Of Lee Hockstader*

What exactly is US vice president, Jay Di Vance, not realizing the term “neo -Nazi”?

This is a reasonable question that arises on the sidelines of his decision to meet with the head of the far -right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Alice Videl.

This is the German political lineup with such extreme positions and the long sad tradition of racial purity and adoption of symbols and slogans of the Third Reich, which even other, particularly conservative parties in Europe, have been ostracized.

Since until recently the lineup chose, songs- “hymns” for the “accomplishments” of the Nazis, to be heard at its political events, the second clear question that arises is one: If Vance really perceived the nature of the lineup, it would be the nature of the faction, Did he again choose to show sympathy to her?

We are talking about the same man who in 2016 was upset about the fact that Donald Trump was becoming “the American Hilter” and therefore none of his public placements could foretell that he might be able to see this to the point For the US president.

And yet, on his trip to Germany last week, the US Vice President insisted on his decision to hold a private meeting with Weidel, even giving a speech in which he condemned the European leaders who gave the “present” to the conference on a conference on Munich’s safety, accusing them of imprinting the dangers by excluding and persecuting far -right groups, which he described as “Europe’s retreat from some of its most fundamental values”.

Of course, his hypocritical thing is obvious: Vance accuses the European allies of despising their values, while his government reaches out that he will ignore judicial decisions, avenge her political opponents and clear non -party prosecutors and civil servants. who applied the letter of the law.

In any case, his attitude and his involvement in the domestic policy of an ally could have a much greater negative impact – just nine days before the German elections, in which Widel is even the AfD candidate for the Chancellor.

Choosing to meet her while at the same time not seeing any of the candidates – “favorites”, including the current Chancellor Olf Saltz – Vance broke a taboo that would otherwise consider outrageous.

Imagine for example the number 2 of Germany’s elected government being associated with a left -wing president – Alexandria Okasio -Cortez, let’s say (which does not represent the US in the US in the US.

The fact that Vance is turning his attention to the AfD, a line in which polls give 20% rates and that many Germans perceive as shadowy is indifferent to history and discomfort for the transatlantic alliance, as it manages to reshape the Europe’s old stereotype for “ugly America” ​​in something more grotesque, referring to the motif of “malicious America”.

The question is reasonably why he wants it.

One first level reading is that the Trump-Wans worldview coincides with that of AfD and Weider as they have a similar political profile.

They are addressed to the base voters to a large extent, express their opposition to what they consider to be uncontrolled immigration while rejecting the idea that multiculturalism is socially and economically desirable.

Their equally important common is the extreme rhetorical and the divisive reason, the utilization of members of the elite in the political scene, the culture and education, and their dissatisfaction with the power of the dominant liberal democrats in the European Union, an extensive bureaucracy that They see as a regulatory threat and as an obstacle to propaganda that pushes their movements.

In addition, they are equally liked by Vladimir Putin and are, at best, indifferent to Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty and integration into all Western nations.

But apart from their relatives political beliefs, there is something darker around the motives that prompted Vace to meet Widel – whose party is worth noting that it has long expressed its “anti -American feelings” openly.

Unlike some other hard right -wing parties in Europe, such as Marin Lepen’s party in France, the AfD has made no attempt to emerge as a dominant movement within the traditional parameters of post -war German policy and possibly “round corners”.

The AfD never expressed any apology, no indication of remorse, did not retreat for all his neo -Nazi explosions, explosions such as those in recent rallies of the line, Weidel herself shouted slogans that directly referred to those of Nazi.

In any case, opposing the ruthless and illegal immigration, which has caused anger and despair in the United States and Europe is largely different from reproducing symbols and slogans that were banned by post -war German legislators in order to avoid any possible revival. of Nazism in his hometown.

After all, the commitment of “never again” is incompatible with the support of AfD, according to Salts on Saturday, scolding Vance and stressing “never fascism again, ever racism, never again aggressive war”.

Meeting Videl and thus giving AfD a rum of regularity that could not have imagined, Vance sent the message that the United States of Trump would pay any price – proportions – and deal with any spots in their reputation to promote him to promote him Their most desired goal: to free western countries from the scourge of immigration.

With a degree from Yale’s Law School, Vance is often fed up in Republican circles as an intellectual, a characteristic that no one would attribute to Trump.

But it is undoubtedly paradoxical how an intellectual is unacceptable in history.

* Lee Hockstader is Wasinghton Post European Affairs columnist