Sermons multiplied as factories vanished; dependence was a policy choice, defended in public, moralized at home, and institutionalized through repetition until it hardened into reflex.European leaders luxuriated in talk of principles, moral superiority, a manicured gardenthreatened by the jungle, normative power, ethical trade, the Brussels Effect and enlightened multilateralism, while neglecting the unglamorous work of building industrial capacity, hard infrastructure, technological depth and military endurance.
Energy, defense, technology, logistics, data, industrial inputs, digital platforms and capital markets were all flagged in advance. Europe refused to accept the cost while the cost still bought clout, choosing to delay until Donald Trump and Xi Jinping made the price punitive.
