Exclusive: In the West, it’s now common for politicians to shout Russian “fake news” when embarrassing facts come out — as happened with Canada’s new foreign minister hiding a Nazi family skeleton, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
On Feb, 27, Consortiumnews.com published an article describing misrepresentations by Canada’s new Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland about her Ukrainian maternal grandfather whom she has portrayed as a hero who struggled “to return freedom and democracy to Ukraine” but left out that he was a Nazi propagandist whose newspaper justified the slaughter of Jews.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland
Over the next week, the article entitled “A Nazi Skeleton in the Family Closet” by journalist Arina Tsukanova (which I personally edited and fact-checked) circulated enough that Freeland was asked about it by the Canadian news media. As often happens these days, Freeland chose not to tell the truth but rather portrayed the article as part of a Russian propaganda and disinformation campaign.
Freeland told reporters, “I don’t think it’s a secret. American officials have publicly said, and even [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel has publicly said, that there were efforts on the Russian side to destabilize Western democracies, and I think it shouldn’t come as a surprise if these same efforts were used against Canada. … I think that Canadians and indeed other Western countries should be prepared for similar efforts to be directed at them.”
Though Freeland did not comment directly on the truthfulness of our article, her office denied that her grandfather was a Nazi collaborator.
Other leaders of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government joined in the counterattack. Citing the danger of Russian disinformation, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, said, “The situation is obviously one where we need to be alert.”
In an article on March 6, Canada’s Globe and Mail also rallied to Freeland’s defense claiming that she was “being targeted by allegations in pro-Moscow websites that her maternal Ukrainian grandfather was a Nazi collaborator.”
The newspaper also reached out to other experts to add their denunciations of Consortiumnews.com and other news sites that either reposted our story or ran a similar one.
“It is the continued Russian modus operandi that they have. Fake news, disinformation and targeting different individuals,” said Paul Grod, president of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress. “It is just so outlandish when you hear some of these allegations – whether they are directed at minister Freeland or others.”
The Globe and Mail also quoted Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, Andriy Shevchenko, citing our supposedly fake news as “another reason … we should realize that Russia is waging a war against the free world. It is not just about Ukraine.”
The ambassador then offered some advice about standing up to the Russians and their disinformationists: “I am absolutely sure they will seek new targets in the free world so I would encourage our Canadian friends to be prepared for that, to stay strong and we will be happy to share our experience in how to deal with all these information wars.”
A Second-Day Story
The only problem with all these righteous condemnations was that the information about Freeland’s grandfather was true – and Freeland knew that it was true.
Michael Chomiak and wife Alexandra, with their children in Canada in 1952. Freeland’s mother Halyna is second from left.
In a second-day story, The Globe and Mail had to revisit the issue, reporting that “Freeland knew for more than two decades that her maternal Ukrainian grandfather was the chief editor of a Nazi newspaper in occupied Poland that vilified Jews during the Second World War.”
In other words, not only was our story accurate but Freeland knowingly launched a deceptive attack on us and other news outlets to punish us for writing the truth.
And not only was our story correct but it was newsworthy, given Freeland’s fierce support for Ukrainian nationalism and her deep hatred of Russia. Canadians have a right to know what drives those passions in their Foreign Minister. In this case, her worldview derived from her grandparents who sided with Adolf Hitler and who fled to the West as the Soviet Red Army defeated the Nazis.
Yet, instead of fessing up and acknowledging these facts, Freeland chose to dissemble and slander journalists who were doing their job. And the smears didn’t entirely stop.
Even as the Globe and Mail admitted the reality about Freeland’s grandfather, it continued to disparage the journalists who had exposed the facts. The second line of the newspaper’s second-day article read: “Ms. Freeland’s family history has become a target for Russian forces seeking to discredit one of Canada’s highly placed defenders of Ukraine.”
This pattern has become all too common in the West, to insult and discredit anyone who doesn’t accept the “groupthinks” about the New Cold War. Just as the major news media marched in lockstep over the Iraq-WMD falsehoods, so it has been toeing the line on the hysteria over supposed “Russian propaganda” and “fake news.”
Hidden History
In its second bite at the apple, the Globe and Mail noted that “Ms. Freeland, who has paid tribute to her maternal grandparents in articles and books, helped edit a scholarly article in the Journal of Ukrainian Studies in 1996 that revealed her grandfather, Michael Chomiak, was a Nazi propagandist for Krakivski Visti (Krakow News).
Jewish women lined up waiting to be shot at Babi Yar, September 1941
“Krakivski Visti was set up in 1940 by the German army and supervised by German intelligence officer Emil Gassert. Its printing presses and offices were confiscated by the Germans from a Jewish publisher, who was later murdered at the Belzec concentration camp.” All of that was reported in our Feb. 27 article.
The Journal of Ukrainian Studies article was written by Freeland’s uncle, John-Paul Himka, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, who credits help from Freeland in the foreword. However, as the Globe and Mail wrote, “Ms. Freeland has never acknowledged that her grandfather was a Nazi collaborator and suggested on Monday that the allegation was part of a Russian disinformation campaign.”
Some members of Freeland’s family have tried to recast the storyline to portray Chomiak as something of a double agent, but Himka said he was never able to verify this information, which he called “fragmentary and one-sided,” the Globe and Mail reported.
Himka added that he never knew that Chomiak had worked for the Nazis until after his father-in-law died and left behind copies of Krakivski Visti in his personal papers.
The day after her initial comments on our article, Freeland’s office offered a brief statement: “Dating back many years, the Minister has supported her uncle’s efforts to study and publish on this difficult chapter in her late grandfather’s past.”
But Freeland, who has a background as a journalist herself, did not explain why she chose initially to dissemble about her grandfather and to slander journalists who were telling the truth.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com).
Hello!
The most comprehensive list of people and newspapers active under German occupation can be found here(Including Mr.Chomiak)
This database is searchable but the search in English returns much less links than requests in Russian, Polish or Ukrainian.
The documents stored are searchable pdf files of scanned newspapers obtained from KGB archives and other external sources.
One has to wonder whether these dissimulations will ever stop. George Eliason, an American who has long lived in Ukraine, has published many articles on the Ukrainian nationalists under Stepan Bandera, who allied his organization, the OUN, with Nazi Germany, in the hope of gaining Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union. He has traced Bandera’s supporters’ descendants not only to Canada, but also to the US, where they have never ceased to be politically active, especially among Neocons. One of the noteworthy characterics of the Ukrainian Western diaspora is the inculcation of nationalism among second and even third generations, so Vreeland is no exception. Eliason’s articles can be found at Opednews.com.
Some very interesting comments here in an obviously ongoing issue. Seems to involve the deep state vs Russia, attempt to cook up the demonization narrative. The visit by Biden to Trudeau must be a big part of it. Biden’s son is involved in a Ukrainian gas company, I believe. It appears that neocons are exploiting Trudeau’s lack of experience and appealing image to move him in the imperialist direction. Placing Freeland in the Foreign Minister position after firing Dione fits.
What also makes this interesting is that the West’s neoconservative imperialism has not gone over well with much of the world (since obviously a mess was made) and more countries are rejecting it in favor of a multipolar world with sovereign players, not dominating as the US, moving to do more business and diplomacy with Russia and China.
