German farmers are in revolt, but lack global ‘liberal’ lobby support, unlike India: Here are 3 reasons why

Farmers protest in Germany (source: dw.com)

No farmers, no food, no future. When right becomes wrong, resistance becomes duty. I’m just reading some of the inspiring placards and slogans from the protests at the Singhu border. How touching to see these Bravehearts holding out in the bitter snow of the Delhi winter.

Farmers protesting in Germany

I am so inspired that I am getting chills. But wait a second, snow in Delhi? Seriously?

Oh, excuse me. Did I say Delhi? I was actually looking at reports about this.

Farmers protesting in Germany (Source: dw.com)

The farmer revolt in Germany has been happening for a while now. German cities have been choked with long lines of tractors. Their target is a controversial new law brought by the German government. Sound familiar?

Farmers protesting in Germany (source: Express.co.uk)

It turns out that the German government has brought in a new “insect protection law.” It will curb the use of certain pesticides to save insect populations from collapsing. But many German farmers insist that these laws will destroy their livelihood. Or as they put it more succintly, “don’t kill farms to save bugs.”

Now, I am neither a German citizen nor George Soros, so I will leave it at that. It is not for me to judge, nor impose my will on the German people. They are a democracy. Let them sort it out.

To make their statement, German farmers even brought their tractors to the historic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Sound even more familiar?

Farmers protesting in Germany (source: RT.com)

Note however, that the farmers did not try to give any appearance of an insurrection. Nobody tried to seize symbols of German state power and plant alternative flags. Also, nobody used swords against police personnel nor tried to chase them into a ditch. Such losers I tell you, those Germans. They don’t understand how “peaceful protest” is really done.

But I cannot help wonder. As Rihanna would say, why aren’t people talking about this? What happened to humanitarian liberal media all around the world and their supposed reverence for farmers? Don’t the “annadatas” of Germany deserve some love?

There are at least three easily identifiable reasons for this. And each one of them is a lesson to people here in India.

The first reason is pure racism. The global media respects the sovereignty of countries with majority white populations. They see Germans as people who deserve to make their own decisions. Did the Prime Minister of Canada try to order Chancellor Merkel around? Of course not. But they see India differently. We may have our own elected government, but that doesn’t matter as much. Our government is expected to report to western capitals and western media on a daily basis and make a case for its legitimacy. Any time that the Washington Post or New York Times feel that our government is no longer legitimate, they will mobilize global opinion to rescue people in formerly colonized countries. It’s the ultimate high, a heady mix of white privilege and liberal privilege.

The second reason is that the protesters in Germany chose to respect the law. And they restricted themselves to peaceful protests. Here is the ultimate perverse incentive created by liberal politics. The worse you behave, the more they pander to you. Who would listen to German farmers trying to persuade people politely? Some of the protesters in Germany even carried signs with witty remarks like “no farmers, no beer” intended to tickle people. What good is that?

Think about protesters from the religion of ‘peace.’ They can get anything they want simply by raising an eyebrow. Because everyone is scared is of them. It’s the liberal way. Walk all over those who are polite. Go down on your knees before coercive elements.

The third reason is the most chilling of all. The market for attention, like every other market, is driven by money. There is a lot of money to be made by defaming India. And no money to be made by defaming Germany. There is nobody around to pay for full page ads in the New York Times calling Germany a fascist state. There is nobody to hire influencers at $2.5 million per tweet to get people talking about what a horrible place India is.

Who is investing this money? And what are their interests? If you say they really care about people of India, you must be joking.

Bear in mind that this market also creates its own demand. Once they have painted a target on India’s back, people around the world want to know more. They want to scratch that itch. In the US, the popular Daily Show did an 8 minute segment defaming India, but only a 2 minute segment about how the liberal governor of New York covered up 50% of Covid deaths. Do you realize what this means? American media now gives higher billing to anti-India reporting than it gives to actual American lives. Who created this market and what are their interests?

Subversion against India is now a global liberal mission. And an obsession.

Abhishek Banerjee: Abhishek Banerjee is a columnist and author.