Jason D. Smith
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Jason D. Smith
@smithers-77fl.bsky.social
Columnist of the Flensburg Files, Photographer, Writer, English Teacher and an avid Traveler.
Christmas Market Tour 2025: Schwarzenberg, Saxony

Saxony has seen many popular Christmas markets during the holiday season, whether it is in big cities like Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz, or in smaller ones, like Annaberg-Buchholz (AB), Oberwiesenthal or the world's oldest in Bautzen. All of these…
Christmas Market Tour 2025: Schwarzenberg, Saxony
Saxony has seen many popular Christmas markets during the holiday season, whether it is in big cities like Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz, or in smaller ones, like Annaberg-Buchholz (AB), Oberwiesenthal or the world's oldest in Bautzen. All of these markets I have visited with family and written about them minus AB. The popular ones usually open for the entire holiday season and are well spread out.
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December 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM
BREAKING: UK Intelligence Just Gave The World a Stark Warning - We're On The Precipice Of War.
open.substack.com/pub/deanblun...
BREAKING: UK Intelligence Just Gave The World a Stark Warning - We're On The Precipice Of War.
When MI6, Canada, and Europe all start preparing for war at the same time, it’s not coincidence. It’s coordination.
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Pulitzer Prize Board vs Trump: The Turning Point?

Occupy Democrats and others just released a damning report about Trump's lawsuit tyranny which could potentially turn tables and bring him down. Earlier this year, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize board damanding millions…
Pulitzer Prize Board vs Trump: The Turning Point?
Occupy Democrats and others just released a damning report about Trump's lawsuit tyranny which could potentially turn tables and bring him down. Earlier this year, Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize board damanding millions in damages. Now the board is fighting back and demanding everything that Trump has kept secret- namely, his finances and medical records. This is significant as Trump just recently filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC for their documentary on the January 6th Insurrection claiming the apology was not good enough and financial compensation for damages was missing.
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December 16, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Every year, we have the Bridgehunter Awards, where the candidates are nominated in ten categories
Between now and Jan. 24th, you can vote for your favorite candidates by clicking on the link here: bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com/2025/12/13/2...
The winners will be announced on Jan. 25
2025 Bridgehunter Awards: Voting Underway
Iron Bridge in Frankfurt After some considerable delays due to non-bridge-related commitments, voting is now officially underway for the 2025 Bridgehunter Awards by the Bridgehunter’s Chronic…
bridgehunterschronicles.wordpress.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:03 AM
All My Love: A Tribute to Dick van Dyke

An American legend turned 100 this past weekend and the Files is paying tribute to an actor who has been in the business for over eight decades. Dick van Dyke is one of my all-time favorites that I have enjoyed watching. His witty humor and his dancing style…
All My Love: A Tribute to Dick van Dyke
An American legend turned 100 this past weekend and the Files is paying tribute to an actor who has been in the business for over eight decades. Dick van Dyke is one of my all-time favorites that I have enjoyed watching. His witty humor and his dancing style are his signature. His colorful roles in films and TV series have made him a loving figure for all generations.
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December 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The National Security Strategy: Naked Machiavellianism and the Rise of American Athos

As mentioned previously, the National Security Strategy, released on December 8th, looks at American interests in the form of the Monroe Doctrine, 2.0, where American interests lie in the Americas and Europe…
The National Security Strategy: Naked Machiavellianism and the Rise of American Athos
As mentioned previously, the National Security Strategy, released on December 8th, looks at American interests in the form of the Monroe Doctrine, 2.0, where American interests lie in the Americas and Europe should stay out of this. In addition, it sets up a possible military conflict with China for the rarest minerals the country has. However, in this essay, Jeffery Sachs looks at the NSS as all but Machiavellianistic, something that was last seen with Hitler, when he pitted one European country against another before taking them one by one and starting WWII at the same time.
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December 15, 2025 at 1:55 PM
From Project 2025 comes Project 2026, where Trump's Amerika grabs an even firmer hold on American democracy and declares war on China. Qasim Rashid has the details behind this plan here: flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/p...
Project 2026 to Happen in the US
Just as we thought we have not been through with Project 2025, even though stats have indicated that it’s as good as halfway through, the Trump regime is unveiling an even more dangerous Proj…
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December 14, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Project 2026 to Happen in the US

Just as we thought we have not been through with Project 2025, even though stats have indicated that it's as good as halfway through, the Trump regime is unveiling an even more dangerous Project 2026. Here, as Qasim Rashid explains in his piece, it looks at…
Project 2026 to Happen in the US
Just as we thought we have not been through with Project 2025, even though stats have indicated that it's as good as halfway through, the Trump regime is unveiling an even more dangerous Project 2026. Here, as Qasim Rashid explains in his piece, it looks at shifting away from Europe and taking direct aim at China, abolishing renewables period, and suppressing the election results as Congressional Elections are set to take place in November, which could unseat Trump through impeachment.
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December 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Christmas Novellas by Charles Dickens – The Chimes, A Goblin Story by Robbie Cheadle

