Another story of Syria

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Jon Stewart returned last night, and the talk of the day was, of course, Syria (and he, of course, tried to inject a little humor into the situation.) However, the interview segment with which he closed out the show was anything but humorous, bringing in Andrew Harper, the head of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Jordan. This is the important story, in my opinion: the story of millions of people displaced from their homes, many of them women and children. It's also the story of nations such as Jordan who are doing what they can to provide a safe haven for some of these people, and the incredible work being done by the UN, an organization that is so often derided by folks here in the U.S., but which does certain things very well; this is one of them.

Any discussion of our response to the situation in Syria should involve the discussion of how we can help these people. While we're talking about what message we should send to the Assad regime, or whether or not we should act militarily, and in which way, here is an obvious human crisis where we could all put our money where our mouths are. I'd prefer to see this story given the lion's share of airtime on our cable news stations, over constant redundant talking heads debating back and forth on questions of chemical weapons and factions and military responses and political calculus.

Here's the interview, in two parts:

If the embedding doesn't work for some reason, here are direct links:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-3-2013/exclusive---andrew-harper-extended-interview-pt--1

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-3-2013/exclusive---andrew-harper-extended-interview-pt--2

Comments

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

When you say to yourself, "Let's move our family to Iraq, its safer than where we are now", you are in a fucked situation.

Absolutely we should help with the refugees above and beyond any military actions.

Here:

Displaced but finding new purpose in Jordan's Zaatari camp (http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/Olive-Press/2013/0903/Displaced-but-finding-new-purpose-in-Jordan-s-Zaatari-camp)

Syria's refugee crisis 'a humanitarian calamity' (http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/syrias-refugee-crisis-a-humanitarian-calamity)

As Syrian refugees flood Lebanon, security worries grow (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/09/03/201098/as-syrian-refugees-flood-lebanon.html)

Syrian neighbours brace for refugees fleeing US strike (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\09\04\story_4-9-2013_pg4_7)

Fearing US missiles, Syrians escape to Lebanon (http://news.yahoo.com/fearing-us-missiles-syrians-escape-lebanon-150606270.html)

Syrians fearful of attacks, face tight Lebanese border controls (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Aug-30/229262-syrians-fearful-of-attacks-face-tight-lebanese-border-controls.ashx)

With Focus on U.S.-Led Strikes, Global Failure to Meet Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis Goes Unnoticed (http://www.democracynow.org/2013/9/4/with_focus_on_us_led_strikes):

"The United Nations has revealed the number of refugees who have fled Syria has topped two million. The tide of children, women and men leaving Syria has risen almost tenfold over the past 12 months. On average, almost 5,000 people take refuge in Syria’s neighboring countries every day. The U.N. warned last month the war is fueling the worst refugee crisis since the Rwanda genocide in ’94. Two million refugees have fled Syria, half of them to neighboring Lebanon. Jordan hosts over 500,000, and there are tens of thousands in Turkey. Overall, the fighting in Syria has killed more than 100,000 people since 2011. More than 7,000 children have died."

[telemann.livejournal.com]

The US has allowed...2000 refugees to emigrate here (so far children and women), but seriously they can up that number by a factor of ten, can't they?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

With the money it takes to conduct military operations, I should think so.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

But, but military spending is the best spending!

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

We need to up by a factor of 1000.

(http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45757)

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45757

[telemann.livejournal.com]

No argument there.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Or maybe the people need to figure out that they have to be involved in solving their own problems rather than just running away. Looking to some other country to take you in is not a solution.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Keeping your children in a war zone is a not reasonable option.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

That's an overly simplistic and unrealistic view of the situation.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Refugees wanting to protect their families and remove them from a war zone is "over simplistic and unrealistic", but casually asserting they are "running away" is realistic nuanced complex position? Yep, they're not fleeing a war zone due to violence, rather there are 2 million free loading cowards in Syria.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Get a leg blown off? Just rub some dirt in it.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Since that's not an accurate assessment of what either of us has said...

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Its a quote. If you have something to say, say it.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

You do know that a quote means using the same words in the same order as the original, right? Not just a couple words taken out of context, rearranged, other words put around them which change the meaning.

Here's how you use a quote:

Your response of "Keeping our children in a war zone is a not reasonable option. " is not a useful response to what I said, as it's not the opposite of what they are doing, nor is it the only alternative option, so there's no particular reason to assume that it's what I was intending them to do as an alternative to what they are doing. You were merely being inflammatory and thus I saw no reason to continue down that illogical path with you.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Oh?

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Oh man, lutz.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

that's Elizabethan Jesus thanking Dad, right?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

I bet he stank to high heaven: a SEVERE case of crotch rot. And he was so glad to get a good scrubbing in that water.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

I'm sure if you thought a little bit about it you'd see how that doesn't address the issue in any way.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Being an ignorant furrinner, I have to ask. How does it not address the issue?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

The Pilgrims weren't in the same kind of situation nor were they running to another country as refugees.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

But how? How were they no tin the same kind of situation?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

There wasn't a civil war going on where they had to flee the fighting, nor were they involved in an active resistance against the government. And they left to go to an uninhabited land where they would need to be taking care of themselves, rather than being refugees expecting someone else to help them out.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

If you thought about it more, you'd see how it really does.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Arabs can not be depended on to support Democratic talking points so there is no political advantage to be gained by granting them amnesty.

;)