Reminder - it was Trump who fastracked the vaccine that got us all out of lockdown months before China.

Also this fear about China, on the one hand, China making a move on Taiwan right now would make sense from the perspective of, Trump is a complete moron and a coward, who has already alluded to America not defending Taiwan in the event that China invades them and is being weak as shit when it comes to Russia, I'm about 70% sure that if China invaded Taiwan, Trump wouldn't do a thing (militarily).

But on the other hand, since taking office, Trump has handed China multiple wins from an international standpoint, Trump has attacked basically every single American ally, Trump is slowly changing the global order and not in a good way for America, China isn't ran by morons like Russia, China loves capitalism because they're such an integral part to it, while Russia never really offered us much other than energy supplies and never left that "might is right" military mindset.

China will see that they have a chance to worm their way into the good graces of Europe, Africa, South America, North America, etc. They will attempt to fill the holes left by America. We can already see them playing that game very carefully and measured, whilst fighting back against America, the last time this happened, Trump had to bail out American farmers and it was widely regarded as an American loss.

• China, Japan, South Korea To Bolster Trade Ties
• China Says It Will Grow Relations With Canada On Basis Of Mutual Respect
• China Seeks A Role In Ukraine’s Post-War Reconstruction
• After U.S. Tariffs, Europe Looks To China To 'Diversify' Economic Partners
• China Says Committed Wo WHO, Paris Climate Deal After US Pulls Out

In all honestly, the smart move for China would be to stay away from Taiwan, let America shoot themselves in the foot, let America piss off all their allies, and slowly overtime China will benefit. This isn't me saying I trust China though, China is obviously led by equally evil bastards but I don't believe China is led by militaristic morons like Russia and have always played the long game, are less interested in ruling by physical might and more with economic might and influence.

Even if some countries kiss the ring of America in the short term to avoid Trump's stupidity, the long term damage on America will be bad, countries will slowly form relationships away from America, slowly divest themselves away from America and America will suffer as a result, MAGA is too stupid to think further ahead than 4 years though.

America was the world leader basically since WW2 after Europe was battered, America filled a vacuum and have benefited from that since, all the billions that Europe spends buying American equipment, all the immense influence that comes with that, Europe was basically locked in line with America on every decision and yes that does benefit America, Trump has pissed all that up the wall.

These are facts that every Republican leader before Trump understood, MAGA has changed all this.

Damn bro, when I see a fellow Brit (European) deepthroating America this much, I just think "have some self respect man" Lmao.

"The poorest man in America gets healthcare treatment Europeans could only dream of."

Hyperbolic bullshit.

"When Europe is forced to pay for the real costs of defence and health without the US subsidising"

And how is America subsidising Europe's military and health?

While at the same time completely downplaying it by sticking his head in the sand and pretending everything was fine, entertaining conspiracy theories, parroting bullshit medical advice, enabling his fanbase to refuse basic safety procedures which furthered the spread, his entire response to COVID is a widely regarded disaster and partly what caused him to lose re-election then Americans had fucking amnesia and voted him back in because inflation, Lol.

If it weren't for him, thousands more Americans could have survived the pandemic.

Healthcare is free in the US if you cant afford it. Yeah you'll have to sell everything you own and your kids wont have an inheritance but you'll be seen same day and be operated on within days. The RoW should be greatful at how much the US invests in healthcare cos we all benefit from the subsidy.

I'm not gonna dignify military subsidies with a response because its self evident.

Trying to rewrite history?

How Trump’s ‘America First’ edict delayed the global Covid fight
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/01/trump-america-first-covid-523604

AP FACT CHECK: Trump distorts on vaccine, state distribution
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55721437

TRUMP: “As a result of Operation Warp Speed, Pfizer announced on Monday that its China virus vaccine was more than 90% effective. ...Pfizer said it wasn’t part of Warp Speed, but that turned out to be an unfortunate misrepresentation.”

