this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2026
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Europe

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Our fight, it is no exaggeration to say, is the civilized world’s fight. It is a fight for reason and comity in the affairs of nations, against an administration whose worldview, and behaviour, is increasingly that of an aggressive dictatorship, in all its crudeness and its thuggery.

Mr. Trump, as the Prime Minister has said, aims to “break us,” a phrase with historic echoes. He has to now, or others will follow our lead. If he succeeds, then the world will be governed by nothing but force in the end, in trade as in other matters. But if we prevail, then “broad and sunlit uplands” must surely await.

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[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net -1 points 17 hours ago

I am locking this because it id basically off topic and the endless brickering between Canadians and Usonians here in the comments is BS.

[–] el_twitto@lemmy.zip 8 points 18 hours ago

Come on Canada, PLEASE kick his orange ass and show the world what a stupid sack of shit he is.

[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 6 points 18 hours ago

Ah, they're in Seoul in the pic in the article. I was wondering why he had an earpiece in, and if maybe Carney was speaking only French as a fuck you.

[–] gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org 25 points 1 day ago (4 children)

as an european, this is the moment we should form some kind of free trade relationship with canada.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 16 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

Canada and EU has CETA. It's been active but the deal still needs final approval from national parliaments in 10 out of 27 EU member states. These countries need to get their thumbs out of their asses. If Europe wants to deal with US aggression, they need to stop the glacial movement of their governments.

[–] mirshafie@europe.pub 10 points 19 hours ago

I've heard enough. Finalize CETA, replace Israel with Canada in Eurovision, and put Canada on the path to EU membership (even as a joke, just to really take the piss out of Trump).

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

Glaciers are probably moving faster by now tbh

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[–] Alexfire@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Canada is great, they passed healthcare for all, equality for LGBTQ+ people and ended cannabis prohibition, while usa still lags badly in these areas and more. It's due to the frequent regression with maga, so can't make sustainable progress in all these areas.

Quality of life in states is decreasing again and lowest among other rich nations, falling farther behind China in tech too. maga will double down and try to do like Argentina, but it will lead to more decay for most of us if they get their way. Stuck and held back by the same anti-science, anti-liberty and justice for all, high-control, low-level thinking, to benefit those with the power and wealth.

[–] Foni@piefed.zip 52 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I wish European politicians would finally find their balls and stop kissing Trump's boot every time he uses it to kick the continent, and instead follow Canada's lead.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 8 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

The problem is that EU member states have different interests and priorities. For example, Poland don't want to rile up Trump because Poland is reliant on the US military to deter Russia. And trying to wean off from US is risky because many EU members themselves are reluctant to invest more on homegrown European defense like Spain.

Another example is Ireland. We are too fucking balls-less to decouple from American multinationals and we're all too happy to be a tax haven. Even after the EU court ruled that Apple has to pay the back taxes to Ireland, the Irish government is reluctant to actually pursue Apple. We've also become a Trojan horse for corporate surveillance. Our data protection commissioner was a Meta employee. No conflict of interests there! We are closer to Boston than to Berlin, indeed!

[–] mirshafie@europe.pub 5 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

This is a dated mindset though. Poland has really fallen for the USA's divide and conquer tactics, but surely even they must now see that the USA is never going to back them against Russia?

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

I guess from the Polish point of view, Europe is not offering an alternative for US protection. At the moment they are playing the balancing act between hoping that the US will stay and telling Trump to buzz off.

Edit: wording

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

They are using US weapons at the moment, though.

[–] mirshafie@europe.pub 1 points 17 hours ago

They are, and they've been bending over backwards to simp for Trump. Gotta course-correct quickly in my opinion.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Meloni was the worst. She learned nothing from Mussolini's mistake with the Nazis.

[–] Foni@piefed.zip 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Von der Leyen, Kallas, Merz—the list of spineless leaders goes on. Even Macron and Sánchez just talk the talk, but when it comes to action, they don’t step up either. None of them seem to get that the era of the U.S. as allies is over.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 11 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

All that was led by Von Der Leyen. He actually contracted psychologists and had EU convinced that if they just stroked Trump's ego, Trump would reward Europe. This was the advice from some shit university psychologist (pick any one, they are all full of shit). All that did we make Europe seem submissive to Trump and so he went harder. The same thing happened in Canada. Carney decimated Canadian environmental polices, got rid of the digital tax and the carbon levy to align with Trump's administration, then Trump pushed harder when he realized Canada could be dominated.

Kissing Trump's ass accomplishes nothing, it was counter-productive. Japan will learn the hard way.

[–] balsoft@lemmy.ml 5 points 19 hours ago

Sánchez told trump to fuck off from Spanish airspace at least. That was a good start. France, Spain and Germany are also in the process to migrate away from US IT service dependence, which is another step in the right direction. More is urgently needed to un-vassalize the economies and the militaries.

