GOP candidates vs. the Syrian refugee threat (by CP)

There is a Republican tradition established for several election cycles.

The 2008 elections put on the road the hilariously disturbing McCain and Sarah Palin show and had Republican contenders out-enthusing each other on the practically irrelevant matter of torture, turning the question into a wedge issue (lest Bush era officials be prosecuted). In the 2012 campaign there was Romney vowing to double Guantanamo, just to underline that having set up this institutionalised legal limbo was a splendid idea (lest Bush era officials still be prosecuted). Republicans then went to great length suggesting that having these prisoners in a prison on US soil would spell the end of the world as we know it.

Today we have Republican aspirants express their utter horror at yet another non-issue: America being overrun by the Syrian Muslim hordes. Ben Carson demanded the US screen, thoroughly, for ‚mad dogs‘ amongst the Syrian refugees - as if DHS wasn't already. Ted Cruz, not to be outdumbed by anyone, wants to make a religious test at the border and sort out all Muslims.

It is said that further proposals – throwing the witch in the river to see if she swims, having Muslims wear green pointy hats or armbands – were met with general approval by the Republican conclave but were found to be too difficult to spell.

One could perhaps see a point to all this if there was an actual problem with Syrians in the US.

Well, there isn’t. While the US has, with Saudi-Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, done more than any other nation to destabilise Syria, the US have so far taken the not-so staggering number of 1,854 (give and take) Syrian refugees.

That is still 1,854 times as much as as Saudi Arabia has accepted, but not much more than the average German Kreis (~County) is taking. Even if the US took, as Obama has boldly suggested, 10.000 next year, they are light years away from what Europe is experiencing. Distributed over a 317 million nation, it is probably something that the US could handle easily.

The US can freely choose to take or not take these refugees because the refugees can’t just walk up to the US, as they can in Europe. That is the result of the simple fact that the US is blessed by geography and insulated from the Syrian shitstorm they very actively helped unleash by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Syria is some 9000km away.

Some Republican candidates apparently didn’t notice yet. To the extent the others did, they wouldn’t let that get in the way of a focus-group approved talking point. So, be afraid, very afraid!

by confusedponderer

Comments

[Fred]

CP,

Went right along with NAFTA. I believe your countryman are still accountable for the Holocaust 70 years after it was ended by mine (and our allies). How many generations of guilt do you think America should be obliged to serve Syrians?

[confusedponderer]

What about an hour or two?

And you mistake me: It isn't about guilt but about responsibility and perhaps reparations.

The US spent what on fuelling the civil war? Some figure well beyond 500 million. To 'liberate the Syrian people from Assad'. And now that the country is all messed up all of a sudden, that's the Syrian's, Russia's and Europe's problem. No guilt, no remorse much less any obligations. Isn't it all Assad's fault anyway? Byyyeee!

But then, they don't say that states are the coldest of monsters for nothing.

But then, it may disappoint you, but - and I am in a position to judge - this thread is actually about the Republicans quite ruthlessly and quite cynically exploiting the issue for their inane if effective fearmongering, suggesting not only that Syrian refugees are about to flood America, but that Obama, by allowing this, is inviting Paris style terror to the US.

The very last thing I expect coming to their minds, or what passes as that, is the fate of Syria or that of Syrians. And knowing no shame they certainly have no concept of guilt.

[JerseyJeffersonian]

CP,

I have a hard time imagining Obama climbing down from that high horse he rides to ask the Russians, well, about, let alone for, anything at all.

I gave up hope for anything other than duplicity and self-dealing from Obama in 2008, and sadly I find my views to have only been reinforced over the desolating years of his time in office.

Thus, in the hands of such "leaders", do republics die. Now we are reduced to hoping for a good emperor now and again.

Fruitcakes... I like it. Heh.

[Tyler]

I shouldn't take my womanly snark and intellectual masturbation so early in the morning.

CP please post your address so we can ship the refugees to your neighborhood, TIA since you seem to be so hot to trot to virtue signal about what a great guy you are. However, I'm afraid my Civics class skipped over the part where the stupid poem on the Statue of Liberty trumped the Constitution and its Preamble. I've also been mistaken that the US was a country with its interests lying in securing the future and well being of its citizens, it seems. No the US is a bazaar with a flag crossed with a sewer for the refuse of the 3rd World.

I also seem to be watching some other bizzaro version of the news, where most of the candidates are in favor of taking in the Army of the Unwashed and going against the MSM/Borg consensus versus the few who are saying America, y'know, belongs to Americans.

[Tyler]

CP,

Blood guilt and virtue signaling. Do you also believe in "white privilege" lmao.

[JerseyJeffersonian]

Kunuri,

The danger in which you may put yourself by speaking words of truth is indicative of a brave man. May God protect you.

You are continuing the tradition of the Committees of Correspondence, who were also composed of brave souls dedicated to articulating the truth as they saw it, come what may, for the good of their peoples. Respect to you.

[Lesly]

"And you mistake me: It isn't about guilt but about responsibility and perhaps reparations."

Good luck providing an explanation without being accused of endorsing historical patterns we could avoid by not playing world police.

We can help the most Syrians by helping Russia. As if that will happen.

[confusedponderer]

Tyler,
trust me, I am far less than happy about the refugees, and I want them gone asap, but then, as I wrote, since my Kreis has been taking more than the US of A in its entirety, I can't help but laugh at the Republican histrionics about it.

Given that we speak of about 37 refugees per state the Republican freakout may just be a little over the top.

In the context of immigration in the US in general, these Syrians are a drop in a very big bucket. They don't matter.

