There are times when political considerations must give way to the relief of immediate human suffering. The current refugee crisis is one of those times and the UK must take genuine refugees on the same scale as Germany, starting immediately.
In the long term the influx of determined young people and families will in any event benefit our economy. We are strong and wealthy enough to shoulder the short term cost. Besides which, we bear a massive share of responsibility for the current disorder and devastation in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf despots, so beloved of the Blairs, also bear a great responsibility. They have been waging war and proxy war against non-Sunni Muslims at a high level of intensity all over the Middle East. Concerted diplomatic pressure must be put on them to provide funding on a massive scale to the European governments who are picking up the pieces. That pressure to include the threat of confiscation of assets.
Finally, Russia has been notably silent. Russia would benefit more than any other country from the potential immigration, given it is only just starting to recover from population decline and has massive natural resources. Russia must also be pressed to offer to take in very large numbers.
I met murder on the way
He had the mask of Theresa May
Laguerre; “That’s completely wrong.”
No, it’s you at is wrong.
I saw numerous Christian Syrian refugees this Summer in Greece, making the dangerous journey on overcrowed lifeboats from Turkey.
Again a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing;
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/04/03/new-exodus-christians-flee-isis-middle-east-316785.html
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-plight-of-the-middle-easts-christians-1431700075
Can somebody take a look at posts purportedly by Peter Beswick from different machines. Seems more like the trolls than PB to me.
——-
[ Mod: The address is consistent over the past couple of months. ]
Laguerre; “The Russians have kept quite a few colonial territories”
Do you ever refer to the English as “having kept quite a few colonial territories” in reference to Wales, Ireland or Scotland ?
The pages of time that sculpture the Soviet-Afghan war refresh our memories and once again reveals the focal point where thousands of so called Afghan Arabs, heavily funded by America and Saudi, waged jihad on the Russians. These foreign ‘islamists’ eventually morphed into terrorists such as al-Qaeda.
Indeed the same mold was recycled in Syria where foreign fighters bankrolled by the US of Hell & Saudi exchanged death in a proxy war with the Syrian army dutifully protecting it’s citizens, women, children and babies reduced to fleeing carrions of shock & awe.
@Macky, have you no shame or are you just blind?
– The six Gulf countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain – have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees.
– Other high income countries including Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea have also offered zero resettlement places.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/12/facts-figures-syria-refugee-crisis-international-resettlement/
These are not migrants or asylum seekers, they are refugees from Western created wars.
The UK did Washingtons dirty work by involvement in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and surreptiously in Syria. Connect the dots and we have millions of refugees from these regions seeking to escape the hell holes created by these wars, The UK , and NATO are used as Washingtons attack dogs in their proxy wars.
ISIS is a proxy mercenary army creation of Zionist Israel ,Turkey and the USA. Just their name changes, depending on the theatre of operations, whether in Afghanistan or Chechyna against the Soviets,,Libya against Ghadaffi, in Syria against Assad ,and in Iraq to recreate 3 new states,Shiastan, Sunnistan, Kurdistan.
Cui Bono,
Saudi and Qatar wish to run a gas pipeline via Syria. Washington wishes to disrupt Russian near monoply of gas supply to Europe. The new Silk roads of trade from China to Europe are disrupted by Middle East Wars., Turkey wishes to make a grab for the oil rich Kurdish area near its borders.
A cabal of evil at play in the Great Game of Geo-political dominance.
Russia has already taken in over 2 million refugees from the war in the Donbass and is assimilating them. The Western imposed sanctions have not helped and it is not possible for Russia to do more,considering the effects on the food and shelter supply created by these sanctions.
The USA has been the main instigator of these wars and escapes unscathed from its consequences.
1. Russia has taken in well over 1 million refugees from Donbas since last year. How many refugees have the UK or the USA accepted in that same period?
2. Obama’s laughably ill-informed speeches notwithstanding, Russia has higher immigration than almost any other country in the world.
3. Russia was in no way responsible for the appalling destruction that was quite deliberately inflicted on the peoples of Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Libya among others. That was done by the USA, actively and enthusiastically assisted by European nations including the UK. Russia, in marked contrast, was instrumental in preventing the USA from actually attacking Syria, and did its best to prevent the hideous attacks on Libya.
It’s the “compassionate” thing to do. Fill the lifeboat with people until it is unstable, then add more people. Don’t prepare, don’t plan — that would only produce depressing numbers that don’t fit with our Rainbow Dreams®. Then ignore the consequences and blame someone else.
