Counter-Currents
Sometimes the Ship Has to Sink for the Rats to Desert
Clarissa Schnabel
1,181 words
There is no lord so high in the land,
that he does not live by farmer’s hand.
— German farmers’ wisdom
The second week of January 2024 is seeing nationwide protests by farmers, truckers, and trade- and craftsmen, as well as ordinary citizens in Germany. It started out as a protest against the government’s plan to scrap diesel and vehicle tax breaks for farmers, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Whether that plan was drawn up because of the 17-billion-euro deficit in the 2024 national budget or because of Germany’s “green” goals, or both, is anybody’s guess. It doesn’t matter, I suppose, since both come down to the same thing.
“German Farmers Revolt,” proclaimed a slightly overdramatic headline on YouTube. In fact, there has been no revolt whatsoever. People have been behaving in an orderly manner and complying with the police’s instructions. Many policemen, by the way, are sympathetic to the protests. Nobody has tried to burn down cities, and nobody has incited anyone to storm the Bundestag. I therefore felt that the excitement the demonstrations elicited on social media was a bit overblown, and I didn’t even plan on writing about them. But after watching videos by two of my favorite Bavarian YouTubers who had attended the protest in Traunstein, I reconsidered. The protests might not achieve much; I don’t expect them to. But they are part of a larger trend, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
I woke early on Monday the 8th, the day of the “big protest,” to the sound of what I thought was the snow plow going by on the main street. Since I had the luxury of being on holiday, it took me quite a while to finally leave my warm bed and check out why the darn snowplow seemed to be taking forever to get the job done. In fact the snow had already been cleared away, but what was in fact going by was a long line of local farmers on their tractors on their way to either Hanover or Hildesheim, the two largest cities in the region. That was quite a sight, and had I not been dependent on public transport, which was on strike that day in solidarity with the farmers, I might have joined the demonstrations.
Again, the excitement online seems disproportionate to the effect the protests have had so far. The only thing that really got a reaction from our politicians happened a few days before, when Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck fled from protesters who had blocked the ferry he was about to leave. (Politicians were indignant, of course, and now blame the incident on “far Right extremists.” A police investigation is ongoing.)
The farmers’ protests are part of a larger movement that we are seeing all over the West nowadays. A certain optimism can be felt in everything from conservative to far Right circles. The more “the system” pushes, the more resistance it meets. It’s certainly not sweeping the nations yet, but still, people have had enough and they are beginning to see that they are neither alone in their opinions, nor are they powerless. It’s a start, especially in Germany. Unlike the French, we Germans are not revolutionaries. We like peace and order. It might be a cliché, but clichés do not come into being without a reason, and this one is definitely true. In all my life, I can remember only two meaningful large-scale demonstrations in Germany: the protests that ultimately resulted in the fall of the Iron Curtain (yes, I’m aware there was more to it than that), and the protests against the Iraq War. So for the German people — including even some people from neighboring countries — to come together like they did and stand with the farmers, that alone was incredibly uplifting to see.
People are unhappy with the ruling coalition and with the direction things have taken since Angela Merkel stepped down. They are tired of their taxpayer money being given away to all the world. (Cycle tracks in Peru, anyone?) They are tired of the working people being worse off than those who are unwilling to work. They are tired of their benefits getting cut while masses of immigrants receive free housing and pocket money, and then as a thank you commit 75% of all the crime in Germany. They are tired of so many things: ever-increasing mandatory fees for the state-sponsored media, 137,000 euros per year for Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock’s makeup artist (prompting the predictable joke about how horrible she might look underneath all that expensive makeup), financing foreign wars, “climate-friendly” laws and taxes, energy costs rising with no end in sight, deindustrialization, a tanking economy, and on, and on, all ultimately coming down to one thing: The government cares neither for its people nor its country. “We are no longer allowing ourselves to be shoved into the Right-wing corner, as has been the custom since COVID,” said one speaker at the Traunstein demonstration to loud applause. It’s a spirit reminiscent of “Wir sind das Volk”: “We are the people,” the battle cry of East Germany’s citizens in 1989.
