Since the agreement between the US and Europe, a sense of humiliation has been spreading within Europe, with French President Macron openly stating that they have been treated by the US as "a soft plum".

Even worse, European elites have been lamenting, believing that China's path a century ago is now one that Europe must also walk.

On August 1st, an American column writer specifically wrote an article pointing out that the unequal agreement with the US not only did not make Europe stronger, but also exposed the harsh reality that Europe is highly dependent on US technology and military.

More importantly, the author also said that in the 19th century, the Qing government was forced to open its doors under the guns of European powers, gradually losing its sovereignty. Now, many European elites are worried in private, thinking that Europe may be heading towards its own "century of humiliation".

Centuries ago, the Qing government, under the forced pressure of foreign powers, signed a series of unequal treaties, severely damaging national sovereignty.

Now, the EU's trade agreement with the US also carries a sense of inequality, and in a way, it has lost its economic sovereignty.

After all, the conditions of the US-EU trade agreement have made Europe feel very uncomfortable:

The tariff rate set by the US for EU goods is 15%. Looking at the number alone, it is half of what Trump previously threatened to impose, but compared to before he took office, it has tripled, setting a record high since the 1930s.

As for the EU, in exchange for this "tariff advantage", it has agreed to invest an additional $60 billion in the US, and also needs to buy $75 billion worth of US energy and weapons.

This agreement has undoubtedly placed great pressure on the European economy, making Europe's position in the international economic landscape increasingly awkward.

Notably, Professor Carl from the University of Oxford also drew a comparison with China's modern history, arguing that the reason the Qing dynasty declined was due to a kind of "self-delusional satisfaction," clinging to old methods without keeping up with technological innovations.

This statement also applies to the EU, and currently, Europe is too dependent on the US in terms of military and technology, lacking a solid core competitiveness. Once the US tightens its grip and cuts off supplies, it will be difficult for Europe to break free.

What these European elites are worried about is the fear that Europe, once a global leader, may gradually become a vassal in the game of major powers.

Ironically, many European countries were among the perpetrators of China's "century of humiliation", and now they are comparing their own "weakness" to the suffering of being invaded, which is not only forgetting history, but also showing indifference to the feelings of the people of the victimized country.

A century ago, China's "humiliation" was the result of being forced to open its doors under the strong warships and cannons of European powers, signing unequal treaties after a series of invasions, which was naked plunder through force.

In the end, the key factor behind Europe's current "humiliation moment" is its own weakness and decline in strength. The US has recognized the EU's weakness of not daring to confront strongly, and naturally continues to exert pressure to gain more benefits.

Although Europe raised loud protests and countermeasures against the US initially, in the end, it still complied with the US compromise.

Trump's tariff stick is still swinging, and Europe's "lament" may continue. Unless one day it truly takes action to resist the US, it is just a matter of time before it is gradually drained dry.

History has long proven that no country or region can achieve true dignity by relying on others. However, when European elites begin to describe their current situation with the term "century of humiliation," the irony of history reaches its peak.

It must be said that the twist of history lies in the fact that those who once used hegemonic logic to deal with others will eventually experience similar feelings under a stronger hegemon.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534474982081036815/

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