Using the phrase “nuclear option” metaphorically is pretty dumb when we’re talking about a war where parties have threatened to use actual nuclear weapons.
this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2025
229 points (93.9% liked)
politics
26659 readers
2587 users here now
Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!
Rules:
- Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.
Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.
Example:
- Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
- Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
- No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
- Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
- No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning
We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.
All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.
That's all the rules!
Civic Links
• Congressional Awards Program
• Library of Congress Legislative Resources
• U.S. House of Representatives
Partnered Communities:
• News
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
its clickbait all the way down
Yaah, I hit some of the other stories on that site. It's a low-grade copy of some NewsCorp rag, that's got a right wing bent. Not impressed.
That too.
I was thinking that too.
Finally, the EU grows a pair of cojones.
Maybe. Let’s see if they follow through.
God let’s hope so. America has proven they are not leaders so, another country needs to step up and this would definitely do that.
As someone from the US, do it, rip the bandaid off, this is going to get much much worse before things have the chance to get better and good people here have all been rejected from having meaningful power.
edit this news source is questionable
I just love to see Trump's balls in a vice no matter the context.
One thing is certain: NATO members threatening to collapse the US economy if they collaborate with Russia is nothing short of surreal. I must have drifted in some sort of weird alternate reality without realizing it at some point. I wish I could return to the portal where this happened...
The world actually ended in 2012. This is Hell.
Holy mother forking shirt balls...
You need a small vice for the taco in chief
Anything we can do to hurt the billionaires is a win.
The problem is that whenever billionaires are about to get hit by a bus .... government usually throws a bunch of poor people in front of them to cushion or even stop the bus from hurting anyone with money.
Haven't they threatened this already? I say do it. Dump the debt and watch Trump go mad. The real fuck stick though is Miller. Trump is just lettings him fucking Nazi all over the place.
Miller is less dangerous than Vance: the former is an obvious nutjob while the latter, as much the Nazi as Miller, masquerades as a somewhat reasonable - if slightly creepy - human being
Miller is one of the writers of project 2025. Vance is a dumbass mouth piece that follows directions. He's like the little kid behind the large bully.
I've seen other articles floating this idea but is this something that's confirmed? This article refers to the Wall Street Journal but is there a concrete source in which EU representatives are quoted or a written proposal that would suggest such a course of action for me to look up?
Not that I have been able to find. This news source is also considered to typically not be credible.
I was going to ask the same. Also how come a US outlet has this and I haven't seen anything on Europe-centric channels.
Sometimes one just has to wait a day or so.
I'm also unclear about what "dumping" those trillions actually means? If we truly had the USA by the balls like that I'm sure I'd have heard about this sooner.
Everyone has the US by the balls, that's what the USD being reserve currency means.
Everyone owns a lot of USD, both cash and securities, so when the US prints money, inflation hits all the world.
Dumping basically means saying "hey, I've got the entire US GDP here in cash USD, I'm selling it for 100 EUR", and watching the US go hyperinflating.
The catch is that it would crash the world economy.
Dumping basically means saying “hey, I’ve got the entire US GDP here in cash USD, I’m selling it for 100 EUR”, and watching the US go hyperinflating.
Oh. That sounds like a lose-lose situation.
The Express? Really? Get me a better source
Potential for a nightmare scenario:
-
Trump dumps Ukraine for Russia.
-
EU dumps $2.34 trillion in US debt
-
Trump pulls out of NATO.
-
Russia invades Poland or some other NATO country.
-
US Dollar is worthless so we couldn't do anything if we wanted to, and Trump is on Russia's side anyway.
Its not a nightmare scenario ... it is trumps roadmap.
US and Russia and OPEC (whoever refuses gets liberated) create a true oil and gas cartel, EU capitulates. China can't compete with US+USSR. This is 100% the strategy in play right now.
Right wing media company saying false (based on what I've read) information. Typical, references that the wall street journal got information from European intelligence agencies. Yet, I haven't seen anything to corroborate that from the WSJ itself. Intelligence agencies aren't typically known for posting and explaining their plans. If the US economy crashes, the world's economy crashes. It would be economic mutually assured destruction.
If it was any other paper, including weekly world news and the national enquirer, I might take notice. It's the express. I personally have never read anything accurate or correct in that paper.
If they actually do it it will be great news.
What's does it mean to dump debt?
I’m no economist and will probably get this wrong, but since there is nobody else here… least I can do is give you enough an answer that someone more knowledgeable will come and correct me.
Basically, governments can print magic slips of paper called “bonds” that people will want to buy for two primary reasons: (1) they get interest when they hold the bonds (interest paid by taxes), and (2) the bond is considered a safe way to store value (like how a house is considered a safe way to store value). The government, in return for selling those magic pieces of paper, gets the money used to buy the bonds. It’s the Treasury Bond market.
Now here’s two important details about the bond market: (1) Bonds have an inverse relationship with cost and interest rates. If stockpiles of bonds get sold, that increases the supply of bonds which causes price to fall — adversely causing interest rates to hike up. (2) Because U.S. Treasury bonds are considered risk-free, all other interest rates in the economy (mortgages, car loans, corporate debt) are built on top of the Treasury yield (Example: If a 10-year Treasury yields 5%, a bank might offer a 10-year mortgage at 5-6%). Basically, Treasury rates set the floor for almost all borrowing costs.
So if a foreign state sells massive quantities of bonds, interest rates everywhere can shoot up. That can make all of our existing debt too difficult to pay back. We’d be stuck with three options if it gets bad enough: (1) default on the debt, (2) debase our currency by printing enough money to push the problem down the road, or (3) balance the governments budget.
From what I understand, we’ve already pushed the limits of option 2 during the Housing Crisis and COVID. Printing more money is talked about as though it’s impossible without causing more harm than good. Honestly, I don’t know what happens if the bond market cracks at this point… a depression comparable to TGD?
Thank you.
That they would sell or let their holding of US bonds expire and take the principal.
So like calling in the loan?
Wouldn't they just be shooting themselves in the foot here? Even with all the talk about decoupling and tariffs, the European and American economy are still heavily intertwined and a recession in the US will almost certainly spread to the EU.
Look at what happened in 2008, some wall street crooks made some stupid bets on mortgages and then the euro-zone got sent into a debt crisis.
Tak Washington state through New Mexico, and Maine Vermont. Do what you want with the rest.
The nuclear option should be EU giving nuclear weapons to Ukraine and pointing them at Russian and USian targets
Oh yeah, let's start using nukes.
We aren't keeping our promises made when they gave up nukes. They're even trying to take control of their civilian nuclear plant! They deserve to have all the nukes, and we deserve zero. And UN peacekeepers too keep the feds from harassing civilians at this point.
Yes fuck humanity. Fuck the planet. Bring nukes baby. Who needs peace for there is only a nuclear wasteland to fight over.