The Chimes, a Dickens novella which was first published in 1844, one year after the well-known A Christmas Carol. The story involves the disillusionment of Toby “Trotty” Veck, a poor working-class man who works as…
Christmas Novellas by Charles Dickens – The Chimes, A Goblin Story by Robbie Cheadle
The Chimes, a Dickens novella which was first published in 1844, one year after the well-known A Christmas Carol. The story involves the disillusionment of Toby “Trotty” Veck, a poor working-class man who works as a casual messenger or ‘ticket-porter’. Dickens goes to great lengths at the beginning of the story to detail Trotty’s poverty […] Christmas Novellas by Charles Dickens – The Chimes, A Goblin Story by Robbie Cheadle…
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December 13, 2025 at 9:51 PM
The Five-Year Social Media Strip Search. Welcome to America

Photo by Ana Carolina Escobar Arce on Pexels.com We have talked a lot about the National Security Strategy and the Social Media Rule for foreign travellers entering the US. However in this piece by Kat Romanesko, the policy goes much,…
The Five-Year Social Media Strip Search. Welcome to America
Photo by Ana Carolina Escobar Arce on Pexels.com We have talked a lot about the National Security Strategy and the Social Media Rule for foreign travellers entering the US. However in this piece by Kat Romanesko, the policy goes much, much deeper than that. It includes phone contacts, emails, everything that we had once considered private but is now wide open.
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December 13, 2025 at 9:15 AM
A pre-Christmas story

This is not as such a Christmas story; it’s a pre-Christmas story. Most don’t realize that it’s not Santa Claus who drives the elves into overtime at this time of year. It’s Mrs. Claus. Santa is always happy, always content. Mrs. Claus is a slave-driver. She pretends that the…
A pre-Christmas story
This is not as such a Christmas story; it’s a pre-Christmas story. Most don’t realize that it’s not Santa Claus who drives the elves into overtime at this time of year. It’s Mrs. Claus. Santa is always happy, always content. Mrs. Claus is a slave-driver. She pretends that the thing hanging on the wall just […] 3397. A pre-Christmas story…
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December 12, 2025 at 8:01 PM
America’s Democracy No Longer Functional

After the unveiling of a damning National Security Strategy against Europe, the disregard for international law and the preemptive threats against the International Criminal Court, it is not surprising that we have a democracy that is as good as dead, or…
America’s Democracy No Longer Functional
After the unveiling of a damning National Security Strategy against Europe, the disregard for international law and the preemptive threats against the International Criminal Court, it is not surprising that we have a democracy that is as good as dead, or dying to be modestly speaking. Dean Blundell in his article explains why and it goes back to this diagram I showed you a few months ago.
flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:40 PM
flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/c... Here's a Christmas Genre Guessing Quiz for you. The background to this painting can be found here:
Christmas Genre 2025: Guessing Quiz
Going back to the Christmas series of 2025, I would like to present this artwork. This was taken at the Christmas market in Glauchau (Saxony) during its Christmas market in the 2nd Advent weekend. …
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December 11, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Christmas Genre 2025: Guessing Quiz

Going back to the Christmas series of 2025, I would like to present this artwork. This was taken at the Christmas market in Glauchau (Saxony) during its Christmas market in the 2nd Advent weekend. It was part of a series of fairy tales that were showcased at the…
Christmas Genre 2025: Guessing Quiz
Going back to the Christmas series of 2025, I would like to present this artwork. This was taken at the Christmas market in Glauchau (Saxony) during its Christmas market in the 2nd Advent weekend. It was part of a series of fairy tales that were showcased at the Castle Complex. The lady is indeed sleeping peacefully, except from which fairy tale does this scene come from:
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December 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Endgame: Revoking the 14th Amendment on Birthright Citizenship

As 2025 is coming to a close, so will the curtain of many people who are being targeted by ICE and Trump for being someone of a different fit. One of the targets being pursued is ending the 14th Amendment on Birthright Citizenship,…
Endgame: Revoking the 14th Amendment on Birthright Citizenship
As 2025 is coming to a close, so will the curtain of many people who are being targeted by ICE and Trump for being someone of a different fit. One of the targets being pursued is ending the 14th Amendment on Birthright Citizenship, meaning children born to foreign parents on US soil automatically receive US citizenship. This would set the precedent for other countries to copy the policy, especially in those in Europe that are being influenced by right-wing parties, including the AfD in Germany.
flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:02 AM
US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry

Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials. The new…
US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry
Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials. The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days […] US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry…
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December 10, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Stop Waiting for Trump to Die

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com Many of us have been waiting for Trump to pass on for we believe that when Trump goes, so will MAGA. History speaks otherwise. When Hitler and Naziism vanished into history, we would have thought that it would be gone for good.…
Stop Waiting for Trump to Die
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com Many of us have been waiting for Trump to pass on for we believe that when Trump goes, so will MAGA. History speaks otherwise. When Hitler and Naziism vanished into history, we would have thought that it would be gone for good. Unfortunately, they were cut down to the studs and they were allowed to grow over the years.
flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Trump thrashes European leaders in wide-ranging interview: ‘I think they’re weak’

