The Dutch company ASML, as basically the only company in the world that makes the lithography machines used to produce the most complex microchips, has again become a geopolitical pawn. The United States government is preparing to force the Netherlands to ban ASML from selling almost any chip-making machines to China, NU.nl reports.
As an European, I very much prefer that we apply to those who support Israel the same standards we do for those who support Russia.
So I’m absolutelly fine that we do not give BOTH Israel’s and Russia’s allies important technology.
Doing otherwise would show our “European values” to in practice be nothing more than sociopathic hypocrisy.
Of course, then ASML wouldn’t be able to sell its machines to America and at least half of Europe as well as quite number of other countries.
We should apply the same punishment to countries that directly threaten and invade Europe versus countries that aren’t even close to Europe and are no threat? Do you want EU to become the next world police like US and get involved into all global conflicts? Maybe we should learn a thing or two from US and stay the fuck away from middle east.
Ah, I see, you’re driven by “what’s in it for me”, not by principles.
Well, by that logic, I as an EU citizen shouldn’t give a shit, since Russia hasn’t attacked the EU (at most they should get a proportional talkie-talkie response when they engage in talkie-talkie “aggression”) and meanwhile it’s more profitable for the EU to engage with China than it is to cut them of, and as for the rest of Europe (most notably Ukraine), well screw them same as the “screw Palestinians” of your position.
Even better, as a Portuguese and thus as far from Russia as possible whilst still being in Europe, by your “self interest” motivation I shouldn’t give a shit about Russia even if they invaded Eastern European EU countries.
Of course, me being a person of principles, I support Palestine against the Israeli Genocide same as I support Ukraine against Russia aggression (no need to feel personally endangered by either aggressor) and what I think the EU should do in the international plane follows from that, but that’s not at all your reason to wanting that Europe behaves towards China in a certain way.