'Backfired spectacularly': European officials reportedly now view US as an 'adversary'
'Backfired spectacularly': European officials reportedly now view US as an 'adversary'
If Vice President J.D. Vance hoped to earn respect among international leaders with his speech in Germany last week, it wouldn't work, according to one senior diplomat. Vance not only didn't persuade his audience, he insulted them, the Financial Times reported Monday."His speech backfired spectacula...
If Vice President J.D. Vance hoped to earn respect among international leaders with his speech in Germany last week, it wouldn't work, according to one senior diplomat.
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Let's not make the same mistake that was made in the US:
The people who - rightfully - lost respect for the US and now consider it an adversary are German diplomats, politicians and the press. But the ones with the voting power are the German public. And if German voters are anything like American voters, there may be a deep disconnect between them and the elites.
And so despite the outrage of the people who know better, the German population might just as easily vote for fascists in Germany as they did in the US.
My point being, we'll know if Vance's speech backfired when the German elections are over. I'm not so optimistic that it did.
The behavior of the USA was condemned by both left- and right-wing parties in Germany. The only party that didn't condemn the behavior, the far right party, is expected to get no more than 20% of the vote. So even though their popularity doubled from last election, which is a significant shift, they're still a minority who won't affect Germany's foreign policies.
Let's not downplay the threat of the AFD. 20% is a lot - more than enough to at least pull the Overton window to the right, like Reform is doing in the UK
Left wing elites can't help but call right wing leaders idiots for behaving like the average voter.
and despite what you think of them they are at least smart enough to make that connection.
Meanwhile the left keep making the exact same mistake by taking them at face value.
First rule of politics, learn to count.
The far right party in Germany had 10% last election, and is likely to get 20% this election.
1/5 is a lot, but it's not the average voter.
They are mixing US politics and German politics. That's the only reason I could think of someone calling Habeck elite ;D
Edit to add that if you look at the money, the AfD and right-wing CDU are the "elites" or at least that's how they like to see themselves.
Socialists who represent an interest in human rights for the working class had better step up. It's what alienated the American working class from parties that represented their interests.
The FBI and CIA is very, very good at spreading propganda about the 'scary leftists' who want to 'give your jobs to immigrants.' The same brain glitch that bodied us is a weakness for every human. Germans know that very well, their grandparents lived through it.
Convince them that the rich factory and farm owners are the ones to really blame, cite America's stupidity as an example, and people will avoid the mistake that we made on this side of the pond. I hope, at least.