THE FACTS: Not so much. Pfizer notably did not accept government money to develop, test or expand manufacturing capacity under Trump’s Operation Warp Speed initiative to quickly find a vaccine and treatments for the disease sweeping the country.

In fact, Pfizer partnered with the vaccine’s original developer, Germany’s BioNTech, in March and the following month announced the first human study in Germany. The White House announced Operation Warp Speed in May.

Trump administration refused offer to buy millions more Pfizer vaccine doses
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/07/trump-administration-coronavirus-vaccine-pfizer

Covid-19: Was US vaccine rollout a 'dismal failure' under Trump?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55721437

Trump completely fucked up the Covid response, first by denying it, brushing it off as the flu, then by ridiculous/dangerous miracle cure suggestions and not being serious about lock downs letting the virus spread causing over a million deaths in the US.

I'm not sure you understand what free means, or is this a troll? Lmao. You went from saying it's free if you can't afford it, to saying that they'd have to sell everything they own and their kids won't have an inheritance? That ain't free, Lol. I'm not sure that's as strong of an argument as you think it is either; You'll lose everything you own, your kids will have no money, you'll be financially desolate but be grateful as you were seen on the same day! So much better than Europe's system! We can only dream of having something so amazing!

So I, a European, can only dream of having something as amazing as the poorest man in America receives. Speaking as someone who has had dozens of major surgeries, all free of charge and even last year required surgery, non-emergency, to which I was in the hospital within a week, had my own single room, had the surgery within days and was out within another week and didn't come out of it having to sell everything I own, I can once again say that your example is hyperbolic bullshit, Lol.

Bro we'd still be locked down without Pfizer and Moderna or have to accept extra deaths with AstraZen. China and the EU were raiding warehouses to steal our vaccine. Let's not pretend the US has reached those fascistic levels yet.

I'd rather be poor in America than dead in Europe. Poor Americans get welfare too and it's magnitudes more than a Romanian gets.

Retaliation means that we'll pay more for goods coming in from the USA which are either not relevant for the majority of people here or can be easily substituted with goods from a different country. Canada is just about the only country that has to be very careful about this, because their economy is much more intertwined with the USA than any other USA+X combination.

On the other hand, Americans will have to price higher prices for virtually everything because they have issued tariffs against virtually everyone, plus their own goods are often crap, hence why they buy so many foreign products.

In other words, countries who retaliate will have a much easier time to weather the storm than Trump and his USA can do. Hence why I am all for the EU to kick the USA's butt. Plus on a personal level, I don't buy any US goods to begin with, so there won't be any hardship on my end anyway.

It's Pfizer–BioNTech, a collaboration between the American company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech. The vaccine was manufactured in both America and Europe. Congrats to the amazing scientists who made it, now if only a Democrat was in charge, they'd almost certainly have been less deaths without Trump spreading bullshit medical advice, encouraging his anti-vax fanatics, disregarding the scientists, downplaying the pandemic and sticking his head in the sand until it was undeniable.

What's this about "raiding warehouses to steal our vaccine?"

Let's not pretend the US has reached those fascistic levels yet.

This the same country which is locking people up for expressing pro-Palestine views? Refusing entry to tourists who have been critical towards Trump? Trying to pillage Ukraine of its entire countries resources? Siding with Russia in UN votes? Victim blaming Ukraine? Deporting innocent Americans to supermax prisons in other countries simply for having tattoos? Detaining innocent tourists for weeks? Slapping made up tariffs on every country in the world, including some of the most poor? Seriously discussing taking over Canada?

Refusing to rule out military force to takeover Greenland? Seriously proposed an ethnic genocide of Gaza by deporting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of their country and stealing their land, resulting in anger from Middle-East countries? Still sending Israel billions to bomb more women and children? Bombing children in Yemen? Threatening to bomb Iran for not signing a deal that Trump himself tore up in his first term? Inviting rapists like Connor McGregor to the White House?