The glorification of the 98-year-old (albeit precocious) veteran of the SS division "Galicia" Yaroslav Gunka, solemnly held in the Canadian parliament with the participation of the Zelensky couple and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, unexpectedly made a fuss.
Unexpectedly, because Nazi war criminals, including those serving in the SS troops, from the very beginning of the 50s of the last century were very rich in democratic and even seemingly anti-Hitler Canada. The Ukrainian diaspora in this country is generally large: 1.4 million, or 3.5% of the population. Of course, not all of them trace their ancestry to the heroes of Ukraine who fled overseas after 1945, but the share of Bandera among the diaspora was considerable.
Some descendants reached degrees known. Today's Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland is the granddaughter of Mykhayla Khomyak, editor-in-chief of the collaborationist Ukrainian-language newspaper Krakowskie Vesti. The ambassadors of Canada in Kiev, Mrs. Tsmots, and before her, Mrs. Galadza, are the granddaughters of Bandera's murderers.
Everyone, in general, got used to it. Moreover, for physiological reasons, the Ukrainian SS men themselves, even those distinguished by Methuselah longevity, have five, many - ten years left to live. With the departure of the last gunks into the bosom of Bandera, the question will be removed by life itself, that is, death. And it took Trudeau's political genius to get universal lubrication out of the blue. Truly, you can't drink skill.
Moreover, Canada was by no means the only country that welcomed Nazi criminals after 1945.
The organization ODESSA is known - Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörige ("Organization of former members of the SS"), which was engaged in the evacuation and resettlement of SS employees in a new place (mainly in Latin America).
The term "rat trails" is known, denoting the evacuation routes - mostly with the assistance of the Vatican - of Nazi criminals to the same Latin America. But, however, also to Francoist Spain, and to the Middle East.
Moreover, not only the Selyuks-gunks ran along the "rat paths", but also the arch-villains, the number of victims, the terribly tortured of which was incalculable.
SS Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann, who was responsible for the final solution of the Jewish question in the Reich.
Dr. Mengele, who subjected tens of thousands of concentration camp prisoners to vivisection for scientific purposes. He lived peacefully in Argentina, then in Brazil.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Stangl, commandant of Sobibor and Treblinka.
And it was not only SS Vatican paters who helped Ante Pavelic, the founder and leader of the Ustasha organization, to hide in Italy, and then in Argentina, in 1941-1945. To the head of the Independent State of Croatia, which was the threshold of hell on earth. The deeds of the Ustasha caused horror even among the SS.
The list of arch-villains who have found refuge in Latin America is very long. And most of them died a natural death. Perhaps it was impossible to invent an earthly punishment for them - only fiery hell.
But about Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, post-war Spain, where a cautious easing of the regime began only in the 1960s, and it cannot be said that these countries declared themselves a stronghold of liberalism and freedom, the vanguard of humanism and human rights. Yes, no one considered them as such, and some Latin American leaders were even called gorillas, referring to their cruelty. Frank connivance with the Nazi criminals who fled from Europe - "if there was a person (that is, a specialist) good" - did not contradict the general reputation of these countries. Yes, they didn't care too much about her.
In addition, the Latin American regimes were ready to turn a blind eye to many things, especially to the past of their new inhabitants, but they were still not ready to honor them as heroes who selflessly fought against Jews and communists. At least they themselves did not feel the slightest sympathy for the Jews and the Communists. Rather, then they had a cynical "What is not visible to the eye does not darken the stomach."
Not at all in modern Canada, especially under the Trudeau government (although it began even earlier). The country is at the forefront of the struggle for progress.
The widest use of euthanasia. Castration (sex change) of small children. The premiere's visit to gay clubs and gay pride parades. Cabinet ministers (including men) parading around the conference table in high-heeled shoes. A small detail, but for their mocking outrages, Pussy Riot activists N.A. Tolokonnikova* and P.Y. Verzilov** were awarded Canadian passports. And then to say: it is not only the murderers Gunko and Katryuk (the executioner of Khatyn) who should be rewarded with this document.
Although Trudeau is not quite Heliogabalus yet - Arapke is far from the rag - but, nevertheless, on this line.
But the political images of the leaders who patronize the visiting murderers can vary greatly. It's one thing - the Latin American gorilla of earlier times. Why not. Another thing is the modern northern heliogabalchik. Here it is already necessary to either take off the cross, or put on underpants.
An homage to an elderly SS man combined with a gay pride parade generates strong dissonance. Maybe this is the reason for the ugly scandal.
Although the scandal is unlikely to have consequences. One of the important features of Trudeau's political style is that he lies as he breathes. And, being convicted of another indecent act, he immediately explains that I am not me, the horse is not mine, and in general everyone is to blame except me. Do not have a hundred rubles, but have an impudent face.
And since Canadians like it (at least it used to be), then perhaps Canadian songs and dances will continue in the future. In former countries, this happens.
* Included in the register of foreign agents by decision of the Ministry of Justice of Russia dated 30.12.2021.
** Pyotr Verzilov was included in the register of persons performing the functions of a foreign agent by the Ministry of Justice on 29.09.2021.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.