This Is How Empires Fall

[ivarmaya]

Yesterday marked a turning point in global politics… the moment the west seriously began to shift away from U.S. leadership.

After the meeting, the Vice President of the European Commission made it clear:
“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

Here in Iceland, Þórdís Kolbrún, our former Minister of Foreign Affairs, called Trump out(on a private meeting):

“The current U.S. administration is not a defender of true freedom and has already begun burning away key elements of the world order that form the foundation of peace and liberty.” She is one of the most right-leaning politicians in the country, which says a lot.

Almost every major Western leader reaffirmed support for Ukraine…not just as a diplomatic gesture, but as a clear signal that Europe is preparing for a future without the U.S. leading the way.

The fact that so many Americans still feel powerful right now is beyond me.

An attack on Ukraine is an attack on the rest of Europe. If Russia succeeds, it won’t stop there. And by treating American support like a bargaining chip, Trump is forcing Europe to rethink its entire security strategy.

No matter how this plays out, Europe will not allow itself to be put in this position again.
They will shift their resources elsewhere, strengthen their own military capabilities and reduce their dependence on the U.S.

And that will radically change America’s position in the world:
•It weakens U.S. influence over its closest allies.
•It speeds up Europe’s move toward strategic independence.
•It pushes the world toward a more fragmented power structure.
•It sends a message to the rest of the world that the U.S. can no longer be trusted.

The Biden administration actually understood this. That’s why it doubled down on NATO and European security. They knew that if Russia succeeded in Ukraine, the entire European security order would be at risk.

Which is not just a European problem, but a direct threat to U.S. interests.

Trump, on the other hand, treats geopolitics like a his business deals. He thinks that by stirring chaos, creating uncertainty, and holding out longer than the other side, he’ll come out ahead.

But global power doesn’t work like that.

Charlie Munger put said it well:
“Don’t try to squeeze every last penny out of every deal. Instead, leave enough on the table for the other guy, so they come back for the next deal. That’s how you build lasting success.”

Trump doesn’t understand this. He treats everything like a zero-sum game, but global influence isn’t about short-term wins…it’s about trust, credibility and lasting alliances.

By trying to “win” now, he’s actually losing big time long-term, pushing allies away, and handing Russia and China exactly what they want.

The rest of the West can’t afford the risk of hoping for the US to get its shit together, it has to move on.

Europe is already taking steps toward full strategic independence, ensuring it never has to rely on Washington again. China is stepping in as an economic and political alternative, expanding its influence in Europe. And Russia sees a divided West, calculating that its next move will face less resistance.

The result is a weaker America, a fractured alliance system, and a world where U.S. leadership will no longer dictates the global order.

Please  share your thoughts and how you see this play out.

Edited March 1 by ivarmaya

[PurpleTree]

Well they had a good run.

[Twentyfirst]

The USA was only superpower of the world for a few reasons and mostly undeserved. After WW2 everyone was down bad so it left a power vacuum and the USA had the atomic bomb and later they could print as much money as they wanted by taking it off the gold and then tied the worlds economy to the US dollar

Trump can't just go on TV and tell everyone that the country is over, they aren't gonna be winning at everything anymore, the dollar is weak, quality of life has severely declined, and that's just the way it's gonna be for the next century. That would cause so much chaos. He has to lie and say make america great again and we are still superior and everyone else is still a rat living in squalor and they would be lucky we even grace them with our presence 

The solution is impossible for Americans as they have been brainwashed too much and have a superiority complex but basically they have to humble themselves before the world and beg for forgiveness for all the bs they did. Americans will eventually have to do this the only question is will it be years or decades. There is no other country in the world, not a single one, that will help Americans in the decline and even the US government sold out its own people. So if they don't want to humble themselves then let the humiliation ritual begin 

Edited March 2 by Twentyfirst

[Twentyfirst]