This story was reported by John Helmer on January 19th (see here: http://johnhelmer.net/victim-or-aggressor-chrystia-freelands-family-record-for-nazi-war-profiteering-and-murder-of-the-cracow-jews/)
Your correspondent was 6 weeks late – or did she simply copy from him?
Thank you Robert Parry for being a real journalist.
Also, thank you commenters. You buttress my faith in Canadians. There is a real hunger for change here. We should make that change.
Chrystia Freeland’s misleading story about her grandfather is not the only deception she used when describing her background. Another false claim is her reference to the start of war in 1939 when as she wrote “Soviets would invade western Ukraine”. There was no independent Ukrainian statehood in the whole interwar period except a brief existence of Ukrainian People’s Republic (1917-1921) established under German military protection and a self-declared nationalist Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (1918-1919) which fought a brutal war against the Polish population. Mrs. Freeland apparently skipped the fact that on 17th September 1939 when the Soviets crossed the Polish-Soviet border (according to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact) the contemporary western Ukraine (including the city of Lviv-Lwow) was still part of Poland. The German assault on Poland had started earlier on the 1st of September and the Polish military was still on the defensive in Galicia (then south-eastern Poland) as a strategic point of resistance and a communication channel to Romania. The area was heavily populated by Ukrainians and Ruthenians but Lwow and other major towns had a Polish or Jewish majority. Ukrainian nationalist leaders hated both Poles and Jews and while they had no sympathy for Moscow, Stalin’s takeover of eastern Poland in 1939 contributed to their design for a unified Ukraine.The tragic fate of Poles and Jews living there after Nazi Germany invaded USSR in 1941 is directly connected to the close German – Ukrainian collaboration. The Ukrainian nationalist militia and pro-Nazi volunteers forming the SS Galizien Division were responsible for killing thousands of Polish civilians in Huta Pieniacka and Chodaczkow Wielki in 1944. Earlier since the spring of 1943 in Volhynia (pre-war Eastern Poland) the Ukrainian nationalists murdered around 100 000 Poles in one of the most cruel genocides ever committed. Women and even little children were tortured and killed with axes, scythes and wood saws. Whole families were burned or skinned alive in surrounded villages and churches. Although the Ukrainian SS units were considered a criminal organisation by International Tribunal in Nuremberg, soon after the war in 1947 the British Government allowed former members of Ukrainian SS units to remain in the UK or emigrate to other Commonwealth states (including Canada). Ironically, the legal argument for their protection was that those Ukrainians were still considered Polish citizens (born in Poland before 1939) and could not be returned to the USSR despite the change of borders in 1945 which placed whole of the present-day Ukraine within the Soviet Union.
The Freeman’s misleading story about her grandfather is not the only deception she used when describing her background. Another false claim is her reference to the start of war in 1939 when as she wrote “Soviets would invade western Ukraine”. There was no independent Ukrainian statehood in the whole interwar period except a brief existence of Ukrainian People’s Republic (1917-1921) established under German military protection and a self-declared nationalist Western Ukrainian People’s Republic (1918-1919) which fought a brutal war against the Polish population. Mrs. Freeman apparently skipped the fact that on 17th September 1939 when the Soviets crossed the Polish-Soviet border (according to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact) the contemporary western Ukraine (including the city of Lviv-Lwow) was still part of Poland. The German assault on Poland had started earlier on the 1st of September and the Polish military was still on the defensive in Galicia (then south-eastern Poland) as a strategic point of resistance and a communication channel to Romania. The area was heavily populated by Ukrainians and Ruthenians but Lwow and other major towns had a Polish or Jewish majority. Ukrainian nationalist leaders hated both Poles and Jews and while they had no sympathy for Moscow, Stalin’s takeover of eastern Poland in 1939 contributed to their design for a unified Ukraine.The tragic fate of Poles and Jews living there after Nazi Germany invaded USSR in 1941 is directly connected to the close German – Ukrainian collaboration. The Ukrainian nationalist militia and pro-Nazi volunteers forming the SS Galizien Division were responsible for killing thousands of Polish civilians in Huta Pieniacka and Chodaczkow Wielki in 1944. Earlier since the spring of 1943 in Volhynia (pre-war Eastern Poland) the Ukrainian nationalists murdered around 100 000 Poles in one of the most cruel genocides ever committed. Women and even little children were tortured and killed with axes, scythes and wood saws. Whole families were burned or skinned alive in surrounded villages and churches. Although the Ukrainian SS units were considered a criminal organisation by International Tribunal in Nuremberg soon after the war, in 1947 the British Government allowed former members of Ukrainian SS units to remain in the UK or emigrate to other Commonwealth states (including Canada). Ironically, the legal argument for their protection was that those Ukrainians were still considered Polish citizens (born in Poland before 1939) and could not be returned to the USSR despite the change of borders in 1945 which placed whole of the present-day Ukraine within the Soviet Union.
It’s a dismay that all of a sudden Google’s email gmail all of a sudden started classifying consortium news as junk mail even though I have it set as VIP mail. Of course google has a habit of changing the meaning of words that others search for such as fascist. Can’t trust google.
do not disagree in the least, russellf, but here is the rub of the nub:
to tell the ‘truth’ (YMMV) would ultimately result in the acknowledgement of Empire, the primacy of the 1%, and the yoke of capitalism we 99% bear for the benefit of the 1%…
are we going to overthrow Empire ? ? ?
no…
are we going to eat the .1% ? ? ?
no…
are we going to throw off the yoke of capitalism ? ? ?
no…
so, the 1% will throw us useless breadcrumbs like unisex bathrooms and other such trivialities, while the root problem remains…
will the sheeple bare their fangs ? ? ?
no, the forehead barcodes, the RFID chip implant in the butt, the re-education kamps, will all be accepted with minor grumblings…
and so, it does end with a whimper, not a bang…
Nazis remain Nazis. Always, everywhere, and in every way.
I am Canadian.
When this true news came up ,I googled Chrystia Freeland and found out her grandfather being a Nazi and that her Mother came to Canada when she was 2 yr.old but was brought up Ukranian not Canadian speaking English. When she (Chrystia’s mother)married an English Canadian and had children , all the kids had to learn and speak Ukraniuan at home. Chrystia bragged about this& said her 3 kids are only allowed to speak Ukranian at home and also go to Ukranian school She said also she makes HER English husband speak Ukranian at home too! She bought an apt. in Kiev with sister.Also Chrystia said she had a Canadian English first name at birth and had it legally changed to a Ukranian name. She calls herself a Ukranian-Canadian, I wonder if she is also a duo citizen? I don’t want her as Foreign Minister for Canada with her hatred of Russia and her attitude .She is very bad for Canada and world peace..
What a lot of you missed was that Biden came up to Canada after the election on an Official visit Dec.6/16 and had a talk with Trudeau and Premiers. I thought it was odd that an outgoing VP would be on an Official visit after the election.I think Trudeau was TOLD he was going to put Freeland (Nuland) in the position and that is how she got the job. They got rid of great diplomat Stephane Dion and shipped him to Europe where he would not be tripping them up , as he had made great headway in repairing relations with Russia. This was a very quick decision and after it was announced Trudeau went to the wilderness literally town hall meetings in rural Canada and Freeland went to Davos and thinks she is running Canada and she may well be!
