Sarcasm noted.
In my view we in comfortable western nations need to show a bit of consistency in our policy overseas. Right now we have in Saudi Arabia the case of Ali al-Nimr, sentenced to execution by beheading followed by crucifixion of his dead body for public display. There is so much wrong with this that I hardly know where to start. He was 17 when the alleged crime was committed (so a child) and there's actually real doubt about whether he committed it. Why aren't we being consistent in our opposition to wrong? This proposed execution is an evil act.
If we are to take on the evil acts of ISIS we have to take on evil acts elsewhere in the Arab world. I really don't think we can pick and chose, saying we oppose ISIS burying people alive but tolerate Saudi beheading and crucifixion and (in the case of Russia) support the Assad regime. We have to say the same thing all the time.
before we name the crime done in other areas, we should name the crime done by ourselves.
As it looks like bombed the American airforce a Hospital in Kundus, because they thought Taliban were hiding in it. (At least that is what the Afghanistan government repeats all the time to justify the attack) - but to attack a Hospital, no matter what the reason is, is a war crime.
To support dictatorships and deliver weapobs to a regime like Saudi Arabia is just a crime as what these dictatorships do, because we guarantee to keep on ruling.
To run a war because we want to "spread democracy" is a crime as well.
To pay dictatorships, to make sure that refugees can't demand their right of protection is a crime as well.
If a state isn't able to protect it's territory, it's a crime if we send our ships to steal their recourses.
If we force underdeveloped areas to accept our substituted products, something that will distroy huge parts of their economy, is this a crime.
Yes, the west is in a very comfortable zone... and our hypocrisy and feeling of superiority let us ignore how much goes wrong in our own countries.
Every kind of murder as punishment is a crime, no matter how you do it.
I don't think there is a quick solution. However I do think the way forward is to create safe zones in or close to areas of conflict and get people back to these. Syria will not rebuild if the best of a generation have moved to Germany. I've sympathy with the idea of support for refugee camps in Turkey. I think this is the best of the bad options.
Most children will grow up without a proper education, most adults will have to stay in these camps without anything to do.
Non of them will be able to rebuild Syria.
- A whole new generation without an education is a massive burden.
- Can you imagen what it will do to you if you have to stay in a camp without anything to do? A huge number of these adults will have to suffer under depressions and many wont be able to do the work they did before the war..
Yes, after the war Syria will need the elite to rebuild their nation. But it has to be an elite able to work.
In Germany and most parts of Europe they have the chance to keep on working and even improve their skills.
Currently many German cities run "refugee universities" and offer them a free education.
Companies hire refugees and improve their skills or educate them.
The final step has to be to encouragethem to return to Syria as soon as their skills are needed. Even if it would be on the disadvantage for Germany.
Realistic is that a large part will stay in Germany, but as long as some return to Syria it's a benefit for Syria. Simply because of the then stronger connection between Germany and Syria.
Statistics show that, with increasing migration does the economical connection increase as well and both benefit from it.
More problematic are agreements with Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea, though here the detail matters a lot.
I don't think details matter.
Even if the EU would demands that these nations treat refugees with respect, it's unlikely that they will.
If they treat their own people bad, they won't treat refugees better.
And if they torture refugees, just like Gaddafi did, the EU won't care. Because if the EU would care, we would gad to stop the support and accept that refugees come to Europe.
At the end do must European leaders think (maybe different to their population) that a few thousand tortured refugees are better than a few hundred thousand refugees arriving to Europe. (Talking about crimes)