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Not that I see anything wrong with being Right wing, obviously. But what the speaker was referring to is the popular tactic employed by politicians and the mainstream media of discrediting anyone who criticizes the way things are going down in Germany as far Right.
That is in fact still a problem, as YouTuber Vanessa Blank found out on her way to Traunstein. Nobody wanted to talk on camera, she reported. They were fine with explaining their reasons for taking part in the protests to her, but they feared negative consequences at their workplace if they went public with their opinions. In an age when an employer fires an employee for fear of bad publicity (from the organized Left, for the most part), it’s a reasonable concern.
Commentators from all over the world have remarked on the similarities between the demonstrations in Germany and those in Canada and the Netherlands in recent years, given both the shared reasons for the protests and the narrative that’s being spun by the establishment about them. One video that puts it all together very well in just 12 minutes is on the YouTube channel Clyde Do Something.
In the meantime, the self-declared fact checkers are already hard at work. “Dramatic posters at farmers’ protests: But how much of a threat do consumers really face?” writes Marie Illner on GMX, referring to the warning that slashing the tax breaks would result in even higher prices for food. She concludes that maybe, perhaps, prices might go up less than 1% — and farmers are known to be greedy whiners, anyway. It’s reminiscent of an earlier campaign that tried to convince people that inflation was much lower than they thought. Don’t trust your own eyes, trust us.
There was one poster I saw at the protests in Bavaria that put it best: “Sometimes the ship has to sink for the rats to desert.”
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9 comments
Excellent “sitrep” paper, as far as I know. Thanks.
“Commentators from all over the world” : not from France, where silence about these events has been almost universal in the MSM and even in most “dissident” media (such as TVL). Relegated in pages no one reads, written papers were very few with, of course, very dishonest a bias and the usual “8-ung ! das ist Far Ultra Mega Right coming back !” warning. It’s fortunate twitter network has not yet been silenced by Ubercommissar Thierry Breton ; else, one would not know anything what’s happening in Germany (videos and witnesses’ speeches ; though it’s difficult to grasp the whole situation for a foreigner). The solution, for the whole e.u.s.s.r. system, is obvious, if we’re to believe this paper :
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/13/germany-afd-far-right-ban-populism/
These three to four weeks, desperate farmers in France have been organizing a few actions, too, mostly symbolic ones, but since they don’t appear in MSM, they do not exist.
The criminal corrupt anti-German crypto-communist Scholz regime spends 62 billion euros on “development aid” in 109 countries (twice that of the previous year!*), plus 48 billion euros on dim invaders, but says that 0.9 billion euros must be saved on farmers! Scroll down https://www.hostize.com/r/kPmXbBGq1A/aid-pdf
“Development Minister” Schulze rejected calls to cut development aid. “These are populist and frighteningly short-sighted demands that would not solve any problems, but only exacerbate them. If we stopped working with partner countries worldwide on climate protection, we would soon have floods in Germany every year.”
https://www.dw.com/en/is-germany-about-to-cut-its-global-development-spending/a-65911264
“Immigration, as it has happened so far, is costing us 5.8 trillion euros for the economy as a whole,” says the renowned economist economist Bernd Raffelhüschen. https://www.hostize.com/d/QvPw3WA60b/file.pdf
That is the reality, which is in stark contrast to the claimed “skilled labor” miracle of the of the established parties. Raffelhüschen speaks of a “sustainability gap” between what is paid into the state coffers and what and what can be expected in return. This gap would grow to 19.2 trillion euros if we allowed 300,000 foreigners into the country every year.
However, this is a very conservative calculation, because in 2023 around 461,000 migrants from non-EU countries to Germany (asylum applicants and family reunification). The Ukrainians, who do not have to apply for asylum are not included here! https://de.zxc.wiki/wiki/Bernd_Raffelh%C3%BCschen
In an age of globalism, politics becomes internationalized. A Cold Civil War is uniting Right and Left everywhere across the European world. I have more in true common with a rightwing German (all Germans are white, even if some nonwhites possess German passports) than I do with a progressive (white) American, let alone nonwhites here. I suspect that this new Cold War is a prelude to an impending transcontinental civil war, one pitting patriotic Rights against cosmopolitanist Lefts and their nonwhite allies across most or all white nations. This was surely the most avoidable catastrophe in history.
