Canada and Canadians are deeply embarrassed. The applause a former Nazi received in the House of Commons has left us all red-faced. Michael Harris writes:
Yesterday Justin Trudeau apologized for unwittingly honouring a former Nazi in Canada’s Parliament.
He apologized to the Jewish community, the Ukrainians, the Roma and everyone else who suffered from the scourge of Adolf Hitler and his mad-dog fascism. But it was a day late and strangely hollow.
Harris is usually supportive of Trudeau. But not this time:
Justin Trudeau’s no-show in Parliament on the day House Speaker Anthony Rota resigned in disgrace, is the story here. It marks a new low in the PM’s political career, even though he took every question in question period today.
Instead of standing up to the barrage of insults, demands and denunciations that he knew was coming, he sent House leader Karina Gould into the fray to take the heat. In a voice sometimes reduced to a whisper, Gould did her best to take one for the team.
Gould admitted that honouring someone in Parliament who had fought with an SS unit against the Russians in the Second World War was shameful and unforgivable.
There is a story behind how the 98 year old Ukrainian got to the House of Commons:
Hunka’s own son was the person who contacted the Speaker’s constituency office to suggest that his father should be invited to Parliament for Zelenskyy’s speech.
For one thing, Hunka was Ukrainian-born. For another, he had fought the Russians as a teenager. On paper, it must have looked good — widely separated generations standing up to the Russian Bear. Except, of course, for the Nazi thing.
The law of unintended consequences claimed a few more victims. Hunka’s son wangled the invitation to Parliament during Zelenskyy’s visit to garner praise for his father’s war record, and to show common cause with the embattled Ukrainian president.
Instead, Hunka has now been outed as a Nazi collaborator, who was part of a unit that swore allegiance to Hitler. The standing ovation he received in Parliament after being recognized by then-Speaker Rota has turned into something very different. He may now face extradition to Poland and retroactive justice for alleged war crimes.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies alleges that Hunka’s unit “was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.”
Even Zelensky himself now faces major headaches over the bungled guest list that has captured the world’s attention. Remember, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he invaded Ukraine to rid it of neo-Nazis. Canada’s face plant has empowered him.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Image: TheTimes Of Israel
34 comments:
I saw that pollievre was cheering and applauding like everyone else, when is he going to issue his apology?
Yes, this is embarrassing and someone or some department didn’t do their job and fully confirm Hunka’s service record and more importantly, for which side. It’s more than fair to say that the recognition of Hunka by the House and the applause would never have happened. If one was in the house that day what other option was there but to go along with the fanfare. JT is beyond done for me so whatever he does is just more fodder for pp to build his election platform on. Get jt out of the leader’s position and pp’s platform begins to fall apart.
Once the dust settles I see this as an honest mistake that was prompted by good intentions, as you said, but jt needed to apologize immediately upon finding out if he didn’t want it to seem like pp is telling him what to do. Of course Canada and our parliament don’t support and or celebrate nazi’s knowingly or willfully. Kinda like pp’s party members don’t support far right politicians like Christine Anderson, right?
A terrible moment for us all, Owen, but the Conservative Opposition did itself no credit either when Trudeau apologized on behalf of all parliamentarians and hurled jeers and catcalls his way. The take-no-prisoners attitude of the Poilievre crowd cannot be a source of pride for any of us.
Justin's getting closer to the exit, Graham. But the Conservatives won't improve our standing on the world stage.
It was a deeply embarrassing mistake, Lorne. But the Conservatives are just deeply embarrassing -- period.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
That is a very kind interpretation of these events.
....................................................
Michael Harris weighed in on this at the Tyee.
They will not publish my unpopular comment, so I'll offer it up here:
"Apologies abound, Mr. Harris.
"He apologized to the Jewish community, the Ukrainians, the Roma and everyone else who suffered from the scourge of Adolf Hitler and his mad-dog fascism. "
'everyone else'?
I have yet to hear an apology to our WW2 allies who defeated Hitler:
The Russians!
