Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Jack Fowler discuss the economic and political fate of Europe, wokeness as geopolitics, and the current state of the Ukraine war.
Menu
Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Jack Fowler discuss the economic and political fate of Europe, wokeness as geopolitics, and the current state of the Ukraine war.
Excellent podcast. TY, gents.
Hello Victor Davis Hanson,
The American 1% is pretty evil as well, Mother Russia is ironic with the woke seeing they can not define a woman? She is the mother. Thank you for this podcast and this always reminds me of the movie Smoke Signals- “Hey Hey Victor”
Thank you Marie
Comment From Canada: First I’ll say that Mr. Fowler and Prof. Hanson , for me, represent they very best of American Culture, clear eyed problem solvers, realistic and kind.
The comment: Its more of an observation.
I spent two years working in Frankfurt and experienced daily what the good Professor observed. Generally speaking I was initially perceived as American there. As soon as it was clear I was Canadian the attitude would shift 180 degrees. This always bothered me, a lot . Canadians and Americans are pretty much exactly the same thing. Where I live (eastern Ontario) is indistinguishable from Vermont or Upstate NY or Pennsylvania. Culturally, visually, you name it. I’m as comfortable in Rochester or Burlington as Kingston or Ottawa.
My take is, it’s the cool kids factor. The Americans are the cool kids. We Canadians are the cool kids without Aircraft Carriers. The anecdote: In a restaurant with some American colleagues and the waiter had to launch into the euro-weenie tirade about Israel, the US and so on. Culminating with “America has no Culture!!!” So I asked the guy if his jeans were Levis or Wranglers. He didn’t get it. But we did.
the Hockey Metaphor, The USA is like Boston Bruin Brad Marchand. All the pundits have nasty things to say about him,every player in the NHL wants him on the team. Eternally grateful that Canadians are on the same team as you guys.
PS I work for the Military, not supposed to comment, if you don’t mind and you get to this,call me Kilroy
It would be interesting to hear VDH explain the roles non-combative or neutral European countries played in WW11. Eg: Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Croatia, Serbia, Turkey etc.
As I read & listen to Victor’s analysis of WW11 I am surprised to hear that politically most were Third Reich supporters.
Is that true and what does that say about the ECM today.
From the sour grape
Rich Barber
On Germany: I was an American Airlines frequent flyer and wife and I used some of my “miles” to fly to Europe. AA flew into Hamburg, so that’s where we started. This was 1989 when the Berlin wall fell. We traveled through Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Germany was the least accommodating country to English speakers. The Hamburg visitors office didn’t have anyone who spoke English when we were there. We felt much more at home in the other countries we visited. I would hardly put Germany in the ‘welcomes Americans’ group.
Great program as usual. Please go on “Side Bar” with Viva and Barnes @VivaBarnesLaw.Locals.com, I love to hear you guy talk! I think you’d enjoy the time with them.
Best regards.
VDH’s remarks with respect Germany and the loss of two wars is shockingly accurate. On visits to Mexico City, for example, many times I have met Mexican nationals of German descent who, after several shots of tequila, let me know–and I mean very directly–that the US F—– up everything that could have been. IMHO, it is time for the US to pull out of NATO completely, or, let the EU subsidize us, instead of the other way around.
I wish Victor would counter balance his seeming disgust with Germany with a brief sketch of Martin Luther’s solitary confrontation with the powers that be in his day. It seems appropriate with the approach of All Hallows Eve/Reformation Day – October 31. Has he and Jack forgotten that 53% of the US trace their lineage to Germany?
Lineage notwithstanding,
We are Americans…
A remarkable VDH rant – and Victor does not deny his aversion to Germany. In many aspects he might be correct, but, sorry to say, many arguments look like a rationalization less like an analysis.
One of the key differences is VDH holding Germany accountable as the main culprit for WW1. This is not convincing. I remember him founding Germany’s guilt for WW1 with the hard peace Treaty of Brest-Litowsk. He took an event of 1917 as the determining event for outbreak of the war years before – 1914 – this is not a scientific method.