As I said I am Canadian. 4th generation with roots from the British Isles. I am not over protesting Brexit or supporting the Scottish Referendum and never got involved in the Irish problems and neither did my parents or grandparents or for that matter anyone else that I know. Today it is wrong to have someone this hysterical making decisions on behalf of all Canadians.I am really afraid of what this woman will do!
Praxis makes perfect: How investigative journalism and real news are still absolutely essential. Thank you sincerely for the article and allowing for the thoughtful discussion it ignited among readers.
I propose new democratic slogans of independent fighters against Russian lies, which, in my humble opinion, will perfectly suit modern foreign policy in Canada (paying attention to the “special” qualities of the foreign minister Chrystia Freeland).
Verlogenheit mit Uns
Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Chrystia
Alles fur Kanada
Für Chrystia und Vaterland
Lüge macht frei
Meine Ehre heißt Abscheulichkeit
Ottawa bleibt Ukrainisch
P.S. And to be more serious, this is not too surprising news, about the Nazi roots of Ukrainian migrants in Canada. Those who are sufficiently aware already know for a long time that the percentage of Nazi criminals is extremely high among migrants from Ukraine who found themselves in Canada after the Second World War, but each of them certainly thinks of himself as a “fighter for independence” (although this “struggle” was genocide Civilians in the territory of Central and Eastern Europe, none of the “fighters” did not fight with the ghouls of the Third Reich – but who is in this among them admits)
All sensible people understand this reaction of the canadian Minister.The fact that her grandfather was the assistant of Nazism-she knows…She just wants to write off this obvious fact under the General hype on the “next” intrigues of Moscow:)the West NEVER loved the TRUTH!!!It’s The Truth.For them, it as a stake for the evil…
Some bright spot though, the next day after Freeland tried to drown the story with the Russian possibility of interfering in the Canadian democracy babbling, the Democratic Institutions minister, Karina Gould denied having any proof or indications of such a thing. At least she closed that door right away.
There is a powerful influence on the Canadian government from the Ukraine diaspora which should be analyse by the Canadian medias. Canadians themselves. having never being harm or threaten by the Russians, have no grudges against that country. It’s against our culture, non racist, to hate another nation based on unfounded evidences. Reading the comments section from the news, when they are allowed, there is even a sympathy toward that country due the obvious lies and blatant ridiculous accusations from the Western countries.
Keep in mind, that because the Russians grind the Wehrmacht to pieces in WW 2, they indirectly save a lot of Canadians lives in Normandy.
That’s the very curious story at
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Claims-of-grandfathers-Nazi-past-is-Russian-smear-campaign-says-Canadian-FM-483847
Some version of “allegations” is used 5 times in the piece.
When it’s convenient for Israel to wave around the Holocaust, they do it in style. But when cozying up to the Nazis in Ukraine suits them better, fuhgeddaboudit that holocaust stuff.
Trudeau must order Freeland to RESIGN IN DISGRACE.
More Info at link below:
————————————————————————
Chrystia Freeland’s granddad was indeed a Nazi collaborator – so much for Russian disinformation
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 8, 2017 | Last Updated: March 8, 2017 2:12 PM EST
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/chrystia-freelands-granddad-was-indeed-a-nazi-collaborator-so-much-for-russian-disinformation
I am from Vancouver,Canada and I am not surprised that the grandfather of Chrystia Freeland was a Nazi Collaborator.There were many Nazi Collaborators in the Ukraine during the second world war. That is well known.Chrystia Freeland should be condemned for denying that.The Canadian Gov’t should be condemned for training troops in western Ukraine who have been accused of atrocities in eastern Ukraine. There should be no Canadian Troops in western Ukraine.I can understand why Russia would be mad with the Canadian Gov’t interfering in western Ukraine and telling lies about Crimea.It is the Canadian Gov’t that is in the wrong not Russia.
In politically correct Canada, the truth is verboten. It is a land of “sunny ways” and liberal journalists, that will always come to the defense of their “master.” One might call it “Nonsenseland.”
[More info at link below]
http://graysinfo.blogspot.ca/2016/03/nonsenseland-gets-new-leader-and-other.html
Mr Parry, thank you for following up on the article about the Canadian foreign minister Freeland. I think it is also worth mentioning Canada is negotiating a longer stay in Ukraine than their previous commitment, and they are also discussing heavy weapons which will decimate Donbass and perhaps a whole lot more. Not only is her hatred of Russia clouding Canadian policy in the Ukraine, but may just give the Ukrainians what they have been wishing. A way to wipe out the ethnic east of Ukraine.
A bit off topic, but what happened to the idea that gender, or women had a ‘softer’ side in the political realm than the men? Pure evil and lies know no gender.
This morning CBC radio news is still saying “allegations”.
BTW: “In the 1988 federal election [Chrystia’s mom Halyna Chomiak] was was the New Democratic Party’s candidate for Edmonton Strathcona.”
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?pid=90579918
I think there are important points that go beyond this case. The neoconservative-liberal alliance wants to base their extreme hostility towards Russia on a simplified worldview in which there is, on one side, good liberal pluralistic European societies and on the other hand evil Russian authoritarianism.
But in reality, the picture is, of course, much more complex. Of course, in the Baltic countries, Poland and Ukraine, there are also people with moderate liberal positions who are somewhat wary of Russia because of bad historical experiences and because today’s Russia certainly is not the best example of a pluralistic democracy with division of power (although there have been some improvements since Boris Yeltsin, who was supported by the oligarchs and Bill Clinton had the army shoot at the parliament in order to stay in power after he had been impeached with a constitutionally correct procedure). But the strongest anti-Russian rhethoric mostly does not come from these moderate people, but from nationalists in the Baltics and Ukraine who certainly are not closer to being progressive liberal democrats than the Russian government.
Many of them are connected to traditions with a Nazi past – in Ukraine OUN and UPA. The Baltic states were among the areas where, during the Nazi occupation, particularly many local people killed Jews without being forced by the Germans. When historians investigate this, they have difficulties talking about this in the media and it is said that this is “Russian propaganda”.
Similar connections also seem to exist in the Ukrainian diaspora in North America where radical right-wing positions are also widespread, although they are not always stated openly.
I think there is nothing bad about looking critically at Russian foreign policy. In my view, people should do it in a more informed way, and then, it would be harder to pretend Russia is the empire of evil, but there are certainly things that should be criticized. But it would also be important to look critically at Baltic and Ukrainian nationalists who are usually among the main voices when topics related to Russia are discussed.
Freeland enthusiastically supported a ridiculous “revolution” which won an IMF mandated austerity program and little else. Ten thousand persons have lost their lives for no good reason.
The lady doth protest too much methinks
Shakesphere’s Hamlet
When Winston Churchill make his famous quip, “If you not a liberal when you’re 25, you don’t have a heart; if you not a Conservative by the time your 45, you have no brain”, he must have been thinking about Justin Trudeau.
The Democrats are out swinging their axes,
The Republicans are crying that it is all factless,
Donald could end it all by showing his taxes!
Thank you for following up on this story. It’s so important at this particular moment in time when our MSM and political class is living in a fantasy world about Russian aggressiveness. This really has to be attended to, i.e. eliminated.
It’s fantasy for a lot of reasons, but the most obvious one is that we’re talking about atomic war here, not tank warfare and propaganda. You simply can’t seriously be ramping up the hate for Russia.
