Feel like if it was another country they’d be sanctions or something already.
Who watches the watchman?
Why isn't the rest of the world doing anything about the USA?
Submitted 5 months ago by florge@feddit.uk to nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
Comments
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 5 months ago
sircac@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Strong bullies are not easy to deal with without stronger authorities imposing common sense… it is a wild regime were the strongest impose their will without significant consequences
Part4@infosec.pub 5 months ago
What the rest of the world is mainly doing is jockeying for position while watching America rapidly lose global reserve currency status.
It is happening far more quickly than I think the vast majority of people without privileged information imagined. Trump wants a weakened dollar and is getting it. No one wants this to happen overnight; the instability this process is allowing and will cause is risky enough. Everyone wants to avoid simmering global conflict erupting into WW3. Well maybe Putin is up for it, I don’t know. The US is a belligerent ally, and has the biggest military in the world so it is about treading lightly and hopefully preparing.
It is about minimising risk, eating shit giving in to Trump’s pathetic demands for fealty, while preparing for the new economic order to emerge. America cannot pay its military without everyone trusting it enough to buy its debt. America cannot pay its debts without its military supporting the dollar. So it is a tricky unwinding of decades of geo-political norms. It is clear to me that very few Americans I came into contact with online ever appreciated this balancing act, or how important their vast military spending was to their country’s wealth post ww2.
I feel bad for the average non-Trump voting American because as a Brit I can tell you that there is always resentment that plays out once a country loses that reserve currency status. A people can make a mistake, but a second Trump vote is unforgivable. It is America throwing itself off a cliff economically, over the longer term. The world cannot rely on who America is going to vote for every four years for global stability, so it is done. Billionaires are clearly getting stuck into filling their boots - this collapse is going to make some people very rich.
NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
As a Trump-hating American working in defense, I always tried to tell people that our economic dominance was enforced with the barrel of a gun. Friends working in international relations would also reference books like “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” that also pointed to usage of the CIA and international lending terms to enrich ourselves at the expanse of the 3rd world, especially Latin America. I completely agree that a capricious, bi-polar US is an untenable world leader.
But in general, it’s very hard to get most Americans to care about our relationships and interactions with the rest of the world, much less acknowledge the ways we are dependent on it. There is some US-centric vanity involved, as well as some stubborn ignorance due to never interacting with the rest of the world at all. But I think in part it’s also due to the hyper competitive nature of simply trying to live in the US, such that there is no brainspace for anything not directly affecting you. Stressors include corporate expectations that everyone should live to work, so many people a few paychecks away from losing their homes and lifestyle with no social safety net, the struggle to afford to live in areas with good schools for your kids, etc etc. In some ways, I’m hopeful that losing global pre-eminence could make life easier for us, especially if it being about government reform.
China, the obvious successor to American influence, assuming a more commanding role on the world stage is a mixed bag. On one hand, they certainly prize stability above almost everything, and an authoritarian state run by technocrats indeed seems more effective at addressing climate change than a Corporatocracy that profits from destroying the planet. On the other, there’s not even acknowledgement of unethical practices (e.g.: labor conditions in Chinese companies in DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) when there is no free press. As the US spread it’s influence and democracy after WWII, I kind of worry that the entire world may be forced to get in line.
1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
well, here in canada, we kinda don’t want war atm.
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 months ago
what are they going to do? look at what happens in the UN when the US and Israel the only ones who vote a certain way and nobody gives a shit
bestbry@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Here at South America we are still starting to come to sense that the usa has been ruling over us for quite a while. There’s not much we can do. Some countries are just at a level you have those votes that are 150 to 1 and the one wins (USA).
birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 months ago
One method would be a global alliance against fascism.
plyth@feddit.org 5 months ago
Because it is kind of an act. The US is restructuring for a strong China and the other western countries support that.
There is no way that US billionaires can be blamed for controlling politics to exploit workers but then are incapable of removing Trump.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 5 months ago
Nukes.
nomoreyankturds@piefed.social 5 months ago
Because our leaders are pussies. If we all league against them we could raze the country in no time
atmorous@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Logistics, Coordination, Action, & Collective Power
Keep getting more people active wherever you can and I will continue the same
We all got this!!! The more people active consistently and connected to each other online along with in-person the better off we all will be. The more that gets completed, and easier it makes it for us all
echodot@feddit.uk 5 months ago
They are sanctioning themselves.
1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
so much winning for US citizens.
mechoman444@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Yay! I’m a winner! Wait…
Auli@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
Because the US is the biggest market and they’d rather make money then do the right thing.
