Judging Freedom - Ray McGovern : Does Europe Fear War?

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

Ray McGovern : Does Europe Fear War?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

you Hi everyone, Judge Andrew Napolitano here for Judging Freedom. Today is Monday, July 7th, 2025. Ray McGovern will be here in a minute. He's traveling in Germany and I will ask him, does Europe want war? But first this. Why do so many financial experts call silver the most undervalued asset today? Because silver is essential to the future. From solar tech and electric vehicles to the explosive growth of artificial intelligence.

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or go to learjudsnap.com. Don't wait! The government can print dollars, but it can't print silver. Ray McGovern, welcome here, my dear friend. You have been traveling for the past week or so around Germany. What's in the air? Is it war or is it peace? Depends on who you associate with, Judge. With the group that I'm with, actually, you are Inen ein Big Lift. They know about you. I thought you and Larry were putting it on a little bit

months ago when you were saying in Russia, people came up to you and say, oh, but no, it's happened to me here. The people that invited me are people that watch your show most of the time. So I'm dissociating with them. Now the other Germans, they're asleep, they're sleepwalking. I don't know what's going on.

They have a military industrial capitalist named Mertz, who's their chancellor. He's trying to get the Germans to spend more money on this notional Russian threat. And the reason that we're over here and the reason that my friends are sorry, so tell the judge that we watch him is that the Germans don't know, as I mentioned, I guess a week or so ago on your program, that the American first place among the Glavni

Vrak main enemy has been lost. In other words, the Russians, ever since the Resurrection, Glavni vrak the main enemy was the United States. What happened a couple of months ago, it was replaced by another country. Guess what that country is? Germany. By an appreciable margin,

by well-respected polling in Russia. So my friends have just told me over a big, big lunch, look, Ray, for God's sake, the reason why we have you here is that we're not very proud. We're not proud about having become the main enemy of the Russians. Our rulership, our leadership seems to be proud and the public doesn't know which end is up.

So we're putting you before the public here. We're putting on all kinds of YouTubes and all that kind of stuff. So you can tell us an alternative to what they are dished out by the main media here in Germany, which is, if you can believe it, Judge, worse than the main media in our country. Oh my God, that is, that is hard to believe. So the Russians, no surprise, are taking seriously, uh, Chancellor Mersa's, uh, buildup of the, of the German military. I mean, can you tell me if the German people go to bed at night fearing

Vladimir Putin, or if this is all military industrial complex led by one of their own, who happens to be the chancellor at this moment. Well, you know, it's really hard to tell. Most people tend to believe the public line. What's really weird is that just a little dose of dark, a little dose of truth could puncture that balloon. You know, there's no need to have an enemy

in the Soviet Union, and less need of course to have one in Russia. And the Germans is beginning to understand that but it's a very slow process. So Putin, for example, in a recent interview, he expatiates on the fact that, look, the Western media has it, what do you call it, upside down, okay? It's not that the West has to fear Germany is that we were afraid of all those broken promises about NATO moving to these, we're afraid of the West. And why they can't understand that given the number of kind of, what's the word, disappointments

and betrayals that have happened ever since the coup in Kiev in February 2014. Well, you know, maybe they'll learn something now. Let me just add one thing that I found. I was doing a little research last night, and I found out that this German arms manufacturer, main military industrial, Mafay is its name, it was in a consortium with the French. Now, they were commissioned to build a common European battle tank. And guess what? In the middle of well around 2013, there was no, there's not enough Iraq, there's not enough enemy to justify. They were dead in the water. Okay. And then what happened? Oh, there's not enough, there's not enough enemy to justify.

They were dead in the water, okay? And then what happened? Oh, there was a coup in Kiev. The MH17 was shot down and blamed on the Russians. Then there were sanctions and then Mafei Stock went, whoop, and Rheinmetall, which is the other really, really big German firm, decided that they wanted to say, we have the rights to the common European battle tanker, that's the Leopard II of course, and Mafai and Rheinmetall went at it for three weeks in the courts, and they

just said, okay, Mafai, you build the structure and the turrets and all. And then, Reinhardt, you build the weaponry and all that. So make the deal. And they were happy with that because they go down because of the Russian enemy, which I hate to tell them doesn't really exist anymore as the Soviet Union did. Why are the NATO countries boasting about increasing their defense budgets? Is this to please Trump? It's certainly not to please a realistic fear, is it? Well, check with me in three weeks, Judge. That was all rhetoric for the NATO summit, which mocked my words, I think that's the

last NATO summit. The place has fallen apart. Now they wanted Trump to say, yeah, Article 5 still applies, so we're going to put that in there. Okay. And oh yeah, we're willing to give you 5%. 5% that will never happen. What?

