Anti-Defamation League finally comes for Elon Musk after his series of Nazi ‘jokes’

2025/01/27 Leave a comment

So Tesla owners, any buyers’ remorse?

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League has attacked tech billionaire and close Donald Trump adviser Elon Musk for making light of the Holocaust with a series of Nazi “jokes” Thursday.

The sharp criticism came just days after the ADL defended Musk against accusations of anti-semitism and racism by saying his controversial stiff-armed salute at Trump’s inauguration Monday was simply “awkward” and not a Nazi salute — even though it was widely hailed as such by white nationalists and many other of Trump’s MAGA supporters.

Musk mocked the controversy over his salute Thursday with a series of quips on X featuring word play with the names of some of Adolf Hitler’s leading Nazis, including Rudolph Hess, Joseph Goebels, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, who played key roles in killing 6 million Jews.


“Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations!” Musk wrote in a post, adding: “Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Gőring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler! “

Musk concluded: “Bet you did nazi that coming,” with a laughing-to-tears emoji.

This time ADL head Jonathan Greenblatt quickly slammed back at Musk on X: “We’ve said it hundreds of times before and we will say it again: the Holocaust was a singularly evil event, and it is inappropriate and offensive to make light of it … @elonmusk, the Holocaust is not a joke.”

In its own post Thursday the ADL quoted Greenblatt’s message, and added: “Making inappropriate and highly offensive jokes that trivialize the Holocaust only serve to minimize the evil and inhumanity of Nazi crimes, denigrate the suffering of both victims and survivors and insult the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah.”

The response was a pointed turnaround following the uproar after Musk’s controversial salute Monday, when the ADL came to his defense.

“This is a delicate moment,” the ADL emphasized in its message on X then.

“It seems that [Musk] made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath,” it added.

Musk has yet to respond to the new ADL criticism.

Source: Anti-Defamation League finally comes for Elon Musk after his series of Nazi ‘jokes’

Along with: Elon Musk makes surprise appearance at AfD event in eastern Germany

Elon Musk made a surprise appearance during Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, speaking publicly in support of the far-right party for the second time in as many weeks.

Addressing a hall of 4,500 people alongside the party’s co-leader, Alice Weidel, Musk spoke live via video link about preserving German culture and protecting the German people.

“It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk said.

Last week, the US billionaire caused uproar after he made a gesture that drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute during President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities.

On Saturday, he said “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents”, apparently referring to Germany’s Nazi past.

“There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,” he said.

Musk, who spoke of suppression of speech under Germany’s government, has previously attacked German chancellor Olaf Scholz on X.

For his part, Scholz on Tuesday said he does not support freedom of speech when it is used for extreme-right views.

Musk spoke in favour of voting for the far-right party. “I’m very excited for the AfD, I think you’re really the best hope for Germany’s fight for a great future for Germany,” he told onlookers.

Filed under Antisemitism, Holocaust Tagged with ,

Ottawa planning processing centre for asylum seekers in Quebec near U.S. border

2025/01/27 Leave a comment

Of note:

Canadian authorities are planning to open a processing centre for asylum seekers near the United States border in Quebec in case there is a sharp rise in the number of would-be refugees entering Canada.

Earlier this week, the federal government published a notice seeking office space it could lease to accommodate reception and meal distribution areas as well as a waiting room for up to 200 people at a time.

In an e-mail, the Canada Border Services Agency says the planned processing centre is part of its contingency plans “in the event of an influx of asylum seekers.”

The notice from Public Services and Procurement Canada says the building must be located within a 15-kilometre radius of the official border crossing area in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., south of Montreal.

The notice follows Ottawa’s $1.3-billion announcement in December to beef up border security in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose steep tariffs unless Canada reduces the flow of migrants and drugs across the border….

Source: Ottawa planning processing centre for asylum seekers in Quebec near U.S. border

Filed under Immigration, Refugees Tagged with , ,

Akkad: Biden was a failure. Trump will be a catastrophe

2025/01/27 Leave a comment

Remarkably simplistic analysis, assessing Biden only by his action and inaction with respect to Israel and Gaza. No mention of Ukraine, no mention investments in the American economy etc. Also telling is his silence on Hamas and the October 7 killings and hostage taking, which affected both white and brown Israelis:

…But a deranged right-wing capitalizing on the empty dissociation of neo-liberal politics is not some uniquely American phenomenon. It is coming for Canada, it is coming for Germany, it will fester everywhere the performance of great virtue accompanies the absence of substance. There is immense cruelty on the way, and given how quickly the CEO class has positioned itself in total fealty to the Trump administration, there will be little institutional resistance. If only as an act of pre-emptive penance to future generations’ history books, it will be important to document this cruelty, to not become desensitized. Just as it is important to document the cruelty that has led us here.

