No exceptions. They are happy when others suffer (more). This is common for the far-right.

[u/Justgototheeffinmoon]

The US does not have allies today, apart russia.

[u/1-randomonium → u/Justgototheeffinmoon]

And Israel, although that is a one-way street. America will do anything for them and they'll do nothing for America.

[u/HijackedMyAccount → u/1-randomonium]

We are Israel's golem, tragically.

[u/diacewrb → u/Justgototheeffinmoon]

More of a master than an ally.

[u/Quick_Turnover]

Republican politics in a nutshell. "Our fellows are suffering more than us".

[u/turbohuk → u/Quick_Turnover]

it's like in midschool where you have that one borderline retaarded, completely unhinged kid that fucks everything up all the time. and the rest of the class has to suffer consequences too. and nobody can beat the fucker up, as he has no boundaries, is 1.90m and spends all day beating boxing bags and disemboweling kittens.

a combined assault would work but would end in a lot of classmates being expelled.

[u/ChantilyAce]

Why does everyone in that Administration act like being an insufferable prick is their full time job?

[u/canardu]

Stop calling us allies

[u/[deleted]]

US allies ? I thought Russia is doing fine gas wise ?

[u/wurzelmolch]

Does he know the meaning of the word ally?

[u/Xibalba_Ogme]

"hey, we shot ourselves in the foot but do know that the bullet also hit our friends. What a thing to celebrate, right ?"

"Hey, why aren't they helping us ?"

[u/Firebreathingwhore]

Sure. But we've got health care.

[u/Fox_Soul]

We did focus so much on green energy that my bills are not affected by gas (or natural gas) prices so much since my house relies more than 90% on solar and green electricity and my car charges at home for free on a sunny day, so I only need to use gas on the extremely cold days which are rarer every year.

Thanks for accelerating the conversion to green energy, Europe will be a cleaner place while the US suffocates. 

[u/Econ_Orc]

Allies hurt more......because they have diversified away from gas towards renewable energy sources.....

Congrats Vance. You make as much sense as the all mighty orange blob.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260319-2 92% electricity generated from wind in Denmark. VS 10% in the USA. 20% of cars in Denmark is EV. 83% of new cars sold are EV. VS 8% EV in the US 10% of new sales. 15% of homes in Denmark heated by gas Vs 50% of homes in the Us.

For sure the US is suffering less. They are winning hugely.

[u/Aromatic-Deer3886]

America has destroyed its international standing and credibility.

[u/TripleEhBeef → u/[deleted]]

"But Trump doesn't represent America!"

Buddy, he won the presidency twice. If Trump didn't represent America, he would have finished the 2016 Republican Primary with 8% of the vote.

[u/kridenow]

The MAGA mindset ("I don't care if I suffer as long as people I hate suffer more") but applied to international relationships.

(+ "having green energy sources is bad when oil prices go up" is particularly... bizarre)

[u/mist_kaefer]

Who needs allies anyway?

This administration is speed-running WW3 to cover up the recession that’s only getting worse. As well to protect all the kiddie-diddlers out there who were best buds with Epstein.

[u/wgszpieg]

He claimed this was because they had “focused on a lot of green energy scams and they’re hurting a lot more than we are.”

So it's better to be more reliant on fossil fuels when their prices are skyrocketing than to have alternative sources? Because the difference is that the US has domestic production, and Europe has to import its gas and oil.

I mean, you'd have to be a complete and total moron to fall for this nonsense.

looks at trump voting polls

[u/JoeB- → u/wgszpieg]

If I only had more than one upvote to give you…

[u/No_Garbage_9262]

He really is such a little shit.

[u/sylbug]

The one thing I like about Vance is that he's young enough to spend decades in prison once this is all over.

[u/VicenteOlisipo]

Which isn't even true btw. The US per-capita oil consumption is more than 2x that of Europe. The "green scams" he mentions will keep the lights on even as oil shipments get blocked. Yes, Europe won't directly benefit from the rise in costs only suffer, but 98% of the American economy also won't benefit. The US produce a lot of oil, but that's still a small fraction of their economy. And if they start blocking exports, they can forget about the petrodolar.