This lady journalist talks about her “hatred” for Russia. In the first place, hating an abstraction like a big country is nonsense. Secondly, what did Russia ever do to this lady? It’s infantile.
Today there was a Senate hearing attended by 6 eastern European officials at which Lindsay Graham, the “butt-man” of the Senate”dubious-duo” (and real smart-aleck), McCain/Graham, was presiding. They have recently returned from a trip to Ukraine during which they gave pep-talks to the Ukrainians for the purpose of inciting increased violence against the Russians. They even made a brief illegal appearance in Syria to make trouble for Assad, whom they don’t have a replacement for (like Obamacare). These two people are nothing short of hooligans, and yet they are United States’ Senators. And we’re complaining about Russian cyber-interference (yet unproven) in our elections? We really have to get a grip on ourselves.
Once again, State Department Zionist Neo-Cons (Victoria Nuland in charge) fomented, with $5 billion of our tax money, a coup in Ukraine. Obviously, this kind of aggression on their next-door neighbor was not going to fly with the Russians, so they “took-back” Crimea (which Khuschev had symbolically given to the Ukrainians in 1954), because the next step was going to be the take-over of the Russian naval base at Sebastopol by the U.S.-supported Ukrainians. That was NOT going to happen. The U.S. has no business meddling in that area. U.S.ships in the Black Sea and an Army base in Ukraine? Isn’t that like Russian ships in the Great Lakes? The Russians in Mexico on our border? We have to learn to put ourselves in their shoes.
And one more thing: “international” law is not held in such scared regard as our domestic law, neither by the Russians, not the Americans. Why? Because there’s NO enforcement, so the hue and cry about it’s being illegal (Crimea) is a mere hypocritical formality. We call it an “invasion”. They call it a “take-back”. Remember theTonkin Gulf Resolution that allowed us to start the Vietnam war?
John McCain was shot down by a Russian missile, and so we understand why he has a grudge against them. Lindsay Graham idolizes him.The “Russia threat” is the greatest money-making scam in the world. The products are non-competitive and the funding is unlimited (Congressmen are paid to appropriate your tax money to pay the war profiteers, you know, the Military-Industrial-Security Complex). It’s easy money-cost-plus. Whatever they want to charge.
And I learned my sense of fairplay in America (the one that I know).
I made comment a month ago how Freeland had met with William Browder in Davos . Don’t know what they talked about but I’m sure it wasn’t about praising Putin. Browder is a proven liar a con man and swindled many people in Russia. Also persona non grata in Russia.. For those that don’t know Browder got to John McCain and was responsible for sanctions against Russia. Free lands time spent at the Brookings put her on the same path as Nuland, her husband Robert Kagan and many other of the same thinking. Young Trudeau made a very bad decision in placing this youn g lady in this position. As a Canadian I hope he corrects this mistake real quick. You all have a nice peaceful day.
“Tah rah rah boom dee ay” in yiddish, or some other foreign lingo.
Don’t let crapola black suits get you down.
This thing where Jews are now backing Ukrainian hyper-nationalists aka neo-Nazis is confusing. And depressing.
Indeed. Not only are Jews – my peeps – supporting right wing Ukrainian nationalists but so many other right wing causes. It is depressing.
Oh sure, I can see how destabilizing Canada would be one of Russia’s top priorities. (Re Freeland’s comment in 2nd graf.) Like they don’t have enough else to keep them busy right now.
In related news, what on earth happened to Paul Krugman? Used to think he was a smart guy and intellectually honest. Ran across him on Twitter praising Freeland, saying what an admirable jewel she is. Is he ok with Ukrainian neo-nationalist now?
Do not listen to Paul. He wants to borrow money and grow the economy to using ten Earths, Then you don’t need to worry about paying back anything.
Neo democratic economics in a barf bag.
The point was that Freeland deliberately distorted facts about her grandfather in order to pursue her anti-Russia agenda, and she was not being criticized for her grandfather’s past but that she did lie about it. However, tonight there are two Canadian newspapers defending her and saying it’s Russians trying to smear her. She does have journalistic connections so she turned this around in Canada. I didn’t read either piece because I am sick of the Blame the Russian game Counterpunch has an excellent piece by James Luchte how the demonization of Putin and Russia has become the new myth. When in doubt, Putin did it! Sickening, when will it end?
Don’t worry. Be happy. Putin’s work’nonit.
All them Russian speak’n Ukrayeeneighahns fled
Tey went east. Clean past Moscow
outa the breadbasket of Europe
and into the breadbasket of Russia
They grow’n more organic produce
than Russia sells gas
They be grow’n a full third o’ weapons exports
Putin gave escaping Ukrahyeeneyahns
40 acres and a mule. And they proved
Organic farmers are stronger than atom bombs.
If even the uber-establishment paper of record the Globe and Mail admits that Freeland’s grandfather was a nazi collaborator while attacking those propagating the story, it is a proven fact. So it boils down to who do you believe: us or your lying eyes. The fact she is a professional Ukrainian with a banderist (Nazi collaborationist) background is significant and should be disqualifying, particularly in light of her earlier role as a professional spokeswoman for OUN style Ukrainian nationalists, and the fact she falsified the role of her grandfather to gain her position. The John Helmer piece of several weeks ago is the last word on her compromised background.
I guess if Ms Freeland was a leader of a communist party of Canada I would not blame her for her grandfather Nazi past but since she is Ukrainian Nazi supporter readership must know if her stand is a result of cold factual analysis based on historical studies or pure hatred sucked with her mother milk.
I vote for the latter.
Just to remind new readers what the attack on CN was all about and why it is important that CN publish it despite campaign of intimidation.
The righteous Ukrainian people have written true account of Ukrainian nationalists war crimes that never had their Nuremberg trial purposely excluded on the insistence of western allies after WWII.
One of them was surprisingly Ukrainian-Canadian Wiktor Poliszczuk of Toronto,Canada who wrote a book entitled: “Bitter Truth: Shadow of Stepan Bandera over Crime of Genocide” unfortunately I do not know about English translation of that book yet, originally it was written in Ukrainian and Polish languages.
Here is a film on that subject [18+];
https://youtu.be/5OJyKyinpks
Note that ethic cleansing advocating political theorists Doncov and Bandera are considered founding fathers of the Ukrainian Nazism. Bandera himself, now official national Ukrainian hero worshiped by people like Freeland, was freed in September 1939 from Polish prison in Brest Litovsk fled to Galicia (western Ukraine) after he was sentenced to prison for his organization of the assassination of Polish government minister just few years before. These we not democrats, they did not advocated peace.
The first essay – the one which has caused the Canadian Neocons to go ape**** in denial – had this statement which I suspect is spot-on:
Trudeau was simply doing some preemptive sucking up to the incoming POTUS – Queen Hillary. It’s a nice sign that quite a few Canadians aren’t buying into the total BS put out by Freeland, and that there was enough agitation to justify this second visit to the subject by Mr. Parry. In the course of reading up on the subject myself, I ran into a brand new piece in Jeff Bezo’s Neocon Washington Post. I’m afraid reading it raised my blood pressure a few points.
“Russia should stop calling my grandfather a Nazi, says Canada’s foreign minister”
It’s a pitiful state of affairs when an alleged “journalist” at a verified PropOrNot site like Consortium News writes propaganda for Russia! Something really ought to be done. Has anybody told FISA about this situation?
