EU Scream Ep.123: "Owned, Extorted, and Gaslit"

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: James Kanter
Guest: Dave Keating (Broadcaster & Author, The Owned Continent: How to Free Europe from American Military, Economic and Cultural Dependence)

Overview

This episode dives into the new reality of Europe as described by Dave Keating's latest book “The Owned Continent,” which argues that the EU is increasingly subordinate to the U.S. in military, economic, and cultural terms. James Kanter and Keating discuss escalating EU-US tensions, the implications of America’s new National Security Strategy, the dominance of U.S. corporations, American cultural imperialism, and the urgent need for Europe to assert sovereignty.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Europe’s Dependence on America: The concept of Europe as “owned” by the US in military, economic, technological, and cultural spheres.
• Ratcheting EU-US Tensions: Analysis of 2025 as a “horrible year” in the relationship, with key incidents (e.g., new US National Security Strategy).
• Gaslighting and Political Dependency: How European leaders mislead their citizens about the extent of this dependency.
• Call for European Sovereignty: Urging robust European responses and structural reforms for genuine autonomy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Owned" Continent Concept ([01:00]-[02:18])

• "Owned”: Drawn from gamer slang for being totally defeated; used to frame Europe’s subordinate status.
  • “The main thing is to just wake Europeans up to how controlled they are by America… the first step in treating an addiction is admitting you have a problem.” – Keating ([01:31])

2. The 2025 US National Security Strategy ([02:18]-[04:59])

• US Strategy Document: Prioritizes working with far-right European parties to counter the EU, stabilizing relations with Russia, and protecting Europe from “civilizational erasure.”
  • “…the US now will ‘cultivate resistance to the EU by working with far right and extreme-right patriotic parties’…” – Kanter ([04:10])
  • European leaders showed “near silence” in response—only ex-officials spoke out. ([04:59])

3. European Political Responses: Weak, Divided, Compromised ([04:59]-[09:06])

• Muted EU Reaction:
  • Ursula von der Leyen offered only bland, pro-transatlantic platitudes ([06:00]).
  • Council chair Antonio Costa’s mild rebuke stands out: “We cannot accept this threat of interference in European political life.” ([06:31])
• French Far Right’s Unique Stance: Refused to embrace MAGA out of anti-Americanism, unlike other EU far-right parties ([07:44]).

4. White Nationalism and the “Atlantic Alliance” ([07:56]-[10:35])

• The current US administration's emphasis on “civilizational” and “racial” defense of Europe.
• “This obsession with whiteness is a cornerstone of the far right Atlantic alliance…preserving European whiteness is at the center of their kind of racial obsessions.” – Keating ([09:06])

5. Elon Musk, X, and US Corporate Meddling ([10:35]-[12:29])

• Elon Musk’s attacks on the EU—comparing it to Nazi Germany after a fine—and subsequent support from Russian officials ([11:08]).
• The EU’s response: retreat to platitudes about free speech; “Outlandish statements are part of free speech. We don't want to get involved in ideological discussions.” ([11:43])
• Keating: “What planet are you on that you think that was a strong response?” ([11:52])

6. American Command over European Security – The NATO Trap ([14:22]-[18:24])

• NATO as a Protectorate:
  • “NATO, as it’s currently structured, does not function without the U.S.…It would be hard for future historians not to define these arrangements as a protectorate arrangement.” – Keating ([14:45])
• Pressure for spiraling “defense spending” only locks in dependence, funding the U.S. military-industrial complex ([16:25]).
• Skepticism about the reliability of Article 5 commitments from the US ([18:24]).

7. Gaslighting by European Leaders ([18:46]-[23:42])

• Gaslighting Defined ([19:04]-[20:05]): Political leaders deny obvious risks, misleading citizens about the reality of EU dependency.
• Ursula von der Leyen hid Trump’s disavowal of mutual NATO defense until a French commissioner leaked it ([21:14]).
• “The European citizens have been given an illusion of independence. In reality, they are…in an American protectorate system.” – Keating ([22:21])

8. “Daddy Diplomacy” and Appeasement ([24:38]-[26:39])

• European leaders groveling to Trump, as epitomized in Mark Rutte’s infamous “Daddy” remark.
  • “That line from Mark Rutte calling Donald Trump Daddy has become famous here in Brussels. Now think tanks are using the term Daddy diplomacy to describe the European leaders…” ([25:13])
• Fawning gets Europe no guarantees—only increased weakness ([26:39]).

9. The Military Dilemma—No Time for Sovereignty ([26:39]-[33:42])

• US withdrawal of “tripwire” troops heightens risk, while continuing to push for vassal control of European defense purchases.
• “The worst-case scenario is that US and Russia divide Europe between them. That is not an impossible scenario.” – Keating ([28:06])
• Deep divisions among EU states—Poland and the Baltics remain hostile to defense sovereignty, clinging to US solutions ([29:50]).
• Consensus: Europe needs to urgently build its sovereign military capacity, but the window to do so may be closing fast ([32:38]).

10. Economic Dependency: Energy, Trade, and Tariffs ([34:09]-[41:31])

• Shift from Russian to American LNG—risk of substituting one dependency for another ([34:09]-[37:06]).
• “The US is trying to extort Europe into importing its own LNG instead of using other solutions like increasing green energy or importing from other countries.” – Keating ([34:47])
• The July 27 “golf course surrender deal”—EU agreed to $750 billion in US energy purchases just to stave off US tariffs ([37:06]-[41:05]).
  • “It was part of what prompted Mario Draghi ... to say in Rimini that 2025 was the year that quashed any illusion that economic power alone would be able to guarantee any form of geopolitical power.” – Kanter ([38:09])
• Corresponding risk that investment in LNG infrastructure locks Europe into a new dependency for decades ([40:43]-[41:05]).

