The Messy European Refugee Crisis
Whomever benefits from the tensions, it won’t be you!
What a mess. Masses of refugees enter Europe. At least, numbers are hardly really given in real percentages, but it feels like an invasion for many. It might even be. Who knows what is really going on? And more worrying; what is true (about the causes)?
Warning, many of the following links lead to sites full of propaganda, with misguided reality, or smartly framed viewpoints pushing their own convictions or agenda or trying to unveil them! It’ll be hard to tell which is which. And that’s exactly what this blogpost is about. Watch at the least several of these at times completely opposing views. They’re all fully convinced they offer the one and only truth. I think the lesson is, that truth itself is a vague concept. It’s mostly political agenda’s and propaganda and yes, it even may seem very conflicting truths are both right. And you’ll find: Emotions outweigh facts. Protecting interests outweighs truth and nuance.
What is going on anyway?
Before we start shouting solutions (“Put them on the boats back!” or “Help them, these are people too!”), I’d like to have a short look at what created the influx of refugees from a cruel war. It started off the the wars in Syria and Libya. Wars created by Isis terrorists, funded by, wait, Saudi Arabia? with help of the USA?, or no wait, by Russia?, obstructing American powerplay to steal away Russian influence in Syria. Or, very likely too, was it all about oil and testing grounds for the Arms industry again? Lots of fingers pointing lots of ways. But hey, it’s a scam anyway, no? And Europe, being allied to the USA cannot even begin to imagine that their own allies would screw with them, would they? So better look away from anything that supports that idea. Better allow nationalists blame it all on Islam. If only the Trump presidency didn’t screw up so much.
Many of these pointing fingers may be paid online spinners shitting out whatever propaganda they have to write, pretending to be journalists, or are well intended conspiracy revealers, worried white vloggers, or angry nationalists who have too little culture of their own. Or it can be those that expose such lies, yet becoming one more confusing
voice in the mix. Hell, even Assad gets his say, and one probably not shown on European news media. They can drive forward all kinds of political agenda’s or just create distraction and lies. Luckily Europe seeks to protect itself. Or take our freedom away?
Who is behind the mess?
Really, don’t just assume the ‘truth’ you’ve been eating up the most, is the real story. Currently right after Brexit it seems Eastern European countries may leave the EU, because they don’t want any foreigners in. They bring terrorism and Islam, no? And do these people have a point? Who ignited this fear? With what purpose? Was it only Terrorists? Islamic warriors who want to bring the Sharia to Europe (as if a few thousands can change the law of millions..eeh, wait, sorry. Your own elites can and will change laws with less than a hundred people, see Trump America.) Or is it Islam as a whole (even though they have sects fighting each other to the death, killing thousands in the Middle East)? Or was it the Russians? The Russians (read Putin, as the average Russian couldn’t care less) might be so happy seeing the possibility of East Europa warming up to them again, with the refugee crisis they helped create, whispering to the refugees: “Go to Germany.” Which then had to say: “Eastern Europe, doe you duty, take some in.” Oh, sorry wait, it was the Americans who created the crisis to weaken European strength. Just their old trick. Create unrest where people get too powerful for their liking. Divide and conquer. No it’s just economical migrants, especially the Africans. Or do the Africans have real reasons, like hunger? It may hardly be in our papers, but the hunger is real. Great that the USA military are there to help , no? Climate change, corporate greed and it’s side effects we should also look into. But why do they come all at once? They did all receive flyers to come to Europe, or Germany? Flyers written by …Russia? USA? Europe? Islam? Ooh, the Jews again. Or is it all just right wing fear mongering by white supremacists (Breitbart & friends), most likely paid by right winged Americans who also sponsor Geert Wilders (or does he work for a Jewish conspiracy? CIA or Mossad? Whatever his agenda, it’s not yours! Just as Dutch Prime Minister Rutte might work for Shell, why else are we Dutch in Syria with some planes?) Or is it the aliens that want to destroy the human race as a whole? (you can google the million+ movies about that yourself)… What a mess.
Whatever you currently believe, it’s probably false. It’s all pushed agenda’s that either lead to Europe falling apart with lots of small (fake?) nationalists gaining power for themselves (sponsored by Russia? Billionaires? CIA?) Or is it all to make Europe, doing big corporations favors? Don’t believe any of these crappy political propagandas. They all want to use you for someone else’s political agenda. The more angry and afraid we become, the easier we can be manipulated. The worst scenario could be a new European Balkan War, or whatever ugly variation you can think of, on our hands.
Is fear and aggression towards the refugees the right reaction?
