Vice President J.D. Vance went and spoke at a security conference in Munich. A message was sent. Many in Europe are now setting their hair on fire. What is up with this?
Seems to me Vance is advocating nothing more 'extreme' than that Eurocracies comply with the norms of pre-war liberal democracy. Thus it appears to me that in order to go forward again it may not be necessary to go as far back as some think--at least for now.
Anyone with an ounce of rational thinking knows what he's asking for. Europeans in their typical provincial way have been primed and coddled into looking down at America for decades. They are no different in their biases and dissonances. Perhaps worse. They feel that just because they sit on chairs older than the United States it gives them some kind of superiority. What they actually have is an inferiority complex. They're like petulant children who've been chided for bad behaviour and called out on it. Children shouldn't be in charge. The citizens of Europe need to realise that.
You have to be living on a different planet to pretend Americans are more 'adult' in whatever relevant sense than Europeans.
It's the typical Anglo conceit but without even the pretense of a long history to back it up.
It's all petty ego bullshit avoiding the question "what is best for our family, the sovereignty of Europeans, worldwide?" Anglos hate the fact that a healthy civilization can't be ruled by merchants. American Anglo elites take that sentiment to the next level.
I say all this as an American just tired of all the petty bullshit which does nothing but help our shared enemies.
I'm Australian so it doesn't really matter to me, but it's fair to say that right now Europe isn't a healthy civilisation. Their reaction to Vance's speech is quite telling. Speaking of Anglos, the UK is rhe exact opposite of healthy.
I also think that with these speeches and interviews, Vance is doing a good job of building his own base for a future presidential run. We’ve just seen how the VP anointed by the sitting president fell on her face in a general election because she had no real identity, platform, or base of her own. People are talking about Vance a lot more than the average VP.
It was referred to as The New World for a reason. After the initial waves of European colonization through the 17th century the North American continent, primarily driven by English settlers decided that they wanted a break from the endless tribalism, oppression and wars of the Old World. This has set both the cultural ethos and the political philosophy distinctly apart from our European ancestors. The entire thesis of our founding was to specifically avoid entanglements in Europe, which pretty much held true until the 20th century civilizational suicide Europe engaged in with two world wars.
I think what you are seeing in the current administration is the reflection of a majority of American citizens starting to show signs of “empire” fatigue. Post WW2 there was the sugar high of being the only unscathed industrial nation left, and the dramatic surge of domestic prosperity generated helping rebuild the world. The apex moment came with the collapse of the Soviet empire and the rise of the US unipolar moment, or the American Century, as the neoconservatives lovingly called it. But like every empire of the past, there ultimately becomes no daylight between foreign and domestic policy, with ever greater amounts of blood and treasure required to maintain the far edges of the empire, at the expense of the home nation.
So now we come to “the great reset”, just not the one the globalist elites had in mind. More Americans everyday are questioning, is the cost worth the benefit, and increasingly the answer is coming up negative. Our allies need to understand that the American First agenda will be foundational for at least the next 4 years, and while it is not isolationist, it is a first principles based view of what is in American national interests first and foremost.
What remains to be seen is whether the fervor and nationalism after getting a thorough scolding by America can keep its momentum. From the looks of things, there is little to no will to maintain the status quo. Just look at stats asking how many Euros would fight for their country. It would not take much for the dominoes to fall.
A State Department American color revolution effort like Ukraine might be all it takes.
I really enjoyed reading your commentary on what the new administration hopes to achieve with materil like Vance's speech. I agree, for example, that it's quite possible that the aim is to reduce the EU as a competitor.
The stuff about hillbillies worldwide I think has merit in the case of the perceptions of the Eurocrats and the faux-cultured petty bourgeoisie who look up to them. But as always its easy to overdraw parallels between N America and Europe. In Europe (esp in the ex communist bloc) there are many more people than in America who are, eg, extremely immigration-skeptical but who work in 'elite' professions. I get the impression that in America, which is supposedly classless, there is a harder ideological distinction between 'elites' and the rest.
...and now I'm gonna be boomergauche and link to an article of my own on the topic:
The bigotry of the globalist position is sickening. They do hate us. For proof listen to the CBC, there is no more bigoted propaganda outlet than the Canadian broadcasting corporation.
I hope the Canada collapses. We are the worst, the meaningless post national nation, self loathing and not worthy of survival.
Quebec referendum in 2027 , that will tell the tale.
