“Why should we care about that?”
I am not saying we should care about it. It helps to understand why the other side is taking one position versus another position. It also explains why just demanding parity in tariffs is a hard position for the EU to take. They are taxing the sh*t out of their manufacturers, which, of course, increases the cost of their products. This is where they get the money to maintain all their “free” stuff given to the non-workers. If they take that stuff (entitlements) away, they can expect to get voted out of office and replaced by politicians who promise to keep the gravy flowing. A short term win on tariffs could lead to a long term loss on everything else. Trump’s job is to create a win/win, or at least a live-with/live-with.
There is probably plenty of room to move inside the EU economy that will benefit America. It’s up to both sides to find that space and use it. It just helps to understand where the other side is coming from.
Yes, I understand that it’s too expensive to manufacture in Europe because of their silly socialism. My question is why should the American public agree to continue subsidizing them.
To me, their tax issues look a lot like “not our problem”.