One of the things intrepid author Alan Freeman didn’t do was to make any investigations himself. No doubt the neocon Washington Post gave him pre-employment tests to verify his ability to parrot anything his editors told him put in their rag. The slightest bit of investigation would have found the journal article “one of Freeland’s uncles” had written way back in 1996.
https://ia600404.us.archive.org/21/items/journalofukraini2112cana/journalofukraini2112cana.pdf
The article in question is on page 91.
I can’t fault uncle/author John-Paul Himka for being just as gentle as he possibly could – the man under discussion was somebody he would have known for much of his life, not to mention the feelings of still-living relatives. I personally have a couple of extremely unsavory ancestors. (one was probably a famine profiteer in Ireland, and the other was an American Indian notable who likely notched up a high percentage of the sins mentioned in the Old Testament. So I understand the motivations for Mr. Himka.) The fact remains that Mykhailo Khomiak really did what Arina Tsukanova said he did.
Freeland, on the other hand, has shown herself to be a dishonest and generally unsavory person. Not on account of Grandpa, but because of how she has behaved in this situation..
Thank you Robert Parry.
Here is a link that I have posted before:
“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired his foreign minister Stephane Dion to make way for an ideological doppelganger for Nuland, Power, and Rice on the world stage: Chrystia Freeland, his trade minister. Dion’s policy of seeking to engage with Russia is what ultimately cost him his job as Ottawa prepares to host every anti-Trump instability operation it can muster for future operations against the Trump administration.” Wayne Madsen at Strategic-Culture
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/01/24/globalists-neocons-prepare-battle-russia-and-united-states.html
These,
“[O]ur story [was] correct…[and]…newsworthy, given Freeland’s fierce support for Ukrainian nationalism and her deep hatred of Russia.”
and
“[I]nstead of fessing up and acknowledging these facts, Freeland chose to dissemble and slander journalists who were doing their job.”
are the specifically operative elements that made the current reports made of Freeland´s grandfather’s WWII era Nazi affiliation newsworthy: Without these elements tying the reported facts forward to the present, that Freeland apparently carries on in the tradition her Nazi-era grandfather did, and that she could not, or at least did not, shrug off her grandfathers’ affiliations as her grandfather’s history, not hers, providing tie from her grandfather to her in the present, the reporting would have depended on ‘Corruption of Blood’, and would have been illegitimate.
No one has control over what their forebears may have done, or engaged in in their own times, which is why deprecations of persons in present for actions by other persons past is denied legitimacy, and, where arising, is looked on askance, in judgments and journalism.
Had Ms. Freeland moved from her grandfather’s views, and distanced herself from them she could have shrugged off any reports of her grandfather’s activities as his, not hers.
Having had this option, and, instead of exercising it to attack the relevance of the reports, having attacked the reporters for ‘revealing’ it, Ms. Freeland legitimized the reports, making them, and her grandfather’s activities, relevant today and to her.
The logical opprobrium against ‘corruption of blood’, which is the same that establishes descendants of slaves who demand ‘compensations’ from descendants of owners of slaves to be exploitationary idiots full to the gills with greed, but void of intellectual integrity, provides a sort of ‘Teflon’ coating to those who would be victimized by rattlers of skeletons broadcasting from closets, but only for those who keep the coating in place so it can do what it is able to do.
Okay so we take Russia out……now what ? what’s the agenda Russian haters…..what is your plan to go forward ? You don’t have a plan….because the plan is to confuse the USA citizens and nothing more…….low life ass holes…….
No there is a plan. First Russia, followed by China, then the breakup of Europe, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, then possibly Canada if it should dare raise it´s head, then Australia will need to be brought into line. The beauty of this plan is that there is no limit to enemies that have to be subdued. It is a growth industry and the guys who manufacture the weapons to make it all possible are making out like bandits.
Even with a plan, the 1% and its tools, are really leading all of us to destruction. Zbig’s grand chessboard is the plan. It involves seeing the world through the eyes of Harold Mackinder and Nicholas Spykman. Mackinder, father (or founder?) of geopolitics looked at the map a certain way and pointed out to his friends in political power that they should focus on the Heartland, that huge land mass, most of which Russia sits on, as the imperial goal. The line they all used was “He who controls the heartland controls the world.” Spyman’s ideas revolved around the Rimland, the maritime powers that, as he saw it, could unite and penetrate and take over the heartland. His ideas riffed off of Mackinders. The point I would make, though, is that these ‘thinkers’ are self-modified persons who were going to be troublemakers one way or another. They just happen to be intelligent, even more so than wolves which are vicious and dangerous to their prey, but no enough to not work alone when that prey is large. Zbig’s and Mackinder’s ideas are not visionary. The destuction of societies to benefit only a global 1% can never be described as visionary. They are merely ways to organized chaos and violence. They are ways for this bunch of players in the game of ‘riches for the strongest’ to communicate with each other and focus their efforts and, yes, make it seem lofty and sensisble and even inspired – to themselves and any onlookers who might choose to fool themselves into thinking that here indeed are the world’s wise men, our Benefactors in power.
Topple Democracy? I’m splitting my sides laughing. Even universities have admitted that the US is an oligarchy. The fascist control of the US Government by the corporate few leaves the people with little control and a sham of elections that fools so few that half the population stays home rather than waste time voting. As to propaganda, Russia has no edge on the CIA and other agencies who control the media and feed us hogwash. The issue of Russia came up after the Wikileaks exposure of emails revealing fraud and Democratic mannipulations.
I’m a Canadian I live in the Ottawa valley and why are WE as Canadians poking another country’s thoughts Russia is a power that we cannot get a grasp on does that mean we oppress that person for not thinking like we do manipulate them to our thinking is this right Canadian freedom or oppression please do unto others as they have undone to us or you
Brent, there was a reason why someone invented periods.
Worth noting that there is no lack of evidence in this case, which is why Freeland has resorted to bluster in lieu of a libel suit. She clearly does not want to have the evidence reviewed in any public forum, but her denial assures that it will be in the msm. This is why our politicians usually ignore inconvenient facts entirely in hopes that they will be forgotten.
Ah, speaking of libel, why not flip this cart the other way around, why not get RP to file a libel suit against these b$st$rds? I’m in for helping fund a suit.
It’s time we stop being victims and go on the attack. Facts will always win out over others’ [made up] truths.”
That is a nice thought, but he would have to prove money damages. Not sure that media battles have the precedents for that, and the judiciary would be careful not to do justice for oligarchy opponents.
Yes, but don’t forget the qualitative difference. I don’t consider the Right to be an equal alternative to the Left. Robert is going to be more classy and principled than his counterparts. That generalizes to the entire society. The powerful, who set the example for the powerless (even the victims of the powerful), get ahead of and on top of others, as is their wish, by first getting together with everyone to agree on the rules that will make society work for all. And then they strategically break them. It’s that simple.