My second sentence should have said, “A Cold Civil War is uniting Rights and Lefts everywhere across the European world”.
Thank you for the informative article. This is not a criticism of the article, but a thought I’d like to express. I am not aware of any “far right” people that have any influence in German, American, or probably any western countries. They may exist, but they have little power and can be hard to find in any position of influence. Many people say white nationalists are far-right. Even if this is acknowledged, they have very little influence. That is part of why things are the way they are today.
Far-left extremists are prominent and in power in many western countries. They rule over most western countries, and the slide to far-left extremist rule over Europe, the USA, and other western countries began after World War II ended. In Germany, it began with “de-Nazification” and the humiliation and slander of the German people by the victorious allies, which has led to the country being ruled by the traitors in power today. The German government does not serve the interests of Germany. In fact, it works against the interests of Germany. The country might be better off without any government, rather than with one that deliberately alters the ethnic makeup of the country, culminating in Chancellor Merkel welcoming two million non-white ethnic migrants, most of whom are uneducated and without skills, into the country a few years ago. But that is only the latest news. The slow “soft genocide” of the Germans and other western peoples has been going on for many decades. In Germany, it was already discussed in the 1970s. I recall my mother returning from Germany in 1975 after her first trip back to the country after leaving it about 20 years earlier, and she commented on the number of foreigners living in the country. Germany had a popular Social Democratic leader called Helmut Schmidt, but despite his popularity, some people were critical of the number of foreigners coming into the country. And then, the government gave citizenship to the guest workers (mostly Turkish people) that started coming to the country after World War II. Guest workers were brought over with the intention that they would eventually return home, as the word “guest” indicates.
At the same time as they were bringing in many non-white ethnics, Germany (and most western countries) adopted new policies that resulted in zero population growth for most European countries. Legalizing abortion, making the abortion pill widely available, and encouraging single life with multiple partners all meant people would stop having babies, but maybe Muslim immigrants won’t.
At the same time as this is going on, the Germans are constantly beaten over the head by being told how awful they are on a daily basis, year after year, with the ultimate insult being the Holocaust hoax. In order to ram this down everyone’s throats, the “democratic” governments of Germany and many other European governments made not believing in the Holocaust hoax illegal in the late 1980s and early 1990s, putting people in jail who refused to affirm it.
If you have no pride in your people and culture, you lose the incentive to do things that will benefit your country. When World War II ended in 1945, Germany had more Nobel Prizes than any other country in the world and more Nobel Prizes than any country in each individual category (physics, chemistry, and medicine). Since then, Germany has dropped significantly in competitiveness. The USA became the leader in the sciences after World War II. Being the leader in chemistry meant that for decades after World War II, Germany had the three biggest chemical companies in the world (BASF, Hoechst, and Bayer). Germany leads in nothing today. The USA still leads in the sciences, but it has become clear that the competitiveness of the USA has dropped sharply in recent years.
When I was 13 years old in 1970, China was one of the poorest countries in the world. It had not been a power for at least a century. It wasn’t even in the competition for being a leading country. By some estimations, it now has the biggest economy in the world. In a few years, that lead will be indisputable. I have a Russian friend, and I commented to her that I think Russia is doing better now than ever in its history. The standard of living has increased dramatically in Russia since 1991. Their supermarkets are now full of products, and people don’t have to wait in long lines, as my friend had to do years ago, when buying groceries. Their cities have been made beautiful. Russia was never considered a leading country in Europe and was not a vacation destination or a place considered desirable to live. Today, it might have some of the nicest cities in Europe. The subway system in Moscow is clean and beautiful. It is probably the most beautiful subway system in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgshiR4yvIE
By comparison, the New York subway system is a third-world shithole. Germany’s subway and above-ground S-Bahn in Berlin are not shitholes, but like the rest of the country, everything is not as clean and nice as it was forty years ago, when the country and its cities were incredibly beautiful. Germany is no longer especially clean or attractive. It’s dirty and ugly in some places.