[Tyler]

I worked a 14 hour shift last night because at shift change the smugglers pushed across 30+ illegals, variously from India, El Salvador, and Honduras, consisting mostly of children and teenagers, to tie us up dealing with that mess. Most of my time was spent running medical screenings (as the leading medical expert at the station) on sick children and trying to figure out if this open sore was an open sore or an infectious disease.

My point here is that the entire world would come to the US if they could, alright? Either the US is a country or its a landing pad for those looking for a handout. You don't get peace and prosperity with the latter.

[confusedponderer]

Tyler,
I see your point, but as above, the R's are BS-ing the electorate when they suggest that Syrian refugees are about to flood America and that this invites Paris style terror to the US.

The US has enough problems without the R's inventing fictitious new ones.

[Tyler]

CP,

The Tsarnevs were a very small drop as well.

If you want the refugees gone, maybe you guys should stop voting in Mutti Merkel so you can all be good thinkers marching in lockstep.

[Fred]

CP,

Spare me the guilt trip and the indignation. I am in agreement that our foreign policy played a role in this mess. That doesn't mean the US is obligated to open borders or write a blank check to the usual suspects - IMF/World Bank/Consultants, because that is all that will happen with any such funding.

The Republican's are exploiting the issue? Great observation. Why don't you write one about the Democrats doing the same thing, which is precisely what they are doing.

[Tyler]

CP,

Look man, it DOESN'T STOP at 10K, alright? This is the camel's nose in the tent. We are STILL taking in Somalis FFS because of Gothic Serpent. There's going to be another 10K, and another 10K, and they're all going to be able to engage in chain migration to bring their families over here.

The Republican candidates are totally right to oppose this, because it NEVER EVER STOPS at some arbitrary number - there will always be another excuse for why we need to take in more.

If refugees are so awesome and not a little scary, let me know how many Israel has taken in.

[confusedponderer]

The Russians warned the US of the Tsarnevs in March and September 2011. The US didn't act on that, in part because of a spelling error.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/26/us-usa-explosions-boston-congress-idUSBREA2P02Q20140326

As for our next elections, I don't expect Merkel to be relected.

[Tyler]

CP,

I know this, and its irrelevant to my larger point that the "small drop in the bucket" refugees caused a massive amount of damage.

You know why it was ignored? Probably because someone, somewhere, was scared of "Islamophobia" and buried it.

We are an unserious nation, but hopefully we will Make America Great Again.

[different clue]

David Lentini,

Lebanon has accepted over a million. Turkey has over a million (though the Erdogists are mass-sending them into Europe as a kind of social weapon).
Jordan has somewhat under a million. So it is factually incorrect to say the closest countries geographically won't take a single one. When in fact they have jointly taken over 2 million.

[Matthew]

CP: It would be one thing if we took no refugees because we stayed out of the conflict. But we inject ourselves into the conflict in Syria and then bleat about being the victim.

For one friggin' day, it would be nice if the "indispensable nation" would mind its own business.

[different clue]

confusedponderer,

If the sudden influx of Syrian refugees begins convincing EUrope that Syria needs re-stabilizing in order to send them back, and furthermore that Assad is the only one who can re-stabilize Syria (with enough R + 6 assistance), then perhaps EUrope will turn against the Axis of Jihad (including Obama) on this issue. That would be ironic for Erdogistan, given that the Erdogites sent these refugees into EUrope in part to torture the EUropeans into supporting Erdogista-backed jihad in Syria . . . as well as to extort a bunch of money, of course.

[different clue]

Chris Chuba,

And if the Erdogist refugee-flush ends up convincing EUrope to be with Assad rather than with the terrorists, then Erdogan's little gambit will have backfired.

Hopefully Erdogan has shot off his own .. ummm .. well . .

[Jose]

Why don't we simply annex Mexico, the Central American states, Syria, etc all to end of the world's problems? Just think a Democratic majority forever. BSHO has double the national debt and look at all we have to show for it. Let Shillary double it yet again.

[VietnamVet]

CP

We should be clear. A piecemeal World War III is underway. The only way to stop the flow of refugees is for Europe to ally with Russia, eliminate the Islamic State, secure Europe’s peripheral borders, rebuild Iraq and Syria, and return the migrants home. If the Eurozone continues to impose Austerity on its peoples and remains allies with the United States, Israel, Turkey and the Gulf Monarchies it will collapse.

Anything else is propaganda in order to enrich the wealthy at the expense of everyone else. In addition, without a peace settlement, the reality is the Middle East Holy War will inevitably escalate into a nuclear holocaust.

[Kunuri]

He will find a way to slinker out of it and turn it to his advantage, claiming "he has been misled".

[Kunuri]

Thank you, virtue of speaking truth is not bounded by nationality, or one's alliance to a certain nation.

[Kunuri]

My thoughts exactly, at what point in time Assad family became so bad that they had to go, we did business with him for decades. Syrians were even universally accepted peace keeping force during the Lebanon civil war. And how much worse he is than Saudis or Qataris, are they not oppressing their peoples? Can a woman drive to 7-11 in Saudi?

[Kunuri]

Tyler, US immigration and asylum laws and criteria has been a mess for a century now, there is a set of laws set in stone and there is no discrimination, whereas this is the only area in the law where there should be one, not based upon race, religion, or origin, but upon eligibility based on the prospects and ability of the immigrant to adopt and contribute. A nice clause in the law where the prospective immigrant will be prohibited to go back to the home country for 10+ years will help. Also, a ban on bringing in immediate family for 10 years will help tremendously, until the assimilation process is complete. Yes, assimilation, not merely integration. One can not have the melting pot spirit with only integration, and without the melting pot spirit one can not have a single, unified nation. Unless willing to melt in the pot don't come should be the rule.