We previously discussed the case of Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels who published a satirical meme of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser holding an altered sign that read “I hate freedom of speech.” Ironically, the sign was believable given the anti-free speech positions of Faeser and the German government. Faeser, however, went ballistic. In a country that routinely arrests people for their views, the matter was immediately turned into a criminal investigation. In a decision that could easily have been rendered in China or Iran, a Bamberg district court in Bavaria sentenced Deutschland-Kurier editor David Bendels to seven months in prison on probation and a fine of nearly sixty percent of his annual income. It is only the latest evidence of the free fall of free speech in Germany.
Faeser recently tried and failed to shut down a right-wing publication.
Conservative journalist David Bendels, editor-in-chief of the AfD-aligned DeutschlandKurier, lampooned Faeser by showing a meme of her holding a sign reading, “I hate free speech.” Deutschland-Kurier is aligned with the opposition conservative AfD party.
As if to prove her point, Faeser allegedly unleashed her office on Bendels and threatened him with a criminal prosecution for lampooning her views. The court has already imposed a fine, but according to some reports, jail time is possible.
I recently returned from speaking at the World Forum in Berlin on free speech. As I previously noted, it was an appropriate location for a gathering of some of the most anti-free speech figures in the European Union and America. Billed as working toward a “New World Order with European Values,” the most prominent value was the global effort to criminalize and regulate speech.
Bendels was convicted in November, and the ruling has now confirmed that he had committed “defamation directed against people in political life,” as reported by Die Welt. It is believed to be the first time a journalist has been charged under the statute. Both the sentence and the fine are well above the average for non-violent crimes in Germany.
Americans should not dismiss the Bendels case as some foreign matter with little relevance to their lives. The EU has moved aggressively to extend its anti-free speech and censorship policies globally, including a grotesque $1 billion fine against X for restoring free speech protections on that site. Germany is the epicenter of the anti-free speech movement, and figures like Faeser are among its champions.
Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other countries have eviscerated free speech by criminalizing speech deemed inciteful or degrading to individuals or groups. The result had made little difference to the neo-Nazi movement in countries like Germany, which is reaching record numbers. It has, however, silenced the rest of society.
According to polling, only 18 percent of Germans feel free to express their opinions in public. Fifty-nine percent of Germans do not even feel free expressing themselves in private among friends. Only 17 percent feel free to express themselves on the internet.
They have silenced the wrong people, but there is now a massive censorship bureaucracy in Europe and the desire to silence opposing voices has become insatiable.
“According to polling, only 18 percent of Germans [all far-Left] feel free to express their opinions in public. Fifty-nine percent of Germans [all right of center to some degree]do not even feel free expressing themselves in private among friends. Only 17 percent feel free to express themselves on the internet [all with an IQ of 25 or less].”
There, fixed it for you.
Where’s Bernstein when we really need him ?
https://youtu.be/l46GNducsPk
Sure. We’re going to go to the Germans for guidance on freedom of thought and freedom to live, whomever you are. Pfft. Western Europe is lost to the globalist agenda, period. Let them decay. They have made their own choices. That the actual Renaissance and French Revolution came out of this part of the planet is a real head scratcher in 2025. They have their own intrinsic nonsense to deal with, it is mostly none of our concern, and we will carry on in the meantime as we always have.
And PS –
I am pretty sure the random comments from new posters on this piece are trolling by the resident trolls, including the ‘Germans’. Sure. Just like ‘Oliver’, is ‘British’. Must be bonus day at the farms, or some people are far too privileged and bored and have nothing better to do. The tone and tenor of this sheet is always the same, they aren’t fooling anyone.
Nobody cares what you think james.
Boycott every nation on the planet until each one adopts the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States of America.
Enough pussyfooting around.
Implement the boycott; invite them to come make a deal to adopt.
Full stop.
If we cannot find humor in our strengths and weaknesses, our sensory abilities may suffer genetic obsolescence in coming generations!
If the United States were to adopt Germany’s posture. Saturday Night Live (SNL) would be in a heap of trouble!
Doomsday Pastor Gerald Flurry warns:
A Strong German Leader Is Imminent & there will be a rise of the Holy Roman Empire. Germany is seeking a new King Charlemagne.
The Europeans have quickly ignored or forgotten what J.D. Vance said to them less than two months ago on Valentine’s Day.
