JD Vance is a marked man. After accepting the nomination for vice president, Vance has been the subject of endless media attacks. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris even questioned his “loyalty” to the country despite his serving as a Marine in the Iraq War. Yet, one of the most chilling attacks came from Germany where the publishing house Ullstein Buchverlage has stopped printing the sold-out German translation of Hillbilly Elegy, his 2016 autobiography.
As we have discussed previously in this country, it is the modern left’s equivalent of book burning. After all, why burn books when you can simply prevent their being printed under blacklisting campaigns?
In this country, we have seen the left successfully force book bans for writers and even justices who espouse opposing viewpoints. We have seen actual calls for book burning recently (here and here).
Ullstein is facing a high demand for Vance’s best-selling book Hillbilly Elegy, but has refused to print more copies due to his political viewpoints (unrelated to the book).
First published in 2016 and made into a movie in 2020, the book returned to the top position on The New York Times‘ bestseller list after Trump chose Vance as his running mate.
HarperCollins is rushing to print more books to meet the demand.
Some in the United States are already balking at the selling of any book by Vance. Seven Stories Press wrote, “Seven Stories Press is extremely thrilled to have never published JD Vance.”
Ullstein published the German translation of Hillbilly Elegy in 2017 and held the rights to reprints.
The company cited Vance’s allegiance with Trump and his politics as the reason in a statement to German media:
“At the time of its publication, the book made a valuable contribution to understanding the drifting apart of US society…In the meantime, he is officially acting alongside him and advocating an aggressively demagogic, exclusionary policy.”
German author Gerd Buurmann posted a mocking response that we should be happy that Ullstein had just thrown Vance’s book out of its catalogue and not into the fire – a reference to the notorious Nazi book burnings of the 1930s.
Other Germans have raised the same objections and referenced the painful history of book bans and burnings in Germany under the Nazis.
German readers want to read the book, which Ullstein acknowledged is one of the most influential works of this generation. However, because the company disagrees with his political viewpoints, it moved to block others from reading the book.
We have seen similar campaigns leading to the banning or burning of books by figures like JK Rowling because of her opposition to some transgender policies. The left now protests any programs on Rowling’s work and opposes the selling of her enormously popular Harry Potter series or even video games based on the series. When authors have defended her right to be published, they have also been subjected to cancel campaigns.
Yet, Ullstein’s decision is particularly chilling as a publishing house. Again, we have seen editors at publishing houses sign petitions to bar books by conservative figures like Justice Amy Coney Barrett from being published.
In 1933, thousands of books by Jewish and leftist writers were burned throughout Germany. Publishing houses further banned the printing of these books. The books were announced as corrupting the minds of German citizens. Many books were banned or burned on the basis of the authors being Jewish or known socialists or anarchists.
Now the left has developed a taste for censorship and blacklisting. Editors and publishing houses are blacklisting those with conservative or libertarian views as forms of dangerous viewpoints or disinformation.
Ullstein will, of course, not stop people from reading the work of JD Vance. While it may make it more difficult for Germans to find copies, ideas like water have a way of finding their way out. Blacklisting and censorship have not succeeded in killing a single idea. What it does is reveal the true character and values of those who want to prevent others from hearing opposing viewpoints.
In many states, librarians and school teachers are at risk of committing a crime if they hold a book in the presence of a child, and JT complains that a publisher will not publish a book of a man that is a fraud.
Priorities JT, Priorities.
In many states, librarians and school teachers are at risk of committing a crime if they hold a book in the presence of a child
Here, if a post starts with “Anonymous says”, there’s a 90+% chance it’s a Soviet Democrat Lyin’ Like A Proud Biden with what they post.
These are the groomers outraged that parents won’t allow them to show elementary school children the kiddy porn they give their own children back at home who still believe in Santa Clause.
Just ask them to name the specific books it is a criminal offense to show elementary school children. Their collection of Hustler Magazine? Binders of screen captures from Hunter Biden’s PornHub channel?
This is why they are too cowardly to pick a username for their posts and refuse to sign their posts.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
A teacher holding a book that shows a ten year old boy giving a blow job to another ten year old boy. Somehow Anonymous never tells us about the content of the books that she says should be allowed.
What’s with that Anonymous, are you afraid to tell us that you want child pornography to be taught to children? C’mon just say it. Just have the guts to tell us outright that you think that child pornography is good for society and present an argument that reading such things to school children is worthwhile and not a deviant activity. Please tell us why you think that child pornography should not be a crime. Do you have it in your home library? We await your justification in more detail so that we may have a clearer picture of who you are.
