Thank you, Matt! As I said when we spoke, my case is just one of many, many examples of this kind of naked crackdown on dissent and political opposition, and blatant disregard for the rule of law that old farts like me were brought up to believe governed our democratic societies, and protected the people from the arbitrary exercise of power by our governments.
Thank you, Matt! As I said when we spoke, my case is just one of many, many examples of this kind of naked crackdown on dissent and political opposition, and blatant disregard for the rule of law that old farts like me were brought up to believe governed our democratic societies, and protected the people from the arbitrary exercise of power by our governments.
Your work is a treasure, sir. We wish you all the best, and we sincerely thank you for taking one for the team and fighting the noble fight. This will serve as a lightning rod to the critical importance of speech!
You're doing it. Thank you! And you can stay up to date with my columns on my Substack with a free or paid subscription. More important is to spread the word about this kind of thing, which is happening in many countries, not just in Germany.
My grandfather was the youngest superior court judge (тАШSenats PresidentтАЩ, I believe), in Weimar Germany. He got out a week before the knock on the door. Sixty years later, his youngest daughter, living in Washington State, told me these words of his: тАЮDas Gesetz ist meine beruf, aber die Gerechtigkeit ist meine Pflicht.тАЬ
тАЬThe law is my profession but justice is my duty.тАЭ
How he would have laughed to learn that the suppression of past crimes is carried out using the tactics of past criminals.
We must remain in solidarity. Our ideas define us, but only our numbers can protect us.
"Senatspr├дsident" could be correct. Depends on what level he was as a judge. That term was discontinued a long time ago, but in the 1920s/30s wuold still have been in use. Lucky for him to get out! Nice statement from him.
Thanks for that. I was a child when I last saw him, and never saw his title written. B
His youngest daughter, my mother, died ten years ago today. How odd to calculate that he was born not that long after AmericaтАЩs civil war. And so little has changed.
My paternal grandmother was born in the US in 1897 but spoke German as a first language. According to her, they didn't teach my dad German in the late 30s-early 40s because at the time, speaking German was frowned upon in the US (they were in Wisconsin).
My grandmother died 30 years ago, but that story (true or not) comes back to me often during the last years of #Russiagate, where just being Russian, or people thinking you're Russian, or even that you have contacts to Russians, makes you questionable as an American.
Sadly you're so right. So little has changed. We are still a violent, jingoistic nation.
We have FOUR good men in PRISON in Canada for being involved in the completely PEACEFUL Truckers Freedom March. They are guilty before being proven innocent and have been jailed for over 545 days with NO DUE PROCESS. How is this possible in what used to be a FREE COUNTRY?
We have one good woman facing a long court proceeding and a sentence of 10 YEARS in prison simply for helping organize the completely peaceful Freedom March across Canada. She is not permitted to use Facebook or any social media and cannot talk to any of the other organizers. Because she stood up to the tyrant Trudeau.
The current government is out of control with their attempts AT control. You are right. These тАЬexamplesтАЭ are being made around the world. Trudeau and his father have tried to take Canadians legal hunting/sport shooting guns on many attempts. They will not succeed.
Stay safe, you have committed no crime. We all see exactly what is going on. They are making an example of you, believing it will keep the rest of us in line. Not gonna happen this time.
Same thing has and is happening with environmental and indigenous activists in Canada. Sadly, this is nothing new. Only now the legal process seems to be more drawn out as a punishment for those that challenge government. On the bright side those that are freedom lovers do win at times. About one thousand arrests of Fairy Creek Old Growth protesters were thrown out in British Columbia recently.
I supported the Truck Convoy cause I love freedom. Freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of speech are vitally important.
Exactly. The message is: Don't step out of line because even if you didn't technically break any laws, we can take your time and money to make you prove your innocence. And even if you win, there is no recompense.
Jennifer, most of the press is complicit in the silencing of dissent. That is perhaps the scariest part of all of this, the fact that there is no effective press coverage of this and other similar outrages.
My subscription automatically renews in about a week, so hopefully that helps. I think we're past the 2 Neos, or Neo-conservative and Neo-liberal, to straight up Neo-authoritarianism. If you get a chance, look up the case of Scott Ritter, whose YouTube channel, highly critical of US policy on Ukraine, was deleted without warning for "hate speech" not specified. Ritter's very intense but also quite humorous, a kind of real life "Walter" from the "Big Lebowski." The Monster known as the "Criminalization of Dissent" has emerged from its Cave and is waving its Lawless club in the Streets. I would say "God Help Us!," but I'm a non-practicing atheist, etc...
