But Americans who want to save the alliance with Europe must have no illusions about how bad a condition this transatlantic partnership is in.

I'll maybe take the idea of the EU using the anti coercion instrument more seriously when those countries suggesting it's use also volunteer their own industries to suffer as a result.

Don't see any volunteers as yet.

But his threatened trade war suggests that he has accepted that a military invasion in the presence of NATO allies – however few – would be unacceptable to Congress and the American people.

ENDS

Many experts and scholars have argued that the EU's failure to activate the instrument against Trump's reciprocal tariffs (and also against China's rare earth curbs) set a bad precedent and exposed the bloc's unwillingness to "walk the talk" when push came to shove.

This is what I wrote last year.

Finally, I am sick and tired of people pretending that education is a status symbol for the well-to-do, rather than a path towards a richer and more fulfilled life. I am all for addressing failures in skill training& problems with social mobility. But learning is good & should be encouraged. Always.