Kerry: U.S. will accept 85,000 refugees in 2016, 100,000 in 2017

[Stuart G]

Last edited Sun Sep 20, 2015, 02:26 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: Yahoo News.

BERLIN (AP) — The United States is seeking to ease the Syrian refugee crisis by significantly increasing the number of worldwide refugees it takes in over the next two years, though not by nearly the amount many activists and former officials have urged.


The U.S. will accept 85,000 refugees from around the world next year, up from 70,000, and that total would rise to 100,000 in 2017, according to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Berlin to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss the mass migration of Syrians fleeing their civil war.

The migrants would be referred by the U.N. refugee agency, screened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and resettled around the U.S.

"This step is in keeping with America's best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope," Kerry told reporters after the meeting with his German counterpart. Kerry also met with some refugee families on the wooded, lakeside resort-style campus of the foreign ministry's education center outside Berlin.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-us-accept-85-000-refugees-2016-100-160512384.html

[Scootaloo]

1. Will we still be trying to get "the rebels" to overthrow Damascus?

[FairWinds]

2. All the Neo-Cons & Pro-war democrats . .

should take at least one refugee family into their homes.

Why is no one shouting from the rooftops that it was the
US that created the chaos that led directly to the current
flood of humanity?

As usual, the smug suits of the US national security state
blithely toss the problems they created into someone else's lap.

I find Kerry's comments deeply offensive, and you should too.

Veterans For Peace

[wordpix]

4. I agree and what are the refugees supposed to do until 2017?

live in an European forest and eat worms and slugs?

[blm]

11. Already been stated that Bush's reign caused the regional chaos. No one who

is familiar with Kerry's decades of service (ACCURATE history not corpmedia BS) wuld view his word as offensive. I can understand why those not familiar with details would, though…..so much easier to run with narratives formed by misinformed.

[FairWinds]

24. Well Geez, Mr. blm -

I dunno, care to compare your publications, education & research to mine?

Guess what, you'll lose big time.

It is unfortunate that your response to my post was nothing more than unsubstantiated name calling.

How do you know I am "misinformed'? Answer, you don't. It just comes right out of your wazoo . .

I'm in Veterans For Peace, and wish that Kerry was still in Vietnam Vets Against the War, but he jumped off that train a long time ago.

[blm]

25. Well, then according to you, you'd have no problem naming lawmakers who have

done more than Kerry to end or prevent use of military force and to investigate and expose government corruption over the last 4plus decades.

So….name them.

[FairWinds]

28. This essay from KOS says it well . .

Kerry has been a huge disappointment. Don't know why you are defending him so fiercely.
What is your relationship to him?

This essay from KOS puts it well . .
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/06/1236702/-John-Kerry-Has-No-Shame-Claims-He-Opposed-the-Iraq-War#
Kerry sold out.

And by the way, if you think Kerry has done such a bang-up job, then BOTH OF YOU should take in at least one Iraqi refugee family.

BTW, my family took in exchange students from poorer countries for 15 years, so it's not like I'm asking you to do anything unreasonable.

Before you get any respect or answers from me, you'll need to defend or withdraw your earlier dumb assertions.

[FairWinds]

31. And this is really moronic too . .

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/05/29/john-man-kerry-faces-firestorm-snowden-remarks

I used to really respect Kerry, but no more.

Veterans For Peace

[blm]

32. Can't answer, can you? You can't, because no one in modern history HAS

had a more positive impact on our nation's historic record over the last 40 years - and those who entrust the corporate media opinion industry with this nation's history are lazy minded fools.


Kerry investigated and exposed IranContra, BCCI, S&L's, and CIA drugrunning. He not only impacted events to bring Vietnam war to an end, but, also Iran-Iraq war, and has been a key to preventing use of military force in regions around the world. He voted for IWR but stayed true to his promise to oppose use of force if weapon inspectors deemed no force was needed. And he did - publicly, many times - US media had marching orders and, fools will march accordingly.

Face the FACT - You can't name any other lawmaker over the last 4 decades who actually had a more positive effect on this nation's history over the last 40 plus years because there isn't one.

Your desire to see him cast aside with disdain is shared. Nixon-Bush-Cheney-Stephens cronies.

[FairWinds]

35. Kerrry always caves in the clutch . .

and please do share with us your extensive bibligraphy . .

[blm]

37. You can't name even ONE other lawmaker who's had a more positive REAL effect

Last edited Thu Sep 24, 2015, 07:07 PM - Edit history (1)

on the last 4 decades of our nation's historic record.

For anyone who dismisses Kerry, you are a product of corpmedia's lazy minded approach and ignorant style of reporting this nation's condition.

