Apolyton list: 25 greatest Canadians

[KrazyHorse]

Maybe Mackenzie King is just so ****ty in my mind due to the inevitable comparison with FDR.

[Japher]

Warn us if the pic ain't work safe next time, willya????

What wasn't work safe?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Anti-semitic **** who talked to his dead dog.

"none is too many" - but was that King, or a reaction to political reality, which FDR also had to deal with - and Canada had allowed immigration for at least some time after US had cut it off in the '20s, IIRC. And King led Canada through WW2, and coordinated the defense of North America with FDR. And who else have I heard of?

[KrazyHorse]

Mackenzie King wasn't just less-than-concerned with the possibility and then reality of a Jewish genocide in Europe like FDR was. That, in my mind, might make you a hardhearted son of a *****, but not necessarily an anti-Semite.

There are numerous indications from his private journals that he personally disliked Jews and worried about them "taking over neighbourhoods" near his residence...

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Mackenzie King wasn't just less-than-concerned with the possibility and then reality of a Jewish genocide in Europe like FDR was. That, in my mind, might make you a hardhearted son of a *****, but not necessarily an anti-Semite.

There are numerous indications from his private journals that he personally disliked Jews and worried about them "taking over neighbourhoods" near his residence...

Like Arthur Balfour?

[KrazyHorse]

No idea. I only know Balfour from his declaration.

[lord of the mark]

would this be true (a student paper, I think)?

"Between the years of 1933 and 1945, Canada admitted a pitiful estimated 5 000 Jews into the country. (Abella, 25) That figure includes refugees and special Orders-in-Council. The government’s obvious anti-Semitism cannot be attributed to any one person in specific, but is primarily the collaboration of the federal government itself including cabinet and the Prime Minister, the Immigration branch headed by F.C. Blair, Canadian External Affairs, and the newspapers, most often those from Quebec. "

[KrazyHorse]

Anyhow, like I said: maybe Mackenzie King isn't as awful as I think he is. Perhaps his problem was that he was PM when we needed an FDR.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
would this be true (a student paper, I think)?

"Between the years of 1933 and 1945, Canada admitted a pitiful estimated 5 000 Jews into the country. (Abella, 25) That figure includes refugees and special Orders-in-Council. The government’s obvious anti-Semitism cannot be attributed to any one person in specific, but is primarily the collaboration of the federal government itself including cabinet and the Prime Minister, the Immigration branch headed by F.C. Blair, Canadian External Affairs, and the newspapers, most often those from Quebec. "

Quebec newspapers of the time were violently anti-Semitic, as were Quebec politicians and the Catholic Church in Quebec.

[KrazyHorse]

There was a large Quebec nationalist, Catholic, anti-socialist Nazi movement at the time.

Utterly disgraceful.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
No idea. I only know Balfour from his declaration.

IIRC, he was said to be antisemitic in his personal life - the kind of guy who wouldnt want Jews in his club, that sort of thing. Id get you a cite, but im afraid googling on "Arthur Balfour Antisemite" leads one deep into crud.

[KrazyHorse]

I was going to google that exact phrase, but I stopped myself.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Quebec newspapers of the time were violently anti-Semitic, as were Quebec politicians and the Catholic Church in Quebec.

Yeah, ive read Richler's little book on Quebec, which goes into some detail. I had that in mind as background for King. Cant remember what Richler says about King, though.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
There was a large Quebec nationalist, Catholic, anti-socialist Nazi movement at the time.

Utterly disgraceful.

Catholic right wing antisemitism wasnt limited to north of the border - see Father Coughlin down here. Now we're getting into broader questions of 20th century history, though.

[Richelieu]

Neal Peart
Alex Lifeson
Geddy Lee