Punch-drunk Europe would do well to study the fate of US liberals. The more Donald Trump denigrates Nato, the greater outrage he provokes in Europe. Moral certainty feels good. But it can bring on intellectual blindness. Time and again, Mr Trump’s domestic critics have chosen righteous indignation over analytic clarity. Women could never vote for Mr Trump, Democrats reassured themselves. Then a majority of white women did. The US would never withdraw troops from Europe, says Brussels. Yet Mr Trump could do precisely that. Which side of the Atlantic would have the most to lose?
歐洲人還沒醒悟過來，研習美國自由主義者的命運可以讓他們迷途知返。唐納•川普(Donald Trump)越是詆譭北約(Nato)，他在歐洲激起的憤怒就越大。道德上勝券在握的感覺很好。但這可能會帶來思維上的盲目。川普在國內的批評者屢屢選擇義憤填膺，而放棄了思路清晰的分析。民主黨曾自我安慰道，女性永遠都不可能投票支持川普的。結果大多數白人女性都把票投給他了。布魯塞爾稱，美國永遠不會從歐洲撤軍的。但川普可能就是會撤軍。大西洋哪一邊更輸不起？