alt Hacker News> Trashing your own tourism sector is a very European defense mechanism.
Please re-read my post .... in particular the first two words "IN THEORY".
As far as I am aware, the option I mentioned has never, ever been mooted as a possibility. It was something I invented as a random example of a non-sanction possibility.
> rebuilding its own military
Aah yes, because a strong military has been so awesome for the US in the US–Iran war where IIRC the Iranians managed to destroy lots of very expensive US military radars[1] and other expensive assets[2][3] in the region despite your president having claimed to have "destroyed 100% of Iran's military capability".
But let's not get in to politics....
[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/05/middleeast/radar-bases-us... [2] https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/30/middleeast/us-air-force-a... [3] https://apnews.com/article/amazon-aws-data-center-uae-iran-b...
> the first two words "IN THEORY"
It doesn’t work in theory. America reversing the move and banning its own citizens from traveling to Europe would bankrupt multiple EU members [1].
> because a strong military has been so awesome for the US in the US–Iran war
Uh, the Iran war was an exercise of American sovereignty. Rules be damned.
> where IIRC the Iranians managed to destroy lots of very expensive US military radars
And they didn’t do it with soft power!
Europe has a good deal. America guarantees its security. It gives up sovereignty in exchange.
“In theory” discussions about self immolation through tourism bans and money giveaways on strategically-useless “sovereign clouds” are finger paint on turds. Messaging exercises. They afford Europe zero marginal sovereignty vis-à-vis the U.S.
Europe is not going to be sovereign unless it commits to an independent security posture. And the simple truth is that isn’t politically possible right now.
> let's not get in to politics
Exactly.
[1] https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/ europe-tourism-economy-american-tourists-f6112f78