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We have heard about the grandmothers in places like England and Germany jailed for their politically incorrect tweets. The rape victims serving more time than their rapists in England for insulting their rapists online. One disparaged her rapist's diminutive organ. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's justice system sprang to the defense of the rapist's offended honor with zeal. And, of course, the head of the London police has promised to reach out to punish speech criminals anywhere in the world, including the United States. When J.D. Vance called out the Europeans on this conduct to their faces, they denied it. And he listed the offenses that they never hear, because those who would tell them are in jail.
Today, there is a new story. From Peter Sweden on X:
It was reported recently that while the nullification of the first round was staged as the decision of a non-judicial Romanian election board, the order came from the EU in Brussels. This is what the EU stands for. In this new age, Europe is the sick man of Europe. Indeed, this is what Biden and his USAID stood for, both in Europe and in the political lawfare conducted against their political opponents in New York, Georgia, and elsewhere.
The defense has been raised that the American First Amendment is the American First Amendment, not applicable beyond our boundaries. The truth is that the realities of globalism have brought us to a decision point. The US Bill of Rights recognizes the unalienable rights of all people, and any country, foreign or domestic, that infringes on those rights is to that degree illegitimate. They are infringing on the humanity of their own citizens. As Americans, we lack the sovereignty to impose legitimacy. We do have an obligation to our neighbors to clearly articulate their degradation and encourage them in their rectification. There are rights that accrue to governments as well. But are these governments our fathers and husbands and sons should be taking up arms to protect?
In the logic of globalism (small-g), the tendency is for standards and practices to tend toward uniformity. Erosion of rough edges is a natural development, we all want easier lives. The EU has "voted" for censorship, and the ignorance it imposes on the governed and the government. Some in Vance's audience likely had never noticed those instances he provided, or that they had fallen comfortably into crushing citizen voices instead of defending political positions.
American Vice President J.D. Vance has put the point to the other "democracies". So far they have responded by ignoring the speech or doubling down on the policies. I think we should give them time to reconsider, and if in time events do not develop in the direction of restoring their citizens' human rights, the United States should reduce our ties to these political thugs.
Discussion (42)
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I wonder how we could effectively demonstrate our judgment of their actions or lack thereof, that they would care about?
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The more frequently the Europeans conduct themselves like narcissistic oligarchs, the more likely Americans are to accept Trump’s critique of our NATO allies.
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It amazing how much easier this election rigging is when you can select your opponent...
Just ask Hillary Clinton.
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I love this powerful sentence.
I once thought the origin of "Europa" was something along the lines of "good place" based on the first letters. Now I understand it may have a Phoenician origin meaning "where the sun sets." The sun is indeed setting on Europe.
Democracy has been a messy thing from the beginning, so much so that our Founders refrained from using the term to describe the government it developed to both represent and safeguard its people. It is messy because it necessitates the involvement of people, all people. This is the thing the political class of Europe--and several politicians of America--grows weary of. Why can't the governed just be governed (by their betters) and shut up? How many times have we heard the United States is "ungovernable"?
We're in the process of rediscovering our commitment to maintaining the Republic as it was intended. Things are less clear in Europe, though trends seem to be headed the same way. VP Vance's speech was the right move, I think, to both support these movements and serve notice to the EU, its member governments, and the UK that their recent policy tendencies may not be compatible with our ideals and interests.
I would give these movements a chance to mature, and continue calling out the governments. The UK, for one, can have no complaint as Labor sent operatives to help with the Harris campaign.
As for Romania, democracy is messy and votes are votes. In denying Georgescu (warts and all) a chance they establish the worse sort of precedent, and possibly one that will be the undoing of the EU.
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I think JD made a fine start. I have seen Rubio press the point before and since. A dramatic movie on the story of figures like Tommy Robinson, currently held under J6 prisoner-like conditions so harsh that a psychologist connected with the prison system has published a video on X outlining the abuses and citing legislative and regulatory infractions. I can't imagine "Hollywood" doing anything so decent, but it has never been easier or easier to produce quality films. Obviously, it cannot be produced in Starmer's UK, or the EU for that matter.
Or I could take over the production of Doctor Who, a long overdo development for which I have no significant qualifications but I have many glorious ideas.
More practically, while there is a brutal lawfare campaign going on against X out of the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, and the rest to establish a draconian censorship regime a la the Twitter days, because Musk is the most important free speech advocate since Jefferson. The blazing hot bed of UK resistance to political free speech that I have found so far is Tommy Robinson's own account. The pinned post is Robinson's documentary that the UK has imprisoned him for under a civil charge and kept him in solitary for nearing half a year without review. The account is being managed by an administrator on his behalf while he is detained.
I have been unfollowed from him somehow at least once that I've found. I'm not seeing that behavior anywhere else on X at the moment.
Reminding our Congresscritters of our sincere and passionate interest in this issue, at home and abroad, can help.
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