European and American Elites Take Offense to Claim That Europe is a Weakling on Free Speech and Democracy.
Vice President J.D. Vance went to Europe, specifically Germany, last week and gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference, and based on the reaction he clearly struck a nerve. Now the speech took place on the 14th, which was Valentine’s Day, so perhaps the European leaders in attendance expected Vance to whisper sweet nothings into their ears. If so, they were greatly disappointed by what they heard. It may not have been what European leaders wanted to hear, but it was loving to the extent that a wake-up call is loving. Europe has been moving away from freedom and liberty; Vance rightly called them out and offered encouragement.
My first reaction to the media and the European elites’ hissy fit is that in a way such a reaction is complimentary to Vance. It is evidence that Vance is taken seriously, around the world and here at home. By comparison in four years as Vice President, can anyone point to a speech given by Kamala Harris of note or significance? Did anyone care what she had to say? I can’t think of an example. And the American media’s hysteria is also a recognition that Vance is probably the strongest Republican White House heir apparent since Ronald Reagan in the 1970’s. Vance has a worldview, understands it, can articulate it, and debate it with anyone, indeed out-debate anybody. So, the media has to attack whenever they get an opportunity. They can’t ignore him. They have to hit him as hard as they hit Trump, and that is complimentary.
In his speech, Vance urged European leaders to recommit to Western values, such as freedom of speech, more tolerance towards different viewpoints and a renewed commitment to Democracy. By comparison Europe is more politically correct and woke than most of America.
Vance said:
“I look to Sweden, where two weeks ago, the government convicted a Christian activist for participating in Quran burnings that resulted in his friend’s murder. And as the judge in his case chillingly noted, Sweden’s laws to supposedly protect free expression do not, in fact, grant — and I’m quoting — a ‘free pass’ to do or say anything without risking offending the group that holds that belief.
And perhaps most concerningly, I look to our very dear friends, the United Kingdom, where the backslide away from conscience rights has placed the basic liberties of religious Britons in particular in the crosshairs. A little over two years ago, the British government charged Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old physiotherapist and an Army veteran, with the heinous crime of standing 50 metres from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes, not obstructing anyone, not interacting with anyone, just silently praying on his own. After British law enforcement spotted him and demanded to know what he was praying for, Adam replied simply, it was on behalf of the unborn son.”
It was a good speech, it almost had the feel of a campaign speech, the world saw the same confident, intelligent, and principled man who crushed Tim Walz in last year’s Vice-Presidential debate. And American progressives saw the heir to MAGA, and they didn’t like it one bit. They watched his maiden speech as Vice President and caught a glimpse of another defeat in 2028.
I think the American ruling class, represented by the mainstream media, has always had a fascination with Europe. They have always wished that America could be more like Europe, that is a high taxed welfare state, so it must have been galling for them to see Vance, a conservative, a product of Appalachia, going to Europe, the continent that produced Marx, Hegel, Rousseau, Freud, and “lecture” them.
Some examples of media hysteria: I have heard some claim that it was a “betrayal of our allies” and I read one liberal columnist call the speech, “Vance’s diatribe,” and they have denounced the speech, as nothing more than a “lecture.” And some cried “Hypocrisy.” Why? They claim that the Trump administration is like the Europeans he is criticizing, that he is trying to crush the opposition in this country as well by rescinding the Associated Press Oval Office privileges, so he shouldn’t criticize. Of course, the administration is not putting the AP out of business. And I would add that there are over 200 media outlets the White House deals with and there is limited space for reporters in the Oval Office, and on Air Force One. Why should the AP be given a spot in perpetuity?
I used to think that the left believed in the idea of speaking “truth to power” and isn’t that what Vance was doing? He was among friends, so what is wrong with a little constructive criticism? All my life I have heard European leaders criticize American administrations and I never heard liberals complain about it.
But I don’t think that it is what Vance said that really bothers them, instead it is what he didn’t say. Vance didn’t claim that Russia was a threat to Western Europe, or a threat to NATO. He didn’t vilify Putin like Biden did. The European leaders continue to claim that Russia is a threat, and maybe they genuinely believe it, but as the months and now years go by since Putin invaded Ukraine it is clear that Russia is weak, both militarily and with sanctions economically. They are stuck in a quagmire in Ukraine, how on earth can anyone believe that they can credibly threaten Western Europe? And if Putin isn’t a threat to Western Europe, then he certainly isn’t a threat to America, and therefore it is not in our interest to continue to pump money into Ukraine. Vance has figured it out, and the alarmed elites realize it.
The other criticism of Vance is his decision to meet with Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany Party, and according to the polls perhaps the next Chancellor of Germany. Her party may win power or come close so it is understandable that Vance would want to talk to her.
The elites claim that she is the leader of a “Far right” party, and that she is Hitlerian. Is she like Hitler? Well, my guess is that she is like Hitler but only to the extent that she doesn’t want to bring in a million Syrian refugees, nor would Hitler have supported such an idea.
I suspect that the main reason the left so vociferously opposes Weidel, is not that she is like Hitler, rather it is that her party wants to pull Germany out of the European Union. There would be no EU without Germany. All those EU bureaucrats and representatives would be done, out of power. Actually, I think that would be a good thing. Brexit for everybody.
Vance gave a great speech.
David Shephard is the author of two novels: Elections Have Consequences, A Cautionary Tale and Norton’s Choice: An Inside Politics Expose. This column is reprinted with permission from his Substack, Political Columns.