President Donald Trump denounced Europe as a “decaying” group of nations led by “weak” people in an interview with POLITICO, belittling the traditional U.S. allies for failing to control migration and end the…
Trump thrashes European leaders in wide-ranging interview: ‘I think they’re weak’
President Donald Trump denounced Europe as a “decaying” group of nations led by “weak” people in an interview with POLITICO, belittling the traditional U.S. allies for failing to control migration and end the Russia-Ukraine war, and signaling that he would endorse European political candidates aligned with his own vision for the continent. Details of the interview with a full-length video on it are in the link below:
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December 9, 2025 at 6:02 PM
LUBECK – Walkabout and Yuletide

Lubeck might be of interest to the Xmas Market Brigade amongst you – especially those looking for new destinations. It will particularly suit anyone close to London Stansted which offers direct flights. Alternatively, you can fly to Hamburg and get the train to the…
LUBECK – Walkabout and Yuletide
Lubeck might be of interest to the Xmas Market Brigade amongst you – especially those looking for new destinations. It will particularly suit anyone close to London Stansted which offers direct flights. Alternatively, you can fly to Hamburg and get the train to the Hauptbahnhof (20 mins) and a 40 minute train on to Lubeck. […] LUBECK – Walkabout and Yuletide…
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December 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Christmas Genre: Where Little Gestures make a Big Difference

Photo by u00c7iu011fdem Bilgin on Pexels.com With Christmas comes the holiday commercials, where each one brings a sense of hope, no matter what it is. This commercial pays tribute to a star football player from my old high school in…
Christmas Genre: Where Little Gestures make a Big Difference
Photo by u00c7iu011fdem Bilgin on Pexels.com With Christmas comes the holiday commercials, where each one brings a sense of hope, no matter what it is. This commercial pays tribute to a star football player from my old high school in Minnesota, who capped off a monumental career that was full of dedication, promise and mission- all of which were fulfilled thanks to the legends that helped him make a difference.
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December 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Only Europe can save Ukraine from Putin and Trump

Photo by Duu0161an Cvetanoviu0107 on Pexels.com Following up on my last post, we have this one by Timothy Garton Ash. Mr. Ash has been the sole authority of European history, in particular with regard to the Cold War, the Revolution of 1989 and the…
Only Europe can save Ukraine from Putin and Trump
Photo by Duu0161an Cvetanoviu0107 on Pexels.com Following up on my last post, we have this one by Timothy Garton Ash. Mr. Ash has been the sole authority of European history, in particular with regard to the Cold War, the Revolution of 1989 and the aftereffects of it. He has been following up closely with the developments of the Russian-Ukrainian War and has written an extensive piece that I will show you an excerpt on (the rest you can read by clicking on the link below.)
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December 8, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Endgame: Divorcing the EU and NATO

Photo by Duu0161an Cvetanoviu0107 on Pexels.com Many of us are not aware of what has been happening with the relationship between the US and their allies in Europe and with the military alliance, NATO. On Thursday, the Trump regime presented a National Security…
Endgame: Divorcing the EU and NATO
Photo by Duu0161an Cvetanoviu0107 on Pexels.com Many of us are not aware of what has been happening with the relationship between the US and their allies in Europe and with the military alliance, NATO. On Thursday, the Trump regime presented a National Security Strategy which could best be described as one word: A Divorce. After 80 years of close relations, especially with regards to NATO, it appears that Trump wants to turn away from Europe, allowing Putin a clean shot of dominance and destiny- a Russian-controlled Europe that extends all the way to Lisbon.
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December 8, 2025 at 7:03 AM
The Christmas Tree

The German Way presented a piece about the Christmas tree in Germany recently, looking at its origins, the history and what a person can expect to see on the tree. It is connected to a pair of items presented here. The first one is a poster of the Christmas tree and the…
The Christmas Tree
The German Way presented a piece about the Christmas tree in Germany recently, looking at its origins, the history and what a person can expect to see on the tree. It is connected to a pair of items presented here. The first one is a poster of the Christmas tree and the comparisons between the German and American trees as seen above.
flensburgerfiles.wordpress.com
December 7, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Germany votes to bring back voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It marks a significant shift in…
Germany votes to bring back voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It marks a significant shift in Germany’s approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s push to create Europe’s strongest conventional army. The change means that all 18-year-olds in […] Germany votes to bring back voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds Despite the Friday protests, the German government has passed a conscription law. Details here👆 🇩🇪 THE FLENSBURG FILES
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December 6, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Saint Nicolas and the Modern-Day Expressions in English

Today is St. Nicolas Day. Unlike our traditions in the US and Canada, in Germany, St. Nicolas comes to every household and fills the shoes of every person with small gifts. The holday is always on December 6th. This day, we decided to…
Saint Nicolas and the Modern-Day Expressions in English
Today is St. Nicolas Day. Unlike our traditions in the US and Canada, in Germany, St. Nicolas comes to every household and fills the shoes of every person with small gifts. The holday is always on December 6th. This day, we decided to introduce you to some new-age expressions in English that we use for the holidays, many of which have to do with St.
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December 6, 2025 at 3:00 AM