@Laguerre:
“The Russians have kept quite a few colonial territories, of which Chechnya is just one example”.
Russia conquered Chechnya and many other regions at about the same time that the USA launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Mexico and stole over half its territory – now constituting the states of Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Later the USA annexed by force Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and most of the real estate in the Pacific.
When is the USA, the bastion of freedom, democracy and human rights, going to give back those colonial territories?
“The Russians of course have massacred a lot over the centuries. The Crimean Tartars, for example”.
Not a very convincing example in my opinion. Before their conquest by Russia in the late 18th century, the Crimean Tatars incessantly raided what is now Russia, capturing an estimated 3 million slaves who were mostly sold on within the Turkish Empire. Some 75% of the people in Crimea were either slaves or ex-slaves (freedmen).
I seem to remember Netanyahu crowing about Israels European values at the Paris Synagogue after Charlie Hebdo.
Perhaps they might demonstrate those European values by extending the hand of friendship to the Syrian refugees.
After all,they are right next door….
And our friend from Australia still links to videos made by an out and out racist, one Pat Condell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Condell#Online_videos_and_politics
Needless to say a UKIP supporter too.
~~~
Refugee crisis: Nigel Farage responds to outrage over Syrian child image – with ‘Isis’ warning
The Ukip chief is the only leader of a political party who has not called on David Cameron to change his hard-line stance on the refugee crisis
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/refugee-crisis-nigel-farage-responds-to-outrage-over-syrian-child-image–with-isis-warning-10484027.html
3 September 2015
“The Russians of course have massacred a lot over the centuries. The Crimean Tartars, for example. And a lot were shipped off to Kazakhstan by Stalin at the same time as the Volga Germans”.
Stalin was, of course, Georgian – although his real nationality was “cynical psychopathic bandit”, so he would fit right in with the neocons.
@Mary:
“The Ukip chief is the only leader of a political party who has not called on David Cameron to change his hard-line stance on the refugee crisis…”
Quite rightly. A few thousand refugees manage to reach south-eastern Europe, and suddenly we are supposed to change our whole attitude to immigration?
What about the 4-6 million refugees created by the illegal unprovoked aggressive war on Iraq? We didn’t hear much about them, did we, or the need to take in some of them? Even the interpreters who were on our side are having a hard time getting asylum.
What about all the inhabitants of Gaza, who are effectively destitute refugees except that Israel keeps them in by force so that they can’t go elsewhere?
Compassion is good, and we need more of it – but why is it so unevenly distributed?
Quite Salford Lad, pretty much ‘on the button’ easily.
A sympathetic piece from the Wee Ginger Dug. He expresses his humanity well.
Refugees are welcome here https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/refugees-are-welcome-here/
A wonderfully schizoid post- the heading ‘When the politics has to stop’ and the ‘relief of human suffering’ sentiments in the first paragraph (to which noone can demur) followed by paras 3-5 which constitute blatant political points scoring, against the Gulf states, Russia, and Theresa May respectively !
The debating point about the Gulf states is fully justified, the others rather less so. Theresa May has simply adopted the Gordon Brown manouvre of making herself scarce when issues pertinent to her Dept. look like reaching boiling point, and Russia is somewhat preoccupied with housing and feeding the Donbas refugees, so its inaction re Syrian refugees can be justified. It is also very likely that a move to admit more than a token number would be as unpopular in Russia as it is in the Czech Republic- where 94% of the population want refugees returned to their continents of origin-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-eu-34128087
re Macky
“No, it’s you at is wrong.”
Yes, of course there are some, but until recently they were rare. All you’ve got is a few examples. The French have said openly that they are handing out visas to Christians like sweets. Common values, and all that. Muslims don’t get that, only hostility, though the French have been pretty good at handing out asylum to Syrians. I know because I’m involved in the issue.
re Macky 1.50
“Do you ever refer to the English as “having kept quite a few colonial territories” in reference to Wales, Ireland or Scotland ?”
Why should I? The subject was Russia. Unlike Britain’s, the Russian colonial empire was contiguous with its borders, so it was quite likely they would hang on to bits. What with the colonial empire breaking up so suddenly in 1991, they didn’t have time to tidy up, the Ukrainian crisis being a good example.
re Tom Welsh 2.21
“Not a very convincing example in my opinion. Before their conquest by Russia in the late 18th century, the Crimean Tatars incessantly raided what is now Russia,”
First time I’ve heard the claim that just because one doesn’t like people, one has the right to genocide them. You just give the Russian version of events, intended to justify the genocide.
@Krief; “The six Gulf countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain – have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees.”