TiT,
Well said!!
You have truly drank the kool aid of felon trump. Sad day for America. None of what you say happens in schools. you are homophobic, misogynistic, racist. your orange god will lose in a land slide (as opposed to the supposed trump land slade). When the votes are counted, Accept the results loser.
Joe Biden, that senile old fool, who you declared was “sharp as a tack!” “Fit as a fiddle!” got booted by his own party for his mental decline that all us sane, normal people saw as far back as 2020.
You are the loser.
Own up to it.
Peter Savodnik: “There is nothing more pathetic than an older person [Harris] who cares what a younger person thinks is cool.”
True pornography is already illegal in schools and teachers that show pornography to kids have been and are arrested. The laws passed in the past 2 years have nothing to do with pornography.
I do find it interesting that the same people that decry porn in schools (which is extremely rare), have no problem with a man convicted of 34 felonies, and found liable for sexual abuse of a women, and has over 20 other credible accusations of sexual abuse from other women. A man that walked in the dressing room of girls at his beauty pageant.
Yep, support a sexual pervert for president and arrest a teacher if he/she talks about same sex marriage. Typically low IQ trump supporters.
Who’s the real garbage?”
Next up, NAM/BLA.
That’s nothing, in some places you can lose your job for calling a male a man
Human stupidity will only stop when there are no more humans.
Is the publisher a private entity that can make its own decisisions about what content it will publisher, much like how a website is a private entity that can make its own decisions about what content can be posted?
“Is the publisher a private entity . . .”
That a person or company has a contractual right to do something, does not mean that it is the right thing to do.
You’d think the Left would have learned that lesson after the Greensboro sit-ins.
Is the publisher a private entity that can make its own decisisions about what content it will publisher
Oh yes! Unless of course they want to publish private books like “Did Six Million Really Die?” for a private group. Now THAT will definitely get the German government hammering on their private doors.
The Germans are still pretty sensitive about that part of their history. Maybe they’ll normalize it as one of Germany’s new disreputable pleasures, as book banning is returning to favor.
I like it in some ways. Anyone who actually wants a copy will be able to figure out a way; I assume there is a German version of Amazon.
At the same time there is a lot of value in people by their actions actually showing you who they are, whatever they mouth to the public. That applies to publishers whether FascistBook, this publisher, or Kamela Harris.
And remember: you no longer have to post like an Anonymous coward, hiding your identity from readers in the shadows.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
Are these the same Germans who like Hogan’s Heros re-runs?
Germans are so “over” the Holocaust. Germany is muslim now.
Thank goodness for digital downloads!
Just a few weeks ago they would have published Vance’s book. Now, he’s advocating “an aggressively demagogic, exclusionary policy.” Same Vance, same book. Nothing says “exclusionary policy” better than refusing to publish a book written by someone you disagree with.
(OT)
Iran, via its terrorists Hezbollah, attacked Israel and killed 12 children.
Their blood in on the hands of the Biden administration, including Harris. Their appeasing policies, their disgusting moral equivalence, their craven courting of the Michigan vote, their attempts to defang Israel — all have caused Iran to be emboldened and enriched.
Like those who appease terrorists and betray allies? Like the world being on fire? Vote for KH.
North Korea distributes newspapers only behind glass enclosures. It’s by design to prevent citizens from accessing newspapers directly. And if anything reported needs to change, they destroy the previous, offending edition.
Ring a bell?
It’s as if the previous, offending edition never happened…
There does appear to be a significant turn to conservatism in Europe but we most also recognize that their brand of conservatism is not the same as ours. The Tories in England were supposedly conservatives but their actual performance in office this time around was ludicrous and far from conservative and they seemed to have a propensity fo not paying attention to their own voters and politically assassinating their PM’s from inside the party. Victor Orban is conservative but I’m not sure he is the conservative you really want to align next to.
The other problem with Europe is the European Union which has been grafted over the nations and is severely statist and left wing and is basically an oligarchy that can strangle almost any conservative national government. Their setup of the EU is almost a guarantee that they will have a permanent, authoritarian superstate.
Europe still clings to the state as the determinant of your rights and the delivery of your economy. I think that’s why American Democrats love it so.
