Thread

US tells France and Germany to release diesel stocks or face US export ban

97 points · 151 comments · geox

GJim · 1790926567 · focus · HN ↗
Mango Mussolini is afraid he will suffer at the US midterm elections, hence bullying Europe to use thier stratigic reserves (during a war he started!) to help lower diesel prices in the USA.
The USA has lost the plot.
1. slow_typist · 1790927246 · focus · HN ↗
  Europe hasn’t grown some balls yet and I am afraid they will roll over again.
  1. sofixa · 1790928072 · focus · HN ↗
    European economies are suffering (and have been since COVID), and russia is a much bigger threat to deal with, so the EU is always trying to take the big boy role and be friendly to get as much as possible. Confrontation would be disastrous for us, and it would be cutting our noses to spite the orange guy who wouldn't get it anyways. When red lines were about to be crossed (Greenland), there was a strong response, but for the rest it's easier to handwave
    Meanwhile more strategic autonomy is being built up, but it will take years; when one of Trump's sons is president, we'll be in a better position to properly stand up.
    slow_typist · 1790932582 · focus · HN ↗
    Careful with the suffering trope. GDP growth in 2025 was 1.4 % [1]. Even under the external oil price shock, projection for 2026 is >0.
    Of course, in the periphery that is not good enough. For developed economies like Germany, France that is a totally normal growth rate. The allocation is the problem, very few people can’t get enough while the middle class is under pressure and the rest has real problems to pay their rents and food. Real growth can only be had by increasing local consumption and/or expansion of governmental spending.
    That being said, I agree with your analysis.
    [1] <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2026/06/oecd-economic-outlook-volume-2026-issue-1_8be0dba6/full-report/euro-area_4e71f617.html#:~:text=GDP%20growth%20is,and%20trade%20growth" rel="nofollow">https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2026/06/oecd-economic-o...
    hunterpayne · 1790991795 · focus · HN ↗
    Fun fact...if your GDP growth is less than your rate of inflation (currently 3.8%), then your economy is shrinking and you are getting poorer. This also means your standard of living is decreasing.
    fragmede · 1790992141 · focus · HN ↗
    Goodhart's law suggests that's not entirely true. GDP is an imperfect measure, and doesn't capture how anxious people are, how happy and content they are. It doesn't measure how much hope they have for the future. It doesn't say how much more or less you make than your brother-in-law.
    slow_typist · 1791011430 · focus · HN ↗
    That would hold up comparing nominal GDPs of subsequent years. GDP growth rates are adjusted for inflation.

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