this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2025
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The response to Donald Trump's policy initiatives, the fate of Ukraine, and the issue of massive investment and record debt are on German voters' minds two weeks after the federal election.

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[–] Zwiebel@feddit.org 34 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Nah, Europe should grow closer and stronger, but we should keep normal relations with the US for now in case Trump steps down in four years. Hurting our own economy to prove a point would be stupid

If Trump or Musk do something against Germany it would be a baller move to retaliate by seizing the Tesla battery factory in Berlin tho. Just slap a VW logo on

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 55 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

No matter who will gain power in the US after Trump, that country's political system as it is cannot be trusted anymore. It brought that destructive madman to power not only once, but twice. There are zero safeguards against this happening again and again and again.

Also it's not very likely for Trump nor his vile party to allow another regime change. They attempted a coup already when Trump lost the election last time. Even though Trump himself is as dumb as a bucket of shit, in the Republican Party, there are people who are smart enough to have learned lessons from the failed coup. The kind of lessons they used to draw up "Project 2025". Even if Trump drops dead before his nominal term is over, his equally vile vice president will take over, and I doubt he has any greater desire than Trump himself to ever relinquish power. A not insignificant part of the US population supports the ideology of those vile people. And a phenomenon very well known in Germany from its infamous fascist past, a large, silent majority just tagging along for fear of retribution, is already manifesting itself in the US. As a last farewell, we therefore should export the nice German word "Mitläufer" to the USA. Free of charge. They are going to need it later.

If Trump or Musk do something against Germany

They already have. Musk's propaganda platform formerly known as Twitter (and other US "social media" platforms) is supporting enemies of the German state (the AfD), and Both Musk and Trump's second in command have been openly endorsing them before the election. Including a likely illegal campaign contribution by Musk.

Seizing Musk's Tesla factory is a good idea, but I wouldn't give it to VW, they might learn even more lessons on how to reduce their products' quality while simultaneously inflating their prices.

[–] OnASnowyEvening@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

that country’s political system as it is cannot be trusted anymore. It brought that destructive madman to power not only once, but twice. There are zero safeguards against this happening again and again and again.

Worse, there'll be insufficient interest to change the system to put those safeguards in place even if Democrats regain power, to say nothing of the Constitutional Amendments likely necessary to effectively do so and the lack of State legislatures supporting such even if Congress manages 51% of a vote for things other than Constitutional Amendments. That might be enough for an impeachment, but just barely 51% isn't very reassuring for the rest of the world.

[–] crabigno@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

It is not proving a point, it is a simple matter of risk management. There will eventually be "normal" relationships, like the ones we have with Angola or the Dominican republic. The one we had been having was not "normal" it was based on an excess of trust, and there is not any more left.