This has that goose-stepping feel to it! You know, like with the Democratic Party, and Trayvon Martin or something. I think I will do an Irish Poem!!!
Sieg, And Ye Shall Find???
An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm
There once were some folks called the “Krauts” –
They weren’t Nazis, but I have my doubts.
Unless you complied,
You’d be taken and tried –
Like in the Third Reich, or thereabouts. . .
Hey Squeeky!!
Hi Mespo!!! I always enjoy reading your comments!
Once all the Germans were war-like and mean
But that couldn’t happen again.
We taught them a lesson in 1918
And they’ve hardly bothered us since then.
Tom Lehrer, MLF Lullaby
My speech on “like” vs. “as” is as short as the Kraut sentence for saying it. Otherwise, good effort.
This is why there is a Second Amendment here. In my view, this person has the right to overthrow the government over this.
But not in Germany.
Vorsichtig Sein Deutschland !
Das Vierte Reich ohne Hakenkreuze
[ Be careful Germany! : The Forth Reich without the Swastikas ]
That alleged German makes no sense.
They read English.
Message delivered.
Seems the Germans haven’t changed. Their history is becoming their present!
So, now we see where the government of Colorado gets its inspiration.
Remind me again, who are the Nazis here?
I would imagine that they are the cult members screaming that all conservatives are nazis. They seem ignorant of their own ignorance.
Willful ignorance.
exactly!
From the comments, you can tell that there are people who would happily vote for someone who wants to bring that here. It’s already here, of course, but it can and might get a lot worse if we let left these back in charge.
I think one of Trumps changes should be out disassociation from that cabal of socialist/islamic/bureaucrats housed on prime real estate in downtown NYC. Evict them, sell the property for a grand profit and let these creepy crawly little roaches find a new home for the UN in some third world country more to their liking and supportive of their agenda – minus the US money, of course.
“The EU has moved aggressively to extend its anti-free speech and censorship policies globally, including a grotesque $1 billion fine against X for restoring free speech protections on that site.”
Why would the fine be “grotesque”? If X wants to operate within the EU it must abide by EU rules. We expect Tik Tok to abide by our rules when they operate in the U.S. right? Heck we are threatening to ban the app because it “poses a security risk” despite the fact that many apps like Facebook, and X also gather private data the same way.
The EU and its members have different views of what constitutes speech. They consider speech as conduct as well. We don’t. Who are we to judge when we are punishing green card holders and students with visas for expressing their political views. Turley conveniently ignores this only because it involves the Trump administration. He can’t be seen as overly critical of Trump because MAGA will turn on him like a rabid dog and he knows this. It’s easier to bash the EU and whine about anti-free speech because it’s in-line with the Trump administration’s condescending attitude towards Europe.
Turley has yet to write about Mahmoud Khalil and others who have been punished by our government for exercising their free speech rights. If Turley is really serious about free speech he would not be hesitant to criticize the Trump administration’s blatant anti-free speech behavior. It makes him look like a serious hypocrite.
Georgie complaining about a deportation again. I ask you to answer one simple question, with a more complex follow-on. Which president was the Deporter in Chief, and why?
George,
Trump is the prototypical Hans Brinker.
A short story about a Dutch boy who saves his country by putting his finger in a leaking dike. The boy stays there all night, in spite of the cold, until the villagers find him and repair the dike.
Hans Brinker “The Hero of Haarlem” = Donald Trump “The Hero of U.S.A.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Brinker,_or_The_Silver_Skates#Popular_culture:_the_legend_of_the_boy_and_the_dike
IIRC, Anais Nin did a short story about this. I clearly remember one about dykes and fingers and stuff??? It took place down in the Delta somewhere???
To borrow David Niven’s line in The Guns of Navarone, “Say ‘Heil’ everyone.”
“In a country that routinely arrests people for their views, the matter was immediately turned into a criminal investigation.”
But Turley, we are doing the same now. Trump is arresting people and trying to deport them for expressing their political views. It’s funny that you gripe and wonder how other coutries manage their affairs while ignoring our own. Perhaps because it’s embarrasing? Trump just lost a court case about shutting out the Associated Press because they were not using “Gulf of America.”
