Neshura

This isn’t going to affect Intel usage in the near future.

True, it won’t significantly shift the downtrend Intel is experiencing but it’s one more reason why that downtrend exists. Corporations are already switching over to AMD’s EPYC for their server platforms and Intel is as entrenched as ever in the Laptop side of corporate business (which runs Windows anyway)

Companies generally buy whatever is cheap and available

Not quite true, they buy what makes them the most money for the cheapest price and due to that context Intel has been on the way out for a while now.

Dell, HP, etc rarely offer AMD as an option.

While there are a lot more systems available with an Intel chip saying they rarely offer AMD is stretching it a bit. Dell has listing for 51 Intel and 12 AMD laptop options, HP ~190 Intel and ~90 AMD, there is an imbalance there but if you are a corporate customer looking for something you will find an AMD alternative there. And in the server space Intel has been/is being gradually reduced to the second choice option with AMD EPYC being chosen for the premium products.

And this is just ancillary Linux drivers, not a major make or break component.

Might be ancillary to you and me but to a corporation this is a piece of liability they now would take on when buying new Intel CPUs for servers. Not by a lot but likely by enough to upsell them to the product using AMD instead.

Realistically lt will lead to enterprises using AMD instead, Windows just simply isn’t even an option for many enterprise uses (mainly server applications)

1-3 have technically been happening but not with nearly enough urgency. I don’t think you realize the potential fallout should Trump hold Microsoft hostage, the cost for my proposed points would look like pennies in comparison, besides the cost is only high because years of warning signs have been repeatedly ignored.

And I call EU leadership weak because they are, I am more than familiar with the proven incompetence/corruption of Ursual von der Leyen, she got “parked” in the EU parliament because she kept fucking up too much in government. She has on at least 3 separate occasions “accidentally” deleted potentially incriminating messages in deals suspected of corruption. And while I don’t know much about the rest but I don’t need to, when you go into negotiations for tariffs and walk out with promised investment payments, something that wasn’t even on the table before the negotiations started, that is weakness.

Raw materials are less of a concern than finished products, so long as there is an alternate source switching suppliers is comparatively child’s play compared to unbricking a weapons system because the manufacturer shut you out.

I’ll put this as politely as possible: putting words into someone else’s mouth really does not convey “I do discussions well” at all, that aside:

Forcing Microsoft to just switch countries is no solution at all, the only solution is to build something here and then use it here. Free from US influence. That means no AWS, no Microsoft, no Google involvement. I’m not talking about forcing industry to switch, if they want to be dependent on foreign companies let them but there is no reason for government agencies to be at the mercy of another country.

These general rules should be followed:

• All hardware must be within the EU, run by an EU-based company (the highest parent company must also be EU-based), in today’s world this is essentially critical infrastructure
• The Software chain is as follows (lowest to highest priority): hostile nations (China, Russia) - possibly hostile nations (USA) - neutral nations (Africa, most of SEA) - friendly nations (Switzerland, Norway) - EU countries
• Prevent too many soups for too few chefs, EU wide projects are to be prioritized over nation wide ones. Duplicating work is inefficient and not something that can be allowed given the current situation.

Under consideration of these the following steps should happen:
1 - migration away from Windows, most office computers can be switched almost immediately, regular office use is well supported in the Linux ecosystem
2 - immediate migration away from Windows exclusive, US based specialized Software (for example Photoshop) for Software with existing and applicable alternatives
3 - reduction of computers with Windows exclusive, US based Software where Step 2 is not possible via use on Virtual Machines, access via remote connection
4 - Collaboration with EU based companies to replace any Software from Step 3 (long term target)

Obviously what’s mentioned takes time but not doing anything isn’t improving the situation either and as shown by Finland increasing their Linux share from 5% at the start of the year to 20% in July Step 1 should be achievable relatively quickly, which would at least ensure governments remain operational in the, currently unlikely, case of full US hostilities.

As for the military concern: just build more factories, we’ve got most of the know-how we need already, just not enough production of it. There are systems we don’t produce in Europe but nothing too critical, US systems in those categories can be replaced within ~5 years I recon.

I never mentioned embargoing them, you can trade but the “deal” we currently have more closely resembles tributary payments rather than a trade agreement. There is absolutely no reason for one sided investment guarantees in a tariff deal.

For the good of the EU is to get some autonomy back into key industries, if things turn any more south in the US any weapon system from there might turn into very expensive scrap metal. That is a significant issue of national security, imagine trying to defend your country and a third country can just up and disable your weapons systems. Absolute nightmare fuel.

The same goes with digital infrastructure, Trump could order Microsoft to shut down the entire EU tomorrow and there is no contingency in place for that. The EU’s dependence on the USA was unhealthy when the relationship was amicable and we are far removed from that at this point. This is not some case where 2 democratic systems have a polite disagreement, the USA is actively turning into a fascist dictatorship and we are significantly dependent on that country. This is not good no matter how you look at it and should have caused a massive shift in policy. It somehow didn’t as of yet.

The word you are looking for is isolationist, you can be independent and still be globalist.

Signing up to buy American weapons and fossils isn’t exact what I’d describe as “good long term strategy”. I’d rather suffer medium to strong economic pain now than have Europe be dependent on the US for the rest of my life. EU citizens are very willing to suffer the economic pain if it means we get to be independent from the US, public opinion has been shifting in that direction for a while even before Trump’s first term, has accelerated with his first term and exploded after his tariff theatrics started.

Nobody wants the EU to retaliate over the tariffs but neither do people want the EU bending the knee and kissing his ring, there is an option where we have a tariff deal without mandatory investments into the US. Paying what boils down to tribute isn’t exactly what the people think an independent EU should look like.