EU Immigration Crisis Megathread

[Martinus]

Some people (no pun intended) in Poland are reposting this poem by Wislawa Szymborska (Polish literature Nobel Prize winner) from 1990s. Here is a relatively good translation - I found it very poignant.

Some people

Some people fleeing some other people.
In some country under the sun
and some clouds.

They leave behind some of their everything,
sown fields, some chickens, dogs,
mirrors in which fire now sees itself reflected.

On their backs are pitchers and bundles,
the emptier, the heavier from one day to the next.

Taking place stealthily is somebody's stopping,
and in the commotion, somebody's bread somebody's snatching
and a dead child somebody's shaking.

In front of them some still not the right way,
nor the bridge that should be
over a river strangely rosy.
Around them, some gunfire, at times closer, at times farther off,
and, above, a plane circling somewhat.

Some invisibility would come in handy,
some grayish stoniness,
or even better, non-being
for a little or a long while.

Something else is yet to happen, only where and what?
Someone will head toward them, only when and who,
in how many shapes and with what intentions?
Given a choice,
maybe he will choose not to be the enemy and
leave them with some kind of life.

[Valmy]

Remember when Iran was a friendly country? Thanks, Reagan.

Thanks Obeisenhower!

[garbon]

Remember when Iran was a friendly country? Thanks, Reagan.

[Norgy]

Remember when Iran was a friendly country? Thanks, Reagan.

Oh yeah, super-friendly, holding Americans hostages for over a year.

Yeah, he is definitely blaming the wrong President.

Yeah, I forgot he was the one with the Contras deal.
Anyway, he was a danger to the world and I am happy he is deader than Carter.

[Ancient Demon]

A three year old Syrian boy drowned when trying to cross from Turkey to Greece.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34133210

So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

[citizen k]

So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

Blame Canadian bureaucracy. 

[Valmy]

It is America's fault.

[Valmy]

The Twittersphere is really getting activated by this immigrant thing all of the sudden. People are raising money to do things about the immigrant crisis. What I am not sure. Seems rather KONY2012ish. We will see.

[Grallon]

[So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

There's an industry of self flagellation going strong in the West.  So no doubt there are some idiots already mouthing that this tragedy is just another proof the West is guilty of (insert any favorite crime here) and should atone for them by disfiguring itself and accept any number of those 'refugees'...



G.

[Zanza]

So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

I am sure everybody blames the traffickers. I can't blame the parents as I can see myself acting the same in their situation. Fleeing from Kobane when it is reduced to rubble, trying the legal ways to migrate and when that's a failured to ultimately try the one chance I see all seems reasonable.
It's a fair question to ask whether there should be a legal way for Syrian Kurds to register as refugees even without proper travel documents which may be impossible to get for them.

[Ancient Demon]

So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

I am sure everybody blames the traffickers. I can't blame the parents as I can see myself acting the same in their situation. Fleeing from Kobane when it is reduced to rubble, trying the legal ways to migrate and when that's a failured to ultimately try the one chance I see all seems reasonable.
It's a fair question to ask whether there should be a legal way for Syrian Kurds to register as refugees even without proper travel documents which may be impossible to get for them.

You'd risk your child's life to get to a richer country after having already reached safety? I sure hope you don't have any children.

[Syt]

So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

I am sure everybody blames the traffickers. I can't blame the parents as I can see myself acting the same in their situation. Fleeing from Kobane when it is reduced to rubble, trying the legal ways to migrate and when that's a failured to ultimately try the one chance I see all seems reasonable.
It's a fair question to ask whether there should be a legal way for Syrian Kurds to register as refugees even without proper travel documents which may be impossible to get for them.

You'd risk your child's life to get to a richer country after having already reached safety? I sure hope you don't have any children.

You would, after two or three years, stay in an overcrowded refugee camp with no education for your children, limited sanitary and medical accommodation and no indication when you can go back to your old home instead of trying to get somewhere where your kids can grow up and be educated like normal people? I sure hope you don't have any children.

[Zanza]

Germany had 1.46 million immigrants and 914.000 emigrants last year, i.e. a net migration of 550.000 persons. I guess we can cope with twice that number this year...

[Martinus]

[So this is Europe's (or Canada's) fault rather than the boy's parents or the smugglers they trusted? 

There's an industry of self flagellation going strong in the West.  So no doubt there are some idiots already mouthing that this tragedy is just another proof the West is guilty of (insert any favorite crime here) and should atone for them by disfiguring itself and accept any number of those 'refugees'...



G.

You are a despicable human being. I am glad you will not have children and will die alone.

[Syt]

The EUOT thread about the boy's family is titled, "Irresponsible Syrian father sees own family die"

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/irresponsible-syrian-father-sees-own-family-die.880200/