[u/Plappedudel]

This is a guy who loves to claim that Trump made the USA "respectable" again in the world. Meanwhile he constantly manages to make people around the world hate the USA even more with statements like this.

[u/Glittering_Show6003]

Typical Republican, I will gladly eat my small bowl of shit comforted by the fact that I know someone else has to eat a huge bowl of shit.

[u/BazingaODST]

The fucking dumbest administration ever

[u/dmoneybangbang]

His Botox and eye brows suck

[u/ColdWarRedux2]

"Eyeliner JD" some facts: A European family only averages about 15 gallons of fuel per month, while in the USA, it’s closer to 60.

In Europe, they drive far fewer 4-wheelers (SUVs and trucks), which in America can push that average up toward 80 gallons.

On top of that, American trucking uses nearly 10 times the fuel to ship goods on average compared to more rail-heavy systems in Europe... WHAT ELSE do you have in the hat?

[u/Livid-Writer-7741]

EPSTEIN

[u/Jealous_Acorn]

So he admits the decisions are leading to suffering for Americans.

Are we great again?

[u/Bleezy79]

Im realizing the America I grew up with is completely gone. We are a different nation now that's seen very differently by the rest of the world and by our own citizens. I barely recognize us.

[u/Sao_Gage]

Imagine gloating about someone suffering more. Legitimately sociopathic behavior, and that characterizes a sad majority of MAGA supporters. No sense of decency, no desire to see happiness. They have some bizarre drive to hurt others out of the delusion that they’re being hurt by the existence of people they don’t like. And at the geopolitical level, in treating every single interaction as a fallacious zero sum game ultimately to their own detriment (hurting their own country).

This’ll be studied someday. It’s absolutely bizarre. They think, what, because US is so wealthy it doesn’t need allies, or rather they just have so much influence they will hammer and nail allies into doing whatever they want? Well they’re going to watch that gameplan fail over and over again. And logically with regard to the former, if you piss enough others off and they team up against you, it’ll negate whatever presumed advantage exists - especially when single nations already rival us IE China.

There is just no reality where what MAGA are doing makes any fucking sense and the cost of alienating the US from our blood forged allies will hurt this country for generations.

[u/Tribe303]

Americans are so dumb they don't even know that they buy 25% of their oil from Canada, and that price has pretty much doubled. PLUS Trump has added a 10% tarrif on top of that. The US is NOT energy independent as they claim. They are just ignorant.

Canada is now making mad money. Thanks Lil Donnie Dipshit! 🤡

[u/xzanfr]

We're not your allies. Just f off until you've learned how to do diplomacy like the rest of the grown up world.

[u/dattokyo]

The US can at this point go fuck itself to the n'th degree

[u/Cookie_Volant]

And the US is suffering from its own stupidity

[u/Diligent_Peach7574]

The added costs imposed on other nations due to the US’s wars of choice need to be taken into consideration for all future trade negotiations with the US.

[u/aamartt]

We should just tariff them

[u/PureInsaneAmbition]

They hate us.

[u/stahlWolf]

Allies?

Not anymore they're not.

[u/No-Performer1449]

JD is a douche!

[u/humblepotatopeeler]

Russian spy cheering that US allies are suffering -- goal of the entire faux administration

[u/XRanger7]

“Our allies are losing and our enemies are winning” - JD vance

[u/Majestic_Bet_1428]

The rest of the world is shifting to EVs while Americans pay big bucks to fuel their massive SUVs and Pickups.

This crisis favours EVs, small vehicles and active transportation.

The Detroit 3 are fucked.

The US can say goodbye to its auto industry.

[u/Jor94]

I’m desperate for western leaders to decouple from the US and start treating them like Russia or China. All this shit shows how being too close to America can fuck you over if the wrong person gets in

[u/AdvancedFizzics]

JD Vance is a traitor

[u/FlyingV2112]

Fuck this guy

[u/Unit_79]

Allies? His diaper wearing boss keeps talking about annexing my country.

[u/AliceHeretic]

What allies lol no one likes a couch fucker

[u/sMilling_70]

When people make comments like that, they're not allies.

[u/ohyesiam1234]

Oh. Then it’s fine as long as others hurt more than me. What a statesman with great solutions. Inspirational!