Where did ‘the Right’ come from? They were us. It’s a free universe. You can choose to care about others the way you’d want them to care about you, a natural and good state to be in I would argue. Or you can self-modify into being a believer in inequality (and neoliberalism and neoconservatism), an eager player in the godless game of ‘riches for the strongest’. A brief discussion I had relatively recently on Off Guardian went into it. James Corbett and others pooh pooh the idea of Left vs Right, which would not help in a conversation between someome who’s dipping his (or…) toes into the water of politicization and someone who is politicized. As I pointed out, I generally don’t find interest among the people I see here where I live. They are not good or bad people, but just not interested in knowing what’s going on around them. And of course, the way society works, there’s lots there to keep them from actively learning, including the pushed in our faces fake news of the resource rich Right. But if someone aks me what is the difference between Left and Right and I answered with “Don’t worry about it. It’s an illusion” or “It doesn’t matter,” that would be a crime. My opportunity to encourage someone who is willing to break from passivity and actively learn would be killed off by that response, which would be a shame for a number of reasons, including the fact that giving a simple answer that doesn’t frighten off the would be learner is easy.
Those on the Left believe in collective problem-solving and collective society-building, for all. Those on the Right believe in collective problem-solving and collective society-building for their class, for those on the Right have also consented to be re-designed, to be modified so that they know longer care about others the way that they would like those others to care about them. Those on the Right (like Zbigniew Brzezinski et al) embrace an operating principle and paradigm that I call ‘riches for the strongest’. They view winning as something you can only accomplish by beating someone. And when they can get enough self-modified people together, and gain control of society (by rule-breaking and aggression) they can begin to fashion a society that is imperialistic and can furnish them with the riches and glory that, as twisted human beings, they now consider the most important things in life.
It was here on CN that I first learned of Natylie Baldwin and Kermit Heartsongs’ book, “Ukraine – Zbig’s Grand Chessboard & How The West Was Checkmated,” which is a very timely and good read. The book isn’t perfect, engaging in too much bravado, which I consider harmful. But the facts and the overall discussion of the background of influential people like Zbig (who is among Trump’s evil advisors today, as far as I understand) is invaluable.
Bait and switch. Red baiting great tactic used so one doesn’t have to address the real problems of our society.. THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES. The elite all know it No one is listening to their propagannda. BEWARE OF FALSE FLAGS.
Dear Editor,
For those people who’re suffering from chronic paranoid reactions we Rx Thorizine @50mg-2x daily.
.. Common side effects include movement problems, sleepiness, dry mouth, low blood pressure upon standing, and increased weight. Serious side effects may include the potentially permanent movement disorder tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and low white blood cell levels. In older people with psychosis as a result of dementia it may increase the risk of dying… .
This drug was responsible for thousands of deaths, suicides included in the seventies as it was then a “wonder” all purpose drug. Its side effects were pervasive and blamed on increased symptoms of the patient’s original diagnosis. The dyskenesia was permanent and a horror. In some patients the entire nervous system was functionally destroyed going beyond the dyskenesia to a total invalidism of immobility and neurohormonal regulatory dysfunction. Essentially it’s a neurotoxin.. As is often the case with the potential for massive litigation, the truth was buried in journals after decades of use, and in language meant to quietly discourage its use, which apparently hasn’t reached the minds of following generations of psychiatrists. Not being familiar with the risks of drugs is now the status quo either because drug abuse and misuse in medicine is endemic or the education of doctors is so shallow in the sciences these issues and histories are irrelevant to the business of medicine.
Sorry to even see this drug mentioned. Its another of modern pharmaceuticals’ dirty secrets.
Re:
“Canadians have a right to know what drives those passions in their Foreign Minister.”
Indeed!
And, once again, Robert Parry makes the critical point that we (and our fourth – or more certainly our fifth- estate) must dig into the mind set of our political leaders who advance one policy over another to determine the motivations that may have had an unacceptable influence over those policy choices.
Reagan’s twisted angry face when asked about the Sandinistas revealed emotions that wound up costing innocent indigenous people of Nicaragua; and victims in poor neighborhoods of color in this country the burdens endured from the crack cocaine epidemic.
It’s not enough for politicians to have a practiced smile and well groomed hair.
It’s how they think. What they believe and whether they are honest and trust worthy.
Costing innocent indigenous people in Nicaragua THEIR LIVES ….
Not just indigenos. Any one who loved life and was angry the dictator hoarded 50¢ per child for polio vaccine during a polio epidemic.
The parents of those children hunted down Reagan’s anti health care dictator friend and shot the bastard dead.
People do not forget when scroogistas pocket healthcare money and family dies.
it is not crack cocaine that is devasting neighbourhoods all over North America any more it is legally obtained opiods that are prescribed by doctors and manufactured by the five biggest drug companies .
Thanks to reply for everyone and now to each of you guys! =) I don’t know if you are visiting old topics, so I overduplicate my answer.
[b]Kiza[/b], clever, you are totally right about such prespective for Miranda. I am even scared for myself too, if I visit the US someday.
Hello, Joe. Well… I have never tried Sushki with Vodka =) Sushki, if we are talking about the same thing and not mistaken in term, is a sort of farinaceous confectionery, usually we use it with tea. But it doesn’t matter – we could try it with vodka, I don’t mind. As for pizza, any meat topping would be fine, mate! The meeting itself is more important.
To Lisa, I started to browse that resource couple of year ago, when I had encountered a mention about it on some russian website. Yeah, I am already 30 -) I have my parents alive and older brother, in regarding of mentioning about 70s in USSR. But I am not against your knowledgement about country of my birth! Just constated the fact that I have alive sources not only books? for the good sakes! I suppose, it seems to me, you were in USSR work-related and you are not Russian? I live in Engels city, it’s Saratov region. Something about 1000 km away from Moscow.
One more thing I wanted to say… actually I have said it already in other article. Anyway. Unfortunately, Soloviev’s program doesn’t contain English subs. I tried to do subtitles to then upload subbed video for anyone of You, but there’s so much words (mostly its running time more than 2 hours) and I refused to do that. I even thought to dub it, ’cause I have pretty decent mic. Huh. Maybe I will find time.
It looks like you are posting your comment regarding a different article?
Alexandr, I was just kidding with Miranda, of course. Do not worry about the current anti-Russian witch-hunt, it is mostly for domestic political purposes, to deflect public from the real reasons why the Demo Party failed and to impeach the President. If the World survives the next 20 years, I am sure that the Western views of Russia could turn even 180 degrees. Those who bash Russia have overdone it and many smart people, such as Robert Parry and his readers, resist strongly such brainless propaganda rubbish. Finally, if I were you, I would rather travel around the World than visit US, to avoid the nutty anti-traveller paranoia at the US border (non-Russia specific) and because there is much more to see elsewhere. Best wishes – Kiza
Alexandr Nice to hear from you again. We can skip the Volka since I gave up drinking 24 years ago…I ran out of bail money and friends so I quit with the booze. The coffee will be great, and the pizza will be made to your liking.
Like I said the other day I wish this comment board would fill up with more citizens of the world. You happen to be the same age as my youngest child. He and you will have a lot on your plate as the years go by, in order to straighten out the mess my generation is leaving you. So never give up hope, others before you such as your Russian grandparents should serve as your model to go forward with.
In the end we are not Russian nor are we American for we are mankind…keep posting we need your input.
Best regards Joe
Please, do. I love the intelegency and depth of the disuss ions on his shows.
“Nuland”, “Freeland”… is there a pattern here?
Yep sisters of evil;)
Thanks RP for knocking a few heads around.
Nuland is likely a Jewish name (Newland = Neuland), but not necessarily.