It's not the Germans. It's the entire Western world. Britain/Canada/Australia/NZ don't even pretend to value free speech anymore. We've clearly seen the American govt aggressively attacking social media to prevent dissent. The new EU social media law (DSA) is certainly going to crush digital speech in Europe. Western values are under attack.
That said, I will note that the French ruling classes will do whatever takes to prevent anyone not entirely subservient to the Atlanticist consensus from getting into the Champ d'Elysee.
I don't understand your point. You can't even use Rumble in France. Yet you aren't in the streets. The DSA will curtail your digital speech further. Will you be in the streets?
Muttman: That "history of blindly following authority" is a result of the Prussian form of schooling, which is designed to crush the spirit, imagination, intellect, and critical thinking skills of the whole population of children, to make them obedient and docile. This was developed in the second half of the 19th Century, as large-scale industry was beginning to develop, and the oligarchs at the time needed obedient, docile, unthinking workers to do the shit jobs for long hours. This system was then imported to the U.S. by our own home-grown oligarchs, and spread throughout the country by the early 20th Century. See John Taylor Gatto's "Weapons of Mass Instruction" for a full history of this crime against children. I am convinced that the major reason for the cultural rot and economic collapse we are witnessing is schooling. Contrary to what many believe, the purpose of schooling is not only not education, but it is anti-educational. Public schools, private schools, charter schools,.nearly any kind of school is simply damaging to children.
I have read J.T. Gatto's critique of US public schools, and it's an eye-opener, especially the history and the creepy philosophies of the early leaders of public schooling.
However, I went to public schools in Chicago and a Western Suburb from Headstart in 1966 through high school in 1978 and was always encouraged to think independently and read widely/deeply. The only thing anywhere close to anything like state propaganda was in the now-extinct Civics class, which praised American exceptionalism while teaching how the Republic is designed to work.
So I did not personally experience the allegedly deadening effect of public schooling. Quite the opposite, in fact.
There are now people literally wandering streets in the US wearing rebreathers to save themselves from COVID. Blindly following authority after a sufficient level of terrorist propaganda is inevitable. Combine it with decades of education specifically designed to create that urge for obedience to authority, as has been the norm in the US since 1984, and trying to pigeonhole that response is counterfactual.
What these authorities seem to be oblivious to is that theyтАЩre proving your point: no one is allowed to criticize them (those with the power to set the rules) or point out flaws in their assertions. The message is loud and clear тАФ disagree at your own peril.
I'm an American living "next door" in Austria. I've been watching uneasily as Austria over the decades slides closer to NATO and farther from its constitutional neutrality. I can only imagine what it is like in US occupied Germany!
Fortunately, NATO and particularly the US jumped the shark with the coup->civil war in Ukraine. When the war ends there will be a backlash against NATO and particuarly the US. How big/far it will go is the big question.
Good luck to you getting out. I didn't know you before, but anyone Taibbi supports can't be a completely bad. I have subscribed on Substack to get to know you.
I have been talked into setting up a sort of legal defense fund, and will post about that shortly, tomorrow, hopefully. In the meantime, there's info here: https://cjhopkins.com/contact/
Thank you, Matt! As I said when we spoke, my case is just one of many, many examples of this kind of naked crackdown on dissent and political opposition, and blatant disregard for the rule of law that old farts like me were brought up to believe governed our democratic societies, and protected the people from the arbitrary exercise of power by our governments.
Your work is a treasure, sir. We wish you all the best, and we sincerely thank you for taking one for the team and fighting the noble fight. This will serve as a lightning rod to the critical importance of speech!
Mr. Hopkins, you may be old, but your ideas are older, and will outlive the challenges of this era.
CJ - In addition to buying the book, what can we do to help you?
You're doing it. Thank you! And you can stay up to date with my columns on my Substack with a free or paid subscription. More important is to spread the word about this kind of thing, which is happening in many countries, not just in Germany.
My grandfather was the youngest superior court judge (тАШSenats PresidentтАЩ, I believe), in Weimar Germany. He got out a week before the knock on the door. Sixty years later, his youngest daughter, living in Washington State, told me these words of his: тАЮDas Gesetz ist meine beruf, aber die Gerechtigkeit ist meine Pflicht.тАЬ
тАЬThe law is my profession but justice is my duty.тАЭ
How he would have laughed to learn that the suppression of past crimes is carried out using the tactics of past criminals.
