JD Vance’s decision, while in Germany, to meet the far-right AfD leader, Alice Weidel, yet decline a meeting with the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, would have caused more alarm, I feel, if it hadn’t come accompanied by so much other signalling. The vice-president of a nation engaged in tearing down its own institutions lectured the whole of Europe on its project to “destroy democracy”, which is absolutely textbook: he’s describing black as white, openly turning observable reality on its head. It’s unsettling, for sure, but that’s because it’s audacious, not because it’s complicated. It’s the simplest move of statecraft ever – show the world who you are, dare them to call you on it.
What I did not anticipate, when thinking that the whole suite of behaviours, from Nazi saluting to upturning reality, belonged well and truly to the past, was the sense of paralysis that would settle when fascism finally put its fancy dress on.
It's unusual for a VP to be so vocal this early on.
ReplyDeleteVPs traditionally sit in the background.
Even Mike pence was relatively quiet. Is Vance planning some kind of takeout?
Takeover
DeleteJust remember - the current government of Germany has funded Russia's war effort by billions of dollars by disabling its energy industry and relying on the Russians.
DeleteEurope in general has some of the strictest censorship laws and limits on free speech. It's no bastion of freedom or democracy.
Free speech is not possible in Russia. To compare the two is ridiculous.
DeleteThe only area where we are turning russian is regarding Islam. Mentioning them is becoming more and more dangerous to your freedom
Free speech is not possible in France and Britain with their anti-hate laws.
DeleteLudicrous.Vance decided he wants a healthy medium in this case to be like Carter's VP. Not as dominant like Cheney but not an empty photo-op either
ReplyDelete