It's all so tiring. I am an American and yet I am capable of recognizing this messaging of J.D. Vance as utterly insidious. This populist image of the hooligan hillbilly is entirely counterproductive, including for Americans. It is just populist-coded slop of the American variety. What America needs to come to terms with is the simple reality of how politically unsophisticated we are, how childish it was to spit in the face of kings, and for us to generally admit that we have to grow up. Our best place to be is as Europe's naive little brother. We ought drop the pretense that we in any way know better and learn from Europe on how to best serve our family. Anything else is pure ego-driven bile, the sin of pride, useful to no one but our enemies.
I am not at all saying to serve the malignant forces currently ruling over Europe, but the self-confident Homeland of ours that it ought to be.
Good insights. I think we should also note the mostly unacknowledged envy (regardless of whether or not we believe there is anything to be envious of) that many feel towards Americans. It is especially prominent in Canadians. That envy, and the sense of inferiority that goes with it, adds fervour to the “Bad American” vitriol here in Canada.
Decades of “brain drain”, Canadian society being saturated with American mass media (and entertainment industries) of all kinds, middling performance in many areas, and the lack of shared society wide aspirations that could provide a bulwark against outside influences, don't help matters.
I hope you are right - I assume that is a more common attitude the younger people are. Hopefully people can be helped to see that leadership does not exclusively refer to politicians.
Looking forward to the Red Ensign getting rolling!
Oh I don't think Mr Vance was trying to win any friends with this speech, just announcing that a new sheriff is in town. The Global American Empire has changed from a bipartisan venture into a foreign ally specifically of the democratic party (post sidelining of the neocons in the GOP). Allowing the alliance with European nations to degrade loses Trump and his base little, but significantly damages soft power projection of the democratic party.
Different justifications/complaints will be floated (cancelled elections, lack of free speech, Euros not paying their fair share for defense) but ultimately I think Trump is already committed to largely disentangling the US from Europe. In such a scenario Euros getting angry Americans for meddling and not being trustworthy allies just helps Trump in justifying further loosening of commitments. I think this is revealed by Mr Vance not making any concrete demands (Euros must do X, or else we won't Y), instead just listing grievances.
I think this bears out, from what I've seen of my, especially older, contemporaries. I guess I am just too marinated in internet culture to get why they dislike Trump's demeanour so much.
Of course here in the East, everyone would be a single issue six morbillions to Ukraine voter, so I imagine that plays a large part.
Also something interesting, whereas, especially after the inauguration, western lib elites were going anti-trump, our PM and her libshit party tried to LARP a bit (suggesting our own DOGE etc).
The reactions have been strange and reflect, I think, that Trump, Vance and their team don’t understand the conditions on the ground as well as they should. They underestimate the anti-American sentiment among the general public. It’s like trying to break up a fighting married couple. They will both turn on you even when you are taking the weaker partner’s side. There is a trust problem that America has abroad. Will the populists get hung out to dry? It’s a real concern.
European populism is interesting, because there is one very curious place where a populist surge didn't really happen - the Baltics (and Poland to an extent, PiS was always the old respectable conservative party, but I don't know too much). We are in fact at this moment ran by shitlibs, Lithuania flipped in elections recently, and our version of the CDU threw cloaks and became a leftist party functionally. And it's not like there weren't populist parties here - it's just that they faceplanted as soon as they tried to do anything, and even the present ones are slimy and, considering previous political results (the dismal failure to get a referendum on Civil Unions to even be considered), lack the energy to have any more striking power.
Which should be odd - the Awakenings were probably the most succesful on paper populist uprisings. But they face planted in the long term.
My theory is that we might be facing last populist wave, a potential that we spent 30 years ago, but that faith in real democracy being able to achieve real results. Which is to say, it is itself a living political formula, but I don't think win or lose, it will be after this. Just not sure, and I imagine you agree, that the Populists have the tools to actually reverse the decline, even if they win.
I think Vance hints at something that Europeans have yet to reckon with, and this is that secularism cannot meet the nihilism of the day, nor can blue American funded astroturfed wokeness, and that only a rebirth of genuine Christian faith meet the challenge of the modern technological society and state. In this regard the Americans are leading the way and are in the vanguard.
aha one more thing...
Seems to me Vance is advocating nothing more 'extreme' than that Eurocracies comply with the norms of pre-war liberal democracy. Thus it appears to me that in order to go forward again it may not be necessary to go as far back as some think--at least for now.