I have said before that they only play lip service to their hallowed “rights of man” and do not believe in the sacredness of our rights as a free people. Separation of powers totally escape them
No surprise to me that they won’t print J. D. Vance’s book. I’m surprised they did not put all the extra copies in the parking lot and light a bonfire. “Fahrenheit 451” still lives in the left wing heart. Ray Bradbury was once truly concerned about book burning in the US but eventually came to think that “political correctness” was as effective as book burning.
Europeans only love us when they get in deep s—t and then want us gone as soon as they are safe. If not sooner.
Very well written and I agree.
GEB,
Well said.
NPR has this tendency to call any group that even hints at some kind of immigration policy, other than open borders, as far-right wing or conservative. They might want stricter immigration aka common sense, but their other policies are very socialist.
Professor Turley,
This is the type of situation that is easily solved by contract. Does the German publisher have the right to stop publishing the book? Either they do, in which case a Vance as a Yale educated lawyer has no leg to stand on. Or, they don’t, in which case Vance should sue to prevent their continued non-performance of the contract.
This isn’t a free speech issue. This is a contract issue. I am surprised that a law professor would not be able to see this.
https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/j-d-vance-ullstein-verlag-wirft-hillbilly-elegie-aus-dem-programm-a-4d26e14d-0bae-4db8-b0bf-c8f389b3323d
As an update, as I suspected, there is nothing nefarious going on here. Read the article! The publisher does not want to renew the licensing agreement, which has expired. That is completely within its rights.
More Leftist lies by omission:
“The publisher does not want to renew the licensing agreement” because of Vance’s ideas.
Now the statement is accurate.
An Anonymous coward posted: As an update, as I suspected, there is nothing nefarious going on here.
I can understand why a coward would post as ‘Anonymous’ when they hoped to imply that Turley’s column suggested something illegal was going on. Turley did no such thing.
He pointed out that the German publisher is refusing to publish the book to meet the increased demand for the book – while the book is at the same time increasing in popularity in the USA and the publisher is scrambling to print enough books to satisfy the demand.
What he DID point out is that Germany like America has businesses who choose politics over being in the business of making a profit for the owners/shareholders. They do have a right to decide which books they will allow their business to offer to the public. Decisions made on whether the author is a dirty Jew, or ‘virtually Hitler JD Vance’, or infamous misogynist JK Rowling.
We’re supposed to believe that interest in Vance’s book DROPPED after he was chosen as the probable next Vice President of the USA? Just as JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books suddenly lost appeal to upcoming generations of children when she disagreed with Chicks With Dicks Woke theology? The publisher would lose money if they continued printing the book?
It’s not nefarious. It’s the insidious nature of businesses who exercise their right to take political actions that are against their own financial interests so they can tell themselves they have won the moral high ground.
Personally, I see a value in businesses who claim they own the moral high ground because they will use their business to attempt to keep author’s off booksellers’ shelves – whether it’s JK Rawling or JD Vance. Whether it’s publishers or Kamala Harris’s past history of what she’s said and done, it is good when the public can see them telling us who and what they are.
Just as making a deliberate choice to post as ‘Anonymous’ shows us what cowards they are.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
Turley never said or insinuated the book publisher’s actions were unlawful. If Turley is right that demand for the book is strong, then decision to not publish the book is economically irrational.
He is criticizing them for deciding to no longer publish Vance’s book based solely on his politics. Almost certainly because left wing trash put a pressure campaign on them.
It can be completely economically rational to refuse to publish the work of someone who is politically polarizing. If a Christian publisher finds out one of its authors has become a Muslim fundamentalist, despite demand for the book, it may not be in their interest to publish the book.
It is an iterative game. Long term economics may warrant short term loss.
This is why it is a contract issue. The economics should guide each party’s interests in negotiating the terms of the contract.
Anonymous coward: It can be completely economically rational to refuse to publish the work of someone who is politically polarizing.
It’s Lyin’ Like A Proud Biden to try and claim this was simply a financial decision. Somehow or other Vance was not politically polarizing prior to about two weeks ago, resulting in his book being profitable to publish ever since the book was first published in Germany. But the moment he was chosen by Trump – instantly politically polarizing!
The kiss of financial death in Germany – while demand for the book has publishers scrambling to keep up elsewhere. Now isn’t it strange how that supposedly works in Germany?
It is an iterative game. Long term economics may warrant short term loss.
Really? Did you attempt this gaslighting justification for Budweiser’s Dick With A Chick On A Can economic rational a few years ago? How has that worked out for Budweiser’s long term profits?
The economics should guide each party’s interests in negotiating the terms of the contract.
