I am afraid that the Danes are in danger of losing their good old-fashioned judgment, especially when it comes to the U.S.A. and its people.
I am in Denmark, and the other day, I listened to a podcast from a popular Danish radio station where the guest host claimed that Donald Trump was the worst thing that could happen to the world and that Denmark should end its alliance with what he called “Trump’s U.S.A.”
Even though he was asked several times what specifically should be done, he danced around the question and refused to be precise.
To me, the podcast and the guest host were examples of the many provocative broadcasts and bombastic headlines that the media here produce almost around the clock, all aimed at painting a negative image of the U.S.A. for ordinary viewers and listeners.
I hasten to add that many of these debate programs and interviews are edited by well-meaning professional media personnel and that many panels are staffed by experienced academics and other so-called “America experts.”
Unfortunately, there are just as many who repeat the same talking points and big headlines that other programs and pundits have previously expressed. Eventually, they turn into an endless cascade of negative opinions based on a lack of facts and knowledge of the intracacies of our culture.
But this wave of contempt and disappointment toward America is indeed real and exists to an even greater extent today than under previous Democratic presidents.
Yet many Danes who claim that America has failed them forget that we Americans, just like them, have to live with our elected leaders, regardless of their leadership competence or prowess. That’s how it is with Western democracies and, in our case, a country with a constitutional republic consisting of 50 states. It is in the differences between these systems that the crux of the matter lies. Just as apples and oranges are both fruits, the U.S. and Europe often resemble each other in broad strokes but just as often are at odds when it comes to fundamental values such as the protection of free speech.
The fact is that we Americans elected Donald Trump for many good reasons — not necessarily because we believed he was the absolute best of all possible potential leaders in America. We did so because the majority deeply disagreed with the Democrats’ continuing culture war against America’s core values and because we believed Kamala Harris would continue to follow Joe Biden’s policies (not to mention her lack of experience and inability to lead us). Traditional Americans who do not live on the East Coast or West Coast but reside in our heartland clearly rejected the Democrats’ flawed economic and cultural policies and to a degree our foreign policy direction.
America’s massively skewed budget and trade balance is a product of Congress’s longstanding, deliberate resistance to addressing the problem. Trump promised to reverse the downward trend. That’s why he declared “war” on the over-bureaucratized American departments and government agencies, which he believes have done sigificant damage. It was clear to many of us who have followed Trump’s career that he would take the same approach to organizations like NATO, the WHO, and so on.
Another European misconception is that Trump is a warmonger. In reality, he is a peace-seeking man, even though it may seem like he loves conflict. He practices what I call “snow globe politics”—a method that reminds us of those snow globes from our childhood, that contain a winter scene and then “snow” when the globe is shaken. That is Trump in a nutshell. He turns things upside down and waits to see how long it takes for the snow to settle again.
Diplomacy is Just a Sophisticated Word for Horse Trading.
Europeans feel that the best form of diplomacy is discussions — many unending discussions. And if anything is to be said publicly, it should be formulated as discreetly and often as vaguely as possible. No one should be humiliated or backed into a corner. That’s how it has always been, and Europeans feel comfortable with it. That’s why many simply cannot stand Donald Trump and Americans — because we leave big footprints and don’t always follow the “accepted” diplomatic practices.
Trump has been on both sides of the negotiation table for over 50 years. He has employed thousands of workers and been the CEO of a business empire. He was America’s president for four years, traveled the world, and knows many of the world’s leaders. But that means nothing to many European leaders. They simply don’t like him. They feel bypassed, insulted, and do not want him as part of their exclusive club of “respectable” politicians.
And now it’s the ordinary Europeans’ turn to be upset. They threaten to boycott American goods without realizing how many products are produced under license in Europe. Here in Denmark, Coca-Cola has an agreement with the Carlsberg Brewery to produce its products. The Danish Salling Group has a license to operate Starbucks and the Carl’s Jr. burger chain.
Many Danish companies have similar agreements with American manufacturers and a boycott would not only hurt American companies — it would also cost Danish jobs and revenue if implemented.
Ideological trade and boycotts are destructive to a country’s economy and relations.
I frequently ask Danes if they would take the time necessary to read product packaging labels to ascertain a product’s country of origin before purchasing them. Many say they are too busy. Fortunately for them, European consumers can see where food is produced, but there is no further information on where the raw materials or ingredients come from. Other non-food products do not have to follow the same rules, so one cannot always identify the country of origin. If we were to follow our political conscience and ONLY buy products made by those we politically or ethically agree with, we would have to adjust our shopping habits, markedly.
In the U.S., all products must be labeled with information about their country of origin. Those that are produced with more than 50% American components or have a production value of 50% can qualify as “Made in America.” This makes it easier for us to distinguish and boycott foreign goods if we choose. In the end, Europeans would not benefit from initiating a boycott of American goods just because they dislike Donald Trump or feel offended by his statements. Therefore, my advice to them is: buy the best products you can afford, and if there is only one producer in a country whose politics you disagree with, consider whether you really need the product and then live with your conscience and your pocketbook.
With respect to Greenland, the country just held its elections this week and the ruling party was forced out of power. The new winner is a party that is leaning towards self-governance and got 29.9% of the votes, together with the very pro-separatist party that will probably form a coalition together with them. The new government will use its newfound voter support to pressure the Danish government for more money and more self-determination, something that that they can thank Donald Trump for, because before he started showing interest in Greenland the Greenlanders felt they were riding in the back of the Danish realm’s bus.
That has not changed how the Danes feel about the U.S., however. A recent poll conducted by the leading Danish newspaper, Berlingske Tidende, shows a dramatic fall from grace among ordinary Danes with respect to their attitudes to Americans. Not since the days of the Vietnam conflict have I ever seen a Danish public opinion poll as low. Click here for the poll results and use the opportunity to try using AI for translation. You will be surprised if not saddened.
Stephen Helgesen is a retired career U.S. diplomat specializing in international trade who lived and worked in 30 countries for 25 years during the Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush Administrations. He is the author of fourteen books, seven on American politics, and has written over 1,500 articles on politics, economics and social trends. He now lives in Denmark and is a frequent political commentator on Danish media. He can be reached at: stephenhelgesen@gmail.com
Image: Pixabay, via Picryl // CCO 1.0 Universal Publid Domain Dedication
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