The relationship between us and the Russians is as fraught as was the relationship between the Ukrainians and Hitler's Germany, PoV.
Maybe Npov saw the post I saw at the Tyee on the Harris article that threw up a link to journalist Jason Ling and his blog at
bugeyedandshameless.com A very good piece on this story and a good bunch of background on Hunka and why he may have been in that battalion and how Canada has, in the past, had a look at these people and their military service during WW2.
It’s a good read and has got me to think about supporting Jason’s blog.
Thanks for the tip, Graham. We have to look carefully at our history with some of our citizens. The history -- as I wrote -- is complicated.
So many do gooders, so many wishing to score points!
We know little of this insignificant German who was a twenty year old during the WWII.
We do know that over four million Ukrainians served in the Red army during that period!
We do know that German 'Tiger' tanks attacked the red army.
We do know that presently German supplied 'Leopard" tanks are being used by Ukraine against Russia!
We do know that the victors of WWII abandoned the Ukraine and others after 'victory' in WWII.
We do know that the USA still tries to contain present day Russia ; without success!
Our western inconsistencies are worthy of a monty Python sketch!!
BTW , let us not forget that much of the lambasting of Anthony Rota comes from Post Media ; a foreign/USA owned conglomerate organization that 'seemingly' pushes foreign/USA values??
Lives a cluster fuck, get used to it
TB
The fire will not be put out soon, TB.
Owen,
We live in a world of 'likes' and two thumbs up etc plus tax!!
This phoney attitude to the world has now permeated to the power bases of our 'so called' democracies.
When those that we elect reduce themselves to catering to social media before first considering what is right and what is wrong I cringe.
Read Noval Noah Harari on artificial intelligence and I think you will agree that the future of realism is bleak!
TB
Realism is having a tough time these days, TB. It always catches up with us, though. And the consequences can be catastrophic.
Owen:
"The relationship between us and the Russians is as fraught as was the relationship between the Ukrainians and Hitler's Germany, PoV."
How so?
TB:
" victors of WWII abandoned the Ukraine"
Is it that inconvenient to acknowledge that the Russians were our allies and among the 'victors'.
And what would this non-abandonment have looked like?
Churchill wanted to revive the German (ie recent NAZIs) army and push back on Stalin.
Talk about 'complicated'!
This discussion is happening on the anniversary of the destruction of Nord Stream by 'terrorists'. (And thank to Seymour Hersch we know who they likely are.)
@ Graham
Yes, this is embarrassing and someone or some department didn’t do their job and fully confirm Hunka’s service record and more importantly, for which side.
If we believe Rota, and at the moment I see no reason not to, the only person or persons who would screen Hunka would be Rota and his Exempt staff, presumably at the constituency office level. An MP is free to invite whomsoever they want to one of these things. The Govt would not even have a guest list.
What this does show is an amazing ignorance of history on the part of Rota and, presumably, any of his staff who helped draught that statement. If Hunka fought the "Russians" in WWII he fought against the USSR, our ally, which means he was fighting against Georgians, Armenians, Kazaks and so on.
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen SS a sister unit of the 12th Waffen SS which was responsible for massacring 156 Canadian prisoners of war in Normandy. The Waffen SS were not nice people.
Their reputation lives in infamy, jrk.
"Fraught" as in very complicated, PoV.
It is a funny(insert turned down mouth emoticon here)thing.....this Hunka thing has turned out to be. Why don't Canadians know about this man? I knew about this Nazi living in Thunder Bay many years ago when the "Ideas" Program did a report about Nazis living in Canada. Being a child of a WWII Veteran who helped liberate Bergan-Belson, it is truly disgusting that this debacle had to show its head in the House of Parliament in this Country of Canada. It was an attempt to make this Nazi look like a good man by is own son. He is not the first to attempt this. And, PM Justin Trudeau must be hoping to lose the next Federal Election in this country. Canada, with egg smeared all over its face. I wonder what PM Lester Pearson would say? Anyong
That's an interesting question, Anyong.