Except in the case of this publisher, they’re doing the opposite. They’re making the legal decision to act against their own economic interests to wave their virtue signaling freak flags while demand for the book is rising.
The one truthful thing you posted is that legally, it is strictly a contract issue. Woke virtue signalling is probably not written into that contract.
Just as there is no legal obligation to choose a username to identify your posts – you can legally hide in the shadows, a coward posting Anonymously to hide your record.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
This situation between Vance and his publisher is BOTH a contract issue and a fee speech issue. Legally, the contract controls, as you point out, who can do what. If the contract indicates that the publisher will produce a sufficient quantity of books to meet demand for it, then Vance can sue; if not, then the publisher has the right not to produce books (it would be weird if this latter were the case — poor contract language or poor contract negotiation). Ideally, the contract would allow Vance under these conditions to withdraw the license to print his book from that publisher and freely contract with another publisher.
However, even if the contract allows the publisher not to print and prevents Vance from using another publisher, their decision for the reason that their political views are in opposition to Vance’s is censorship on their part and can be fairly characterized as impeding free speech. Law may allow them to do this but such a decision is not in the interests of a democracy whose foundation is the free exchange of ideas in which book publishers play a critical role sustaining one of its key foundations.
they may have the right under contract to stop publishing but to issue a statement as to why they are stopping publishing is the problem.
How about no longer driving this lot, and any vehicle built by them not listed, like Bentley. Volkswagen Group
BMW (1916-present) BMW Group
Mercedes-Benz (1886–present) Mercedes-Benz Group
Porsche (1931–present) Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen (1937–present) Volkswagen Group
Zzdoc1-never owned a German car. Only American or Japanese (Toyota, Isuzu, Subaru)
We swore off Volvos when the Communist Chinese bought them
How about no longer driving this lot, and any vehicle built by them
Collective punishment due to the sins of one? Seems remarkably reminiscent of the Hajji Muslim terrorist focused BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement against Israel. Or if you prefer, the demand to boycott every company that worked with Trump, provided services to Trump’s business empire or his political campaigns.
I’ll take a pass on following the exact same philosophy. Full disclosure: I’ve never owned anything but trucks with full 8′ boxes, so I’m automatically boycotting all these manufacturers without intending to.
“What it does is reveal the true character and values of those who want to prevent others from hearing opposing viewpoints.”
Best line right there. That is what leftists have embraced. They try to hide behind the 1stA by declaring the hecklers veto is free speech, but it is nothing more than a fascists tactic to “. . . to prevent others from hearing opposing viewpoints.”
What It reveals is that Turley is not writing his own columns. This is a simple contract issue. Not a free speech issue. Does the German publisher have a right to stop publishing based on the political views of the author?
Noticeably, Turley does not even address the contract, referring instead to irrelevant platitudes like the one you quoted above.
What It reveals is that Turley is not writing his own columns. This is a simple contract issue.
What you repeating this line while posting Anonymously reveals is this: You are a coward, choosing to snipe and lie from the shadows while claiming “this is merely a contract issue, it doesn’t show us anything other than a simple financial decision.”
The publisher’s actions reveal their sick mindset. Just as your posting your gaslighting excuses Anonymously, deliberately avoiding using a username reveals yours.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
Anyone wanting to read “Hillbilly Elegy” can go online for access if hard copies are unavailable to them. Germany has not banned the Internet. As a private entity, Ullstein publishing house is free to formulate its own policies.
Tempest in a teapot.
Try harder, Professor.😺
Tempest in a teapot. Try harder, Professor
Anonymous coward deliberately making a choice to avoid adding a username to their gaslighting woke BS.
Try harder, coward.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
UpstateFarmer-definitely agree
GEB,
Thank you!
I find it reassuring that I am in the company of good minded, decent, thoughtful people.
Upstate, I read JT’s post, copied that same quote, and then started reading the comments. You and I are in full agreement.
Refusing to in any way, or for any reason, publish this book, accomplishes nothing other than to inform the public who the real fascists are. Next, they’re going to oppose publishing the Bible.
OLLY,
As I just replied to GEB, above, I find it reassuring that I am in the company of good minded, decent, thoughtful people.
One of the things I like about the good professor’s blog is seeing there are sane, normal people here.
“What it does is reveal the true character and values of those who want to prevent others from hearing opposing viewpoints.”
Olly, you and Upstate look at that quote, which requires no interpretation. When we read the responses from the left, we see their naivety and ignorance. Why do they think their comments are intelligent?