We must remain in solidarity. Our ideas define us, but only our numbers can protect us.
"Senatspr├дsident" could be correct. Depends on what level he was as a judge. That term was discontinued a long time ago, but in the 1920s/30s wuold still have been in use. Lucky for him to get out! Nice statement from him.
Thanks for that. I was a child when I last saw him, and never saw his title written. B
His youngest daughter, my mother, died ten years ago today. How odd to calculate that he was born not that long after AmericaтАЩs civil war. And so little has changed.
My paternal grandmother was born in the US in 1897 but spoke German as a first language. According to her, they didn't teach my dad German in the late 30s-early 40s because at the time, speaking German was frowned upon in the US (they were in Wisconsin).
My grandmother died 30 years ago, but that story (true or not) comes back to me often during the last years of #Russiagate, where just being Russian, or people thinking you're Russian, or even that you have contacts to Russians, makes you questionable as an American.
Sadly you're so right. So little has changed. We are still a violent, jingoistic nation.
We have FOUR good men in PRISON in Canada for being involved in the completely PEACEFUL Truckers Freedom March. They are guilty before being proven innocent and have been jailed for over 545 days with NO DUE PROCESS. How is this possible in what used to be a FREE COUNTRY?
We have one good woman facing a long court proceeding and a sentence of 10 YEARS in prison simply for helping organize the completely peaceful Freedom March across Canada. She is not permitted to use Facebook or any social media and cannot talk to any of the other organizers. Because she stood up to the tyrant Trudeau.
The current government is out of control with their attempts AT control. You are right. These тАЬexamplesтАЭ are being made around the world. Trudeau and his father have tried to take Canadians legal hunting/sport shooting guns on many attempts. They will not succeed.
Stay safe, you have committed no crime. We all see exactly what is going on. They are making an example of you, believing it will keep the rest of us in line. Not gonna happen this time.
Same thing has and is happening with environmental and indigenous activists in Canada. Sadly, this is nothing new. Only now the legal process seems to be more drawn out as a punishment for those that challenge government. On the bright side those that are freedom lovers do win at times. About one thousand arrests of Fairy Creek Old Growth protesters were thrown out in British Columbia recently.
I supported the Truck Convoy cause I love freedom. Freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom of speech are vitally important.
So true and so sobering. To raise our kids into this, after knowing the joys of personal freedoms. The Darkening Age..
Thank you Matt, for featuring this
story.
I also follow Eugyppius. Did he feature you yet?
https://substack.com/@eugyppius?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Hey CJ wtf as Matt said.
This is frightening.....
Could YOU sum up in a word or two whoтАЩs behind this insanity . ЁЯШ╣
Just found you on substack- unpaid for now ЁЯС╗
Your conviction would be handed down by a local court (Amtsgericht).
You can appeal on points of fact and law (Berufung) to the regional court (Landgericht).
After that there would still be the possibility for an appeal on points of law (Revision) to the higher regional court (Kammergericht).
Even if the state ultimately loses, they've made their point.
Maybe they have but the point is Hopkins won.
No, even a win is a loss.
It's lawfare: the process is the punishment.
Exactly. The message is: Don't step out of line because even if you didn't technically break any laws, we can take your time and money to make you prove your innocence. And even if you win, there is no recompense.
Just like the congress did to Matt.
Yes and then it is up to the Press to include this.
Jennifer, most of the press is complicit in the silencing of dissent. That is perhaps the scariest part of all of this, the fact that there is no effective press coverage of this and other similar outrages.
I agree BUT the left (always been a socialist) is doing the exact same thing?
My subscription automatically renews in about a week, so hopefully that helps. I think we're past the 2 Neos, or Neo-conservative and Neo-liberal, to straight up Neo-authoritarianism. If you get a chance, look up the case of Scott Ritter, whose YouTube channel, highly critical of US policy on Ukraine, was deleted without warning for "hate speech" not specified. Ritter's very intense but also quite humorous, a kind of real life "Walter" from the "Big Lebowski." The Monster known as the "Criminalization of Dissent" has emerged from its Cave and is waving its Lawless club in the Streets. I would say "God Help Us!," but I'm a non-practicing atheist, etc...
As I'm sure you've heard before, God loves you. ЁЯШЗ
More than a bit creepy that this is the Germans, who have a somewhat unfortunate history of blindly following authority.
