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Opinion

Standing Ovation for a Nazi – Federal government creates international outrage by honouring WWII Nazi SS soldier

Published

1 year ago

4 minute read

The Speaker of the House of Commons has already resigned.  General apologies have been made.  Canada’s Liberal government is hoping to move on from this monumental gaff as soon as possible. But it might not be that easy.

It could be some time before we realize the implications of what might be this government’s biggest international mishap, ever.  For a quick description of what exactly happened in the House of Commons and to show how other countries are seeing this brutal mistake, we share this video from The Telegraph.

From The Telegraph

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has apologised to Jewish communities after honouring a veteran who fought for a military unit under Nazi command during World War Two. Anthony Rota had invited his fellow MPs to give a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, 98, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Parliament on Friday. Mr Rota introduced Mr Hunka as a war hero who fought for “Ukrainian independence against the Russians”. Read the full story here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new…

The average Canadian (maybe not out west) has gone from at least mildly admiring the youthful vigour of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to cringing every time he boards an airplane.  Somehow Trudeau always seems to find a way to make himself look silly on the road, and now at home too. With each passing month the rest of the world takes Canada a little less seriously.  This may have reached an inflection point.

Sure, Speaker Anthony Rota jumped on his sword but the buck definitely does not stop at the Speaker’s chair.  With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky present, the PMO would be fully aware the eyes of the world would ever so briefly be pointed towards Ottawa. Either they had every moment planned, or they should have.

The PMO can’t win here. If they knew about Mr Hunka’s invitation, my oh my this is definitely beyond an ‘egg in the face’ situation. After years of equating political opponents and truckers with Nazi’s, they actually invite a real Nazi into the House of Commons and give him a standing ovation, WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD WATCHING! On the other hand, IF and that’s a capital I and a capital F, the PMO truly was actually surprised by the Speaker’s choice for honoured guest, they have only themselves to blame for not vetting absolutely everyone and everything that happened during President Zelensky’s short visit.  Either way… WOW this is bad.

It will be interesting to see how the regular ‘legacy’ media follows up with coverage over the next few days and perhaps even weeks.  The independent media coverage is absolutely scathing. Those who wish to dismiss independent media are ignoring a large and growing segment of the population who don’t necessarily agree with Canada’s ongoing and very expensive support of Ukraine’s military effort.

In this video a discussion about what happened in Ottawa and what the response might be around the world.

Related Topics:

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Artificial Intelligence

Canadian Court Upholds Ban on Clearview AI’s Unconsented Facial Data Collection

Published on January 20, 2025

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By Didi Rankovic

Clearview AI is said to subjecting billions of people to this, without consent. From there, the implications for privacy, free speech, and even data security are evident.

Facial recognition company Clearview AI has suffered a legal setback in Canada, where the Supreme Court of British Columbia decided to throw out the company’s petition aimed at cancelling an Information and Privacy Commissioner’s order.

The order aims to prevent Clearview AI from collecting facial biometric data for biometric comparison in the province without the targeted individuals’ consent.

We obtained a copy of the order for you here.

The controversial company markets itself as “an investigative platform” that helps law enforcement identify suspects, witnesses, and victims.

Privacy advocates critical of Clearview AI’s activities, however, see it as a major component in the burgeoning facial surveillance industry, stressing in particular the need to obtain consent – via opt-ins – before people’s facial biometrics can be collected.

And Clearview AI is said to subjecting billions of people to this, without consent. From there, the implications for privacy, free speech, and even data security are evident.

The British Columbia Commissioner appears to have been thinking along the same lines when issuing the order, that bans Clearview from selling biometric facial arrays taken from non-consenting individuals to its clients.

In addition, the order instructs Clearview to “make best efforts” to stop the practice in place so far, which includes collection, use, and disclosure of personal data – but also delete this type of information already in the company’s possession.

Right now, there is no time limit to how long Clearview can retain the data, which it collects from the internet using an automated “image crawler.”

Clearview moved to try to get the order dismissed as “unreasonable,” arguing that on the one hand, it is unable to tell if an image of a persons face is that of a Canadian, while also claiming that no Canadian law is broken since this biometric information is available online publicly.

The legal battle, however, revealed that images of faces of residents of British Columbia, children included, are among Clearview’s database of more than three billion photos (of Canadians) – while the total figure is over 50 billion.

The court also finds the Commissioner’s order to be very reasonable indeed – including when rejecting “Clearview’s bald assertion” that, in British Columbia, “it simply could not do” what it does in the US state of Illinois, to comply with the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

If you’re tired of censorship and surveillance, subscribe to Reclaim The Net.

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Business

TikTok Restores Service After US Shutdown Amid Trump Deal

Published on January 19, 2025

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By Cindy Harper

President Trump’s intervention signals a lifeline for TikTok amid escalating tensions over its future in the US.

Barely half a day after TikTok went offline across the United States, the widely popular video-sharing platform is beginning to come back online. This swift reversal follows a statement from TikTok announcing its efforts to restore service, facilitated by new assurances from the Trump administration.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the company confirmed. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”

TikTok’s abrupt shutdown came as a law targeting its operations in the US was set to take effect. The legislation, passed under President Joe Biden’s administration, required TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban. It also prohibited American companies from offering services essential to the app’s distribution or maintenance. As uncertainty loomed, TikTok ceased functioning late Saturday night and disappeared from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

In a dramatic turn of events, President-elect Donald Trump addressed the issue Sunday morning, promising executive action to delay the ban. He stated his intention to ensure TikTok’s return and suggested the importance of the app being operational for Americans to enjoy his Inauguration Day celebrations.

“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday,” Trump wrote, adding that his executive order would confirm no legal repercussions for companies that facilitated TikTok’s operations before his intervention.
These reassurances appeared to be sufficient for TikTok and its partners, as users began regaining access to the app shortly after the announcement. While some devices experienced restored functionality, TikTok’s absence from major app stores persisted as of early Sunday afternoon.

Trump also floated an idea for a resolution to the app’s future in the United States, suggesting a joint venture that would grant the US a 50% ownership stake. TikTok has expressed willingness to collaborate, stating it is committed to working with the Trump administration on a long-term solution to ensure the app’s continued presence in the country.

In an NBC interview, Trump confirmed he is considering granting TikTok a 90-day extension to comply with the divestment requirement, a decision he plans to announce imminently. “The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate,” Trump remarked. “It’s a very big situation.”

As political wrangling continues, TikTok remains at the center of a contentious debate over free speech, economic interests, and national security.
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