[FairWinds]

38. Hey, if you are Kerry are so not "ignorant" then . .

you must know that the current Iraq & Syria refugee flood is substantially due to US policies, including his.

So you're going to take in a refugee family, right?

Inquiring minds want to know . .

And we also would like to know what your connection to Kerry is. You are suspiciously silent on that.

As a member of Vets For Peace, I know people who knew him in the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Needless to say, they are very disappointed in him now.

[blm]

39. I would say they and you are reliant on underinformed media 'sources'

Last edited Thu Sep 24, 2015, 06:53 PM - Edit history (1)

and are not fully comprehensive of the scope of Kerry's work.

You believe what you WANT to believe because keeping up with the facts is too much of a challenge given the current status of the lazy minded media industry.

Needless to say…you still can't come up with the name of ONE lawmaker who has effected this nation's REAL historic record of the last 4+decades more positively than Kerry has.

Perhaps if you weren't invested so deeply in pretending you HAVE to be right and Kerry HAS to be wrong?

Try reading the BCCI Report….until then, I doubt you can impress me.

[FairWinds]

47. Jeez Dude, maybe I AM one of those Underinformed media "sources" . .

One of my articles was just picked up by Juan Cole at "Informed Comment"

That's NOT the "UN-Informed Comment"!!

And BTW, if you really want to engage with people here, you need to
avoid the childish insults.

You're trying to score jr. high level "points" rather than have an exchange of ideas.

[blm]

49. heheh….so you'd like to think….

you speak like someone who has never bothered to read, let alone study, the BCCI Report to me.

[mylye2222]

43. blm is only a decades strong JK supporter.

No connection to him.

And yes has exposed more corruption and took more heat because of that in the contemporary political scene.

[CTyankee]

41. well, France sure started all this by colonizing Syria in the first place...

the sins of French colonialism continue...

[mylye2222]

44. on Syria it wouod be more UK colonialisme

Well.... France is more guilty when it comes to Maghreb colonialism

In Syria France stayed only two years..

Besides..... why arent you blaming the real mess makers: Bush Adlinistation and its Iraq invasion?

[CTyankee]

45. Oh, yeah. But I have a somewhat personal connection with French colonialism...

I tutored students from francophone African countries such as Benin when I was a Literacy Volunteer. Actually, my student, Muhammed, said he was glad the French colonized his country. He thought it would have been a much worse country if they hadn't. I thought that was interesting and gave me pause...

[ellisonz]

53. I blame the Prophet Mohammed for not being more straightforward and succinct. n/t

[itsrobert]

3. Please correct title

"Kerry: US to accept 85,000 refugees in 2016, 100,000 in 2017"

Thank you.

[Stuart G]

5. done..my error. sorry.

[earthside]

6. I'm against this.

The U.S. has got to get serious about disengaging from the Middle East.

And we and Europe cannot be a safety valve for all the dictators in these Middle Eastern nations by providing safe haven for their dispossessed.

How many refugees is Saudi Arabia taking in?
Kuwait?
UAE?

Yes, we have been responsible for much of the instability and chaos in the Middle East, but it is never going to get better as long as we keeping playing bully, policeman and nurse all at the same time.

[Abouttime]

14. We need to do this

Many of these refugees will be settled in red states turning them blue, we literally could use a few million a year for the foreseeable future. Most red states are sparsely populated, they can easily handle the influx. It's a win-win for the country.

[David__77]

17. Why do you suppose that settling Syrians in red states would change them to blue states?

I'm curious about that thought.

[branford]

18. To say nothing of the legal and funding issues involved. nt

[Abouttime]

19. Not just Syrians

But all refugees, largely Muslims. Once they get voting rights they will be a solid Democratic voting bloc.
Imagine what a difference both culturally and politically might be made if a million refugees a year were settled into the sparsely populated red states. Within a few years the states would be much less white, much less Christian, and much less republican.
Like I said above, a win-win for our nation.

[CullenBohannon]

22. good?

Demographics are already changing. Also, what about the states, cities that are overcrowded as it is? The countries Infrastructure is falling apart.

[blm]

34. Because GOP lie machine wants it said…and repeated.

Spreading the 'myth' of Obama bringing in immigrants for their votes has been a favorite boogeyman for the RW lie machine for at least two decades now.

[earthside]

20. What an absolutely horrible ...

... cynical approach.

[Abouttime]

21. Not at all

The republicans and their ilk caused this problem by upsetting a stable Middle East with needless wars.
The least we can do as US citizens is accept as many of these refugees, mostly Islamic, into our country as possible. The reality is we could take millions.
Where are we going to put them? In already overcrowded cities in mostly blue states?
No. That makes no sense.
The rural parts of the upper Midwest. Iowa for instance has hundreds of rural small dying towns. These counties and towns have been losing population since the 70s. Why not repopulate?
There is infrastructure, water, empty housing in need of rehab. I travel all over the west and southwest for work. These areas are empty, why not relocate these refugees in these areas?
Why put them in expensive overcrowded cities in Europe when we've got room here?
It's the American thing to do, far from cynicism. In the long run our country would be better off with them.