Just to bring some perspective: The Balkan War of the 90’s was also started by crazy nationalists who rallied their own peoples for ‘their own good’ against ‘them’, making their own people die or lose their houses for their ideals, ideals not much more refined than those of football hooligans. Also consider all innocent civilians who die by drone we create in the Middle East, kill people who may have relatives all over the world. Relatives who may get angry because of the death of family as ‘collateral damage’, or who feel the only way to strike back at the Western invaders is terrorism. And realize however much you read about terrorist attacks, it’s still a very few amongst millions. The IRA and Western terrorists were way worse in the 80’s. Just for your idea, consider why those attacks stopped? Taking out the population the terrorists came from? Indeed. Not.
Perhaps we should look more closely what they are fighting with, and who sold it to them. But then let’s not talk about our own double standards. Or fuzz over Saudi delivering weapons to terrorists. Perhaps our own governments (especially including the USA) are more to blame for the ongoing war then the Muslims. This might be why nationalists get away with their lies. If our current governments would expose them as deceitful hate mongers, they’d have to point the finger at their own dirty deeds to prove their point. But that doesn’t answer why nationalists blame the Islam so eagerly. Perhaps because nationalism makes less sense in very mixed countries.
Some facts of other threats to ‘our way of life’.
Actually the number of deaths through bad medicine or toxins pushed by aggressive corporations exceeds those by far.
95000 fewer deaths? Or doctors mistakes kill a 100 people a month in the UK alone. In the USA the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. And that’s me not even mentioning the Opioid drama playing out in the USA. Terrorism doesn’t even reach a 250 for the whole of Europe. Europe with over 500 million people. Man, doe we give power to terrorists by overreacting soo much. But then, there’s people who gain from you focussing on terrorism, like those in Big Pharma, wear nice successful suits and run the media too. Don’t they? Or take the decline of the bees, because of corporate poisons killing them. Is that also daily news. Shouldn’t we know about visits (read attacks) by Monsanto, eh Bayer, lobbies to EU politicians? Be angry about that! And that’s not even mentioning climate change, robots stealing your job (The change of that about 99,8% higher than you being killed by a terrorist, but hey, foreigners are easy to throw stones at, robots that aren’t there yet not.) or the rise of Trumpish politicians and elites here in Europe. Brr.
Your way of life isn’t that special anyway. I now differ more in thinking and acting from an average Dutch guy in the seventies, than to a modern German (something I, as Dutchy, was raised I should never start to look like).
Warning: ‘Panic Politics’
The result of all this mess is ‘Panic Politics’. Making laws, proposing regulations all based on many of these (false) emotions and interests, to appease panicking or angry parties and factions. You can almost smell right winged Eastern Europeans going harsher, thus Europe going harsher to not lose Eastern Europe. Refugees will feel more panic and stress. Russia putting oil on the fire. The USA loving everything as long it makes them stronger. Etc. Shouldn’t we all rather take a real good look at the issues, and even have the guts to scrutinize our own contribution to the mess. It can’t be all ‘them’ wrong and us ‘good’. I know this article won’t help untangle the mess. But I at the least admit, the situation is way to complex to trust simple emotional answers. In the end they’ll only make matters worse for many. Why, because if you engage in panic politics, you can be sure, you’ve been played!
The more aggressive we react to the refugee crisis and ‘others’, the more possible we create exactly that, which we fear. Aggressive confrontations. Yes, really. Fear Muslims? Well raining distrust, bias, hate, unjust laws, deportations down on muslims in Europe, let alone war in the Middle East, creates exactly the kind of stress and anger that leads to the violence you fear. Since the ‘war on terrorism’ started, the number of terroristic deaths have gone up by over 4500%!! Talk about effective! Adding your fear to that war, will make matters worse. And after decennia war in the Middle East, or looking back at WWI and WWII, it should be very clear: War begets war and civilians on all sides will have to deal with terrible losses.
My Conclusion
Don’t run with the wolves, don’t believe hypes, don’t believe people that invoke or stimulate anxiety within you. It makes you vulnerable to be manipulated. Watch what really happens, check facts, look at the issue from other boxes (like actual death tolls or biggest threats to your way of life) without making quick assumptions or believe the most scary interpretation. I’ve spoken to some right winged people fearing foreigners who never actually met one. I’ve spoken to refugees, who were eternally grateful to have found a safe haven after escaping a war. Does that say anything? It does for me.
Start thinking for yourself.
Oh, and here’s some political suggestions to get out of the crisis.
Because playing together might be the smarter solution.
More on dealing with fake media. More on Self Liberation so you won’t swept away by propaganda so easily.
More about Corporate Scamming in the USA and why that incites crisis around the globe.
And if you’re still thinking in Us and Them, watch this:
or this, it’s propaganda too, but the heartwarming kind. :)
Note: I’ve used cartoons under, I hope, fair use. They are not mine. They don’t fall under the CC I published this under. If you want one removed let me know.
