GhostofTruth

econ

Liberation Day and the Double Standards of EU Trade Policy

Fact check - You have no idea how politics work in the EU and in what way indirect protectionism and harmonization attacks external competitors. The EU is the epicenter of hostile trade politics. It is time to dismantle how they are blocking trade via climate scam regulation and other bs. You should start here. 

Tariffs are bad for business. They harm the international division of labor and drive consumer prices upward. Their comeback signals that we are living in an era dominated by politics. A new age of power politics has begun.

Donald Trump communicates loudly, sometimes shrilly. Naming April 2—the start of an aggressive U.S. tariff program—“Liberation Day” fits the White House’s harsh strategy since he took office. Trading partners like the European Union react with shock, threatening countermeasures to the 10 percent base tariff meant to mirror others’ barriers. Leaders like Argentina’s Javier Milei and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum signal concessions, bowing to the threat. Yet Trump’s rhetoric hides a deeper issue: The U.S. faces a double deficit—trade and fiscal balances deep in the red, eroding its industrial base. Tariffs and tax cuts aim to end the “Triffin Dilemma,” where the world’s reserve currency issuer must run a trade deficit to supply global liquidity. That’s the core goal.

Trade Wars and EU Outrage

History warns that tariffs often spark trade wars, damaging economies. Free trade alone enables specialization for optimal market supply. But we’re not in a textbook economy—we’re at a geopolitical turning point with raw power politics. The EU’s reaction is predictably fierce. After trips by Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, the EU Commission vows retaliation. Welcome to the trade war! Yet their outrage raises eyebrows. The EU built itself on coal and farm subsidies, wielding a massive subsidy machine for industrial ambitions. Outsiders entering its market face regulatory barriers masked as “harmonization,” weakening competition and hiking prices.

The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) exemplifies this. Meat and dairy from third countries hit tariffs and standards—officially for consumer safety, but really to protect local producers. The OECD says non-tariff barriers account for 60 percent of EU protectionism, far beyond visible tariffs. In industry, like autos, 10 percent tariffs and tailored rules shield firms like Volkswagen, forcing U.S. or Asian rivals to bear high costs and compete at a disadvantage. The EU’s “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism” (CBAM), starting 2026, taxes imports from lax-climate nations—sold as climate action, but a clear protectionist tool. In tech, the GDPR curbs U.S. giants like Google while boosting European firms. This isn’t free trade—it’s calculated isolation.

U.S. Strategy vs. EU Hypocrisy

The U.S. seeks to shrink its trade deficit and rebuild industry, betting on tech, energy autonomy, and open markets to lure capital, even if consumers suffer short-term. Trump’s challenge should push Europe to rethink its ways. But the EU’s indignation rings hollow. It’s long used subtle barriers—standards, bureaucracy, and sectoral tariffs—to fend off rivals. The CAP, for instance, isn’t about safety but shielding farmers. CBAM’s CO2 penalties are less about climate and more about punishing outsiders, while GDPR tilts the digital field toward European players. The EU’s protectionism hides behind noble labels, but consumers pay with higher prices and less choice.

The U.S. accepts trade-offs to break its deficit trap, while the EU clings to a failing vision. Brussels’ green, deindustrialized dream crashes against reality: a growth crisis and stagnant productivity. Europe should see this as a wake-up call to return to market principles and open trade. Yet that requires a radical shift in Brussels and beyond—unlikely given entrenched habits. The U.S. holds advantages with its tech edge and energy independence, positioning it to weather this storm better. Europe, meanwhile, risks being exposed as its economic weaknesses glare under the spotlight of this clash.

We’ll see how this unfolds. The U.S. bets on reviving its base, accepting consumer pain for long-term gain. Europe must decide if it’ll keep posturing or face its own contradictions. For now, the trade war tests both sides, but the EU’s double standards—decrying tariffs while quietly wielding its own—undermine its moral stance.



news

The United States faces a threat of itd credit rating. Moody’s has sounded the alarm with fresh forecasts, spotlighting a ballooning deficit and rising interest rates that could erode the nation’s ability to manage its towering debt. The specter of customs risks only deepens the peril, potentially jeopardizing America’s coveted top-tier bond status.

What’s striking here is the paradox. The U.S. has slashed budgets and tightened belts, all while its economy chugs along with enviable resilience. Yet, the shadow of a downgrade looms large. Contrast this with Germany, the powerhouse of the European Union and Eurozone, which is mired in its third year of recession. Berlin’s piling on massive new debt—projected to swell its debt-to-GDP ratio by at least 25% over the next four years—yet there’s no whisper of a credit rating challenge. The disparity reeks of geopolitical maneuvering, where fiscal scrutiny seems selectively applied. It’s hard to shake the sense that this could be a calculated move to dampen capital flight from Europe to the U.S., steering investment flows under the guise of credit evaluations.