And, the last 10 years shed some more light on the details of the developments leading into the ‘Great War’, especially with the works of historians Christopher Clark, Sean McMeekin and his Hoover collegue Niall Ferguson – all of them broadening the picture by no longer ignoring the roles of a revanchistic, aggressive France, an imperialistic Russia, keen on Austrian territories as well as the Dardanelles and even of a weary titan Great Britain who all are as well – if not considerably more – to blame for the ‘primordial catastrophe of the 20th century’ than Imperial Germany – as well as for the emergence of German nationalism.
An interesting presentation on current politics and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
What unnecessary me is the attitude of the American public, of all political leanings. There is a tremendous lack of anxiety missing from the ethos of our country..
Let me expand the above by referencing my personal recollection of The Cuban Missile Crisis.
I was about 21 and a college student. The Cuban Crisis was made public by Predident Kennedy’s natio tv address. I was early in an application process for the U.S. Navy and had a military and historical interest in current affairs. The Country was sensitized to Cuba since the late 1950s ad the regular news of Cuba and the Bay of Pigs failure.
We have had an ongoing non military, but incendiary, confrontation with Russia since the ascendency of President Putin. The post 911 world was consumed by military action of one type or another. The Chinese were ascending but not the perceived threat they are today.
President Kennedys address scared the “shit” out of most people, me included. The national press media and TV had daily front page banner headlines. Kennedy was well liked by most Americans, respctd from his military past and credible. It was not a happy time. School kids were learning to hide under their desks as preparation began for possible nuclear war. Russia had a serious nuclear capability but was far less away from Americas nuclear capacity. I still can feel some of that anxiety, when I think back. Today ther
We came a hair away from a nuclear exchange resulting from a hostile act towars a Russian submarine operating near Cuba. Fortunately, after 10 tense days an agreement was reached ending the standoff.
Today, there is no perceived public anxiety over PRESIDENT Putin’s threats to engage with nuclear weapons. The left leaning MSM ignore the potency of the threats and the public is glued to tv football or the politics of the coming election.
Kennedy engendered respect, was liked by most of he country, and had credibility and was trusted. He had the courage to face down the Russians and his own military advisors.
Today the Biden administration is feckless,, weak ad gets contempt not respect.. the wok military is leaderless and a caricature of the “Keystone Cops”.
We are in a world of hurt and for the most part have no clue.
I had and have a slightly different experience with Germany. But I lived there longer ago than some of the posters. I was a student, and I lived in Munich in 1984 and 1985. Bavaria seemed to be the most friendly to the US at the time.
As Professor Hanson mentions, the proximity to the Soviet bloc was a definite factor.
I found that the older generations were most appreciative of Americans. A common comment older people (ie, those old enough to have been active in the war, even as young teenagers), was that America saved them from being occupied by the Soviets. Bavaria bordered on the DDR (the “inner German border”) and on the CSSR. They remembered the Soviets reaching into Austria.
And I found that the people my age, or within 10 years of my age but still in school (very generous subsidized higher education; the saying is “go from student aid into retirement”) were just as snot-nosed and spoiled as any American college students. They idolized the student protest movements from the Sixties.
As far as anti-Semitism goes, I guess it depends on the circles you’re in. I didn’t observe any of it. But as I said, that was in the mid-80s, and there are several generations of Germans who have no direct personal experience of the divided country.
(ran out of characters)
There are two things to consider about Germany, in the context of European politics.
The first is that by virtue of her geographic location, her resources, and her population, Germany has always had the potential to be the leading nation in Europe. The irony is that so few of her leaders understood this. Bismarck did, and some of the liberals did. They understood that Germany could lead Europe without having to annex her neighbors. Sheer economic output would make her a leader.
The second that Germany’s position in the middle of Europe gave rise to a “third way” philosophy. That is, she would strike a path between East and West. In the Cold War, some politicians and political scientists suggested Germany could be the broker between NATO and the Communist bloc. Some versions of this idea included a neutral, reunited Germany, a member of neither NATO nor the Warsaw pact. That idea might have a bit of German Grossenwahn underlying it, or maybe just Hochmut. Either way, perhaps an inflated sense of their position. But it’s something to remember, when trying to understand what the Germans do. Regardless of ideology, those currents are there.
Just as with the Chinese and the “Middle Kingdom”. Empire, representative republic, or Communist dictatorship, they see themselves as the center of the civilized world. So the Germans are Prometheus to the rest of Europe.