The fact that the $500 million program to train Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State has produced a shameful four or five trainees is beyond disappointing. Although the Assad Regime and the Putin government seek to use this news to gain Western support, the goal of the US-sponsored program was to make Western-friendly Syrian rebels more effective against the Islamic State. Even if successful, more ground forces would still have been needed to address security threats in Syria and Iraq while rebels and Kurdish Peshmerga are still committed to the fight. As such, the failure of this foreign initiative does not justify support for the Assad regime.
Facing the Syrian Refugee Crisis, it is particularly tempting for Europeans to support Russian and Iranian efforts to intervene in the Syrian Civil War. Propping up the Assad regime to cope with the refugee crisis, however, would essentially mean empowering the Assad regime to brutalize his own people, i.e. the reason they are fleeing Syria. When considering European backlash against refugees, Middle Easterners are certain to see support of the Assad regime as affirmation that the West is against Muslims.
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Ellis Island alone welcomed more than 5,000 to 10,000 immigrants into the United States a day between 1900 and 1914. Today, even economic power Germany is overwhelmed by a temporary surge of Syrian refugees numbering in the tens of thousands. Despite liberal European attitudes on immigration and residency, Germany’s decision to reinstate border controls, as one example, is not about coping with a surge in refugees. It is about closing borders and displacing the problems of refugees onto others. In short, the Syrian Refugee Crisis is simply a continuation of European policies that have long favored disengagement from the problems of the world.
Immigration policies are strongly influenced by economics. This is why the United States has long struggled with illegal immigration. When it comes to immigrants fleeing violence and other threatening situations, the cold truth is that the economics still override the emotional pleas of those in need of sanctuary. Recognizing the fallout of the 2008-2009 Great Recession continues to resonate throughout the International Community, there is great concern among Europeans that their countries cannot afford to care for those fleeing the Syrian Civil War, even if they actually can. Westerners have been so traumatized by the Great Recession and other events that they have learned to embrace disengagement instead of problem solving when faced with serious policy issues. There is a tendency for the tragedies and struggles that traumatize entire nations to be forgotten as years pass and generations age. Like National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, September 11th is becoming a day for the history books. Although the date has been saved for memorials, the monuments have been built, and the political pageantry will continue for years to come, the terrorist attacks will be transformed from a vivid nightmare into a history lesson. When those who experience traumatic events like the September 11th terrorist attacks successfully confront and overcome the trauma, those events start to lose their personal significance, which is a good thing. On other the hand, a failure to learn from destructive events dooms us to repeat the history.
Ever since September 11th 2001, Americans, as well as Westerners in general, have grown increasingly aware of terrorist activities experienced throughout the world. In many respects, September 11th is a day for Americans to reflect on their experiences with terrorism, but it is also an opportunity to remind Americans and the numerous other Peoples of the world that we are all deeply hurt by the actions of violent extremists. Unfortunately, the frequencies of terrorist attacks throughout the globe have only increased over the last 14 years. Meanwhile, the pre-9/11 era was marked by unprecedented peace and economic stability on global scale; whereas, war now overshadows the threat of terrorism. America may be overcoming the trauma of the September 11th terrorists attacks, but world events demonstrate the need to learn from modern history. Syria is quickly turning into a full-fledged proxy war in the Western-Russian conflict over the Ukraine Crisis. Despite Russia’s support of the Assad regime throughout the Syrian Civil War, the United States, Europe, and Russia have been able to avoid allowing events in Syria to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. With the deployment of Russian forces in Syria, which will be forced to defend the Assad regime against Western-backed forces in addition to Islamic State militants, the enemies of the Assad regime are now the enemies of Russia.
This means Russia is at war with Europe and the Middle East. Another way of saying it is Russia has decided to open a second warfront against the United States. Recognizing the difficulty Russia’s traditional military forces have had in their campaign to crush Ukrainian independence, there is an obvious strategic disadvantage for Russia in starting a war with three continents. This is particularly true when considering the collapsing Russian economy in the wake of falling oil prices. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy must, therefore, rely on the unwillingness of the West to risk the two conflicts escalating into a third world war or a nuclear attack. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer. Celebrated with picnics, cookouts, and other family gatherings, it is easily to forget Labor Day is actually the day Americans are supposed to reflect on the long, ongoing struggles of the Labor Movement. Giving the spirit of Labor Day a nod, the Obama Administration chose to announce a minor policy shift, which requires federal contractors to provide their workers one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work, as well as a series of proposals. Because government practices often help set standards for industries that rely heavily on government contracts while contracted labor is often used to cut costs at the expense of workers, Obama’s latest executive action forces long overdue changes.
Echoing the President’s call for change, Joe Biden offered his own support for the Labor Movement in Pittsburg. Chanting “run Joe, run,” union workers pushed Joe to run for President in 2016. Looking back to last year when Joe Biden called for capital gains to be taxed at the same rate as earned income, today’s minor policies shifts are nothing compared to the major changes that must be pursued. The three types of capital a person can contribute to the economy are financial capital, intellectual capital, and labor capital. Thanks to policies like a reduced capital gains tax, financial capital has a higher value than intellectual and labor capital. Labor capital is what most people contribute to the economy. The economy should be build to serve the majority. |
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April 2020
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