It is embarrassing to have had Hunka be given a "standing ovation" for his military service. However, get over it. The time spent on this subject in Parliament, media, etc. is a tad excessive given the other problmes we have in this country, you know the homeless, child poverty, discrimination and harassment of visible minorities and the disabled, drug addiction, the inpending flu and COVID spread, climate change, providing support for those in the Maritimes who still have received nothing after their homes were destroyed, needing adequate housing, health care, clean drinking water on Reservations. The list is endles so why spend all this time and effort on this subject. Wonder if anyone has looked into Hunka Jr's background. Like why did he put his father's name forward. Perhaps it was to embaress the Liberals, who knows. Of course Post Media and other Conservative supporting media did have a good go at Trudeau and we can be assured some of this will be used against the Liberals in the upcoming federal election.
Now some of you will suggest I'm off my rocker, don't know what I'm talking about, etc. All of one of my Grandfather's family went to the gas chambers, from his parents to a 2 year old. Our Mother taught us to never forget and that it could happen again. Our male parental unit spent time as a "guest" of Herr Hitler as did others in the social circle. Given I was a great little eaves dropper as a child, I heard the adults talking about what went on in WW II in the occupied countries.
We have enough murdering dictators and military in this world that western governments and corporations treat like they're good and decent people, so lets not get too excited. Saudi Arabia has a disgusting government which murders people including a journalist and every one still invites them and they go therem, shake hands, make nice, like nothing is going or or has gone on. How many of us in Canada buy items manufactured by slave labour in China. Its cheap so its O.K. so they say. The Speaker's office isn't the only one with a few uncomfortable actions. Ah, now I remember the line, "let those with out sin cast the first stone".
If this crisis brings down the Trudeau government least of all in the pending election, I think that Christia Freelands chances of leadership will be greatly diminished when her grandfathers Nazi affiliations come into light.
We certainly have a host of other problems to deal with, e.a.f.
Does Freeland's family have the same kind of history, zoombats?
Russia was not our Ally at the beginning of the war. In August 1939, Germany and The USSR signed a non-aggression pact. After Germany invaded Poland on Sept 01, 1939, the Soviets attacked Poland from the east.
The non/aggression pact was effectively ended when Germany attacked The USSR in June 1942. DJF
That's troubling, zoombats.
As you can see, PoV, zoombats has sent a link.
All true, DJF. And when Hitler attacked Russia, Joseph Stalin became our ally.
Does Freeland's family have the same kind of history, zoombats?
Freeland's Kiev Apartment.
And this piece on Freeland from back in 2017. Helmer can be ao bit opinionated but he usually gets his facts right.
CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND HID LIGHT UNDER BUSHEL UNTIL TORONTO GLOBE & MAIL EXPOSÉ
Why should Chrystia Freeland have to make account for her grandfather? DJF
@ DJF
Russia was not our Ally at the beginning of the war.
Apparently it was not for lack of trying.
An Anniversary Nobody Remembers
I understand why some are skeptical of Freeland, jrk. However, my experience has been that all families have connections that are problematic. On the French side of my family, we're connected to both Brother Andre and Maurice Duplessis.
Freeland has only to account on her personal behaviour, not those who are related to her and dead. N
one of us can.
A lot of us in this world are related to others who have a less than perfect record and did some nasty things, through out history. Others did it, so they can take responsiubility for their actions. We are only responsuible for our own actions/behaviour. Trying to paste Freeland with her Grandfather's actions, is weak. Surely you can come up with something else or get over yourselves.
Why should Chrystia Freeland have to make account for her grandfather? DJF
If you read any number of documents relating to this issue you will be reminded that she has made many contradictory remarks making her grand father a victim of the nazis. There is substaintle proof that he worked with the Nazis willingly. Freeland is not responsible for her grand fathers past but she is responsible for spreading false information and profiting career moves based on disinformation. Read some more.
Point well taken, e.a.f.
You and e.a.f. agree on this point, zoombats.
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