Former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler: An important question that has been missed. How did a veteran of the SS Galicia division] end up in Canada in the first place and he was not prosecuted? : canada

[-] LostWon@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Cotler also spoke on CBC's Sunday Show yesterday about the commission and the mood of the era that aren't very well known and need to be brought to light. For example, it was easier for nazi war criminals to come to Canada than it was for Jewish refugees. (Reminds me of the bizarre extradition exception that made Argentina attractive for them. Sympathizers did what they could around the world, it seems.) The interview is in the very first segment. Anyone interested can listen to it here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-57-sunday-edition

[-] baconisaveg@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

Right? That was common knowledge weeks ago... another rage-bait article.

[-] Oldmandan@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Eh, common knowledge if (and only if) you are someone chronically online and in the habit of trying to understand current events. :P

That said, rage bait is a bit harsh; while I'm not sure there's much to be done (the calls to deport geriatrics into an active warzone are... a little silly, even if we can prove these people to be war criminals), there are questions worth asking wrt to the circumstances and legitimacy of the rulings and descisions around both their post war status and entrance to Canada. Some acknowledgement and reckoning with some of the questionable actions taken as a nation in the aftermath of WWII is likely past due. /shurg

[-] baconisaveg@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

That said, rage bait is a bit harsh;

The event happened on the 22nd and I read about it on the 23rd or 24th, and at that time, I also learned about the Deschênes Commission. This is from an article 7 days ago:

The decision to allow about 600 members of the division to live in Canada after the second world war has long been a source of controversy in Canada, and was the subject of a government commission of inquiry in the 1980s into whether Canada had become a haven for war criminals. Members of the division were accused of killing Polish and Jewish civilians. The Nuremberg tribunals found the Waffen-SS guilty as an organisation of war crimes but not the Galicia division.

I'm in no way trying to excuse their actions, or whitewash, or whatever. My argument is the title of the article:

An important question that has been missed. How did a veteran of the SS Galicia division end up in Canada in the first place and he was not prosecuted?

Which is straight up bullshit; the question has been asked since the end of WW2 and has been answered several times.

[-] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

I barely follow any news and I knew this too, after reading a single article. I think the headline is valid to someone who only reads other headlines.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago

This question need to be continued to be asked because as the recent events demonstrate, it absolutely has not been answered adequately. Releasing Deschênes Commission findings to the public would sure be a good start towards actually answering some questions.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago

[removed by mod]

[-] blakeaholics@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Yezzy didn't make the decision to not prosecute, they stated a decision made by our government.

Baselessly calling someone a Nazi or Nazi supporter is ridiculous for bringing up a previous ruling. Don't be toxic and attack people, instead criticise our government for their decision and reach out to them to actually try to be useful.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml -4 points 1 year ago

There is nothing baseless about calling somebody who volunteered for SS, a recognized criminal organization responsible for crimes against humanity, a nazi.

[-] blakeaholics@sh.itjust.works -2 points 1 year ago

You were calling Yezzy a Nazi simp, saying they exposed themselves for posting about the Deschenes Commission decision. You're ridiculous.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml -3 points 1 year ago

The only people who are ridiculous here are the ones who keep trying to introduce some sort of nuance into a discussion regarding people who volunteered for SS. The fact that you keep doubling down here really says volumes.

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