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Comment by kelipso | Hacker News Reader

Europe doesn’t have a military that’s worth talking about. So it’s politically impossible for the EU to go to war with the US. They’ll do lots of protesting but that’ll be about it.

The US isn’t just going to straight up invade anyway. There’s lots of political this and that but it does want to keep the current world order to some degree.

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It's perfectly possible for the EU to have a war with the US. Wars take time. The EU has better heavy industry, better ability to replace destroyed ships etc.

If we're going to have a war it will probably last at least half a decade, probably a little bit more. What you say of the EU could also be said of the US at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941.

If we weren't open to the possibility, we wouldn't be sending tripwire forces to Greenland, as we currently are.

I can imagine it happening after many years, maybe after half a decade they’ll have built up a sizable military and political will to start considering military action.

Yes. The beginning phases of the war-- i.e. the first five years or so, would probably be limited to sea drones sinking EU and US shipping, with neither coming near the other's coast. There could be interesting actions around the Azores and Canary Islands, with the EU perhaps needing to do unconventional stuff to defend these.

I don't think Europe is willing to go all out war over Greenland, especially with Russia pushing from the East.

Most dont consider, that skirmishes dont have to make use of all military capabilities. Take a look at india vs china [0]. To be clear, those sticks-and-stones fights still cost lifes, are totally unnecessary and for a power-corrupted US soldier maybe unthinkable but it does not have to be an all out war. Maybe some ghandian unarmed european opposition is all it takes for the US opposition to find some traces of a spine.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020–2021_China–India_skirmish...

I mean, if we weren't, why send tripwire forces there? Just a bluff?

Presumably we're doing that because we're willing to have a war.

What are your qualifications?

My understanding is that most of the larger armies in the world, and nuclear weapons are there.

And significant portion of our trade and US bonds.

NATO is practically dead since beginning of 2025 - there are already countries in Europe willing to form alliance with China.

That’s just talk for whatever imagined political leverage that probably won’t work with Trump.

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