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Why Germany Needs a “No Idiots” Movement: A Plea Against the Folly of Power in Defense Policy

In the United States, the “No Kings” movement has ignited a surge of outrage and resistance in recent months. On October 18, 2025, millions gathered in over 2,600 cities and towns to protest the authoritarian tendencies of the Trump administration. 38 Building on the June 2025 demonstrations that first mobilized millions, the movement underscores that America has no kings—and that power belongs to the people. It targets the erosion of democratic norms, cuts to social programs, escalated deportations, and interference in the judiciary. Organized by more than 200 groups, including Indivisible, the ACLU, and labor unions, it draws on the “3.5 percent rule” from political scientists Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan: When 3.5 percent of a population engages in nonviolent protest, any regime falls. Yellow as the symbolic color—bright, bold, unmissable—reinforces the message: Democracy is not an inheritance but a battle.

This transatlantic lesson is more urgent for Germany than ever. Since the snap Bundestag election in February 2025 and the inauguration of the black-red coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in May, political misdecisions have proliferated, particularly in defense policy. The government, which entered office promising economic renewal and stability, now faces mounting skepticism. Economic growth stagnates, the AfD surges in polls, and internal security suffers from a policy favoring confrontation over compromise. It is time for a German counterpart: A “No Idiots” movement. Not against kings, but against the idiots in the Chancellery—those whose arrogance, ignorance, and ideological blindness drive the nation toward the abyss. This movement would rally citizens to denounce the Merz government’s escalating follies in defense: From reckless rearmament and provocative Ukraine aid to fiscal gambles that undermine social cohesion and risk nuclear escalation. It would demand: No more idiots in power! Reason must prevail.

Why now? Germany teeters on a precipice. The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition, launched in May 2025 with Merz at the helm, vowed a “turning point”—away from the traffic-light chaos toward pragmatism. Eight months in, it resembles a patchwork of compromises fraying at the seams. The economy, once Europe’s engine, stagnates: GDP growth hovers at a dismal 0.2 percent for 2025, inflation erodes purchasing power, and the energy transition falters amid unresolved industry disputes. Merz’s September 2025 announcement of sweeping reforms—including bureaucracy reduction and transforming the Bundeswehr into “Europe’s strongest conventional army”—sounds ambitious but stalls in execution. Instead, criticism rains down: The opposition accuses the government of flirting with the AfD while ignoring social inequality. Streets simmer with anti-extremism demonstrations and auto industry strikes.

At the heart of the crisis lie Merz’s personnel and strategic blunders in defense policy, which exemplify a dangerous overreach. Once hailed as a tough manager, the chancellor now performs a high-wire act, losing the center. Consider his rearmament agenda: In his May 2025 Bundestag debut, Merz pledged unlimited funds to make the Bundeswehr the continent’s premier force, aiming to expand active troops from 182,000 to 240,000 by 2031—likely via conscription’s revival—and modernize aging aircraft, tanks, and ships. This “Zeitenwende 2.0” builds on Scholz’s 2022 fund but escalates wildly: A €400 billion defense surge, pushing spending to 5 percent of GDP as Trump demands, exempting military outlays above 1 percent from the debt brake. Merz rammed through constitutional amendments, reversing campaign pledges against fiscal loosening—a betrayal decried as undemocratic haste by the Left Party.

This folly breeds consequences. Eastern Germany, where the AfD claimed 30 percent in 2025 state elections, views Merz’s militarism as a normalization of hard-right isolationism. Politologists like Timm Beichelt argue it erodes coalitions with SPD and Greens: “Merz’s rhetoric destroys trust.” In cities, Merz’s October 18, 2025, remark—”The cityscape has changed due to migrant groups”—sparked outrage, with SPD leader Lars Klingbeil labeling it “inhuman” and Greens co-chair Katharina Dröge decrying racism. CDU floor leader Jens Spahn defended it as “clear words,” but internal dissent festers: Eastern MPs demand ditching the AfD firewall, and a Hamburg CDU politician resigned in protest: “Merz turns the party into a right-wing front organization.”