The downward slide of Germany, the USA, and the West has been going on for decades, and now it’s clear that two world wars and the deliberate “soft genocide” of Europe, the USA, and other white countries probably mean that for the first time in at least 500 years, Europeans (or whites) won’t lead the world and, in fact, may live in dirty, crime-ridden countries.
It would be helpful if we could refer to the far-left extremists that run the west, with their castration of young boys and removing young girls breasts for sex changes, rather than the imaginary “far-right.”
German farmer goes berserk. But the leukocytes of the system in uniform risk a test of strength that the tractor would easily pass like an elephant. Finally they drag him out of his vehicle: “Out! Make sure you get out!” Someone behind the cam seems to shout “Jude!”, which sounds like an Arab speaking bad German. Presumably the leukocytes are meant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYN7gomPmek
André Barmettler, founder and editor of the Switzerland-based magazine ExpressZeitung, recently posted a YouTube video announcing what could be described as the air raid of one of the last bastions of independent and critically-minded journalism left in Europe.
The video description reads: “All hell broke loose shortly before Christmas. André Barmettler, founder and publisher of ExpressZeitung, gives us an overview. The bottom line: we can no longer conduct business within Germany under the handle ExpressZeitung, including selling, shipping and advertising our product. This applies to nearly all of the 60 issues published to date. However, new issues published under a different handle won’t be affected by the court’s ruling, meaning they will be available to our German readers.”
The legal armageddon unleashed by a Cologne-based German newspaper operating under the name EXPRESS hinges on the issue of likelihood of consumer confusion and trademark infringement. Hence the fitting name “Verboten-in-Deutschland!*Zeitung” (“Banned-in-Germany!*Zeitung”), adopted by the otherwise nameless Swiss publication as a makeshift solution to overcome the hurdle of not being able to reach their German readers. But why Germany and not Austria or Liechtenstein? Germany has been the publication’s main source of income as it comprises their largest readership in the German-speaking world. But more importantly, Germany is a sleeping giant the powers that be would rather leave undisturbed.
The publication formerly known as ExpressZeitung has long been in the crosshairs of the all-seeing eye of cancel culture, and the hell storm they’re currently under had been a long time coming. Some of the topics they have covered over the years have been highly controversial, stretching from German guilt to race politics, world communism, sham pandemics, and the systemic sexualization of children – to name but a few examples. And, of course, their latest issue: “ISRAEL: Our Friend & Ally?”, conveniently stifled at a time the whole world, and not just Germany, is slowly waking up from a long comatose slumber.
Without further ado, here’s André Barmettler’s statement of the case:
https://odysee.com/@ExpressZeitung:8/Express-in-Germany:4
With every new issue André Barmettler puts everything on the line. His current ordeal, reminiscent of Daniel Defoe’s day in the pillory, should serve as both a wake-up call and a grim reminder of the new era of censorship ushered in by the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict. As Orwell put it: “The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one. Don’t let it happen. It depends on you”. In that spirit, Barmettler’s editorial page for “ISRAEL: Our Friend & Ally?” pulls no punches:
Each individual issue of our magazine can be seen as a “a piece of the puzzle” in its own right, yet the term “missing link” seems more pertinent for the topic at hand. In spite of its role in shaping world events, Israel has often managed to stay out of the spotlight, with the USA and other key players being the main focus of attention. And by Israel we are referring to the ideological backbone of Zionist jingoism and hegemonic control on which the Israeli State rests, which today prompts us to ponder the significance of the Israel-led campaign in the Gaza Strip, characterized as genocidal in nature and intimately tied to the Middle East powder keg. As the public eye is once again drawn to the ruthless behaviour of this young and rapidly expanding nation, the divide between its supporters and critics continues to deepen. The latter could, in fact, be facing charges of anti-Semitism, according to a new resolution equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
In a recent English-language statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a thin and blurry line between criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism (which the said resolution equates with anti-Semitism): “When the ICC investigates Israel for fake war crimes, this is pure anti-Semitism”. The congressional resolution gives a clear indication of what lies ahead as it will likely pave the way for widespread censorship. It comes as no surprise that the US, of all countries, vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire due to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The unconditional solidarity of the USA and the West as a whole towards the “only democracy in the Middle East” is nothing short of remarkable, especially when Israel, a nation allegedly aligned with traditional Western values, not only tramples on those values, but also puts Biblical prophecy above universal democratic principles. Before criticism of Israel becomes legally equated with anti-Semitism and is thereby criminalized, this double issue will delve deeper into the topic by taking a closer look at this elephant in the room in light of its historical context up to the present day.
