Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Canada’s support for the far-right abroad

 

Canada fascism foreign affairs Nazi complicity geopolitics Ukraine imperialism

“Fascism is imperialist repression turned inward”

Zak Cope

People’s Party of Canada activists can rightly complain about liberal hypocrisy. They might ask why the PPC is seen as odious when the federal government backs far more extreme groups all around the world. In fact, it’s almost a principle of Canadian foreign policy to support fascistic, far-right groups.

While there is no one-size-fits-all definition, fascistic groups are generally violent, authoritarian and racist. They may claim to support freedom or the poor, but largely defend the rich and concentrated power.

In the Ukraine, Canada has funded, equipped and trained a neo-Nazi infiltrated police force set up after a core of far right protesters ousted elected president Viktor Yanukovych. According to the Canadian Press, opposition protesters were camped in the Canadian Embassy in Kiev for a week during the February 2014 rebellion against Yanukovych. During his trip to Ukraine in 2016 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was photographed with Andriy Parubiy, Ukrainian Parliament Speaker, who has a background with the far right and was accused of praising Hitler. Meanwhile, two years later, Canada’s military attaché in Kiev, Colonel Brian Irwin, met privately with officers from the Azov Battalion, who use the Nazi “Wolfsangel” symbol and praise officials who helped slaughter Jews and Poles during World War II.

Canada has refused to back a number of UN resolutions opposed to glorifying Nazism, neo-Nazism and racial discrimination because they are viewed as targeting the Ukraine. In November 2015 Ottawa voted against a UN General Assembly resolution critical of the aforementioned subject supported by 126 states. The U.S., Palau and Ukraine were the only other countries to vote against the resolution titled “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.” Since then, Ottawa has abstained on a similar annual resolution.  (more...)

Canada’s support for the far-right abroad



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