Joe Biden spent his much of his final few days as President trying to frame his administration as a successful one. It’s what Presidents do. There’s nothing interesting or novel about it, and anyway many of his predecessors have presided over the killing of faraway brown people in much greater numbers before retiring comfortably into the role of respected elder statesman. What is perhaps most fascinating about this particular bit of reputation massage is that it may well mark the last time any such administration is able to even pretend its success isn’t dependent on ignoring the suffering of distant others. Because distance is a relative thing. Today the town that burns is by chance someone else’s, but not for long. Today the crops fail elsewhere, but not for long. Today the drone executes a child in another part of the world, but not for long.

Today, America loves you back.

Source: Biden was a failure. Trump will be a catastrophe

Filed under Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Multiculturalism, Racism, Religion Tagged with , , , ,

Aydintasbas: Trump will overplay his hand. Be ready for when he does. 

2025/01/27 Leave a comment

As a friend noted, also litigate, litigate, litigate, as is being done with birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment:

American democracy is about to undergo a serious stress test. I know how it feels, in part because I lived through the slow and steady march of state capture as a journalist working in Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey.

Over a decade as a high-profile journalist, I covered Turkey’s descent into illiberalism, having to engage in the daily push and pull with the government. I know how self-censorship starts in small ways but then creeps into operations on a daily basis. I am familiar with the rhythms of the battle to reshape the media, state institutions and the judiciary.

Having lived through it, and having gathered some lessons in hindsight, I believe that there are strategies that can help Democrats and Trump critics not only survive the coming four years, but come out stronger. Here are six of them.

  • Don’t Panic — Autocracy Takes Time
  • Don’t Disengage — Stay Connected
  • Don’t Fear the Infighting
  • Charismatic Leadership Is a Non-Negotiable
  • Skip the Protests and Identity Politics
  • Have Hope

Source: Trump will overplay his hand. Be ready for when he does.

Filed under Government Tagged with ,

Ottawa’s immigration cuts will chop 1.7% off GDP in 3 years: PBO [but improve GDP per capita]

2025/01/25 Leave a comment

As expected. But part of addressing decline in GDP per capita:

…Canada’s plan to reduce the number of immigrants over the next three years will result in a 1.7 per cent drop in the country’s gross domestic product  (GDP) by 2027, according to the federal fiscal watchdog.

The report from the parliamentary budget officer (PBO), Yves Giroux, on Thursday also said that new immigration targets released by the federal government last fall will slash the country’s population by 3.2 per cent or 1.4 million people over the next three years.

The PBO report comes days after Statistics Canada reported this week that Canada’s population could reach up to 80 million in 50 years, with migratory increase a “key driver of population growth.”

The PBO report said that the federal government’s new target to reduce immigration levels would lead to 1.3 billion fewer hours worked in 2027, resulting in the drop in the real GDP.

“However, given the sizeable population shock, real GDP per capita would be 1.4 per cent higher in 2027 under the 2025-2027 [Immigration Levels Plan],” the report said….

Source: Ottawa’s immigration cuts will chop 1.7% off GDP in 3 years: PBO

Filed under Immigration Tagged with , ,

Gertler: Lessons from Canada’s Nobel Prize win, and why capping graduate students will harm our economy

2025/01/25 Leave a comment

Smart to advocate for graduate students:

…What broader lessons can we learn from this experience? First, the importance of investing in curiosity-driven research over the long haul. In the 1980s, Dr. Hinton’s research was considered highly speculative and unproven. Only after decades of perseverance in developing the core models and following the advent of very large datasets and sufficiently powerful computing, did the full potential of his work become apparent.

Second, the importance of welcoming talented newcomers to Canada. Many of the protagonists in this story came from abroad. They were drawn here by research opportunities and funding. Many were also attracted by Canada’s openness and its inclusive society and cities. For example, Dr. Urtasun has spoken openly of her “love for and pride in” Canada as one of the key motivations to establish and grow Waabi in Toronto.

Moreover, as Dr. Hinton has recently emphasized, leading scholars must attract the best and brightest graduate students and postdocs to advance their research enterprise. In this light, the decision to limit the recruitment of international PhD and masters students will have profoundly damaging consequences for Canada’s long-run economic prospects.

As Canada contemplates its chronic productivity challenges and its distinctive place in an increasingly turbulent world, we would do well to learn from these lessons. Long-term investments in curiosity-driven research, an open society that welcomes newcomers and smart immigration policy that accentuates rather than depletes Canada’s talent advantage are key to our future prosperity.

Source: Lessons from Canada’s Nobel Prize win, and why capping graduate students will harm our economy

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Provinces warn Ottawa slashing immigration program in half will hurt economy

2025/01/25 Leave a comment

As noted in many of my posts, the provinces were complicit with the federal government, business and colleges and universities in the excessive growth of permanent and temporary residents without considering the practicalities of housing, healthcare and infrastructure:

The federal government has told most provinces and territories they must cut their allotted spaces for economic immigration programs by half this year, triggering concerns about drastic impacts on labour and the economy.