For the time being Barmettler’s publication may remain as “nameless” as the international clique of “unnamables” behind the bombings and the sweeping censorship, but his clear-eyed vision seems bigger and brighter than ever. A vision that is best understood as an all-purpose tool crafted to aid readers in piecing “things” together, as each title telescopes a key topic into a 60-100 page format. The editorial board comprises a young generation of writers including German wunderkind Tilman Knechtel (“Trau Keinem Promi”) who continue to churn out pages amid the shelling.
Temporarily unavailable owing to the current state of affairs, an initial selection of their German-language issues has been translated into English as part of a nascent digital-only edition. Let’s hope the future of Central European true-news journalism will be reborn under a catchier name for the English-speaking audience.
There are similarities to the demonstrations in Canada and the Netherlands, but also to the “yellow vest” movement in France in 2018, which was largely a rural movement, though not led by farmers. It was a leaderless movement, launched on Facebook in the wake of a gasoline price hike. The yellow vest protesters felt that the government wasn’t looking out for their interests. They did not fully realize that the government wanted them dead, but it was a start. Unfortunately, they didn’t complain about the government’s immigration policies, and they didn’t use the word “anti-White”.
Western governments are particularly interested in seeing the farmers dead as a group because farmers are White and conservative. And because they provide food security and help hold rural society together. But most farmers probably do not realize that Western governments want their countries to be totally dependent on cheap food imports from the Third World.
Strikes and social movements are usually limited to a particular sector of the economy. For example: truck drivers or teachers. The unions never say a word about immigration, which is the main cause of everyone’s difficulties. They try to get some concessions from the government at the expense of the rest of the population. The “yellow vest” movement was different because it did not represent a particular profession. But it lacked leaders and political courage. How hard is it to see that the government is deliberately replacing White people? The media did its best to derail the movement into irrelevance. The leftists who later joined the protests would not have tolerated any pro-White message, and the police, equipped with rubber ball launchers, were particularly violent. I think 18 protestors lost an eye. So, it went nowhere. And it didn’t prevent Macron’s reelection.
In Germany, people are tired of:
– working people being worse off than those who are unwilling to work
– masses of immigrants receiving free housing and pocket money
– ever-increasing mandatory fees for the state-sponsored media
– financing foreign wars
– “climate-friendly” laws and taxes
– deindustrialization
But they still don’t see that the government is anti-White. They are wrong if they think the government is indifferent, it’s a hostile government.
I think the anti-White system has several layers. At the center of the anti-White system, a small network of super-active anti-White agents hold the media and are able to dictate the political agenda of the far left. Then the far left dictates the political orientations of the left in general. The left is not deeply anti-White. The stupid leftists and conformist officials who embrace the leftist agenda like to think they are cool people on the side of progress, reason, and kindness. They also go along with the program because it’s easier and they can make more money that way. They are not personally anti-White, but they are intellectually and morally deficient and part of the genocidal, anti-White system. Most people in the government don’t want us dead, but the government as an organization does. It pursues policies that are designed to destroy us collectively. But most people refuse to see this.
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