U.S. Teeters on the Edge of a Credit Downgrade as Fiscal Storm Looms

What we are seeing in the USA in terms of government debt dynamics is also happening in the eurozone. France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, ran up a government deficit of 5.8% last year, compared with 5.4% in the previous year. This year, the 6% mark is unlikely to be held! After several elections, the country is in a political lockdown and there is no sign of any political competence to stop the spiraling national debt. The same applies to the other major economies in the eurozone!

 The introduction of the cbdc announced by the European Central Bank for October indicates where the journey is heading: capital controls to bring about an orderly national bankruptcy. This can be done either by bail ins or by inflating government debt, which is of course doomed to failure. What the central planners do not understand is that complex economic processes cannot be controlled centrally! With its trillion-euro new debt program, Germany will join the league of highly indebted countries in Europe, and that is just to kick-start the economic engine of Europe's pseudo-economy. Once this Keynesian flash in the pan is over, things will quickly go downhill.

 

Debt crisis in the eurozone picks up speed

The USA is on the verge of raising the so-called debt cerling by 4 trillion dollars to 40 trillion to prevent a government shutdown. This would double the federal debt over the past eight years. It turns out that, despite all of DOGE's efforts, the attempt to consolidate public finances seems doomed to failure when the national debt-to-GDP ratio has reached over 80%, which in the US has shot far above that level.

In the end, as planned, the debt gap will probably have to be plugged with freshly imitated government bonds. If the bond market can no longer absorb these, the central bank will monetize them.



USA: Debt ceiling likely to rise to USD 40 trillion

The European Union has rolled out a razor-sharp, 30-point blueprint to steel its citizens against looming chaos. The directive? Stockpile food, water, and survival essentials for at least 72 hours as tensions simmer over Russian threat.  

The strategy doesn’t stop at pantry prep. It demands fortified telecom networks, safeguarded hospitals, and a centralized “EU crisis hub” to snap into gear when disaster strikes. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen minced no words: “The world’s shifted, and so must we. Our people, our nations, our industries—they need the tools to dodge crises or hit back hard when they land.”  

This isn’t just about survival kits; the EU’s betting big on our stupidity to finance any crap that's coming out of Brussels. Fear is a perfect power leverage.



EU Sounds Alarm: Stockpile Now or Face the Fallout (next level stupidity)

Germany’s Debt Spiral: Eurozone’s Fiat Lifeline or a Ticking Time Bomb?

It's 65% now. It will be rising up to 95% until 2030 IF there's no recession (which they're already in)

The case of Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, gives us an interesting insight into the workings of the globalist power machine. Firstly, figures are selected and appointed, in this case a former Governor of the Bank of England (sic!). This is strongly reminiscent of the European Union's personal roulette, where former bankers and central bankers like Mario Draghi can jump from post to post.

![](https://m.stacker.news/84198)

Secondly, it shows that the machine can select and reprice certain assets that, once monetized, help keep its credit scheme alive. If it is opportune, the climate change narrative is evoked and natural resources and energy are left in the ground (co2 kills...). If you need a cheap Eurodollar credit pump, the mineral resources and energy reserves in the ground are suddenly found, what a coincidence, and then materialized. This collateral is then used to create the new credit that this credit machine needs to implement the political goals and projects of the central planners. 

This is the background to the green transformation that we know from Europe: the destruction and displacement of the private sector in order to establish a new state economy and the consolidation of power in a form of corporatism.


Canadian President As Blueprint Of The Power Machine

Germany’s public finances are veering into treacherous territory. By the close of 2024, the nation’s total public debt hit a staggering €2.509 trillion, according to fresh data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). That’s a sharp 2.6% jump—or €63.9 billion—compared to the previous year, with an additional 0.8% spike (€20.5 billion) piled on in just the final quarter. 

Europe’s economic powerhouse is racking up liabilities at an alarming clip. Germany isn’t just borrowing to keep its own lights on. As the Eurozone’s de facto credit backstop, it’s laying the groundwork for a jaw-dropping €1 trillion debt mountain over the next four years. The goal? To jumpstart the fiat engine of a currency bloc mired in recessionary quicksand. This is less a bold rescue plan and more a reckless gamble. Can Germany shoulder this colossal burden without torching its own creditworthiness? 



Economic Cycle Picks Up Speed

Good news from the fiat credit front: in the USA, the M2 money supply rose from 21.56 in Jan to 21.67 trillion USD in February, according to the Fed. This is a good sign amidst mixed economic data, showing that the credit mechanism is intact and we can expect rising liquidity and a stable business cycle in the coming months.

At a global level, a further weakening of the US dollar should provide considerable relief on the refinancing front and further liquidity.

