To speak freely or not to speak freely? That is the question of the day.
Last weekend at the Munich Security Conference, Vice President JD Vance made it clear that America, now that the Biden regime is history and Donald Trump is the “new sheriff in town,” will be unapologetically protecting free expression.
“Just as the Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people for speaking their minds, so the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite, and I hope that we can work together on that,” he said, pledging America’s commitment to fight for and defend Europe’s “right to offer [free speech] in the public square.”
Germany has made it clear, however, it will not be joining team free speech.
Munich Security Conference chairman Christoph Heusgen closed the conference with the following statement: “After the speech of Vice President Vance on Friday, we have to fear that our common value base is not that common anymore.”
And then he cried, and the crowd applauded him for it.
But most disturbingly, Germany is now conducting police raids as part of a nationwide crackdown on hate speech.
CBS’ “60 Minutes” actually accompanied German police on one such raid after a citizen posted an allegedly racist cartoon online.
“I don’t like hate speech. I don’t like seeing racist cartoons, but that is part of life. It depends on who’s in power on how you define hate, and when you have a government able to take away inalienable rights, you have a real problem on your hands,” says Glenn Beck
He then plays several clips of Sharyn Alfonsi’s investigation into Germany’s criminalization of hate speech, condemning the network for its soft resistance.
The first clip features Alfonsi’s ride-along with German police, during which officials seized not guns, drugs, or other illegal paraphernalia, but laptops and cell phones that might contain evidence of hate speech crimes.
In the second clip, Alfonsi interviewed the three state prosecutors heading the crackdown on hate speech crimes – Dr. Matthäus Fink, Svenja Meininghaus, and Frank-Michael Laue.
“Is it a crime to insult somebody in public?” she asked.
All three prosecutors simultaneously said yes.
“And it’s a crime to insult them online as well?”
Another collective yes.
Dr. Fink then added, “The fine could be even higher if you insult someone in the internet because in internet, it stays there. If we are talking here face to face, you insult me, I insult you, OK, finished. But in the internet, if I insult you or a politician …”
“It sticks around forever,” Alfonsi finished.
She then reviewed a case from 2021 in which German politician Andy Grote was called a derogatory term on social media, which culminated in police raids.
Alfonsi also inquired about other hate speech crimes. According to German law, “the spread of malicious gossip, violent threats, and fake quotes” are prohibited and punishable by jail time for repeat offenses. Reposting something that is deemed hateful or false is also considered a crime.
In another clip, Alfonsi spoke with Josephine Ballon, a CEO of HateAid, “a Berlin-based human rights organization that supports victims of online violence.”
“Free speech needs boundaries,” Ballon said, justifying the argument by stating that “half of the internet users in Germany are afraid to express their political opinion.”
Upon reviewing the footage of this “60 Minutes” episode, Glenn calls Germany’s anti-hate speech initiative “Gestapo with today’s technology.”
“You put a Hitler in charge of it, and there’s not a Jew left in the world; there’s no place to hide in the entire world,” he warns, calling Germany’s crackdown “extraordinarily dangerous.”
As for CBS, he condemns the network for “not pushing back” on what could be the rebirth of “the old Germany.”
To see the clips from “60 Minutes” and hear more of Glenn’s commentary, watch the clip above.
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