If you want to arrest somebody, you nuts, start with Scholz, for treason for serving foreign interests to the massive detriment of Germans.
It's not the Germans. It's the entire Western world. Britain/Canada/Australia/NZ don't even pretend to value free speech anymore. We've clearly seen the American govt aggressively attacking social media to prevent dissent. The new EU social media law (DSA) is certainly going to crush digital speech in Europe. Western values are under attack.
What you are forgetting is that the education here in France is good. NO in the US.
And yet the French ruling classes obediently follow the US diktat.
Stop kidding yourself.
Yes because we have Macron.
Any other leader that would be acceptable to the French and European political classes would be equally submissive.
I am not kidding myself but unlike the US we would be out in the streets if Le Pen got in!
I'm not sure what you are trying to say here.
That said, I will note that the French ruling classes will do whatever takes to prevent anyone not entirely subservient to the Atlanticist consensus from getting into the Champ d'Elysee.
you guys are out on the streets if McDonald's runs out of pomme frittes
Jennifer: Aren't you already out in the streets with Macron?
We don't do LONGGGGGG elections like you do.
Even if she won a free and fair election?
(do they have those in France?)
Yes I believe we do.
All candidates take part in the first election. After 2 weeks we vote for the 2 candidates who got the most votes.
Several weeks before the 1st election and the 2nd. No advertising.
I don't understand your point. You can't even use Rumble in France. Yet you aren't in the streets. The DSA will curtail your digital speech further. Will you be in the streets?
Don't need any of these things!
Rumble bailed on France when the French government banned Russian News (propaganda) outlets.
Muttman: That "history of blindly following authority" is a result of the Prussian form of schooling, which is designed to crush the spirit, imagination, intellect, and critical thinking skills of the whole population of children, to make them obedient and docile. This was developed in the second half of the 19th Century, as large-scale industry was beginning to develop, and the oligarchs at the time needed obedient, docile, unthinking workers to do the shit jobs for long hours. This system was then imported to the U.S. by our own home-grown oligarchs, and spread throughout the country by the early 20th Century. See John Taylor Gatto's "Weapons of Mass Instruction" for a full history of this crime against children. I am convinced that the major reason for the cultural rot and economic collapse we are witnessing is schooling. Contrary to what many believe, the purpose of schooling is not only not education, but it is anti-educational. Public schools, private schools, charter schools,.nearly any kind of school is simply damaging to children.
I have read J.T. Gatto's critique of US public schools, and it's an eye-opener, especially the history and the creepy philosophies of the early leaders of public schooling.
However, I went to public schools in Chicago and a Western Suburb from Headstart in 1966 through high school in 1978 and was always encouraged to think independently and read widely/deeply. The only thing anywhere close to anything like state propaganda was in the now-extinct Civics class, which praised American exceptionalism while teaching how the Republic is designed to work.
So I did not personally experience the allegedly deadening effect of public schooling. Quite the opposite, in fact.
There are now people literally wandering streets in the US wearing rebreathers to save themselves from COVID. Blindly following authority after a sufficient level of terrorist propaganda is inevitable. Combine it with decades of education specifically designed to create that urge for obedience to authority, as has been the norm in the US since 1984, and trying to pigeonhole that response is counterfactual.
What these authorities seem to be oblivious to is that theyтАЩre proving your point: no one is allowed to criticize them (those with the power to set the rules) or point out flaws in their assertions. The message is loud and clear тАФ disagree at your own peril.
I'm an American living "next door" in Austria. I've been watching uneasily as Austria over the decades slides closer to NATO and farther from its constitutional neutrality. I can only imagine what it is like in US occupied Germany!
Fortunately, NATO and particularly the US jumped the shark with the coup->civil war in Ukraine. When the war ends there will be a backlash against NATO and particuarly the US. How big/far it will go is the big question.
Good luck to you getting out. I didn't know you before, but anyone Taibbi supports can't be a completely bad. I have subscribed on Substack to get to know you.
WeтАЩve got your back, CJ тЬК
тАв https://substack.com/@margaretannaalice/note/c-38899653
Blatant disregard for the law... Sounds like the mantra of the elitest 1%ers
Where would we send financial support?
I have been talked into setting up a sort of legal defense fund, and will post about that shortly, tomorrow, hopefully. In the meantime, there's info here: https://cjhopkins.com/contact/