Stephen Moore suggests taking a ‘more socialist’ European outlook may harm future transatlantic trade negotiations
Summary
Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser to US president-elect Donald Trump, urged the UK to adopt the US “free enterprise” model over Europe’s “more socialist” system, suggesting it would enhance the Trump administration’s “willingness” to pursue a UK-US trade deal.
Moore also defended US agricultural practices and Trump’s proposed 10% blanket import tariff, noting possible exemptions for allies like the UK.
UK leaders, including Keir Starmer, face pressure to balance trade ties with both the EU and US, with figures like Peter Mandelson advocating dual trade agreements amid Brexit challenges.
The Union shall establish an internal market. It shall work for the sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. It shall promote scientific and technological advance.
Emphasis mine. In a nutshell a social market economy is a Realpolitik compromise between capitalism and market socialism, where private ownership of the means of production is tolerated but said ownership doesn't entail complete power over it, through e.g. co-determination laws.
To make this more concrete, and maybe blow some Yank's mind: Volkswagen's employees elect 50% - 1 seats on the board. Together with shares held by Lower Saxony (usually run by a socdem government) they run the place, no matter how many shares the Porsche/Piëch clan and the Saudis have. It's why VW itself worked towards unionising its own plant in Chattanooga, to the bewilderment of many. Sadly can't unionise the plants in China the CCP hates it when workers have a say.
If you consider that European conservative parties are on the same political spectrum range as the US Democrats, and the US Republicans are basically the European neo-Nazis, this makes Americans see normal European social-Democratic parties as "communists".
The American political spectrum has shifted to the right in ways that prepared the ground for Trumps coming Machtergreifung.
I strongly recommend the UK focus on the US as a trading partner. It is obviously more sensible to ship your imports and exports to and from a market some 5000 km away, than to the market just 50 km away. Clearly your population will love fruits being either 2 weeks old at least or flown in. That fits the english taste best anyways.
Oh boy, he's going after the NHS like he tried a couple of years ago. Brits need to fight this and don't fall for our predatory private healthcare system that prioritizes money over human lives.
Yeah, of the world's leaders vast majority of them are dictators or wannabe dictators. Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping, Modi, Netanyahu, Erdoğan, Orban and the list goes on.
And the worst is that much of the democratic party is shifting more to the right in their pursuit of voters.
In there pursuit of being a more effective controlled opposition. Voters didn’t ask for this. Harris ran a conservative campaign and loss on that. Don’t let the democrats blame the left for their loss.
We may not like the result, but it proofed a point for the EU and the UK: The EU is a voluntary federation unlike the US and direct democracy is a thing in the UK sometimes (still largely symbolic though).
They’ll choose Trumpism. Starmer inherited the legacy of the Brexit referendum, and if he’s seen as veering towards the European approach, the oligarch-owned press will have his guts for garters and Nigel Farage in No. 10. As such, he’ll have no choice but to make a speech acknowledging this and rejecting the European approach in principle.
Mob of bullies. These guys came into power last time telling people, "we won't tell you how to live, and you won't tell us how to live." Look at em now. LOL
It seems wise to always to agree with whatever these guys say, if there's no binding language involved. So yes, sure, the EU is literally Stalin, handsome mister Trump, sir.
Capitalism has served me well and, I think if you have a particularly strong work ethic, then the American model can serve you well, up to a certain extent.
BUT, I am not a sycophant. I have seen the dark underbelly of the American model, how certain vampires at the top of companies will maximize profits at the expense of literally everything else - contractually locking in customers and then raising rates on them to the point where they can barely afford it (they’d call that “equilibrium “). Firing good long-time employees because new fresh blood is cheaper, damned if it makes everyone else’s life harder, including that person who gave their life to the company. Predating on the meek, desperate, or just those who don’t think like them, in spite of what it may do to the relationship long term (fuck any sort of commitment or customer relationship at all because it can’t accurately be monetized).
These people chase money above all else. They’re loot dragons. The only relationships they have are those that either think like them or those they can manipulate and control.
So no, don’t chase the American model, but perhaps borrow from some of its most useful tenets. There are good motivated people in the flesh, but the structure is rotten at its core.
I crushed it and have the American Dream. My experience now is, I'm surrounded by old people, trustfund kids, and people who broke themselves to get ahead.
I have to raise my kids knowing that 80% of their classmates have no chance and hope they luck out and also fall in love with a career path that pays well. All of my friends I grew up with are in a constantly struggle, none of them will own a house. I have friends with PTSD from serving in the military and even with the VA loan option and GI bill they will be lucky to own a house by 50 if ever.
I can't even talk about my life, my struggles are meaningless compared to those around me. I feel like an outsider in America because I actually did what everyone says is the goal and it is wild to me. I'd give it up in a heartbeat just to feel like I was in a community of equals I felt safe to raise a family around.
No, Germany has a coalition between the Social Democrats (i.e. Labour/Dems) and Greens, which is in minority as the Free Democrats (i.e. Ayn Rand fans) dropped out because everyone else was sick of their bullshit.
If AfD were in power, Germany would be providing arms to Russia to help it stabilise its region. A lot of things will happen before that does, up to and including a CDU/SDP left-right grand coalition.
up to and including a CDU/SDP left-right grand coalition.
Wasn't the CDU talking about revising their "under no circumstance, ever" attitude towards Die Linke. Not terribly relevant right now with Die Linke's numbers but it's notable they're even talking about it.
Afd gathered significant votes, but they're far from in power in the country. They are in power in one... you could say county, but they're fucking up as we speak.