Foxi,
Let's say we are good friends and go out to dinner once a week. I let you pay most of the time. In fact, I only pay once out of every three times we go to dinner. Let's say you own a grocery store but I won't even shop there but instead shop at your competitors grocery store. In fact, neither of us really care for the owner of the competing store. How long does this go on and you still call me a friend. When do you stop going out to dinner with me.
Yes, you have it figured out. You are Trump/America in this metaphor. Trump called the EU and Germany out for two reasons.
1. Germany/EU's average applied MFN tariffs are 50% higher on American made products than America's average applied MFN tariffs are on German products. I just looked this up on the WTO website today. This is even worse today than it was four years ago when Trump called the EU out on it. What kind of friend rips off another friend this way?
2. Germany/NATO was failing to live up to their 2% military funding. America was making up the difference that other NATO members were failing to fund. What kind of friend stiffs another friend into paying his bill?
2.a. Germany was shutting down it's coal and nuclear plants to buy fuel from Russia. Germany funded Russia, Russia used German funds to invade Ukraine. At the same time, Germany wasn't funding the agreed 2% to NATO and America was making up the difference. Indirectly, Germany and the EU are responsible for the war in Ukraine by continuing to send Euros to Russia.
This is why Trump said that the EU wasn't being a friend.
Wheeels .
Your metaphor is simply not true.
You, the USA, are engaged in GEOpolitics. Every world power spends money on this to secure its positions.
That is nothing new.
Why do you do that? Altruism? World powers are not exactly famous for that.
To 1.
I would have the evidence.
German car manufacturers in the USA are almost stronger than at home.
Don't they create jobs in your country?
To 2.
yes, we are no longer a militaristic nation and our army is on its last legs.
That's the way it should be, given the Nazi history that's constantly being smeared on our bread.
Wheels, we don't have the soldiers to fill this 2% with power.
Where are we supposed to get them from? The military is out here, and unlike you, anyone who joins the military here is a failure in life, with everything else attached to him but industriousness.
We had a reunification that imposed so many costs on us that every other country in Europe would have been broke forever.
Would that serve your economy and Europe?
To 3.
Does Putin really need us as much as we need him?
He can easily sell his oil and gas to China and other Asian countries.
Wheels, of course we are friends
It's late, sleep well
Foxi