They aren't in a tight spot. They are only in a tight spot relatively speaking. We have oceans of wealth. We don't have focused political will, because they only give a shit about the numbers, not the ideals that should steer our societies.

Or think beyond the next quarter or a year. I think this is a social problem, particularly in the West, of immediacy and instant gratification. Politicians only think of policies that would keep them in power for the next election cycle but not create decades long improvement. Even when I raised the issue of Ireland's overreliance on US multinationals when I was on Reddit, what I've gotten is the usual Irish attitude of "ah be grand" because Trump's presidency is only four years. That may be the case, but the lasting legacy is what matters. Even as we speak, Ireland hosts one of the GDPR ombudsman, and guess who is the ombudsman, a former Meta employee. Talk about conflict of interest and Ireland not being compromised by American tech bros. We are indeed closest to Boston than to Berlin, which is a shame.