Nuland’s family name was Nudelman before being changed, and yes they are jews.
The attached photo looks a lot more like Amanda Laing, host of Bloomberg North, than it does of Chrystia Freeland.
No, it’s a studio shot of her nibs, alright.
So, seeing as how the Ukrainian putsch-mongers of which Ms. Freeland is so staunchly supportive and anxious to bolster with Canadian military personnel and might is largely comprised of openly Neo-Nazi elements, is she not simply carrying on her forebear’s work in the present day?
Since the answer to that is, arguably, more a yes than a no, it constitutes the opposite of a repudiation of that work and the sentiments it endorsed and proliferated.
That being the case, will her boss and and ardent sponsor, Prime Minister (the heir with hair) Trudeau, rise to her defense – and, by extension, the fascist sympathies this whole mess dredges up? What would that tell the country about him if he did?
Most likely, he will take cover behind his crisis management team who will work the media to get them to change the channel on this (urgent!) story.
He will for sure if not already rise to her defence. They bumped Stephan Dion and put her in his place. He had already reached out to the Russian ambassador in his official position and had progressive talks about trade and good will. Next thing you know Freeland is given the position. A woman that cannot legally travel to Russia due to her involvement with the “revolution” in the Ukraine.
Trudeau is Canadas Tony Bliar. He was the Establishments safe alternative to Harper just as Obama was to Bush.
Not only Tony Blair but also Obama, David Cameron and now Macron. All coming out of nowhere, with few credentials, groomed, promoted and ‘placed’ in power.
That’s about right. They could no longer sell Harper directly. Ergo… http://bit.ly/2nazeZH
The photo of Freeland today in the Post does not resemble that above. This reminds me of how the Post always showed what looked to be John Boener’s wedding photo.
I always thought Boehner was a replicant. Didn’t know he dated far enough back to have a wedding picture…
Well, thank you for this article Robert. And thank you for your continuing good work.
The revelations in this article are somehow especially shocking, perhaps because of the brazen nature of the fabrication.
How do you tell if a politician is lying? Their lips move….
I suppose we must begin to get used to this now.
Chrystia Freedland is a former deputy editor at the Globe and Mail
Just please do not forget why Freeland claimed that her family were victims of the Russians. It was not only to hide the real family past of Chomiak Nazi-collaborators. Her main aim was to gain popularity with the Ukrainian nationalists in Canada. Many Nazi-collaborators in Europe have immigrated, through various rat lines, into Canada and Australia after defeat in Soviet Union. They have raised their children to hate the Russians just as they did. Therefore, there is an electoral base in Canada which passionately hates Russia and Freeland wants to be their representative and leader.
I also find the silence of the children of the Jewish victims deafening.
Agree with you!
If the enemy isn’t weak, isn’t isolated (has powerful allies) and not in your open air ‘jail’, then maybe just shutting up about its crimes against your ancestors is the best course (which you can take when you’re unprincipled).
If Michael Flynn had to resign his high government post for lying, so should Chrystia Freeland. Or are the rules different in Canada?
If we had to get rid of all the politicians in Canada who lie then there would be just a handful of politicians left.
Similar to most countries, unfortunately.
You know, Bob, that’s called dissembling.
You know, Gregory, that’s a rather silly comment. Bob makes a very valid point. We have pretty much hardwired lies and deception so tightly and completely into the political process now – heck, into every public debate or discussion now – that we no longer expect any sort of real truth to come out of the mouth (or the communications department) of any public official of any kind. This is bad. It is an ugly trend as it damages us by degrading human interaction. It’s like the corrosive “political correctness” that dominates the universities, or the “news” that is generated by the media. I detest terms like “dissembling” – it basically has no real meaning. And the snotty little one-liners and rude arrogance that dominate the comments of critical news stories seems equally mis-placed.
We need to insist on truth. We need to *live in truth* – and demand it from our political people. I detest the Trudeau government. They are just another dishonest, “smiling face” social-engineering lie-machine – same as operates in almost every nation now. Bob makes a key point. Democracy has been degraded, and so-called “news” is just a stack of fabricated “stories” that are designed to hack public opinion to achieve a political result.
The problem is that everyone lies now. We should insist on truth. Russia is right to be angry about the whole Ukrainian situation. But the Ukranians have the right to be free and self-determine their own future. Well, what about the Crimean’s? If Crimea voted to join Russia, then really, that should just be the end of it. We will have the same problem if Quebec votes to separate. What the hell will we do if Quebec then votes to join the USA? (Don’t laugh – this could actually happen.) Would we send in the tanks? Unclear. But I think it would be *our* problem to deal with. So, really, I think *sanctions* on Russia are stupid. They were stupid under the Tories and they are stupid under the Liberals. But the problem is, nothing here can be driven by truth. And this constant mucking around in the cesspool by professional politicians and story-making “journalists” – this entire modality of deception *must* change. We need to do better. Chrystia Freeland is just a typical lightweight Liberal political operative, operating beyond her abilities – and playing fast and loose with the truth, as the Liberals have always done. It’s such a common picture, mostly because we accept it. Lying is expected now, because we all tolerate it. But we should all demand truth – and actually learn to expect it from those we vote into power.
The Thomsons-of-Fleet make the rules. They come under the influence of Edward Lucas et al as they live in Jolly Olde and own Reuters too.
Such unprofessional behavior
tch tch tch
Fmr CDN diplomat to Russia, Patrick Armstrong, believes official Canada will be the last to shed the Linus blanket of Cold War security.
The revenge of The Globe & Mail comments section. Readers tore a strip off anybody associated with this fake news. I have faith Canadians can see through their own officials’ bullshit as well as that of our neighbor to the South, to whom we are selectively obsequious. Same with the Brits.
Canada has always had a soft spot for right wing governments. After all you can´t get much more right wing than a Constitutional Monarchy, supporting one of the bloodiest empires in human history can you? Crystia Freeland is verty much at home there. They thought that Hitler was the best thing since sliced bread, until he started scaring the bejeezus out of the powerful Jewish bank owners and started invading country after country. Very much like the USA in the support it gets from all Western Countries that is right up to the moment everyone gets afraid of it, then the worm will turn just as it did against the Nazis.
My Grandfather, a WWII combat vet who fought the SS hand to hand said pretty much the same thing.
He told me that some day the truth would come out about Mackenzie King’s glowing support for Hitler, the British Crown’s relations with the Nazis and it’s own beastly racism. He also said that our harbouring of Nazis and their sympathizers after the war was a “goddamn disgrace” and that it would come to light.
I even heard my Grandfather say more than once that “We should have let ‘ol Uncle Joe finish the job; all the way to Buckingham Palace.”
Sounds like your dear old grandfather was a Commie, which by the principle being espoused of guilt by relation, should make you completely unacceptable to the extreme rightwing crowd.
Despite digging the Nazi past of some 1930s German woman who first piloted a helicopter, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has been mum on another Nazi past, which linked to the maternal family of the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affair. The only instance CBC covered what could be dubbed #Freelandgate was on March 6:
“Attempting to discredit Canada
Freeland was asked if the Russian regime is attempting to discredit her after a number of articles appeared on pro-Russian websites alleging her maternal grandfather was a Nazi collaborator in Ukraine during World War Two.