IronBird@lemmy.world 5 months ago
most of the rest of the world - someones got to be my exit-liquidity, might as well be the american working class
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Other countries are learning how to separate themselves economically from the US more.
BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Send the man a Luger, to be stored in the bunker under the Epstein ballroom
GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Because it’s your own fucking mess.
Blumpkinhead@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I could be mistaken, but I don’t think that they’re a US citizen asking for help.
Tuuktuuk@piefed.ee 5 months ago
The same has happened in something like 25 % of countries, and they haven’t gotten sanctioned for that.
Most of our diamonds and cobalt and cocoa come from countries that have similar problems as USA now does.Matombo@feddit.org 5 months ago
they haven’t even take poland by now, the world will act once they attack france
cv_octavio@piefed.ca 5 months ago
Canadians are not buying America’s shit, and are unlikely to resume that habit anytime soon. It doesn’t take effect immediately, but when you compound it with the other ass backwards trade policies you’re living under now you will all be suffering greatly within a year.
So will everyone, mind you.
waspentalive@lemmy.world 5 months ago
When you make an enemy of a friend, you will have to work 7 times as hard to turn that enemy back into a friend.
cv_octavio@piefed.ca 5 months ago
7x if you use Newtonian classical physics. I think CERN discovered that it’s actually 9.4x harder when you account for the quantum foam. Plus in accordance with the theory of indeterminacy we might just spontaneously make trade deals with other partners.
Rooty@lemmy.world 5 months ago
We’re not going to liberate you. You brought this upon yourselves.
optissima@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
I think part of the issue being brought up here is
- Yes but our policies impact the world stage a lot
- a majority of the people here didn’t bring it upon themselves
nomoreyankturds@piefed.social 5 months ago
They did. Are you guys not a democracy?
TheLazyNerd@europe.pub 5 months ago
Countries need to reduce their dependency on the US first: The US is the strongest force within NATO, so with Russia getting more aggressive, Europe and Canada need to quickly build up a stronger army. The US is NATO’s largest supplier of weapons, so Europe and Canada need to invest in their weapons industry. The US is the worlds largest manufacturer of CPU’s and GPU’s. While there are non-US alternatives, these are not as good and are designed for custom build electronics rather than desktops, laptops and servers. Most international payments go via the US (even a lot of international payments within Europe). Countries need to persuade their banks to find new ways to do international payments, but the current system is pretty advantages for the banks, so they are reluctant to agree. Most cloud infrastructure is in the US. Other countries will need to move their data out of the US. The US is a large provider of humanitarian aid, and the largest exporter of food. Poor countries will have to find a new way to get those resources.
Dasus@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The US is the strongest force within NATO, so with Russia getting more aggressive, Europe and Canada need to quickly build up a stronger army.
Strongest single nation, yeah, but then you address Europe as if it was just one nation, when our combined military might is much more than any single nation is thought to have.
For instance think of how much we Finns fought Russians, when we started with practically nothing to defend ourselves with. Currently we have the largest (and most accurate) artillery in Finland and NORDEFCO and EU defense initiatives. So we got the top of Europe locked down pretty tight.
The US has the largest defense budget and is the most powerful navy, obviously, but we know what to do in our woods. Things even the infamous US marines kinda suck at sometimes. A group of conscripted cooks took down a helicopter of landing marines, that sounds worse than it is, basically the marines just landed and the well camouflaged food group took positions and won the battle or smth some years ago. Now I think it’s been the US helping us, idk how different the Baltic Sea is to ocean operations, and Idk jack shit about navy either as am army. yle.fi/a/74-20153073
Anyway wanted to paste something and the older article was now behind paywall so that’s just hyping up Finn US cooperation in helping bust the Russian shadow fleet
Luckily military protocols and treaties aren’t as easily influenced by politics as well, politics. I mean, they are, obviously, but there’s usually just a hint more reason being utilised. That’s what I loved about being in the army. So simple.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 months ago
For instance think of how much we Finns fought Russians, when we started with practically nothing to defend ourselves with.
I’m sorry, but now I need to tell you my favorite joke about Finns! I promise this one isn’t racist!
In the Winter war, a large Russian platoon makes camp near a forest in Finland. As the long northern night starts taking hold, they hear a voice from the forest: “Come and get meeee, I’m all aloneeee!”
The Russian commanders discuss this and decide that they can’t take a risk, so they send ten men out to counter the one. None return and an hour later they hear again: “I’m still alone! Come and get meeeee!”
They decide that the Russian army must not be mocked this way and send a hundred men. None return again. Once they hear the voice a third time another hour later, they get pissed and send a thousand men.