It's supposed to be 10 years? It's not gonna happen, Judge. And what did the US want? Don't mention Ukraine getting into NATO in the final communique. That's out of there, forget about it. I know we said it last year, an irreversible path to membership to NATO.

We ain't saying it this year, that's my part of the bargain. Now that's the way the NATO summit came out. And if the Ukrainians are really down struck about that, well, now we have an embargo sort of or at least a halt on US weaponry. So Ukraine is going down. It's clear to me at least that Putin wants to work with Trump to get some sort of lasting deal where this doesn't happen again in 10 years, or even five years, and that is the good news. The rest of the news, the Middle East, my God. I'm wearing this shirt. Somebody said you should show

this to the judge. It's something we used before Iraq. That's Arabic. El Elza Murray just translated for me and English it comes out We will not be silent and that means something in Germany because it comes from Sophie shorted in Munich a university student who Distributed pamphlets despite the Nazis was rolled up and guillotined in a place where I spent three years living in Munich. So wir schweigen nicht means we're not going to be silent. And that's what we were saying to the... Was she part of the white rose movement? Yes, that's from she and her brother were the founders.

Oh, thanks. Yeah. Also, yeah. You ought to read what they did. These really, really courageous kid. Yeah. Yeah, you ought to read what they did these these really really courageous kid. Yeah, we're extraordinarily courageous and they were all Well executed horrifically. What do ordinary Germans think about? Ukraine

You have it you have a finger on that pulse right Not yet judge. My guess is that're getting tired of it, you know? I don't see how Maltz and those people can still make outlandish claims that Ukraine can still win. You know, what I intend to tell them tonight and then tomorrow night and then Berlin three more times is that, look, even President Obama acknowledged, look, the worst thing we could do for the Ukrainians, we give them the idea that they could prevail in a war against Russia. That would be irresponsible because it's crazy.

And his deputy secretary of state chimed in and he said, President Obama, you're absolutely right. For every weapon we gave to Ukraine, the Russians could double it, they could triple it, they could quadruple it. Now, who do you suppose that Deputy Secretary of State was under Obama? His name was Tony Blinken. And when he came in with Biden, he said, well, no, maybe we're exceptional and indispensable and we could do what the hell we want. So let's try it. You know, that's the kind of leadership, so to speak, that we have in foreign policy circles today. What kind of groups are you

speaking to and what is the message you're delivering? Well, the message is, well, how do you feel about being the GLAVNI BRAG, you Germans? Did you know that, you know, this happened before, actually. It's just 80 years ago. I was alive. Being a GLAVNI BRAG of Russia doesn't really turn out real well for Germans. Do you really want the US to put middle range and intermediate range ballistic missiles nuclear capable in Germany next year? Did you know that Chancellor Torch, the last fellow, agreed bilaterally, not with NATO, but bilaterally with the Biden administration to do that?

Okay. And did you know that when he was asked why, he said, well, the Americans asked us to do it. And so we agreed. Well, that's what I tried to expose. When the Americans ask you to do something, you don't have to agree anymore. You ought to grow up. Sorry about that. Nicely put.

Is that going to happen? I mean, that would really be insane. Are they actually going to do that, put offensive weaponry aimed at Moscow in Germany because Joe Biden's people requested it two years ago? My guess is that's going to happen. And that's the good thing about Trump and Putin talking. Okay. Right. Trump and Putin talking. I'm sure Putin is giving Trump nine yards on this subject. And

you know, Judge, for your listeners or viewers, it wasn't long ago before Scott Ritter, our good friend, appeared in Russia to monitor the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty that Garavachev agreed to back in 1987 and which remained in force until Trump got out of it in 2019. And what did that do? It was eignatze, as the Germans say, it was unique, okay? It not only only banned it destroyed a whole class of weapons carrying Well rockets and missiles carrying weapons that were targeted on the western part of Russia and on On Europe they were that was the INF Treaty now as I say Scott was the first one on the ground to spend two years watching those missiles hacked up one on the ground to spend two years watching those missiles hacked up, literally hacked into pieces under the terms of this agreement. So it was an unusual agreement, unprecedented.

And now the Germans are going to sit by silently when people like Mertz want to create that kind of danger to the Russians again. I don't think it's going to happen, but my God, what the Germans need to be is educated. They get their stuff from major media, and as I said, it's really, really bad. But the good news is the alternative media is growing in strength here, and we're going to be able to get before some major media as well as alternative media when we reach Berlin in just a couple of days. Is there much discussion amongst the Germans of the Israeli genocide in Gaza?

It's verboten. You could be put in jail. Did you know? You could be put in jail for accusing Netanyahu of engaging in genocide? Yes, you can. And BDS, or the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, has been banned in Germany. I asked my host here, I'm in Darmstadt right now, I said, now, Franziska Albanese,

the UN rapporteur for the Middle East, she tried to speak in Germany two months ago and they threw her out of the locale. They had to find some other... Is that going to happen to us, I asked? They said, no, no, it won't happen to us. We don't think, it couldn't happen to us? Of course it could, last time there were two policemen that came and we asked, what are you here for?