[dembotoz]

30. the problem with putting them in dying small towns is that the towns are dying

being in a town that is dying is workable if you have a source of income.
dying sort of implies no jobs

the upper midwest is cold in winter and i generally like having heat and food to eat
both require money.

I DO like the idea of urban homesteading and yes there are bargains to be had but access to
a way to make money is important too

[CTyankee]

46. It seems to me that immigration has always in the long run worked out really well

for this country. Immigrants need our help and our moral support for sure. But we are all winners for it eventually. Immigrants fuel our economy and push us forward, not backward. We are always the richer for immigrants.

[yeoman6987]

26. My god!

You think they will be able to vote?

[philosslayer]

48. Hopefully. Eventually.

Why would they not become citizens at some point in the future?

[yeoman6987]

51. Some may but I would imagine most would want to go back home

I lived in 3 countries overseas panama, Italy and South Korea for 10 years total and could not wait to get back home to the United States because it's home and comfortable. They will feel the same.

[blm]

33. That's absurd. It's a Republican asshat myth which means you couldn't

possibly have made this comment with any seriousness……right?

[annabanana]

7. good

We have room. And they will make very good Americans.

[CTyankee]

9. I agree. These people will come to our shores and be excellent citizens and taxpayers.

They want to work hard and get ahead in the U.S. Just like every immigrant group before them has done. "Give us your tired, your poor...."

[pampango]

8. A lot less than the Vietnamese and Balkan refugees we took but it is a good start.

Does not really matter whom we blame for the violence in Syria. The civilians who are fleeing need the help regardless of whom we choose to blame.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. We took over 200K Vietnamese refugees by 1980

I hope that all these refugees aren't from Syria. There are hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees that need homes too.

[Dont call me Shirley]

12. That means the warmakers are going to continue their war in Syria.

[YOHABLO]

13. Why not right now? And why so few? I am tired of seeing these people suffer.

[JI7]

15. congress wont give money

[Kurska]

16. There is nothing unreasonable about this.

We're a large nation and we have the space to take in some refugees.

[yeoman6987]

27. We have the room

But not the resources. The environment in the U.S. Will get worse.

[CullenBohannon]

23. interesting

We have to stop supporting "rebels"/islamists that want to overthrow dictators. It usually doesn't end well for anyone.
ps. The gulf states who were involved are taking no refugees.

[truthisfreedom]

29. Telling.

And dark.

[Lychee2]

36. Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants have "plunged" to around 400,000 per year.

And H1b visas are granted to 65,000 per year.

If we can allow all that, we can take some refugees, too.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/flow-of-illegal-immigration-slows-as-us-mexico-border-dynamics-evolve/2015/05/27/c5caf02c-006b-11e5-833c-a2de05b6b2a4_story.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa

[pampango]

40. Trump Campaign Manager: President Trump Would Admit Zero Syrian Refugees

“It is time — and Mr. Trump has said this, time and time again — to put Americans first.”

Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Tuesday that the United States “should take in zero” Syrian refugees.

“This is very simple, the bottom line is we should take in zero,” Lewandowski said when asked by radio host John Fredericks what a President Trump would do about the refugee crisis.

“While I understand our position in the global economy, and how important the United States is in world public affairs, it is time to look at the people who are in our country first who are struggling — the middle class, the bottom class of people who can’t survive — and give them opportunities,” said Lewandowski. “And this is exactly what the issue is, when it comes to not just bringing in refugees, but illegal immigrants.

“It is time to build a wall, it is time to make sure our borders are secure, it is time to make sure that the people who are at the lowest economic status in this country, their jobs are not being taken away from illegal immigrants who are coming to this country illegally,” he continued. “Why don’t we let those people — give them the opportunity to do the jobs, give them the opportunity to have a leg up, give them the opportunity to make their lives better, before we worry about the people in other parts of the world who aren’t U.S. citizens to begin with?”

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ilanbenmeir/trump-campaign-manager-president-trump-would-admit-zero-syri#.cfbol0mZy

[TwilightGardener]

42. We can't seem to vet a few hundred individual fighters in Syria very reliably.

How the fuck are we going to screen a hundred thousand people? Color me a little dubious.

[bigwillq]

52. I would rather we take care of folks already living in this country

Before we take anymore in. Congress should use the money they would spend on this and spend it on folks who are already here. There's so many people already living here who need a bed of their own.