The minister said she is a big fan of Russian culture and language, which she speaks, and has many friends who still live in the country.
“I think that it is also public knowledge that here have been efforts, as U.S. intelligence forces have said, by Russia to destabilize the U.S. political system,” said Freeland.
“I think that Canadians, and indeed other Western countries, should be prepared for similar efforts to be directed at us. I am confident in our country’s democracy and I am confident that we can stand up to, and see through, those efforts.”
As described by Robert Parry today, on March 6, in the Globe and Mail, a Reuters affiliated daily, the Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife wrote: “An official in Ms. Freeland’s office denied that the minister’s grandfather was a Nazi collaborator.” then on March 7 the same Robert Fife tried to minimize “Freeland knew her grandfather was editor of Nazi newspaper” with an article finally acknowledging the sulfurous past of her maternal grandfather.
The National Post on March 8 published two op-eds: Terry Glavin concluded his rabid defense of the poor Minister with listing the recycled Russian interference claims not after having attacked the messenger Helmer, and quoting the second Globe and Mail article, claimed it was all about nothing since Freeland already knew it. That she’d know it is not the issue of course, but that she obfuscated it in her replies and that her office lied about it is. The other “Full Comment”, was by Colby Cosh; it acknowledged the newsworthiness of the story yet found countless excuses to make Mr. Chomiak a victim and a good Canadian. Both Op-eds avoided to quote damning facts revealed by John Helmer and Consortium News.
For instance, in the National Post Colby Cosh writes: “The Ukrainian nationalist society that ran it was given the press and the offices of a Jewish newspaper in Krakow that had been abandoned precipitately by its staff at the outbreak of the war”
Yet Consortium News wrote “The editorial offices for Krakivski Visti also were taken from a Jewish owner, Krakow’s Polish-language Jewish newspaper Nowy Dziennik. Its editor at the time was forced to flee Krakow for Lviv, where he was captured following the occupation of Galicia and sent to the Belzec extermination camp, where he was murdered along with 600,000 other Jews.”
No mention of this terrible fate in the National Post…
The Canadian taxpayer funded, government appointed CBC could not muster any story since March 6; that is since Freeland’s office was still denying the facts. Instead the CBC produced yet another one sided report from Kiev by Christian Borys, a Hromadske TV journalist extolling the great work of Canadian surgeons in Kiev who were operating on Donbass front fighters. None of Mr. Borys’ stories are usually open for commenting by the careful CBC; his affiliation to a Western backed TV channel 2013 coincidental creation may explain why his reports on the Eastern Ukraine town of Avdiivka worn the distinct privilege of failing to mention the presence of heavy armored vehicles hiding among apartment blocks.
Such glaring memory loss did not bother the CBC editorial staff.
On Ukraine, there can be only one truth, visibly consistent to the membership of this organization to the group known as International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, another Western supported group -including by George Soros’ Open Society.
Beyond shielding a minister who obviously has a long time personal horse in the race, it is the shameless application of double standard in reporting that has been exposed by this sordid affair.
The ever compliant CBC doubled down with yet another piece on Ukraine today, this time highlighting the bipartisan consensus between Conservatives and Liberals on the issue:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ukraine-humanitarian-crisis-deepens-clement-1.4019601
As the same canards about Maidan, Crimea, and now Trump -as the Russian did it flavor of the day- are being repeated by the author, this time a true blue CBC servant, Kathleen Harris a senior writer in the CBC’s Parliament Hill bureau, not a single word is diverting the reader’s attention to the Nazi collaborationist past of Minister Freeland’s maternal grandfather in Galicia. As usual, the “humanitarian” aspect is put forward to sell what amounts to war mongering.
This is no coincidence.
This is disinformation.
The tone is given right from the start “in the fighting between the Ukrainian military and the combined Russian-separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine.” Russian speaking Ukrainians are, well, Russians. Imagine a RT author calling French speaking Quebeckers, well… French as of France.
Statements such as “Since the onset of the crisis, Canada has provided more than $27 million in humanitarian assistance funding to help those affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.”
Who received this assistance? Lugansk and Donetsk region inhabitants or those on the Kiev side of the front? How is this amount comparing with the over $ 600 million the Harper and Trudeau governments have spent in pro-Maidan Ukraine training and providing non-lethal gear such as bullet proof jackets since the start of the hostilities?
Another vague caption “Majed El Shafie, founder of the non-governmental organization One Free World International walks amid the rubble of a former school in Slovyansk, Eastern Ukraine, that was attacked by rockets in 2014.”
By whom? According to Wikipedia, the town is under Ukrainian military control since July 2014 suggesting that the good Reverend is travelling only on one side of the front. Beside a keen support for Mr. Harper’s Office of Religious Freedom whose Director was then a Ukrainian Church Deacon appointed in February 2013, information on the funding of his organisation is sparse: an “Open” list of donors anyone?
A photo caption features “A member of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic forces, who support a separation from Ukraine, inspects a building damaged during battles with Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)”
Clearly, this image was not taken during last week’s well organized sightseeing trip. So what does it do here? It is simply here to pretend that the article considers both sides and that this piece of agitprop is balanced reporting. It is not.
Then comes “Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wrapped up his own five-day visit to Ukraine Friday, and expressed “alarm” with the living conditions of large masses of people affected by the fighting in the east.”
Here again, the article is vague as to the location of the ICRC president itinerary. Why? Because Mr. Maurer unlike the Canadian touring group did go to the other side. But this information is found not on CBC but on the DNI News https://dninews.com/article/icrc-president-peter-maurer-inspects-damaged-bridge-stanitsa-luganskaya
“The Donetsk water filtration station, which tens of thousands of people depend on, has been repeatedly disrupted because of the fighting.”
Vague sweeping statement again especially discreet on whom could have interest to destroy the water plant. Why? Because they are likely the side that Canada is sending millions to. Blaming everyone for “the fighting” amounts to blaming no one.
CBC is here to promote the UNIFIER agenda not to inform Canadians on the situation. It is a one sided affair that needs selling reluctant Canadian taxpayers who realize a deep state beyond political colored strips is running the show at their expense and the expense of their families. QED.
I dont know what the rules are in Canada, nor do I care, that is Canada’s business, not mine, and unless you live in Canada, I would suggest it is not yours either.
What?
And yet Canada postures as morally superior to other countries and insists that they follow its wishes, if not its lead. That is what Freeland has been doing vs Russia, has it not? So it does involve others. The “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude has never given me reason to follow anyone. It’s called hypocrisy.
David… as a Canadian I do not believe that my government is above criticism considering we have been bombing in the Middle East for over 15 years now (in these stupid wars) and yet have the audacity to point fingers at our supposed enemies. We should know more about our politicians especially when the Western World is speaking with one voice and moving us ever closer to midnight (a nuclear one).
Then Ukraine is probably not the business of a Canadian minister either!
Western Ukrainians are an important political cohort in Canada, necessary to appease for electoral success. Many of them had parents who came as immigrants to Canada, fiercely opposed to both communism and Russia. Their extreme nationalism still veers into ethnic hatred of Russia, and even anti-semitism.
>> ethnic hatred of Russia, and even anti-semitism.
EVEN anti-semitism? The horror! I believe that if we were talking only about Russophobia, the problem would not have arisen.
Is a lie really ‘a lie’ if the truth is not expected?