The provincial nominee programs (PNPs) are used by all provinces and territories except Quebec and Nunavut. All 11 jurisdictions with PNP slots have been told they will receive a 50 per cent reduction for 2025.

“We are quite reliant on that program. Our employers are quite reliant on the program,” Drew Wilby, Saskatchewan’s deputy immigration minister, told CBC News. “Obviously it’s our key driver of economic immigration.”

Saskatchewan’s share of the program will be cut to 3,625 spots, its lowest number since 2009. Wilby says the province wasn’t consulted about the cuts before they were announced.

The move is part of an overall cut to immigration targets. Ottawa announced in October it would cut the projected number of new permanent residents to 395,000 in 2025, down from 485,000. It’s planning further cuts to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

The PNPs target workers who have the skills to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory and want to become permanent residents in Canada. Each province and territory has its own streams and requirements.

In a statement sent to CBC News, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Immigration Department said the reductions undermine “the province’s ability to meet employer demands and support economic growth.”…

Source: Provinces warn Ottawa slashing immigration program in half will hurt economy

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Monneuse: Repression, resentment and resilience: A portrait of concentration camp survivors 80 years after their liberation

2025/01/25 Leave a comment


Interesting qualitative research and findings:

This is why, at the beginning of the 2000s, I began studying the journey of 625 Jewish survivors and/or resistance fighters who had been deported from France to Nazi death camps. I interviewed around 30 of them, as well as their families (brothers and sisters, spouses, children).

What is striking at first glance is the diversity in both the survivors’ trajectories and their levels of resilience. Some were haunted by nightmares every day until the end of their days, while others went on to live happy lives. Some returned to their previous lives (same job, place of residence and spouse) while others completely changed their lives. 

Despite these differences, we can identify four main profiles of survivors. 

  • The repression profile
  • The identity investment profile
  • The rehashing profile
  • The resilience profile…

Source: Repression, resentment and resilience: A portrait of concentration camp survivors 80 years after their liberation

Filed under Antisemitism, Holocaust Tagged with ,

Yakabuski: Supreme Court ruling on secularism law could land like a bomb in Quebec

2025/01/25 Leave a comment

Likely but inevitable:

…The Supreme Court must now decide whether to caution the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause and determine whether the law violates minority-language and gender-equality provisions of the Charter that cannot be overridden by Section 33. Whatever it decides, it will not end the political debate in Quebec.

The CAQ government has already promised to table new legislation this year to reinforce Quebec’s secularist identity after launching investigations at 17 schools where teachers are alleged to have omitted curriculum that conflicted with their religious values. Mr. Legault has also raised the possibility of banning prayer in public spaces, such as city parks, where Muslims often gather to pray collectively.

In 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau forcefully denounced the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause after Ontario briefly invoked it in a dispute with education support workers. “The Charter of Rights and Freedoms cannot be a suggestion,” Mr. Trudeau said then.

However, it will fall to his successor as Liberal Leader and Prime Minister, if not a future Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre, to articulate Ottawa’s position on Bill 21 before the Supreme Court. Whoever is in charge, they will need to weigh the political sensitivities of the law in Quebec against the imperative of standing up for the Charter.

“It is paramount, even vital, for Quebec to be able to make its own choices, choices that correspond to our history, our distinct social values and our aspirations as a nation,” Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and Secularism Minister Jean-François Roberge wrote on X on Thursday, while calling on other provinces to join Quebec in defending the “parliamentary sovereignty” of their legislatures.

If the top court overturns parts of Bill 21, a political storm is almost certain.

Source: Supreme Court ruling on secularism law could land like a bomb in Quebec

Filed under Interculturalisme, Multiculturalism Tagged with , , ,

Costco defends its diversity policies as other US companies scale theirs back

2025/01/24 Leave a comment

Another reason to shop at Costco:

Costco is pushing back on a shareholder proposal that urges the wholesale club operator to conduct an evaluation of any business risks posed by its diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Investors were expected to vote on the recommendation during the company’s annual meeting Thursday.

The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank based in Washington, submitted the proposal, arguing that Costco’s DEI initiatives hold “litigation, reputational and financial risks to the company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders.”

The think tank has made a similar proposal to Apple, and like some American companies that already scaled back or retreated from their diversity policies, cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision in July 2023 that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions.

Costco officials could not be reached for comment on the DEI proposal.

But Costco’s board of directors voted unanimously to ask shareholders to reject the motion. The board said it believes “our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary. The report requested by this proposal would not provide meaningful additional information.”

Source: Costco defends its diversity policies as other US companies scale theirs back

List of other companies not abandoning DEI:

Top 5 Companies Sticking True to DEI Programs















Filed under Multiculturalism Tagged with , , ,

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