Vance Warns Greatest Threat To Europe Is 'From Within'
By: JusticeTristan (The Federalist)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Vice President J.D. Vance warned European leaders in Munich the greatest challenges threatening democracy today are the internal impulses of western governments to dismiss constituent frustrations over unchecked immigration and their moves to censor dissident speech.
"While the Trump administration is very concerned with European security and believes that we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine," Vance said, "the threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe … is the threat from within."
The vice president characterized the threat at the Munich Security Conference as "the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America."
.@VP in Munich: "The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe … is the threat from within — the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States." pic.twitter.com/cwGgWDzWkg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 14, 2025
Vance went through a series of episodes wherein European leaders celebrated the kind of censorship and election interference once condemned by the West.
"For years, we've been told that everything we fund, and support is in the name of our shared democracy values," Vance said. "Everything from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship is billed as a defense of democracy, but when we see European courts cancelling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we're holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard."
Vance referenced the December annulment of elections in Romania, the cancellation of which was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in January. The vice president also admonished leaders in Brussels, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, including Scotland, where European governments have engaged in the censorship and prosecution of political opponents. Later in the speech, Vance even called out "the organizers of this very conference," for having "banned lawmakers representing populist parties on both the left and the right from participating in these conversations."
"Free speech, I fear, is in retreat," Vance said, "and in the interest of comity, my friends, but also in the interest of truth, I will admit that sometimes the loudest voices for censorship have come not from within Europe but from within my own country."
Vance condemned the Biden administration's bureaucratic pressure on Silicon Valley that "threatened and bullied social media companies to censor so-called 'misinformation.'" The vice president gave the previous administration's efforts to dismiss the lab-leak theory of COVID-19's origins as an example, "where our own government encouraged private companies to silence people who dared to utter what turned out to be an obvious truth."
In January, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) corroborated what other federal agencies had begun to admit, which is the most probable explanation for the origin of the novel coronavirus was a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan.
"So, I come here today not just with an observation, but with an offer," Vance said. "In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town."
"And under Donald Trump's leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square," he said.
Vice President JD Vance:
"In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town, and under Donald Trump's leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square." pic.twitter.com/aAiL6kAZbJ
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) February 14, 2025
But after warning European leaders about the democratic consequences of their own censorship, Vance said "there is nothing more urgent than mass migration."
"No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants," Vance said, "but you know what they did vote for? In England, they voted for Brexit … and more and more all over Europe, they are voting for political leaders who promise to put an end to out-of-control migration."
VP Vance: Out of all the pressing challenges the nations represented here face, I believe there is nothing more urgent than mass migration…We saw the horrors wrought by these decisions yesterday in this very city…No voter on this continent went to that ballot box to open the… pic.twitter.com/EafdZYK4c0
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 14, 2025
The vice president concluded by calling on the continent to step up in its own defense and eliminate Soviet-style censorship.
"It is the business of democracy to adjudicate these big questions at the ballot box," Vance said. "I believe that shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing."
"In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy," Vance added.
The vice president also finished by mocking the outrage over Elon Musk.
"If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg's scolding, you can survive a few months of Elon Musk," he said.
"If the American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunburg scolding, you can survive a few months of Elon Musk," JD Vance in Munich. pic.twitter.com/xYpfmm484r
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 14, 2025
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It takes courage to tell the truth, especially to what once were advanced societies which have disarmed themselves and debased themselves.
Hopefully the right people will think about it.
Great speech on the most important issues of the day, time for Europe to take the off ramp from authoritarianism
EUROPE - A lesson in explaining irony.
JD Vance - “Europe does not accept free speech."
Europe - “ The JD Vance speech is not acceptable."
Cute, now 'we' are down to quoting #nobodies-and-liars from X?
no lies In that summary.
... all that means is you bought into it hook, line and other attachments.
Physician, heal thyself
the German defense minister literally called Vance’s speech unacceptable
Sounds like Boris was exercising his redefreiheit.
So, Vance visited Alice Weidel ... one 'hopes' in the name of freedom of speech (an oddity married to a lack of freedom of thought) J.D. quoted Christian Ehring and called her a "Nazi slut". Vance is such a wee Jack Horner.
Talk about projection.
Perhaps the only thing that should scare the American people more than Trump being President, is something happening to Trump and Vance being President.
Yeah, having someone smart and competent as president would be a disaster.
Though 2025 is earlier than I expected for the Vance is worse than trump hysteria. Thought that would wait until he was actually running for president.
Nope, he’s a “conservative” soooo must fight him now.
liberal butthurt …… engaged
Sean
"smart and competent" hell yeah, who do you have in mind to replace Vance with?
No, Europe isn't at war or invading they are uniting against Russia.
They are fighting for free speech and against big tech oligarchs manipulating online misinformation and disinformation.
Over 250,000 Germans marched in protest of the new Nazi party. This party AFD is getting enormous support from Vance and Musk.
Trump, Musk and Vance along with Right Wing extremists around the globe trying to usher in the new Third Reich. Why do you think all the American Nazi groups are marching in cities like the recent marches in Ohio?
Make absolutely no mistake about it, the destruction of the American government is their goal.
Europe doesn't need Vance, and who is he to lecture other countries when Musk is a foreign influence dismantling our country?
Lol. Cancelling elections, putting people in jail for mean posts or praying. Real free speech advocates.
he destruction of the American government is their goal.
Cutting government waste will destroy America! the horror!
when Musk is a foreign influence
Such xenophobia and racism. Naturalized citizens from Africa are foreigners?
This is all about white nationalism.
Everything always is for some. It's like Uncle Leo in Seinfeld accusing the chef of anti-semitism if his soup is cold.
Trump tweeted this this morning
How do you explain this? No lame ass whataboutism.
He's wrong.
He's wrong, but I don't melt down over everything he says.
Childish at best.
This is all about white nationalism.
When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
Another mass stabbing in Austria. 5 people stabbed and a 14 year old boy killed by asylum speaker, immediately following 37 injured and two killed by an asylum seeker using a car as a weapon.
All JD Vance's fault for suggesting the elite of Europe listen to the people, of course.