They didn’t due their due diligence - if not actively white washed it - because they wanted a photo op for PR to promote the current conflict. They see Nazi’s and white supremacists where they don’t exist, will call those they don’t like a Nazi (which is insulting the the millions who were murdered by actual Nazi’s…), He was not just some German soldier, he was Waffen-SS. If he’d just been some average German soldier, I’d not leap to assuming hardcore Nazi, but Waffen-SS were generally dedicated Nazi’s who believed in their mission. I can understand why so many went “WTF?!” when they used him for a PR op while Z dude was visiting. When even the ultra lib YT channel DN goes “WTF?!” you know they done F-ed up. Sure, maybe he was just a book keeper in the Waffen-SS but imagine if was someone in the GOP who did that?
No one does hypocrisy like the progressive left. The irony will be totally lost on them of course.
They find one of the very few remaining Ukrainian former SS guys and throw him a party?
Doesn’t anyone do their homework anymore ?
This is totally devolving into a shi*show.
Ukraine has a history of collaborating with Nazis. Many Ukrainians, just like this guy, readily volunteered to enlist with the Nazi’s as an opportunity to fight against Russians. The Ukrainian Auxiliary Police which were Ukrainian volunteers working for the Nazis were involved in the Babi Yar massacre in Kiev. To this day you will find statues honoring Stepan Bandera in Western Ukraine.
I would think that it’s pretty easy to throw a rock and hit a Nazi collaborating Ukrainian in that age group.
LOL, I posted an article about this in the big Ukraine war thread when it happened, and got piled on by the “Ukraine can do no wrong” crowd. (Neither Will nor anyone above was in that dogpile, FWIW.)
Yeah, it’s a F-up. Waffen-SS, and his exact unit was implicated in specific atrocities. He seems to have been a proud and willing member of the unit too.
At age 98 I don’t feel like the guy deserves to be hunted down or anything, but he certainly does NOT deserve to be praised as some kind of western hero. Looks like Poland is going to try and extradite him anyway now. Back in 1944 he was working hard to kill the USSR people that were our allies at the time. Allies of convenience maybe, but there’s no way to spin this as some great western hero.
btw:
The Worst Op-Ed in History?
Politico gives National Socialism its finest makeover since “Springtime for Hitler”
I think at any age, if confirmed, taken out and shot. If not, it just tells people if they can get away from it long enough, there will be no price to pay if/when someone exposes them. There is not statute of limitations for what they did. Of course that complicates the fact we/they took in various Nazi’s etc. I know the realities, just don’t care.
As a general rule, it’s a bad idea to be celebrating a Nazi. That includes their traitors. You better be cut from the same mold as Oskar Schindler to get a pass.
The fact that this slipped through in such a visible way just means propaganda is really successful and education is not.