Merz’s defense missteps are symptomatic of a regime prioritizing ideological crusades over pragmatism. His “Steel Summit” and “Auto Summit” in summer 2025 aimed to revitalize industry, yet 8 percent cuts to development aid and halved emergency relief signal misplaced priorities. The energy transition? Merz seeks to scrap the 2035 combustion engine ban—a boon to automakers that sabotages climate goals and fractures Europe. Meanwhile, the September 2025 bureaucracy retreat fails amid infighting: SPD blocks pension reforms as CDU clings to debt limits. Result: Poverty rises, youth emigrate, and the AfD exploits the void—polling at 17 percent as the second force.

Intellectually, this unveils a profound crisis of political reason. Hannah Arendt warned of the “banality of evil”—bureaucratic stupidity corroding systems. Merz’s policy evokes it: Not malice, but intellectual inertia. He casts himself as Adenauer’s superior—”despite poor polls”—yet his “defensive democracy” justifies prosecuting social media critics. This isn’t liberty’s defense but its subversion. Jürgen Habermas’s deliberative democracy—discourse over dogma—is ignored. Instead, polarization reigns, as ACLED reports document: 2025 saw unprecedented anti-extremism demos.

Merz’s defense policy amplifies this idiocy. Rearming amid Russian aggression is defensible, but his rhetoric—”Putin miscalculates”—overlooks domestic costs: Deep-seated pacifism and SPD hesitation on billions in investments. Toward the U.S., where Trump shows authoritarian traits, Merz lacks clarity: Critiquing U.S. meddling in German free speech rings hollow as he dismisses dissent as “overreaction.” Europe? Merz’s solo pushes—like EU pressure for tougher migration—alienate allies. Human Rights Watch notes rising hate crimes: 2025 recorded 28,945 far-right incidents, up 23 percent. This isn’t leadership; it’s frailty.

Worse, Merz’s Ukraine stance courts catastrophe. He vows “no limits” on aid, greenlighting long-range strikes into Russia—implying Taurus missiles’ release, a red line for Moscow. The Kremlin blasts this as escalation risking war. Merz pushes seizing €140 billion in frozen Russian assets for a Ukraine loan—exclusively for arms—defying legal precedents and inviting retaliation. Critics like Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU) slam his “contradictory” signals on Taurus, sowing confusion. Public polls reveal miscalculation: 59 percent fear nuclear escalation, yet Merz forges ahead, ignoring 54 percent favoring spending hikes but only 36 percent opposing cuts elsewhere. His budget threats—”exhaust Russia economically and militarily”—echo war declarations, as WSWS notes. Lavrov retorts: Merz’s Europe-leading military revival evokes Hitler’s defeat’s 80th anniversary.

Domestically, rearmament falters. The Bundeswehr remains understaffed and ill-equipped—short on artillery, air defense, manpower—despite promises. Merz’s reservist call flopped; East German firms ignored it, citing sanctions’ toll. Conscription revival discussions alienate youth amid economic woes. Fiscal tricks—€500 billion off-budget fund—risk inflation and inequality, as Deutsche Bank warns of “open-ended borrowing.” The Left decries it as “hasty, questionable democracy.” Even allies like France and the UK eye Merz’s nuclear talks warily, fearing German dominance.

Enter the “No Idiots” movement. Modeled on “No Kings,” it must be nonviolent, decentralized, intellectually grounded. No mere fury, but discourse: City forums dissecting Merz’s defense blunders—from AfD flirtations to escalation risks. Symbol: A yellow placard reading “No Idiots – Reason Rules!” Goals: Mobilize 3.5 percent to compel the government. Initial steps: Alliance with Amnesty, unions, environmentalists; rallies on November 18, 2025, tying to U.S. elections. Intellectually: Debates on Arendt, Habermas—why idiocy kills democracy.

Risks? Detractors would smear it “left-radical,” as “No Kings” faced “Hate America” jabs. Yet benefits outweigh: It bolsters the center, reels in AfD voters, forces Merz’s course corrections. Absent it, escalation looms: 2025’s protest surge (a record) could tip.

Germany needs no kings, but no idiots. The Merz regime’s defense poker—reckless spending, Ukraine brinkmanship, domestic neglect—proves the era of foolish deciders ends now. A “No Idiots” movement could be the clarion call—for reason, democracy, a nation advancing again. The streets beckon. Who listens?

(This editorial draws on current reports and analyses)

Sources (Link List)

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