![](https://m.stacker.news/84178)

EU Shifts Gears: Bloc Ditches Unanimity Over Ukraine Aid

They are done economically. Ethically Brussels is a bunch of commies and parasites.

The European Union has rewritten its rulebook, scrapping the need for unanimous votes to push through resolutions. The move comes as Hungary digs in its heels, rejecting a $22 billion aid package for Ukraine. With Budapest’s dissent sidelined, the EU swiftly adapted, signaling a bold new era where consensus is optional.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó fired back, slamming the bloc’s “pro-war” tilt. “We won’t be dragged into this,” he posted online. “Hungarian taxpayers’ cash won’t fund weapons for Ukraine. Peace talks, not escalation, are the answer.” He also pointed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire offer that Kyiv famously snubbed.

Meanwhile, Nordic and Baltic nations—Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—are pushing hard for Ukraine’s fast-tracked EU membership, demanding “tangible steps” to seal the deal. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is bullish, eyeing Ukraine’s entry before 2030, with perks like duty-free trade already on Kyiv’s wish list, potentially rattling existing members.

But cracks are widening. The EU’s core flaw—its design as a political vanity project, not a cohesive economic engine—is biting back. Centralized power in Brussels has long choked member states’ autonomy, and Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán, is the loudest rebel. Defiant on immigration, energy, and ties with Russia and China, Budapest prioritizes its own survival over EU dogma. Yet, Brussels’ unelected elite can still steamroll elected leaders like Orbán, exposing the union’s democratic deficit—and its original intent.



Airbus supervisory board chairman Rene Obermann has issued a chilling warning about escalating tensions on Europe’s eastern frontier. Speaking to Handelsblatt, Obermann expressed unwavering certainty that NATO nations are teetering far closer to a military clash with Russia than many leaders are willing to admit. He pointed to mounting evidence suggesting Moscow is gearing up for a strike along NATO’s vulnerable eastern flank, a move that could ignite a broader conflict.

Obermann’s remarks cut through the noise at a time when Europe’s political elite seem hell-bent on stoking war fears to rally the continent. Behind the saber-rattling, a deeper game unfolds. As U.S. financial backing wanes, financing the centralization of the EU is becoming more difficult by the day (watch yields of german BUNDS).

This simmering “war scenario” isn’t just strategic posturing; it’s a calculated ploy to keep the credit pumps flowing. War bonds and Eurobonds could soon emerge as the financial fuel for an increasingly unified—and costly—European vision. Keep an eye on the markets. The real story may lie in the numbers, not the headlines.



Airbus Oversight Chief Sounds Alarm: Is Europe Sleepwalking Into War?

Economy: hope in Europe

Well, we'll see. Let's wait for April 2nd

They are pumping spending programs for months...

I lnow. They have no idea that their leaders are playing with fire. Naïve kids...

The latest economic data from S&P global gives rise to hope in recession-hit Europe. The figures from March show an increase in the composite index for production in the private sector in the eurozone - industry and service providers combined - to 50.4 points from 50.2 in the previous month. At the same time, the economic heavyweight of the eurozone, germany, saw an increase from 50.4 to 50.9. The massive efforts of the europeans to set up a demand program worth billions of euros are therefore beginning to bear fruit. Of course, this is a typical Keynesian flash in the pan.



In their final stage, representative democracies are in danger of sliding down into a pure vote-buying bazaar. Here the representatives of the political establishment offer the money of the last productive forces of society to secure votes. We now know from Germany how much it costs to put together a government: a special loan of 500 billion euros on top of the already fiscalized debt is needed to create a creepy coalition between the Merkel party CDU and the socialists of the SPD. A high price to pay to put together a government that is unlikely to remain in office for 12 months. 

Over the next four years, Germany will probably take on more than a trillion euros of new debt, around a quarter of its gross domestic product, which will bring it down to France's credit rating, which is already in a bad way. The European Union project is entering increasingly difficult waters. 


Germany: Bundestag discusses debt package

The German automotive group Audi has reached an agreement with its trade union to cut 7500 jobs in 2029. This will primarily affect the administration and development departments. 

![](https://m.stacker.news/82677)

The core industry of the German economy is thus making room for additional capacities in the armaments industry, after the armaments company Rheinmetall has already announced that it may be able to use the capacities freed up by Volkswagen to expand its tank and drone production there. Instead of relying on the healing effects of a return to the free market, the European Union is now relying on a multi-billion-euro loan program to fill these capacities with a keynesian-type armaments program and build up its own military-industrial complex. Good luck with this impoverishment program for the population! 

A side effect is the ever deeper involvement of political actors and institutions in the private sector, which opens the door to serious corruption. Once installed, such a military complex holds the destructive incentives in its hands to seek out the foundations for kinetic conflicts and to realize them politically.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagens-audi-cut-7500-jobs-administration-development-by-2029-2025-03-17/

