OPINION:
Vice President J.D. Vance has sent shock waves around the world with a speech in Munich that called out Europe, and more specifically Germany, for censoring dissenting political viewpoints and keeping out conservative ideas from the tables of political debate.
For that, he’s been practically branded a Nazi sympathizer.
This is the same playbook the leftists used, and continue to try to use, against President Trump, against Make America Great Again advocates and against anyone who dares raise viewpoints that counter the Big Government agenda. It’s the line of thought that says free speech is good — free speech is important — free speech must prevail — but that some speech is dangerous and needs to be controlled, curtailed and even, yes, criminalized.
Remember the COVID years when bureaucrats working hand-in-hand with their partners in media and Big Tech successfully stifled statements and opinions and even scientific studies that countered the preferred “Anthony Fauci, I am science” type of narratives?
That’s what’s taking place in Europe.
And Vance, to his credit, called it out and said, “There is no room for firewalls,” as The New York Times reported.
And now the usual globalist-minded suspects are all in an uproar.
“JD Vance attacks Europe over free speech and migration,” BBC wrote.
“JD Vance stuns Munich conference with blistering attack on Europe’s leaders,” The Guardian wrote.
“Vance and [Elon] Musk Attack German Consensus on Nazis and Speech,” The Times wrote.
It’s that last that strikes to the core of how leftists slander and libel and condemn anyone who dares to counter the Democrat, socialist, communist, Marxist, collectivist, globalist agendas.
Here’s how The Times puts it: “Decades of German law and political practice have revolved around the belief that to prevent another Hitler from coming to power, the government must ban hate speech and shun political parties deemed extreme. The nation has an Office for the Protection of the Constitution, with intelligence tools to monitor extremists, and a constitutional court that in rare cases can ban parties altogether.”
So when a political party like the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, starts to make headway with voters in a country that’s been overrun by migrants who have totally corrupted the culture and totally degraded European values — well then, those in power who’ve opened the doors wide to allow in these migrants find it most necessary to dig in deep, defend their policies and use whatever means at their disposal to fight back the growing citizenry dissatisfaction. And the tool of choice among tyrants is to shut down dissenting viewpoints.
German intelligence agencies have classified elements of AfD as extremist, giving cover for politicians who favor open borders to condemn the group, condemn its members, shut down its ability to participate in political forums and shun as outcasts those voters who support the party’s views. And on that, there are many.
“Far-right AfD party appears to be heading for its strongest result in Germany’s election,” PBS reported.
“As Germany election looms, far-right German party continues to gather support,” Voice of America English News reported.
The party began in 2013 in opposition to then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s red carpet rollout to migrants and it’s only grown in influence over the years, receiving double-digit support with voters. Among its key platforms: Limit weapons’ deliveries to Ukraine. Reintroduce a German currency. Limit the powers of the European Union. And — deport illegals.
“AfD is going into the Feb. 23 election with renewed confidence and radical language,” PBS wrote. “Alice Weidel, its first candidate for chancellor, has embraced the term ‘reimigration’ as the party calls for large-scale deportations of people with no legal entitlement to be in Germany.”
Sounds a lot like the circumstances that gave rise to Trump in America. And when Vance calls for an atmosphere of free speech and criticizes the criminalization of political dissent?
“Vance’s embrace of the far-right party was quickly rebuked by the Anti-Defamation League, which said in a statement that it was ‘deeply concerning’ that Mr. Vance appeared to openly welcome a group with ‘an extremis agenda and a history that includes antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-democratic and xenophobic rhetoric.’” The Times reported.
Sounds a lot like the critics who condemned Trump, the MAGA movement and all the voters who support an America First agenda.
Tyrants and elitists never change.
If they don’t like what’s being said, they don’t try to present the better argument to persuade a change of mind; rather, they demand those who dissent shut their mouths. Then they tell the public it’s for the safety and security of the public.
Leftists are to Trump what leftists were to COVID what leftists are to AfD — what leftists will always be to those who disrupt their planned power grabs and strategies to seize liberties. Yawn. The people grow weary of the lies. How to know this? Trump won — by a lot. The AfD is gaining — by a lot. The media are losing their propaganda wars.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk recently said.
It’s a brave new world out there and the light of liberty is burning brightly around the globe.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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