Anyone with an ounce of rational thinking knows what he's asking for. Europeans in their typical provincial way have been primed and coddled into looking down at America for decades. They are no different in their biases and dissonances. Perhaps worse. They feel that just because they sit on chairs older than the United States it gives them some kind of superiority. What they actually have is an inferiority complex. They're like petulant children who've been chided for bad behaviour and called out on it. Children shouldn't be in charge. The citizens of Europe need to realise that.
You have to be living on a different planet to pretend Americans are more 'adult' in whatever relevant sense than Europeans.
It's the typical Anglo conceit but without even the pretense of a long history to back it up.
It's all petty ego bullshit avoiding the question "what is best for our family, the sovereignty of Europeans, worldwide?" Anglos hate the fact that a healthy civilization can't be ruled by merchants. American Anglo elites take that sentiment to the next level.
I say all this as an American just tired of all the petty bullshit which does nothing but help our shared enemies.
I'm Australian so it doesn't really matter to me, but it's fair to say that right now Europe isn't a healthy civilisation. Their reaction to Vance's speech is quite telling. Speaking of Anglos, the UK is rhe exact opposite of healthy.
There were 32 bombings in Sweden in *January*.
It gets pretty hard to hide that.
I also think that with these speeches and interviews, Vance is doing a good job of building his own base for a future presidential run. We’ve just seen how the VP anointed by the sitting president fell on her face in a general election because she had no real identity, platform, or base of her own. People are talking about Vance a lot more than the average VP.
Yes, I would agree with that.
It was referred to as The New World for a reason. After the initial waves of European colonization through the 17th century the North American continent, primarily driven by English settlers decided that they wanted a break from the endless tribalism, oppression and wars of the Old World. This has set both the cultural ethos and the political philosophy distinctly apart from our European ancestors. The entire thesis of our founding was to specifically avoid entanglements in Europe, which pretty much held true until the 20th century civilizational suicide Europe engaged in with two world wars.
I think what you are seeing in the current administration is the reflection of a majority of American citizens starting to show signs of “empire” fatigue. Post WW2 there was the sugar high of being the only unscathed industrial nation left, and the dramatic surge of domestic prosperity generated helping rebuild the world. The apex moment came with the collapse of the Soviet empire and the rise of the US unipolar moment, or the American Century, as the neoconservatives lovingly called it. But like every empire of the past, there ultimately becomes no daylight between foreign and domestic policy, with ever greater amounts of blood and treasure required to maintain the far edges of the empire, at the expense of the home nation.
So now we come to “the great reset”, just not the one the globalist elites had in mind. More Americans everyday are questioning, is the cost worth the benefit, and increasingly the answer is coming up negative. Our allies need to understand that the American First agenda will be foundational for at least the next 4 years, and while it is not isolationist, it is a first principles based view of what is in American national interests first and foremost.
What remains to be seen is whether the fervor and nationalism after getting a thorough scolding by America can keep its momentum. From the looks of things, there is little to no will to maintain the status quo. Just look at stats asking how many Euros would fight for their country. It would not take much for the dominoes to fall.
A State Department American color revolution effort like Ukraine might be all it takes.
I think they are sitting on a powder keg and they can only clamp down on it so long.
Your title needs fixing sir!
I really enjoyed reading your commentary on what the new administration hopes to achieve with materil like Vance's speech. I agree, for example, that it's quite possible that the aim is to reduce the EU as a competitor.
The stuff about hillbillies worldwide I think has merit in the case of the perceptions of the Eurocrats and the faux-cultured petty bourgeoisie who look up to them. But as always its easy to overdraw parallels between N America and Europe. In Europe (esp in the ex communist bloc) there are many more people than in America who are, eg, extremely immigration-skeptical but who work in 'elite' professions. I get the impression that in America, which is supposedly classless, there is a harder ideological distinction between 'elites' and the rest.
...and now I'm gonna be boomergauche and link to an article of my own on the topic:
https://shadeofachilles.substack.com/p/epochal-vince-vance-smackdown-exposes?r=3jr7ai
The title was meant to be provocative and eye catching.
oh ok
Munich has provocative connotations too...but let us not speak of them
That is true. Hadn't considered that angle.
The bigotry of the globalist position is sickening. They do hate us. For proof listen to the CBC, there is no more bigoted propaganda outlet than the Canadian broadcasting corporation.
I hope the Canada collapses. We are the worst, the meaningless post national nation, self loathing and not worthy of survival.
Quebec referendum in 2027 , that will tell the tale.
Yeah, I thought you guys were great. Just stop interrupting each other.
We’re working on it. We talked about that and both of us were mindful of this.
Are you part of the red Ensign pod?
