Vance uses half -truths against the authoritarian regime in Europe

Vance uses half -truths against the authoritarian regime in Europe

in Munich, US Vice President JD Vance has given a passionate speech in which he addressed the topic of totalitarianism in Europe. His focus was not on Moscow-especially after the brutal invasion of Ukraine-but on the supposed "enemies inside", as he called the governments of the Ukraine-supporting countries in the European Union. Vance accused these governments of pursuing their political opponents and being afraid of their own voters.

false representations and prejudices

The listeners in Munich, as in other parts of Europe, expected more detailed information from Vance on the changing peace plans of the Trump administration for Ukraine. Instead, they were confronted with a bizarre Litani of cultural war relationships and an assertion about the election integrity in Europe. Vance questioned the cancellation of the presidential election in Romania without illuminating the background. In fact, only the first round of this election was canceled, since evidence of essential Russian influence was presented.

The reality of freedom of expression in Europe

vances claims about censorship and imprisoned opposition politicians not only sounded exaggerated, but also reminded of the repressive conditions in the past. He said that "old, crusted interests" hid behind terms such as disinformation. Many of the people present were directly affected by the horrors of the Soviet regime and did not need instruction.

reactions to Vance

The Federal Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius, rejected Vance's statements as "unacceptable" and emphasized the importance of a democratic society that does not allow for minorities to be suppressed. He underlined that democracy not only fights against external threats, but also for basic democratic values.

The differences between Europe and the USA

Vance represented the past events in the UK and gave an incident in which a man was arrested for still praying near an abortion clinic. This illuminates a fundamental difference in the view of freedom of expression between Europe and the USA. In Europe, freedom of expression is viewed as a fundamental right, but at the same time the safety of citizens is also coming to the fore. In some countries, for example, it is punishable to incorrectly called "fire" in a full theater hall.

populism and its challenges

Vance seemed to have prepared his lecture well to reactivate populist ideas in Europe. However, it is clear that Europe has learned from the previous populist experiments, such as in Great Britain. Vance spoke to an audience that is aware of the dangers of radical populism in the present and how it threatens the democratic values.

The actual threat

Ultimately, the focus of his speech remained on the US-allied and self-proclaimed enemies of western democracy. Despite the serious challenges with which Europe is confronted, the real cause of the problems, especially Vladimir Putin, was hardly mentioned. Instead of addressing muzzles in their own ranks, Vance called for his audience to close his eyes and ears from reality, which, as George Orwell once said, is a worrying requirement.