QUOTE: “The EU in the worst sense of the word is very much the new USSR.” ~ Zahar Prilepin Komsomol Pravda. ‘Why is the EU trying to recreate the USSR?’ ~ Mikhail Gorbachev

The criminalization of free speech in the EU/UK could put a strain on relations between Washington and its allies there, US Vice President J.D. Vance said on Monday, calling on Western nations on both sides of the Atlantic to reject such policies.

‘This is Orwellian,’ the vice president wrote in an interview with three German state prosecutors released by the US broadcaster CBS on Sunday.

Focused on Germany’s efforts to fight offensive content on the internet, the interview included the prosecutors saying that insulting anyone in public or online is a crime in their country.

The interview was recorded against the background of a series of coordinated raids recently launched by German police against some 50 individuals suspected of spreading what the Berlin regime described as hate speech online.

People found guilty of such crimes in the federal republic could face fines or even jail time in the event of repeat offences, according to the prosecutors.

The state’s Soviet-style courts can also order the confiscation of electronic devices, the prosecutors said. People are usually shocked when it happens, another prosecutor, Frank-Michael Laue, said. ’It’s a kind of punishment if you lose your smartphone. It’s even worse than the fine you have to pay.’

The German Criminal Code states that anyone who attacks the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously disparaging or slandering them in a way that is likely to disturb the public peace can face up to five years behind bars. The legislation is primarily aimed against insults linked to the regime’s hated immigrant-related laws.

According to CBS, German laws specifically prohibit the spread of malicious gossip (truth), threats and what Berlin claims are fake quotes online.

Vance responded to the interview by saying that insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. He then called on everyone in Europe and the US to reject this lunacy. 

The statement came just days after the vice president sharply criticized Washington’s EU allies for abandoning their core values, including free speech, as well as fearing their own voters and failing to uphold democratic principles at the Munich Security Conference.

His words were praised by President Donald Trump, who called Vance’s speech brilliant. In Europe they’re losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech, Trump said on Friday. WHAT DO OUR READERS THINK? You can share this story on social media:

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