Mere days after a German official objected to the U.S. vice president’s critiques of the European nation’s speech policies, Germany has unfortunately proven the VP right.
In Munich last week, Vice President JD Vance said that “free speech, I fear, is in retreat” across Europe. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius took umbrage at Vance’s comments, asserting that his nation still supports freedom of speech, but a new report states that German officials just conducted dozens of raids on individuals accused of making “racist” or otherwise controversial comments online. It appears free speech is indeed in retreat within Germany, with the authorities pursuing it hotly.
During his speech, Vance likened new European Union (EU) and UK speech crackdowns to historically Communist policies.
“Now to many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or God forbid vote a different way or, even worse, win an election,” he commented.
Afterward, Pistorius also gave a speech in Munich and worked himself into a self-righteous dither, arguing that Vance was wrong to criticize German speech policies.
“In our democracy, every opinion has a voice, and it makes it possible for parties that are partly extremists [i.e., not as radically leftist] such as the AFD, and they can campaign just as any other party. This is democracy,” Pistorius rambled.
But while certain politicians might be allowed some free speech, many German citizens certainly are not. Did you post a meme? Off to the gulag with you! Germans certainly love rounding up dissidents. According to a new report, officials recently raided dozens of German homes, sometimes over nothing more than an allegedly racist cartoon.
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Even Newsweek covered the shocking nature of the anti-free speech raids after a 60 Minutes segment where CBS reporters followed along and filmed the craziness as it unfolded. At 6:01 in the morning, German police — “six armed officers” — showed up and searched one apartment, ultimately confiscating the resident’s phone and laptop. The official showed the unfortunate individual’s electronics as if they were damning evidence in a major crime case. “Prosecutors say those electronics may have been used to commit a crime,” the CBS reporter played it up. “The crime? Posting a racist cartoon online.”
A story in three parts:
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 17, 2025
JD Vance: Free speech in Europe is in retreat. Germany is like an authoritarian regime for carrying out raids on their citizens for posting memes.
German defense minister: This is ridiculous & insane for Vance to say this.
Germany on 60 Minutes: Join us… pic.twitter.com/tnjgeikLmf
According to 60 Minutes, “At the exact same time, across Germany, more than 50 similar raids played out.” How can Pistorius possibly claim that Germany allows free speech in light of such actions? Is Germany returning to Nazi-like speech policies? Free speech might be even more in peril in the EU than Vance stated. After all, the UK also jails people for free speech. Europe is spiraling into self-destruction.