[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 71 points 1 day ago (2 children)

EU, Japan, now do the same. It is insane to submit to Trump's threats, he will always be back for more.

[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 2 points 18 hours ago

That would require the EU to have a spine, impossible

[–] greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can't stand how we still trade with them, let alone work with them.

I don't want to work with or finance terrorists.

[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As I was telling my parents last night I don't think the average person understands how dire the most recent talks are.

I agree with you but that takes decades and realistically never match our trade with America. In the meantime many Canadians are going to lose their jobs with no hopes of another job on the horizon.

Canada needs a UBI yesterday.

[–] greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 10 points 1 day ago

I'm european, we don't even have the proximity excuse.

[–] Frettchen@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

Maybe less watching more together!

He plays devide and conquer. Let's unite and resist!

[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 56 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And remember, keep yer stick on the ice.

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[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 39 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Contrast this with how other countries have responded to American threats. Japan, which relies on the U.S. for 3 per cent of its GDP, nevertheless agreed to a 15-per-cent baseline U.S. tariff – down from the 25-per-cent tariff it was facing otherwise – while committing to invest US$550-billion in the U.S., increase purchases of U.S. energy and agricultural products, and provide greater access for American cars.

The European Union, with an exposure to the U.S. similar to Japan’s and an economy two-thirds the size of the U.S.’s, likewise buckled, making a long list of concessions – no tariffs on U.S. industrial goods, wider access for U.S. agricultural products, and increased purchases of U.S. energy, AI chips, and defence equipment, in addition to US$600-billion in investment – “in return for” agreeing to U.S. tariffs of 15 per cent.

Been watching in dismay as this unfolded. Blatant betrayal of people's interests. I expected quite a bit more from the EU especially. I expected more than from our gov given how much more exposed and infiltrated we are.

[–] HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social 9 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I would argue that, at the moment, Canada has more space for maneuver than Japan and the EU.

Japan has its own restrictions and is surrounded by sea on one side, china and russia on the other side with the Koreas in the middle with... complicated relationship.

The EU is (as much as I love it and hate to say it) a mess, with the economy being what is, the weather messing up harvests and shit, literal war like 7 meters away from the border and the very real threat of the war being 7 meters inside the border in the near future.

Both EU and Japan have to keep the toddler-in-chief happy, for now. Make no mistake, there is A LOT happening behind the scenes, at least in the EU, don't know about Japan. But can't afford to do anything major just now. The things that need to happen first take time to make happen. When they do, EU will have so much more options. And when that time comes, I'm afraid the US will be the ones standing alone, in complete shock, wondering what the hell happened.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love for the EU to start swinging right now. But that would have some major consequences, some predictable, some unforeseen.

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Japan is working hard to build more connections with other countries including Canada for trade but it's really hard for our government to disobey the "master" that is the USA for now. Like you said, our economy is highly dependent on them and so is our national security. As an Okinawan-Canadian, I could never fully trust the USA but the mainlanders just don't seem to give a shit.

Their military presence on the island where I live scares the shit out of me. What if Diaper Hitler just suddenly said, "fuck it Okinawa is ours now," and take over??

[–] HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social 7 points 1 day ago

Yup. Its not easy to start making radical changes to relationships, when the other guy is sitting on your legs with a rifle.

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[–] metermatic26@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I like the photo they chose to share along with the article. The look on Trump’s face is one I recognize. Its of someone faking a though attitude.

That’s the one thing people should learn about Trump. If you peel away his impulsivity, temper tantrums and complete incompetence at government, what you’re left with is a showman.

Trump is all about theatrics. The insults, the intimidation and the threats all mask the fact that he’s playing with an empty hand. The meeting with Xi, the war with Iran and now this spat with Carney, they all revealed his empty hand.

This is the beginning of the end for Trump’s foreign policy. Maybe even for Trump himself.

[–] CovertOperative@piefed.zip 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (13 children)

I never understand when people, including ones opposed to him, say Trump has charisma. Is a raging toddler charismatic? Do I just have a different definition of charisma than everyone else?

[–] IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.wtf 6 points 1 day ago

I think a big part of it is the image of wealth and success he's cultivated. The tacky gold shit everywhere, always wearing a suit unless he's golfing, and so on. People with no taste see that and find it attractive and want in.

Strip all that away and he's a used car salesman or blowhard at the end of the bar who won't shut the fuck up.

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[–] farmgineer@nord.pub 31 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I would love to see Canada being a part of the EEA and schengen. I don't know that it will happen, but more integration with Europe and less with the US would be good.

[–] goodguys9@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago

In particular as a Canadian, I would love to see membership in a mutual defense clause with the EU specifically, outside of NATO.

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