Europe-Middle East-Africa Refugee Crisis General Thread

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

This entire thread is a testimony that re-enforces that I said the moment I saw that poor little boy on a beach in Turkey. We're the worst thing to happen to our planet.

The paranoia about settling people fleeing a war zone... what the hell is wrong with you people? Human beings being treated like a piece of ugly heirloom furniture "No, I don't want it!" "Wait, you liked her more, you take it!".

I'm seriously asking you. There should be an international agreement on this issue that includes all countries in the region and all developed economies. Noting that part of the reason why there are issues about re-settling in the Middle East is due to the high risk of persecution and continued attacks. Frankly, reading some of these cold and spiteful comments, I wonder if they should even bother.

But of course, beware the browns right? No matter where they are?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

But of course, beware the browns right? No matter where they are?

However much you guys like to make this about race it is not the colour of their skin that is the problem, and it is not as simple as "lets just help those in need". Refugee situations can often be boiled down to this, but this one can't. And there have been several attempts to explain why. Ignoring them and just posting a moral reprimand is pointless.

OK then, instead of acting like the victims in this issue. What's your solution? Aside from can't x (read as, anywhere but here) take them?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Some of you people are disgusting.  Some people don't want millions of more people in their countries, so their automatically racists?  What kind of bullspit is that?  It's an issue that can be discussed, debated, compromised on, but you guys don't want that, you want to show how much better you are.  Great job poisoning the well.

Oh please. This, of course, isn't simple. 

my 'Browns' comment was unnecessary - so I'll apologise for it. But there should be consideration of people who are escaping abominable situations that we cannot fathom. We dont understand that desperation, we don't know what kind of risks we'd be prepared to take.

States need to ensure their sovereignty but that's the point. Hence my question - these are humanitarian crises, what do we do? Other than say they're not our problem, despite the policy decisions taken in many of our countries, including mine, helped lead to this.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Some of you people are disgusting.  Some people don't want millions of more people in their countries, so their automatically racists?  What kind of bullspit is that?  It's an issue that can be discussed, debated, compromised on, but you guys don't want that, you want to show how much better you are.  Great job poisoning the well.

Oh please. This, of course, isn't simple. 

my 'Browns' comment was unnecessary - so I'll apologise for it. But there should be consideration of people who are escaping abominable situations that we cannot fathom. We dont understand that desperation, we don't know what kind of risks we'd be prepared to take.

States need to ensure their sovereignty but that's the point. Hence my question - these are humanitarian crises, what do we do? Other than say they're not our problem, despite the policy decisions taken in many of our countries, including mine, helped lead to this.

We can talk about it, but it's a lot harder to do when one side is calling EVERYbody on the other side racists.  It just shows some of you don't really want to talk about it.

I'm happy to talk about it. I exist because countries looked after my grandmother and her family fled persecution and the prelude to war. I'm happy to talk, but when people give equal time to the context and what is causing this.bI never said that this is Europe's problem to solve, it's all of ours.

The argument seems driven by the dehumanisation of people, they are problems, like an invasive pest species. Not people fleeing conditions, again, that we can't imagine. It's much easier to have discussions when problems are reduced to that level.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm not going to say much more in this thread, because there isn't really appetite for a real discussion.

The suggestion that just because those fleeing are Muslims, somehow suggests that this means the descent of Sharia is just nuts. The point raised is that many of those fleeing Syria are educated, middle-class, skilled (ie people who would be a great boon for developed countries) and many are Christians and Kurds. Also this is a big reason why many other Islamic countries would be both unsuitable and dangerous for these people.

The "chart" below is indicative of the diseased thinking that is behind a big part of the paranoia about these people, despite all the evidence showing that it is not the extremists who are fleeing but the educated, middle-class that made pre-War Damascus one of the most remarkable cities on the planet. It's a dark day in hell when I agree with Piers Morgan, but I do. This isn't about economic opportunity, this is about fleeing a war zone.

I'm not concerned about offending people who are offended that people might think that they're racist. You can be concerned about large scale immigration without being racist, of course. But, at the same time I think we need to understand WHO these people are (outside of paranoid and uninformed views of Islamic people) and WHY they are leaving. They are fleeing death at the hands of violent Islamist extremists, not running off to spread it.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

They are fleeing death at the hands of violent Islamist extremists, not running off to spread it.

How far do they need to flee?  It seems they keep fleeing until they get to where they want to go, not to where it's safe.  Which makes me think it's less about fleeing and more about economics.

I get that point. I do. But look at a map of the Mediterranean - we're not talking huge distances here in many cases. I don't endorse people travelling through country after country to get to a location of their choice. It should be about the safest port, then having a discussion about appropriate settlement.

But at the same time, you and I can think like this, I can't put myself in the situation of these people and you'd have to think your logical capacity would be a little undermined. Desperation makes you do things that make no sense.

Again it comes to this issue being treated as one glob. When each situation is triggered by different things, the people are leaving for different reasons. This is part of the reason why I'm finding the conflation of all people fleeing into one mass so grating.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Again it comes to this issue being treated as one glob. When each situation is triggered by different things, the people are leaving for different reasons. This is part of the reason why I'm finding the conflation of all people fleeing into one mass so grating.

This is hilarious, one side have generalised these people into one large unified faceless mass, and it's not the one side which you blame for it.

Lol - right. This isn't about sides.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Coming soon to a country near you:

Christian refugees murdered by Muslim migrants for praying.

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You really are a disgusting human being

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

No, you're copy and pasting an unsubstantiated story that sounds familiar to many.