One man returns, scared for his life, all bloody. He yells out: “Don’t listen to him! There’s two of them in there!”
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Yup. Europe needs to become self sufficient again and move on from WW2 and the Cold War.
cmhe@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I don’t know what you mean by that. No country or federation in the world is self sufficient. Everyone needs global trade.
Hadriscus@jlai.lu 5 months ago
Nice tallyup, thanks
madcaesar@lemmy.world 5 months ago
TLDR The USA is the most powerful country in the world, and the world never prepared for a time when the USA would be led by a fascist asshole.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Someone need to convince the US to invade the US in order to give the US some #Democracy™
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Because they are too powerful as an enemy. If they were the size of denmark, they wouldnt get away with anything.
The entire economy of the western world is also extreamly connected to the US. Our pension funds invest in their tech stocks, our financial systems use the dollar… And a lot more things that i dont even know.
America is pretty much running the western world. Like it or not. :/
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 months ago
Yup. I changed my fund to one that has as few US stocks as possible this spring. All the sensible ones are ones that contain different index ETFs, so I went one with as little S&P500 exposure as possible.
But this is just me and my five digits worth of euros. I can’t convince a meaningful amount of people to switch. If a million people did the same, it would be tens of billions in US stocks liquidated. It would be beautiful.
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
I actually dont think its gonna crash. People here disagree, but im used to that. Still think it wont.
shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Its not just the Western world.
America defined the new world order after world war 2.
They accrued 75% of the worlds golds reserves selling weapons to allies during WW2.
This allowed them to peg the dollar to gold under the Breton Woods system, allowing their currency to become the global reserve currency.
The rest is history.
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Yeah.
I have mixed feelings about it. How would the world look if it was China or Russia that managed to do that? How would Europe look?
I mean, maybe better but I have so much western propaganda in me, that i cant judge how Russia or China would be.
anas@lemmy.world 5 months ago
We’re doing what we can, I personally boycott US products as much as I can.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
Trump has inspired more trade side deals between countries than any US President in history. It will take 5-10 years to notice but it cannot be reversed and the US will feel the result of an isolationist economy like once Great Britain.
Canada is signing new trade deals every month with not the USA.
falseWhite@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Unfortunately by sanctioning the US, they would be sanctioning themselves. The world just needs to wait for the orange madman to destroy the US economy, which is well on the way.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca 5 months ago
They respect other nations sovereignty plus there is a mad man with his finger on the nuke button who is very jittery.
Objection@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
They respect other nations sovereignty
Uhhhhhhh???
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 5 months ago
Might’ve meant (the rest of the world) by “they”.
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Must have missed a “dont” on his keyboard.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 5 months ago
Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Eh give it a bit and we won’t even be able to afford to make em anymore. Self solving problem really!
jmbreuer@lemmy.ml 5 months ago
Doctorow’s as usual excellent take also touches on this:
pluralistic.net/…/redistribution-vs-predistributi…
TL;DR: it’s not so much only the US, it’s corporate (quasi-)monopolies, and those operate in a lot of countries.
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
There are bigger and worse threats than the USA out there, and it’s more beneficial to trade with the USA than to not trade with the USA. You could rationalize that the USA might be more likely to fix itself while sanctioned, make them realize their mistakes, but you would at the same time be severely lowing the West’s military capabilities in a time of eastern aggression.
1984@lemmy.today 5 months ago
Making Trump realize his mistakes? Yeah, somehow I dont see that happening…
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The insinuation is that the USA citizens would learn and then somehow magically overthrow the world’s most powerful military.
starlinguk@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The rest of the world has been trying to do something and has received threats from Trump in return.
cley_faye@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The rest of the world is slowly routing everything around the USA. Assuming things turns back, there will be a lot to rebuild in matter of trust and commerce.
Now, if you’re talking about what happens inside the USA, well, what do you propose other countries do? Invade? Because that’s not happening. There’s enough to do for damage control outside of it.
Waldelfe@feddit.org 5 months ago
Assuming things turns back, there will be a lot to rebuild in matter of trust and commerce.
I’m not so sure about that. The US has proven that they’ll make a 180° turn on anything within just the blink of an eye. Even if the US turns back, there’ll be no guarantee it won’t elect the next batshit crazy person as president four years later.
shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
It will take the US decades to rebuild trust. Its more likely the country decays some sort of hypercapitalist modern flavored feudalism with water slaves dying in the streets before other countries put long term trust in the US again.
CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 5 months ago
For americas enemies: Don’t interupt your enemy in the process of making a mistake.
For americas allies: Don’t poke a wounded bear.