© Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump at WEF
Western Europe's complete and voluntary dependence on the US was never really discussed because
it was simply assumed. It was called strategic autonomy, but meant close transatlantic relations within an alliance in which the US is, of course, the senior partner. Yet even that relationship had norms and frameworks.
At the Davos Forum, EU leaders openly discussed their dependence on America.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said the EU is now choosing between being a "happy vassal" and something even worse. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the old world order will not return, and Western Europe cannot rely on change alone to escape structural dependence.
Nobody expected the Americans to
flaunt the real balance of power so openly. Until now, it was considered normal not to emphasize it. Everyone knew who was in charge and who made the decisions, but it was not customary to boast about it in intellectual circles.
It was understood implicitly, so it was not dwelled on.Trump discarded these courtesies. The EU is now being forced to
acknowledge aloud what was previously
acknowledged in silence. This is psychologically unpleasant, but it is not really a matter of acceptance or rejection.
Acceptance has always been there.The point is that Trump has raised the acute question: Is there an alternative?
Comment: This is likely to be a litmus test by Dems to see how the public will respond to giving leniency to rapists, violent criminals, and collectors of child pornography. If it passes in Virginia, it will likely be introduced by other states.