Poland issues ultimatum to Germany over €1.3 trillion in WWII reparations

Poland is ratcheting up the pressure on Germany over reparations for the Second World War, with Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk giving Germany a new ultimatum to pay up or face Poland bringing the matter to a range of international forums, a move that may harm Germany’s international reputation.

“Now, Germany has a choice: Either it sits down with Poland at the negotiating table, or we will raise the issue in all international forums — in the UN, in the Council of Europe and in the European Union,” he said, according to German news agency dpa.

…“If Germany had been treated as it was in many plans formulated not in the Soviet Union but in the West, today they would be a very, very poor and much less numerous country than they are,” he claimed, adding that the defeated German nation was “treated extremely kindly” given the circumstances.

“Let them thank God that is only so. They owe us, they have to pay,” he insisted.


Long but interesting related reading… 

Fears of Retribution in Post-War Germany

Three groups were at the heart of post-war German fears of revenge: Jewish Holocaust survivors, Eastern European Displaced Persons, and American occupation officials.

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Inside Poland’s far-Right’s Catholic revival

The men are assembled along the left, the women line up along the right, and the very young children follow the proceedings from an anteroom, soundproofed behind a glass screen. The dress code is sombre — mostly black, occasionally grey. The women are obliged to cover their hair, though, judging by the sprinkling of Louis Vuitton and Hermes headscarves, there is no injunction against luxury. Silent and perfectly still, the congregation surrenders to the language of the ancient church: “Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto”.

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Twitter execs vowed to ‘hit’ conservative accounts ‘hard’ but were hands-off with pro-Biden tweets

Twitter executives bent over backward to try to suppress tweets from high-profile conservatives leading up to the 2020 election – but found ways to justify keeping up posts from users that espoused liberal political views, the latest “Twitter Files” reveal.

In one shocking instance, when workers at the social media giant didn’t have a “firm policy basis” for censoring a pro-Trump tweet from right-wing Hollywood actor James Woods, they vowed to “hit him hard on future [violations],” according to a screenshot of internal communications shared by independent journalist Matt Taibbi.

I hope the former execs do serious jail time.

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Hearings prove Emergencies Act requirements not met

After six weeks of testimony in Ottawa at the Public Order Emergency Commission, the federal government has failed to make its case that using the extraordinary powers in the Emergencies Act was justified.

The Emergencies Act is the successor to the War Measures Act. It is gives tremendous power to the prime minister and cabinet, including the power to create new criminal law by executive order. These are powers that must have a high threshold and which we all should be wary of in a liberal democracy.

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U.S. Loses Track of Weapons in Ukraine

On November 27th, Fox News reported that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration was

scrambling to track the nearly $20 billion in military aid that it has sent to Ukraine as Republicans warn of impending audits when they take control of the House [of Representatives] in January.

Incoming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as quoted by Fox News, said that an audit would be aimed at establishing to what extent “the U.S. aid is ending up in the wrong hands.” 

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When Harry opens his mouth, why do we hear Meghan?

Viewers of the controversial new Netflix series on the Sussexes may be left wondering whether the Duke really believes what he says

Whatever else Meghan Markle might be guilty of, she could never be accused of not knowing her own mind. If you are planning on watching Harry & Meghan on Netflix anytime soon, you will be left in no doubt about what she thinks of the Royal family, Britain and the media (spoiler alert: none of them are positive).

In Prince Harry’s case, the picture is rather more confused. Here is a man who adoringly described the Princess of Wales as the “sister he never had” but who now appears to believe his brother only married her because she “fitted the mould”.

Poor Harry married a shrew.

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Mystery breach of Keystone Pipeline sends 14,000 barrels of crude gushing over Kansas countryside

Emergency crews in Kansas are preparing to labor through the weekend to clean up the largest US crude oil spill in nearly a decade, after a mysterious rupture in the Keystone pipeline.

The pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons, in a spill larger than all prior breaches of the Keystone system combined, officials said Friday.

The spill sent oil gushing into a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.

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Councillors call for public inquiry into Eglinton Crosstown ‘boondoggle’

World Class Money Pit!

Toronto city councillors Josh Matlow and Mike Colle are calling for a public inquiry into the Eglinton Crosstown project after sharing leaked confidential internal Metrolinx documents that suggest there is no “credible plan” to complete the project.

“This is a historic boondoggle, billions of dollars, years of delays,” said Matlow.

“It’s both taxpayer’s money but it’s also the loss of income from so many small businesses, the impact on the quality of life of residents,” he added.

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Pentagon gives Ukraine green light for drone strikes inside Russia

The Pentagon has given a tacit endorsement of Ukraine’s long-range attacks on targets inside Russia after President Putin’s multiple missile strikes against Kyiv’s critical infrastructure.

Since daily assaults on civilians began in October, the Pentagon has revised its threat assessment of the war in Ukraine. Crucially, this includes new judgments about whether arms shipments to Kyiv might lead to a military confrontation between Russia and Nato.


The SU-25 is the Russian version of the Warthog

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Some guns used for hunting may still fall under firearms ban, Liberal MP says

Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed says the government’s controversial firearms legislation is not trying to target hunters and farmers — but some guns commonly used by them may still be banned.

Noormohamed, who sits on the parliamentary committee now grappling with the bill, acknowledged that firearms like the SKS rifle — which is on the list of proposed prohibitions — are sometimes used by hunters. But specific variants of the SKS have also been used to commit acts of violence, he added


Now do Icepicks.

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Cops who can’t crack Idaho murder case now threaten internet sleuths with ‘criminal charges’ for engaging in ‘harassment’ fueled by spread of ‘misinformation’

The Moscow Police Department, who have yet to make much headway investigating the murder of four University of Idaho students, have said they will now crack down on internet sleuths.

As last month’s brutal stabbings captured the nation’s attention, sleuths on the internet began posting popular theories about the murders to fill the void from the Idaho police, who have been criticized for sharing little and repeatedly contradicting themselves.

Speaking on Friday, Moscow Police Chief James Fry condemned the high volume of speculations and rumors surrounding the case, saying police have the sole authority to discuss the facts of the case.

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Convicted sex offender spews anti-Asian slurs during NYC Council meeting — and pols do nothing to stop him

“I live in Rego Park now. That’s the most racist neighborhood I’ve ever been in, and it’s nothing but Asians in there.

“If you go into a store, they will follow you around like you’re getting ready to steal something. They don’t want black people living in black people neighborhoods. Because it’s not their neighborhood, because they’re from China, they’re from Hong Kong. We from New York,” Powell said.

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Trudeau’s National Security Adviser Says She Hasn’t Seen Evidence of Chinese Funding to 11 Candidates

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser Jody Thomas says her office has seen no evidence supporting allegations that the Chinese regime funded 11 candidates in the 2019 federal election, but also said federal intelligence agencies are investigating the allegations.

“The news stories that you have read about interference are just that: news stories,” Thomas told the House of Commons national defence committee on Dec. 8, adding “We’ve not seen money going to 11 candidates, period.”

When they deny it you know it’s true.

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