Yes, I am helping Black Horse with the project as co-host and likely I will be writing some pieces soon as well too.
It's all so tiring. I am an American and yet I am capable of recognizing this messaging of J.D. Vance as utterly insidious. This populist image of the hooligan hillbilly is entirely counterproductive, including for Americans. It is just populist-coded slop of the American variety. What America needs to come to terms with is the simple reality of how politically unsophisticated we are, how childish it was to spit in the face of kings, and for us to generally admit that we have to grow up. Our best place to be is as Europe's naive little brother. We ought drop the pretense that we in any way know better and learn from Europe on how to best serve our family. Anything else is pure ego-driven bile, the sin of pride, useful to no one but our enemies.
I am not at all saying to serve the malignant forces currently ruling over Europe, but the self-confident Homeland of ours that it ought to be.
Good insights. I think we should also note the mostly unacknowledged envy (regardless of whether or not we believe there is anything to be envious of) that many feel towards Americans. It is especially prominent in Canadians. That envy, and the sense of inferiority that goes with it, adds fervour to the “Bad American” vitriol here in Canada.
Decades of “brain drain”, Canadian society being saturated with American mass media (and entertainment industries) of all kinds, middling performance in many areas, and the lack of shared society wide aspirations that could provide a bulwark against outside influences, don't help matters.
Agreed, but there is also this feeling among many that Canada should be better than it is and many are now waking up to the poor leadership.
I hope you are right - I assume that is a more common attitude the younger people are. Hopefully people can be helped to see that leadership does not exclusively refer to politicians.
Looking forward to the Red Ensign getting rolling!
Me too! We will be recording soon.
Oh I don't think Mr Vance was trying to win any friends with this speech, just announcing that a new sheriff is in town. The Global American Empire has changed from a bipartisan venture into a foreign ally specifically of the democratic party (post sidelining of the neocons in the GOP). Allowing the alliance with European nations to degrade loses Trump and his base little, but significantly damages soft power projection of the democratic party.
Different justifications/complaints will be floated (cancelled elections, lack of free speech, Euros not paying their fair share for defense) but ultimately I think Trump is already committed to largely disentangling the US from Europe. In such a scenario Euros getting angry Americans for meddling and not being trustworthy allies just helps Trump in justifying further loosening of commitments. I think this is revealed by Mr Vance not making any concrete demands (Euros must do X, or else we won't Y), instead just listing grievances.
I think this bears out, from what I've seen of my, especially older, contemporaries. I guess I am just too marinated in internet culture to get why they dislike Trump's demeanour so much.
Of course here in the East, everyone would be a single issue six morbillions to Ukraine voter, so I imagine that plays a large part.
Also something interesting, whereas, especially after the inauguration, western lib elites were going anti-trump, our PM and her libshit party tried to LARP a bit (suggesting our own DOGE etc).
The reactions have been strange and reflect, I think, that Trump, Vance and their team don’t understand the conditions on the ground as well as they should. They underestimate the anti-American sentiment among the general public. It’s like trying to break up a fighting married couple. They will both turn on you even when you are taking the weaker partner’s side. There is a trust problem that America has abroad. Will the populists get hung out to dry? It’s a real concern.
European populism is interesting, because there is one very curious place where a populist surge didn't really happen - the Baltics (and Poland to an extent, PiS was always the old respectable conservative party, but I don't know too much). We are in fact at this moment ran by shitlibs, Lithuania flipped in elections recently, and our version of the CDU threw cloaks and became a leftist party functionally. And it's not like there weren't populist parties here - it's just that they faceplanted as soon as they tried to do anything, and even the present ones are slimy and, considering previous political results (the dismal failure to get a referendum on Civil Unions to even be considered), lack the energy to have any more striking power.
Which should be odd - the Awakenings were probably the most succesful on paper populist uprisings. But they face planted in the long term.
My theory is that we might be facing last populist wave, a potential that we spent 30 years ago, but that faith in real democracy being able to achieve real results. Which is to say, it is itself a living political formula, but I don't think win or lose, it will be after this. Just not sure, and I imagine you agree, that the Populists have the tools to actually reverse the decline, even if they win.
We'll see.
I think Vance hints at something that Europeans have yet to reckon with, and this is that secularism cannot meet the nihilism of the day, nor can blue American funded astroturfed wokeness, and that only a rebirth of genuine Christian faith meet the challenge of the modern technological society and state. In this regard the Americans are leading the way and are in the vanguard.
Great write up full of spot on insight. Thanks.
Thank you!