Fascism alway was a leftist movement and it still is. Ban books and people? Sure fits right into the program for the modern leftist who actually love fascism.
This is so dangerously inaccurate.
Book banning is the policy of Republicans, I agree, book banning fits right in with Fascism, and the Repos are fascist through and through. Deflecting to others what you are doing does not make what you are doing right. Read the definition of Fascism, the party formerly known as republican, not known as the felon trump party is fascist through and through.
fascism – (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Anonymous Soviet Democrat coward:
Book banning is the policy of Republicans
Like the Dr. Zeuss books. Like JK Rowlings…. oh yeah, them evil Woke Republicans they did that.
Meanwhile, Soviet Democrats scream “book banning” – because parents objected to teachers union groomers and pedophiles wanting to put Hustler Magazine, Gender Queer and other porn in schools where the children still believe in Santa Clause.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/forbidden-fruit-and-the-classroom-the-huge-american-sex-abuse-scandal-that-educators-scandalously-suppress/ar-BB1pKm5t
And this is why these cowards will not provide a username with their posts, and hide behind ‘Anonymous’.
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
Exactly what the Democratic Party aspires to.
As Expected from the Global Elite/Davos Crowd allied with the Left Wing Radical DEMS & Obama, censor censor, try to destroy people etc. Yet due to the demand this book will be published, in German, by someone, perhaps Chona who sees the $$$$$$$ signs by such a book.
So glad my ancestors left the Palatinate back in the 1730’s
The book does not present an “opposing viewpoint”. The German publisher in dropping it is virtue signaling by oppo-branding the book’s author. I know Jonathan supports oppo-branding and other ad-hominem attacks as free speech expression. I don’t, but am struggling with how best to curtail it without causing yet more distortions.
J.D.’s life story is compelling, yet not replicable. He and Obama both came out of nowhere, the beneficiaries of American social mobility, good looks, intelligence and hard work.
I find J.D.s talk refreshing about the importance of young women getting married. He needs to refine the way he speaks about family formation and its great benefits to the individuals involved.
Pbinca-Obama was raised mainly by his grandparents in Hawaii as his mother moved around the world. Although he spent time in Kenya and Indonesia. Grandmother was an extremely well to do Banker in Hawaii and had him attending private schools even before college. He also lived in well to do neighborhoods in Indonesia. I don’t think there is any comparison at all to Vance’s life. Coming out of nowhere is not coming out of poverty.
pbinca has a long list of lies to gaslight from today.
I know Jonathan supports oppo-branding and other ad-hominem attacks as free speech expression. I don’t
Aside from what Turley supports or not, of course you do. You supported Obama-Biden doing that and more by giving them your vote. You hope nobody remembers Biden telling black Americans “They’re gonna put you back in chains!” in 2012? You hope nobody remembers the attacks on Trump from the moment he announced his run for the presidency?
You voted for it, just as you’ll vote for Harris this time around. You own that – it defines who you are.
J.D.’s life story is compelling, yet not replicable.
This lie is just pathetically ‘Please don’t believe your lying eyes’.
Long before Vance and Bolshevik Barack, there was Justice Thomas, also from a broken home, poverty – and the additional burden of growing up in the earlier racist Democrat south. Not exactly a chick magnet as a young man if you claim good looks are part of it.
Add Dr. Thomas Sowell to that list.
There’s a long list of conservative minded people who started in conditions of adversity and became extremely successful and didn’t choose politics to add to their resume.
The list of communists, Marxists, socialists, and Soviet Democrats who came from adversity and were successful is small to nonexistent. And you can’t name them.
He and Obama both came out of nowhere, the beneficiaries of American social mobility, good looks, intelligence and hard work.
It is a flat out Made In California lie to claim there is any similarity in the paths to success when comparing Obama to Vance. They are in fact the complete opposite of each other.
Obama lived a life of wealth and privilege started from the time his Marxist mother married an Indonesian industrialist. He never set foot in an elementary school filled with children from dirt poor families. That continued back in the US when his mother and wealthy grandparents continued his childhood of living a life of white privilege into his later teenage and young adult years with more elite White Privilege colleges and universities. By Obama’s own account, in his book, he was a lazy dope smoking, coke snorting indifferent student – the complete opposite of Vance’s childhood.