What do you want to learn? I said, welcome, you should learn from these things. Well, this is the first time we've had police here. Are you sure that's all you want? So in other words, you know, I know enough about what happened 1930s, okay. I was just born in 39, but I read and I lived the experience of World War II. And I learned thereafter that, you know, this stuff was really bad because there was genocide involved and I said to myself when I grow up, when I get big, when I get big I'm not going to allow anything like that to happen.

When that was happening in Gaza, I know I'm big and I'm doing my damnedest to stop it. Wow, let's switch gears a little bit. Did the Trump bombing of Iran make Iran stronger or weaker in your view? Stronger, with one caveat, Israel still has nuclear weapons. I have no confidence in Netanyahu if he's in dire straits. I have no confidence in him acting responsibly. I think it would lose them rather than lose them as we used to say in this connection. What do you think? And they'll be speaking in just a few minutes.

It's a 10 20 in the morning here. I believe they're going to have lunch in about an hour and a half. What do you think Netanyahu will be saying to Trump more nonsense about how dangerous Iran is and how we have to bring about regime change and we have to turn it into Syria or Libya or, hey, Donald, let me drop a bomb. Let me drop a big one, bigger than the one you did. What do you think he's actually going to try and talk him into with Mike Huckabee at his side

Well, hopefully there'll be others there besides by could be Huckabee will bring his Bible no doubt and show how everything that's in Yahoo says is what would God the real estate director of that part of the world, ordained. I think that Netanyahu is in the bigger seat now. He has to tell the president, oh look, we didn't show you these photos, but the Iranians were real nasty to us. They blew out some of our major installations, our ports and stuff and they got lots more missiles to use and we're running out of them

and you can't help us use anymore. So look, we're grateful that you call it a ceasefire. We're not going to stop but we want to tell you that we need your support because I, whom you have louted up and down, I'm going to lose my job and I'm going to end up in jail without your support. So you want that Mr. President? You don't want that. So support me rhetorically as much as you can. Keep giving us weaponry. We're satisfied for the nonce here that Iran has outmatched us in military perfection. They have these damn hypersonic missiles that neither we nor you can pretty much manufacture themselves and against which there is no defense. So let's cool this thing down here, but for God's sake, let me go before Congress again. So everybody claps and everybody in Israel thinks

that you support me 135%. Good, a very good description and depiction of what's likely to come. Here's John Bolton's latest. Chris found his tweet from the 4th of July. He's talking about the bombing. The John Bolton, we must finish the job in Iran. Critics of the US strike on Iran are still fighting the last war in Iraq,

wringing their hands rather than accomplishing anything. Iran's worldwide terrorist proxies and advanced nuclear programs are orders of magnitude more threatening than Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Moreover, quote, no boots on the ground, close quote, need be involved. Iran is not Iraq, which Jerusalem and Washington have already partly demonstrated. Thank God Trump fired him, but there's still that attitude amongst some of the people, I fear, amongst some of the people around him. Are you surprised to hear any of that?

Not from Bolton. I'm surprised that Chris would drag that thing out. I have against Chris of these nasty things he makes me watch. Also, after all, is the guy that told Bush and Cheney, oh yeah, get rid of that anti-ballistic missile treaty. 1972, I was there, we worked hard on that damn thing from the verification point of view as well as from the political analysis. And they got out of it in 30 years because Bolton said, yeah, I need that. The Russians said, why are you doing this? You have to tell them a thing.

It's none of your damn business. Now, that's the companion to the INF treaty I mentioned before. That one was in place 32 years from 87 until 2019. That, too, was a miracle in terms of its devising and also of its verification. So when you're talking about John Bolton, I mean, the only thing good about him is that fancy ring he wears

that shows that he's a Yelli, okay? And he certainly belongs to the best and the brightest. And we know what they brought us with respect to Vietnam and with respect to Iraq and with respect to Ukraine, for God's sake, and Israel. So forget about John Bolton, please, Chris, don't show me any more things about him. I'll take the blame. Chris did find it, though. Will we see you for the roundtable on Friday? I sure hope so. I'll be in Berlin and I'll have to do the math again

as to what the time difference is. But all right, you'll work it out and Chris, Chris will help you without any more full screens from Bolton. Thank you, Ray. Safe travels. And I mentioned one more thing. Thank you for, not for promoting the show,

but for promoting peace. God bless you. Be well. We'll see you Friday. Thank you. Thank you very much. Coming up later today at 11.30 this morning, Larry Johnson at one this afternoon,

Scott Ritter at two this afternoon, Professor Jeffrey Sachs. Johnson and Paul Townell for Judging Freedom. MUSIC