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EESTI ELU reedel, 15. mail 2020 — Friday, May 15, 2020
Canada liberated Europe, while the Soviets conquered it Marcus Kolga, The Sun, May 2020
English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Lies, conspiracy theories and bogus information revisited Rumors and conspiracy theories do well during peri ods of low confidence and trust. Those dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic are pro liferating abundantly. Some of these widespread myths: The New World Order forced a shut down of business, there fore causing economic chaos which would benefit a world elite. The G5 network acti vates the virus. The pandemic is a scam advanced by an international cabal. The Chi nese deliberately created the virus as a biological weapon. Etc., etc. Conspiracy theories are a from of political propaganda. They intentionally denigrate specific individuals or groups. Many of the theories are as harmful and dangerous as the causes they promote. Thus it’s necessary to be aware of what ideology they are advancing. It’s also essential to differentiate between the conspiracy theo rist and those that believe in them. Not all conspiracy theories are bogus. That Nazi Germany and Communist Russia agreed on a conspiracy to carve up Eastern Europe between themselves has been verified by all Western historians. Proof positive lies in the actual document signed by the two regimes on August 23, 1939 and what happened consequently when Stalin and Hitler invaded the requisite countries. This conspiracy theory is true, based on facts. Real conspiracies and secret plots do indeed happen. Ironically, historians tell us that Hitler was a conspiracy theorist and so was Stalin. Sadly bogus theories vastly outnumber the genuine. For tunately, readers generally aren’t gullible and can easily resist infection from any ludicrous conspiracy theory. And in spite of a conspiracy theory’s ability to live on like a dormant virus, the common sense of readers usually prevails. Conspiracy theories are devoid of any nuance. It hits hard with notions of wholly “good” and wholly “evil”. This appeals to the ignorant. Conspiracy theorists claim ownership of reality with no counter-view points available. They have dis-
dain for political pluralism. Readers can mostly easily resist the disorientation of conspiratorial unreality and stand for common sense by relying on authentic facts and reasonable debate. There are approaches to combating bogus ideas. We can demand that there be substance behind any claim used to make one believe. We can demand to know whether the so-called facts come from a reliable source. We ask if there’s some political agenda behind it. One can analyze what’s not being told. What’s missing? Conspiracy theorists’ flawed reasoning suggests that we should believe this because of that. Logical fallacies are common in conspiracy theories, as are false assumptions. Conspiracy theorists do not present the other side or alternative explanations. They have no willingness to consider different perspectives and aren’t open to information that refutes their preexisting position. Conspiracy theorists may be totally convinced about the reality of their position. But this do not mean that it isn’t propaganda – virulent, noxious propaganda. Thus many conspiracy theorists of the extreme right and the extreme left are congenitally anti-Semitic. It seems as if antisemitism is part of the natural fabric of conspiracy theorists. Conspiracy theories present the media with a vexing dilemma. The concept of free speech in our democratic liberal society is directly linked to sustaining free thought and free action. Ideas that are intolerable, offensive or just plain annoying cannot be suppressed. Some say that offensive speech is the most important speech to protect, yes objectionable, even despicable ideas must not be forced into silence. But there are limits. Among many others are calls for discrimination, hate and violence, the encouragement of others to deliberately target one or more people, etc. Remarks against political beliefs, religion or creed do not fall in these categories. The best way to defeat offensive ideas is with better ideas. LAAS LEIVAT
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin was expecting to celebrate his self-corona tion as Stalin’s successor and Russia’s leader-for-life, at an annual neo-Soviet Second World War mass propaganda event, known as Soviet “Vic tory Day”. A highlight on the Soviet – and now the Putin regime – propaganda calendar, Victory Day romanticizes the Soviet occupation and repression of much of Central and Eastern Europe. The spectacle of Russian military power features parades of Russian soldiers, nuclear missile launchers, battle tanks and flyovers by fighter jets – not dissimilar to those held in totalitarian nations like North Korea. While those who contributed to the defeat of Nazi tyranny should always be recognized for their heroic efforts, the warped historical narratives fabricated by the Kremlin and promoted as part of Victory Day must be rejected and challenged with the historical truth, starting with the role that the Soviet Union played in enabling the start of the Second World War. On Aug. 23, 1939, Stalin and Hitler signed a secret pact to carve up Europe between them. The agreement led to the co ordinated Nazi and Soviet invasions of Poland shortly thereafter. According to historian Timothy Snyder, Stalin characterized the Soviet alliance