In addition, the Trump administration is forcing schools through threats of funding cuts to crack down on dissent and “illegal protests”. All that is anti-free speech too. Turley has yet to denounce or criticize the administration. He had no problem doing that when Biden was in office, with Trump he’s quiet like a mouse. Hypocrisy seems to be a virtue for Turley.
Where have you been the last four years? And as for Trump- there’s been a LOT of pushback from his own supporters. We have to be together on this one, George. It starts with you and I.
Ah, another alt account form the troll-hivemind
You and me. You wouldn’t say it starts with I.
English, please.
George , you are a clueless clown.
George is so tiresome.
Free-speech and other rights that are afforded to American “citizens” are not a given for alien instigators of anti-American violence and mayhem.
Is it satire if it’s true?
It is also not defamation if t is true.
The Germans, more than any other country, should know the risks of jailing citizens on trivial speech charges. They may find themselves slipping once again on a slippery slope of their own making. When a minor state official can execute serious charges to ruin a journalist or satirist, this indicates any official can do it. Revealed is the nature of lawfare prior to turning to totalitarianism. Moreover, such charges frighten the population into not knowing what they can and cannot say. Is this the point – perhaps? So, we ask if the current military buildup in Deutschland is as much for Russian deterrence as for internal controls?
Lets be clear here, Germany has a very long history (Bismark period) pertaining to defamation law. To imply the population is scared, is an outright lie. The population has lived with the law for generations, they approve of defamation laws.
So Fraser is not a minor state official, she heads the German FBI) is only doing what the law allows.
I have a close relative (inlaw) married to a German. Anonymous is correct. It’s chilling how many are of the attitude (according to my relative) say, “We trust the government. if they say it’s bad/illegal/defamatory, it must be right.
I am German, I do not trust the government. Not all trust the “government”. All Germans know that “government” is corrupt, as are all governments.
I know that Americans are big on “free speech” but there are limits. I read Turley for insight, but I know he’s a showman at heart.
As for Fraser, we all laugh at her, she is a despotic clown, as most Coalition partners are.
I think this Granny is another far left troll alt. Probably Gigi’s
@Anonymous
It’s very difficult for people who have never had real freedom to really understand free speech (or any of our inalienable rights, it seems), I’ve noticed.
The Professor isn’t a showman, we *actually have honest to goodness free speech in America*.
Anonymous 8:15 AM- I’m not sure I would consider a person a clown if they can lead an investigation that convicts you and puts you in prison, especially for speech. Professor Turley is not a showman. What you see on this blog is American free speech. It’s actually here quite civil but in meetings or debates or discussions it can get quite loud and heated and memes and altered pictures of politicians are seen all the time. Politics in the US has always been a full contact sport.
My wife’s family was German (illinois) and her mother did not learn English until 12. They were as unrestrained as any other American. Another part of our family is Texas German and they adapted well to the American politics. I lived in Germany and I believe Konrad Adenauer and Willie Brandt had more respect for free speech than the present politicians in Germany.
Laughing at a Despotic Clown is not enough. You need to remove them from power.
And, the Germans what to build up their military in case Russia comes knocking at their doors? Who would trust the Germans?! Some evidently didn’t get the message in 1945!
It can’t happen here
It can’t happen here
I’m telling you, my dear
That it can’t happen here
(Frank Zappa)
The Silence of the German Lambs.
These are the grand children of the Nazis.
The Silence of the German Lambs.
Try great grandchildren. learn to count.
Actually, the great great great grand children of that generation.
For statistical purposes a generation is ca. 25 years.
And what do they have to with the Nazis?
Think before you comment, if you can.
Generally speaking, people don’t die at 25. Some do but most don’t.
“For statistical purposes”, do you know what that means?
Yeah.
There is a lot more to statistics than just calculating means. There’s modes, medians, skewness, kurtosis and a whole lot of other parameters that are just chock-a-block with information. You should Google them.
Nancy Faeser was born in 1970, so grandchild is about right. Did you think before commenting?
I was born in 1949. I’ve been around longer than you have. I know how to count.
Longer? And what dies that mean? Your senility is more pronounced?
Thank you, Hannibal, that will be quite enough.
Diogenes 8:51 AM-Well said. I don’t think Hannibal has had his Chianti or Fava beans yet.
Biden was born in 1942 and he’s the smartest person in the world.
Burn any books today have you.