Not exactly on the ball are you, and logic is obviously not your strong point either; it’s these puppet “Western friendly” dictatorships that are funding & fueling the chaos in Syria.
Laguerre; “The French have said openly that they are handing out visas to Christians like sweets.”
That will be news to the thousands of Christian Palestinian refugees !
Macky I am with you all the way. Maybe Craig should stop being naive. The following link might help.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/04/seven-steps-of-highly-effective-manipulators/
Laguerre; “Why should I? The subject was Russia. Unlike Britain’s, the Russian colonial empire was contiguous with its borders”
Why ? To show that you have always been even-handed in your terminology; but it appears you are just being a hypocrite, as last time I looked at a map, Wales, Ireland & Scotland were contiguous with England.
Time for a bit more Russia bashing – but as many have pointed out the Russians have taken in a good number of Ukranians who are inexplicably fleeing the peace, love and prosperity offered by the US and their EU vassals.
There is no end of actual and potential refugees. How many do you propose taking 1 million, 10 million, 100 million?
As you pointed out only yesterday the UK and its “rich” neighbours are headed for a gigantic economic crash. What happens when that occurs – with millions of disparate people wandering around aimlessly but looking for someone to blame for their likely non recoverable fate.
Peter; “Maybe Craig should stop being naive.”
You are being far too generous; Craig knows exactly what he is doing; that sort of shameless, ruthless & despicable empire serving behavior is what propelled him to become Ambassador under Blair is the first place.
John Goss
Sorry John it is me I just have developed a nasty allergy to bollox and this is the result.
I will prove its me;
lord Hutton opened his report by Stating Facts, this is one;
” Dr Kelly and his wife then packed some clothes very quickly and left their house in a rush within ten minutes. They drove towards Weston-Super-Mare and on the way they stopped just outside Swindon about 8.45pm and Dr Kelly telephoned Dr Wells and told him that he was travelling to Cornwall. Dr and Mrs Kelly spent the night of 9 July in Weston-Super-Mare.”
So why do I mention it? Well it is a lie and like many things, in the report, that initially look like meaningless lies contorted as facts, they actually have very serious purpose in deceiving the reader.
And did you notice the small “l” in Lord? Its me John its me!
re Macky
There’s nothing like showing off your ignorance. I love to seeing people doing it. Christian Palestinians have known for years. That’s why there are not many left in Palestine.
Laguerre; “There’s nothing like showing off your ignorance.”
I would be happy to be proved wrong as that would mean I’ve learnt something; so can you please provide links to show official French discrimination toward refugees based on religion, because I can’t find any such thing, which doesn’t seem surprising; all I can find the opposite, like this extract from a EU document regarding Palestinian Refugees from Gaza, where there is no mention of religion at all;
In France, the authorities consider that a Palestinian national, being outside the area where the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) operates, is no longer eligible for assistance or protection from that organization. Therefore, this person shal
l not be subject to the exclusion clause described in the first paragraph of point D) of Article 1 of the Geneva Convention on Refugees. However, those registered with UNRWA cannot automatically be granted the refugee status in France. In view of this, a Palestinian national is likely to be granted refugee status, if and only if he/she has serious reasons to fear of being persecuted for one of the reasons stated in 2) of A) of the Article 1 of the Geneva Convention. Otherwise, he/she can seek subsidiary protection, if and only if he/she is threatened within the meaning of Article L. 712
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/european_migration_network/reports/docs/ad-hoc-queries/protection/378_emn_ad-hoc_query_practice_followed_with_regards_to_palestinian_asylum_seekers_from_gaza_13feb201_en.pdf
It should be remembered that the US (including RAF pilots) has been bombing the feck out of Syria for a year now, and it’s perhaps no coincidence that the refugee crisis has turned into a tidal wave since then.
Greenwald has a piece out today…
“The New York Times today has a truly bizarre article regarding the U.S. and cluster bombs. The advocacy group Cluster Munition Coalition just issued its annual report finding that cluster bombs had been used in five countries this year: Syria, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine and Sudan.”
https://theintercept.com/2015/09/03/nyt-claims-u-s-abides-cluster-bomb-ban-exact-opposite-reality/
No doubt they’re also using white phosphorus, depleted uranium, etc.
It makes ISIS seem like a bunch of jolly chaps.
Macky
“In France, the authorities consider that a Palestinian national, being outside the area where the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) operates, is no longer eligible for assistance ”
No point in quoting the texts. It’s a question of what happens in practice, who gets a visa and who doesn’t. And not every Palestinian is a refugee.