with Hitler as one that was “cemented in blood.” Yet the impact of the StalinHitler pact reached well beyond Poland. Ilya Lensky, the director of the Jewish Museum in Latvia recently reminded me that “the Soviet invasion of the Baltic States in June of 1940 coincides with the Nazi conquest of France.” On June 18, 1940, just days after the Nazis captured Paris, Stalin’s foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov summoned Hitler’s ambassador in Moscow. At this meeting, Molotov “expressed the warmest congratulations of the Soviet Government on the splendid success of the German Armed Forces” for their invasion and occupation of France. He told Hitler’s ambassador that it was “necessary to put an end to all the intrigues by which England and France had tried to sow discord and mistrust between Germany and the Soviet Union.” Stalin would not allow any nation to come between him and his ally, Hitler. As Nazi soldiers marched down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Stalin was finalizing the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, launching mass arrests, deportations and executions. “As the Sovietization went on, and the occupation regimes were installed in full scale, absolutely all public organiza tions were closed and most of the Jewish schools were liquidated,” explained Lensky. “The image that the Jews were avid
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supporters of the Soviet regime – is fake. This was extensively spread by Nazi propaganda.” Contrary to the Kremlin’s selective historical memory, Stalin was quite comfortable with the arrangement he had struck with Hitler, which only became problematic for the Soviets when Hitler shifted his murderous gaze eastwards. After Canada and its allies liberated Western Europe from Nazi tyranny, they set upon the great task of rebuilding their war-ravaged economies, so cieties and democracies until they were able to function again as fully independent nations. The Soviets, on the contrary, burned, looted and brutally repressed the nations they “liberated,” crushing the free dom and independence of those nations and the millions living in them for generations to come. For the millions of Cana dians whose families fled Soviet terror and occupation, the glorification of Stalin and the Soviet Union on Victory Day is a painful and deeply hurtful reminder of the deep trauma they and their families suffered. Any efforts to distort and falsify this history must be rejected and condemned. As we remember the sacrifices of all who helped liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny on May 8th, Soviet Victory Day must be remembered as the day hope and liberty died for millions of Europeans, who were forced to endure Stalin’s mass terror and totalitarianism for nearly 50 years after the end of the Second World War. (Marcus Kolga is a senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute.)
Digitalization – the way ahead Toomas Lukk, Ambassador, Republic of Estonia Fully integrated public ser vices and full compliance with data privacy rules is the way to build a secure and broadbased digital society. The coronavirus has accelerated the application of digital technologies. Big jumps in digital activity have been reported in countries that have imposed the strictest lockdowns. Remote working, online teaching, medical assistance, commerce and teleconferencing have become a “new normal”. There are no proven guidelines as to how to act in these trying times. Digital infrastructure, however, allows us to observe the most important treatment available today – social distancing. The Global Statshot Report of April 2020 suggests that the
tainability of the public sector services for citizens and private enterprises and has had a tan world’s digital behaviour has gible impact on quality of life. changed dramatically over the There are many examples of first three months of 2020. services that could be adopted Billions of people have turned by Canada. A fully automated to online devices to help them unemployment insurance re cope with life and work under gistry allows citizens to apply lockdowns. Today 4.57 billion for unemployment benefits or people use the internet, which allowances, confirmed by a represents an increase of 7 perd igital stamp, which is legally cent over the same time last year. The number of social me- equal to that of a physical dia users has grown even faster, signature. An electronic fisheries reaching 3.81 billion. The num- management systems provides ber of mobile phone users has data on fishing opportunities, licenses, ensuring contact-free grown by 128 million over the past twelve months and app and sustainable fishing and simplified fishing surveillance. roximately two-thirds of the world’s total population now Many other smart applications are related to health, education, uses a mobile phone. Estonia started building its security, transport and other information society in the sectors. Digital solutions combined 1990s, at a time when most with good cyber security prepeople did not have access to paredness have proved their the internet. Today, the spread usefulness in minimizing the of wireless technologies and the negative effects of hybrid threats, development of Estonia’s e- such as cyber-attacks and Governance ecosystems has ensured the continuity and sus(Continued on page 12)
Statement from the Editors of Estonian Life/Eesti Elu The opinion piece entitled “Canadian Wuhan flu cure is worse than the ailment” by Toomas Trei published in the May 1, 2020 edition of Estonian Life/Eesti Elu contained language which many of our readers found inappropriate. Estonian Life/Eesti Elu acknowledges these concerns. We regret that the commentary and opinions were published in this manner. Estonian Life/Eesti Elu considers the opinion piece to have been misleading and disapproves of the opinion piece’s content and insinuations.