11. US Vetoes over EU Environmental & Climate Policy ([42:11]-[49:26])

• Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD): Gutted under US pressure, also thanks to lobbying from EU and US corporations ([42:11]-[44:20]).
  • “And they won because the CSDDD was gutted.” – Keating ([43:50])
• Exertion of US pressure politicizes and weakens the EU’s efforts, with threats reaching down to individual delegates ([48:16]).
  • Reports of visa/family threats against European negotiators ([48:34]).
• Upcoming challenge: ensuring the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) survives US obstruction ([49:26]-[51:41]).
  • “If the US is successful in killing or delaying CBAM, it destroys the EU ETS. That destroys all EU climate policy…” – Keating ([51:41])

12. Tech Dependency—No Sovereignty in Digital Life ([51:41]-[57:43])

• Every facet of European digital life runs on US infrastructure ([51:46]-[52:39]).
• Vulnerability: potential for US to hit entire countries with “sanctions” by shutting off digital access—case of ICC judges as a warning ([53:33]).
• Data privacy still unresolved, with US legal backtracking and European courts invalidating transfers ([54:21]-[55:19]).
• Expansion of American military-tech dominance: Palantir and Anduril’s entrance into European security architecture ([56:07]-[57:43]).

13. Regulatory Extortion & Erosion of EU Policy-making ([57:43]-[60:27])

• Now explicit linkage between US military protection and EU acquiescence on tech regulation ([59:06]).
  • “It’s extortion. That’s what we call it.” – Keating ([59:06])
• US government demands to review and approve EU laws—true sovereignty denied ([60:27]).

14. Cultural Dependency: Hollywood, Music, Media, and the European Mind ([62:22]-[68:42])

• Keating tracks US cultural dominance from Hollywood post-WWI to present: movies, music, television, gaming, even journalism ([62:46]-[64:05]).
• Inundation with American culture creates a subconscious identification with America and incapacitates EU self-perception ([64:39]).
  • “Europeans are inundated by American culture from the time that they are born, their entire lives. There is no way that that could not have a psychological effect on people.” – Keating ([64:39])

15. The English Language vs. Americanization—Building European Identity ([66:26]-[68:42])

• Paradoxically, Keating calls for embracing English to facilitate true pan-European cultural creation—not just US imports ([66:51]).
  • “Their methods of trying to combat American cultural domination have been misguided … English is an opportunity to create real pan-European culture.” ([66:51])
• Need for European culture-sharing to counterbalance American inflows.

16. Federalism, National Identity, and the Path Forward ([68:42]-[71:00])

• Keating stands by European federalism, arguing it’s the only route to genuine sovereignty while preserving national cultures ([69:26]-[70:31]).
• Warns: “It’s not the European Union that’s a threat to national cultures. America is a threat to national cultures.” ([70:33])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Europeans just don't know the degree to which they are addicted to America. And of course, the first step in treating an addiction is admitting that you have a problem.” – Dave Keating ([01:33])
• “The worst-case scenario is that the United States divides Europe between themselves and Russia.” – Dave Keating ([28:06])
• “What planet are you on that you think that was a strong response?” – Dave Keating on the EU’s tepid reply to Musk ([11:52])
• “That line from Mark Rutte calling Donald Trump Daddy has become famous here in Brussels… Daddy diplomacy has failed.” – Dave Keating ([25:13])
• “You can only conclude now that every piece of EU legislation needs to be run by Washington. And Washington says yay or nay on anything we pass here.” – Dave Keating ([60:27])
• “Europeans are inundated by American culture from the time that they are born, their entire lives. There is no way that that could not have a psychological effect on people.” – Dave Keating ([64:39])
• “Wake up. It's not the European Union that's a threat to national cultures. America is a threat to national cultures.” – Dave Keating ([70:33])

Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Key Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:00-02:18| Explanation of “Owned”; framing Europe’s subordination | | 02:18-04:59| Discussion of US National Security Strategy, its priorities for disrupting the EU | | 06:00-07:44| Analysis of responses from EU leaders (von der Leyen, Costa, Merz), French far right | | 10:35-12:29| Elon Musk attacks EU and the EU's feeble response | | 14:22-18:24| NATO as US protectorate, risks of defense dependence | | 19:04-23:42| Definition and demonstration of “gaslighting” by EU leaders | | 24:38-26:39| “Daddy Diplomacy”: Mark Rutte and the politics of appeasement | | 29:50-33:42| Militarily split Europe, challenge of building EU autonomy | | 34:09-41:31| US energy extortion, July 27 golf course surrender deal, risk of new dependencies | | 42:11-49:26| US corporate pressure on EU climate/environment policy, sabotage of CSDDD, threats | | 51:41-57:43| Complete digital dependency; implications for state, personal, and security sovereignty| | 62:46-68:42| US cultural ownership; psychology of cultural dependency, the case for pan-European English| | 69:26-71:00| Defense of federalism vs. sovereignty anxieties |

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

The episode offers a sweeping critique of the current state of EU-US relations, warning that "ownership" by the US—military, economic, technological, and psychological—threatens European independence and democracy. Keating’s analysis is urgent: the time for mild or hesitant responses is over. Europe needs self-confidence, structural reforms, and a new cultural vision to reclaim sovereignty. The discussion is grounded, bracing, and laced with both wit and frustration—pointing to a future in which continued inaction could be fatal for European agency.

Listen If You Want To Understand:

• How US strategy is driving wedges in Europe, both politically and culturally
• How EU efforts at autonomy are being systematically undercut, sometimes with EU leaders’ consent
• The real risks behind military reliance, LNG deals, big tech, and US corporate lobbying
• What steps might restore European sovereignty—if Europe wakes up.