The only business outside of politics that Obama lived in was briefly being paid to manufacture racial division, envy and hatred to sell to black Americans on behalf of Democrats. Vance did the opposite, become wealthy working in the private sector, marketing to all Americans. Obama became wealthy from a political career of selling lies, racism, racial hatred and communism-lite to Americans.
Obama was the embodiment of White Privilege all throughout his school and university years. Right up to the moment that he took advantage of being mulatto to renounce his White Privilege to enter the political world as a po’ li’l black chil’, trying to escape a life of poverty. Vance is the opposite.
It’s telling that pbinca is just as much a fraud as Bolshevik Barack: the one Soviet Democrat promoting the other Soviet Democrat. Just as he voted for and continues to defend and pimp for Obama, the Soviet Democrat party’s theologian. And will support and vote for Kamala Harris, another virulently racist, race baiting neo-communist like Obama, in hopes that she will deliver Obama’s Fourth Term.
I see an EBay opportunity if the book is that much in demand.
I have 2 copies; one in French.
How do they say “hillbilly” in French? “Pomme de terre”? “Homme de terre”?
Here we go.
The nation that gave us Naziism is amongst the first to stifle the voice of rational American conservatism. Those wondering where to move to if Trump/Vance wins – Germany seems perfect for you and your disdain for any view not exactly like your own. Enjoy the totalitarianism.
I don’t think you’re up to date on German politics. The AfD (Alternativ fur Deutschland) has become a major party, and the entire continent has shifted to a more conservative viewpoint. The liberals (Social Democrats) have been losing ground for past 10 years. The liberals are still spooked by the ghost of Naziism, and are irrationally paranoid about German nationalism repeating those extremes. That’s a serious misread of AfD.
If you understand what is going on in Europe politically, then it’s easy to predict a Trump/Vance victory. Liberalism has overreached and exhausted itself.
RE: “Those wondering where to move to if Trump/Vance wins – Germany seems perfect for you”……and the rest of the elite, effete, snobs who have so declared past and present. Don’t let the doorknob hit yah where the good Lord split ya.
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/J-D-Vance-ebook/dp/B0D9YY47Q6/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ki30vnBM08Y7uWVAYiie6_3umKZszRsxWiFajMv7yytvCqcU2HxXXeD4D21-wBb1U5uQxHmlz9YHLrHT9lNdgfBAyScdMsVu-LJ5pomkdYwlPPqqb7_yV9p0F86_eQa2u9-DjnM2gT6krylFLuxNfv1bo0rUNMP2sMBkshdJN8Hm7MvvbQxfog123gNXLxs5B5fYi7uAZN7LQL4PBSIJl_EKVkKtWyzwyctK_rBCGwQ.55Wi72dCyqZ2vVOdA75R5LlD4FoopTnOMBK4BiB28bw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Hillbilly-Elegie%3A+Die+Geschichte+meiner+Familie+und+einer+Gesellschaft+in+der+Krise&qid=1722167485&sr=8-1
I guess that the Germans are scared to death that the return of the “Collections Department Manager” (Trump) will force them to pay for more of their own defense needs than “Santa Claus” (Any Democrat). This then forces choices of where to cut their social services hammock for Germany and all of the other NATO countries that American taxpayers subsidize to the tune of $Hundreds of Billions annually.
I know that Trump can be rude and crude – but that does not make him wrong. Western European countries are STILL using Marshall Plan trade advantages to ship products to the US, while maintaining the 75 year old barriers to make US imports uncompetitive. The Marshall Plan provided a great amount of trade protection for Europe to get on its feet after the devastation of WWII – but it was not expected to be in place for 25 years, much less forever.
Whenever I hear a European politician (always attacking Trump, of course) say that they prefer Biden (2020) or anyone else, I know it is an endorsement of someone who they expect will keep this game going. While many Republicans have given lip service to weaning Europe off the American taxpayer, Trump is the only one who’s ever actually done it.
Maybe we just pull all our troops out of the EU, and watch their economies go up in flames! And since they like “communism” so much, invite Putin to take a bite out of Germany’s Ass! Oops, sorry, Putin already has a grip on their jugular, “Energy” vein. SMDH
You’re not up to date on European politics, which have shifted conservative. Smart U.S. conservatives recognize that shift, and the value of keeping our alliances in Europe. Dumb, low-info conservatives can’t imagine Europeans embracing conservatism.
Excellent comment.
Countries around the world are as addicted to our foreign welfare policy as our citizens are to our domestic welfare policies. Trump will always be feared by any of the dependents we enabled.