Europe's migrant problem

Torplexed · 09-02-15, 04:30 AM

There is a movement to shame the rich Gulf States into accepting some of these refugees. Here you have the crowded nations of Europe with a Christian or secular history taking in millions of Muslims while their rich Muslim neighbors look away. So much for brotherly Islamic values.

Saudi Arabia is a huge, empty country, much of it desert, certainly, but it supports 27 million people with a per capita GDP of more than $31,000. The United Arab Emirates is smaller, but it is also awash in oil wealth and could take a significant number. And the overflow of Syrian refugees that aren’t resettled in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the UAE could be settled, with Gulf money, in other huge, empty Arab countries, like Algeria and Sudan. The 22 member states of the Arab League cover 5 million square miles. Surely, somewhere in there they can find space for displaced Syrians. But, I think they are only too glad to see them moving on.

I suspect as with the decades-old Palestinian refugee problem, Saudi Arabia and the rest will talk the talk, but balk at the walk. The only exception being poor, over-burdened Jordan.

Fish · 09-09-15, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torplexed

There is a movement to shame the rich Gulf States into accepting some of these refugees. Here you have the crowded nations of Europe with a Christian or secular history taking in millions of Muslims while their rich Muslim neighbors look away. So much for brotherly Islamic values.

Saudi Arabia is a huge, empty country, much of it desert, certainly, but it supports 27 million people with a per capita GDP of more than $31,000. The United Arab Emirates is smaller, but it is also awash in oil wealth and could take a significant number. And the overflow of Syrian refugees that aren’t resettled in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the UAE could be settled, with Gulf money, in other huge, empty Arab countries, like Algeria and Sudan. The 22 member states of the Arab League cover 5 million square miles. Surely, somewhere in there they can find space for displaced Syrians. But, I think they are only too glad to see them moving on.

I suspect as with the decades-old Palestinian refugee problem, Saudi Arabia and the rest will talk the talk, but balk at the walk. The only exception being poor, over-burdened Jordan.

Exactly.

Schroeder · 09-09-15, 03:35 PM

Welcome back Fish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan D

https://twitter.com/thomas_wiegold/s...79549026160640
"Russian troops join combat in Syria - sources - Reuters"

We can only hope. That would be the best that could happen for everyone, well except DAESH that is.

CCIP · 09-09-15, 03:42 PM

Well, like I keep mentioning, there are other forces at play in Mideast politics that I think West often fails to appreciate properly. Some of them are purely political, in some cases nationalist or even tribal. While the West complains about religion, the Gulf states, paradoxically, are probably more concerned about letting in large numbers of Arabs raised under Baathist regimes and who, whether they supported the regimes or not, likely have socialist leanings. After having seen the Arab Spring (and arguably having dodged a bullet from it), the Arab states are all too conscious of the consequences.

Imagine being a Syrian refugee trying to save your family, with the press in the West complaining how you're far too much of a traditional Islamist to be tolerated without risk, while Arab states look at you and say you're not traditional enough and are far too socialist to not be a danger to their social order. Nice life, isn't it?

09-02-15, 04:30 AM	#1
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	There is a movement to shame the rich Gulf States into accepting some of these refugees. Here you have the crowded nations of Europe with a Christian or secular history taking in millions of Muslims while their rich Muslim neighbors look away. So much for brotherly Islamic values. Saudi Arabia is a huge, empty country, much of it desert, certainly, but it supports 27 million people with a per capita GDP of more than $31,000. The United Arab Emirates is smaller, but it is also awash in oil wealth and could take a significant number. And the overflow of Syrian refugees that aren’t resettled in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or the UAE could be settled, with Gulf money, in other huge, empty Arab countries, like Algeria and Sudan. The 22 member states of the Arab League cover 5 million square miles. Surely, somewhere in there they can find space for displaced Syrians. But, I think they are only too glad to see them moving on. I suspect as with the decades-old Palestinian refugee problem, Saudi Arabia and the rest will talk the talk, but balk at the walk. The only exception being poor, over-burdened Jordan. __________________ --Mobilis in Mobili--

09-09-15, 03:42 PM	#4
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	Well, like I keep mentioning, there are other forces at play in Mideast politics that I think West often fails to appreciate properly. Some of them are purely political, in some cases nationalist or even tribal. While the West complains about religion, the Gulf states, paradoxically, are probably more concerned about letting in large numbers of Arabs raised under Baathist regimes and who, whether they supported the regimes or not, likely have socialist leanings. After having seen the Arab Spring (and arguably having dodged a bullet from it), the Arab states are all too conscious of the consequences. Imagine being a Syrian refugee trying to save your family, with the press in the West complaining how you're far too much of a traditional Islamist to be tolerated without risk, while Arab states look at you and say you're not traditional enough and are far too socialist to not be a danger to their social order. Nice life, isn't it? __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)