Moving Beyond American Dependency

A long overdue shift

I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to write about this, as politics is always such a polarising topic. But on second thought, I realised that we should be talking about it, and we should make it less of a taboo. It’s time we kept our leaders to the standards that we expect from them.

So what’s happening?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you must be familiar with at least some of the news: the US announced they want to take over Canada and Greenland, they have started a full trade war with most of the world, and they are slashing through human rights like there’s no tomorrow. They started cutting education and science funding, trying to close any possible organisation that deals with a better future.

Besides that, it seems that they are willing to trade anything for money and for power, including human lives. Not only in their own country, but also on foreign lands, such as Ukraine - not a surprise here, if we’re looking back at all the “freedom” they have delivered in the past. These guys know nothing but fear mongering and money. Their power only lies in people giving them what they want: attention.

Since the start of Trump's second term, we have witnessed attacks on democracy and common sense from all directions. We have seen glimpses of fascism attempting to resurface.

These recent events have revealed the true nature of many American people and companies. From tech giants endorsing controversial policies to individuals supporting divisive figures, the US has shown itself to be an unreliable ally.

The Awakening of Europe

The circus that has been going on has finally woken us up, and leaders have also started working on moving away from this US dependency.

The industrialised world’s most broken nation shouldn’t have any influence on anyone. For decades, we have been inundated with American culture—films, music, and consumer goods. This has created a status quo that is challenging to break. Or so they want us to believe. However, the tide is finally turning.

Rammstein even made a song about all this, years ago, mocking our American dependency and altered views. Their music has often been a critique of societal issues, and this one is spot on.

Communities are forming all around to boycott US products and companies, a movement that is gaining traction on social media and beyond.

The Power of People

One effective way to counter these influences is by leveraging economic power. The US frequently boasts about its economic superiority, largely due to its inflated GDP and stock market. However, this facade is crumbling as protests erupt across Europe, signaling a growing awareness and resistance.

The boycott movement aims to divest money from the US and reinvest it in Europe, reducing our dependency on American goods. This shift is not just about economic independence but also about rediscovering the quality and durability of European products. Many are surprised to find that their daily products and applications are predominantly owned by US companies.

The Results So Far

So does the boycott work? Generally, yes. We can see the stocks dropping. We also see a lot of volunteers emerging with better alternatives, now that we’re willing to look elsewhere.

But, first and foremost, it’s important that this works for us.

We shouldn’t be giving our data to big giants, and we should be taking better care of ourselves online - and also offline. With better, higher quality products that enable us to consume less, but better.

We should embrace our local cultures - and we have plenty of different ones here in Europe.

Practical Steps

So what should we choose?

I’ve been having this discussion quite often lately, and there are generally some easy-to-implement changes that we can make, to move away from American dependency. And it can start with something that all of us use: digital services.

After years of working in the technology sector, I can only give you one advice: try to avoid big tech as much as you can.

Ditching Windows can be incredibly simple, and it depends mostly on what you’re using your PC for. There are plenty of Linux distributions that you can choose from.

Out of the most used applications, even suites like the Microsoft Office can be easily replaced with the open-source and free alternatives such as Open Office (Latvia) or Libre Office (Germany).

Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, all known to harvest personal data like there’s no tomorrow (thank you Edward Snowden for revealing this), can be replaced by a more private alternative: ProtonMail (Switzerland) or Tutamail (Germany).

Let’s ditch the “Google it” when searching for something online. Try Ecosia, from Germany, that also plants trees for your searches. Alternatively, give Qwant (France) a go.

Try DeepL (Germany) instead of Google translate.

Replace Google Chrome with Firefox (don’t forget to install uBlock) or Mullvad Browser (Sweden).

If you don’t want to ditch social media altogether, give Mastodon (Germany) a try, instead of Twitter. Try Lemmy (Germany), instead of Reddit. Give pixelfed a shot, to replace Instagram.

It’s ironic that I’m preaching this on Substack, another American platform. But the website will be moved on Ghost, an open-source alternative, in the near future.

Members of the community are turning the US products upside down.

Furthermore, avoid American fast-food chains - they’re usually bad or your health anyway - and support local businesses, or better yet, learn how to cook.

Be mindful of where your money is invested. Avoid banks that fund harmful industries.

This is a huge topic, and it’s worth looking into it specifically because most banks use our money to fund fossil fuel extractions, deforesting, and other damaging enterprises. Although I am not a fan of investing and the whole concept behind it, I had automatic savings that were going to Mutual Funds via ING. I sold them all recently, and I am not the only one doing this.

Lastly, for physical items, we need to analyse our relationship with consumerism. We shouldn’t just throw everything that we own now and replace it with alternatives, but we should ask ourselves whether we really need each item. Use it as long as possible. Repair it. Only if you really need to replace a product, then do look at products manufactured elsewhere, and do look out to some certain degree of ethics. H&M or Zara may be European, but they’re one of the most distructive companies, and the poster brands of fast fashion. Do look at higher quality alternatives, and take care of them.

As a European myself, BuyFromEU was a great way to find a like minded community. As mentioned, I’ve been doing this for years - it initially started for privacy reasons. But bit by bit, when I needed to replace something, I chose an alternative that was not putting money in the tech giants’ pockets or any industry that’s harming our planet.

Check out my previous entry on consumerism here:

The Future

This movement is not just about the present but also about securing a better future. Open-source solutions and ethical consumerism are the way forward. We must take advantage of this raised awareness to stop mindless consumption and protect our planet for future generations.

Flow, a Latvian, French, and Belgian co-production, animated in the Dutch open-source software, Blender.

Conclusion

The recognition of European products and the boycott of American goods are part of a larger shift towards ethical consumerism and independence. This is not just about the US but about any entity that works against our planet. We must be more mindful and intentional in our purchases.

Let's embrace this awareness and make conscious choices that benefit our communities and the environment.

And remember: it’s a marathon, not a race. It’s not about “sticking it” to the US, it’s about freeing ourselves from the tentacles of consumerism, social media and imperialism. But throughout the years, I realised that perfect is the enemy of good.

Our Planet and our future generations will thank us.

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If you’re interested in joining the community:

The subreddit BuyFromEU - we are looking at open-source European alternatives such as Lemmy, and Mastodon, too.

The GoEuropean website, built 100% by volunteers from the community.

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I’m really curious what you think about this. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!