Madeline Albright: America's Flyover Country Shows There’s Room for More Refugees

Pajamas Media ^ | 09/24/2015 | Nicholas Ballasy

[SeekAndFind]

^[1]

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she is worried too many Americans want to “insulate” themselves from the Syrian refugee crisis and other conflicts around the world.

“I have long said that Americans are the most generous people in the world. But we do have the shortest attention spans and, when it comes to global crisis today, I fear that too many people in the United States believe we can insulate ourselves from the world’s problems and leave it to the countries of the region and Europe to sort out,” Albright said at the U.S. Institute of Peace’s “Beyond Refugees” event.

“The idea we can stand aside or wait for others to act is an illusion mocked by the lessons of history. It would be naïve to expect that a solution to this crisis will arrive soon or that when it does take shape, it will be implemented quickly and without further pain. But it will not come at all if we fail to uphold our own standards and values,” she added.

Addressing America’s response to the crisis, Albright said the U.S. should not ask other countries to take in a significant number of refugees if it won’t do the same.

“I think in terms of the density you gave and those of us that fly across this country a lot – there’s a lot of space here. I do actually think that the United States needs to – we cannot ask other countries to be taking on a burden if we don’t do it ourselves,” she said. “I did quote the Statue of Liberty statement on purpose. I do think this is what we are about. I think there needs to be more public outcry about the fact that we have to share in responsibility for this.”

Nancy Lindborg, president of the U.S. Institute of Peace, pointed out that the U.S. has spent about $4 billion on the civil war in Syria in addition to “several billions of dollars” of financial support to Jordan and Lebanon.

“The U.S. has been a leader in providing the financial assistance. I think the bigger question is what is the role of the U.S. in seeking to really get at the roots of this and solving the Syrian crisis?” she said. “None of this is going to staunch the flow of people fleeing so it’s really looking far more seriously at the diplomatic approaches.”

Albright, who served in the Clinton administration, encouraged the public to call their members of Congress about the issue. She said the Syrian refugee crisis would eventually get worse if the U.S. does not take action.

“This is not a task we can accomplish alone but it is a responsibility that we cannot in good conscience ignore or refuse to accept,” she said.

The refugee crisis hits home for Albright. Born in Czechoslovakia two years before Hitler’s troops marched into Prague, Albright said she left with her family for England. She returned to Prague when she was 8 before the communists took over the region.

“My family was forced into exile in a new and welcoming home, the United States of America, and I will never forget sailing by the Statue of Liberty on November 11, 1948. For much of my life I’ve been described as a refugee, which is accurate, but in contrast to many who came to America before and after, my family was not a hardship case,” she said.

“We didn’t have to escape through barbed wire. We didn’t have much money but we did come on diplomatic passports, and so I can’t pretend to know what it’s like to endure even a fraction of what so many millions of people are going through today,” she added.

According to Secretary of State John Kerry, the U.S. plans to accept 85,000 refugees from around the world next year and 100,000 in 2017.

Albright said the U.S. and Russia should work together to address the Syrian refugee crisis.

“I think we should work with Russia on Syria but we cannot forget what the Russians have done in Ukraine – and it would be a mistake if we decided all of the sudden to forget all of that,” he said.

To date, Congress has approved $500 million to train and equip about 5,000 rebels. The head of U.S. Central Command recently told ^[2] Congress only four or five rebels have been trained so far.

“It is taking a bit longer to get things done, but it must be this way if we are to achieve lasting and positive effects,” Gen. Lloyd Austin said.

According to multiple reports ^[3], ISIS has intercepted some of the U.S. weapons that were meant for Syrian rebels.

In September of 2014, PJ Media asked Albright if the Obama administration’s decision to arm Syrian rebels could backfire in the future.

“I hope not, because basically what has to happen is the president of the United States needs to have partners with us there. This is not – this is their story. This is a regional story and obviously of great interest to the United States and I know that a lot of care has been taken in terms of figuring out which members of the opposition and they need to be a part of solving the problem and so I think it’s the right thing to do,” Albright said.

---

Article printed from PJ Media: http://pjmedia.com

URL to article: http://pjmedia.com/blog/albright-flyover-country-shows-theres-room-for-more-refugees/

URLs in this post:

[1] Image: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twdulp-u6ME

[2] told: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34278233

[3] reports: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/10/21/u-s-accidentally-delivered-weapons-to-the-islamic-state-by-airdrop-militants-allege/

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I fear that too many people in the United States believe we can insulate ourselves from the world’s problems and leave it to the countries of the region and Europe to sort out,”

I don't call it being insulated, but yes, they should deal with their own problems. Their problems should not necessarily become our problems.

Personal note to Madeline Albright: Since the regime will probably go your way on refugee resettlement in the U.S., I, as a life-long resident of the Flyover, strongly discourage their resettlement here. They won't like it. There really isn't much to do. The weather is terrible about nine months of the year. It's pretty much hayseed-dwelling Hootersvilles everywhere. These "new Americans" would like anyplace on either coast much better, especially the more enlightened areas where people are more liberal and enlightened.

[ctdonath2]

Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas will be taken by Mexico.

I actually expect some morning we will wake up to news reports of exactly that happening. Arrangements will be made & coordinated, radio stations of certain persuasions will announce "It's time", and a plurality of residents will make clear their allegiance has changed and the area has changed hands; dissenters will be, um, dealt with. (Basically what happened in Rwanda.)

[laplata]

That old -itch needs to assume room temperature.

[x_plus_one]

She and her ilk disrespect anyone they cant control or see or threaten personally. So they want to destroy flyover country for the sake of their general principles. The left enjoys hate more than sex.

[massgopguy]

I hear there is room for 717 refugees in Mecca as of today.....

[just me]

Muslims call America Satan, the only reason they want to come here is to destroy us... Everyone knows we consider fly over country Republican strong holds. I think they are looking to change that. I wish liberals would move to the middle east so they can be with their own kind..

[x_plus_one]

good news...

[arthurus]

Yes, there’s room. Put then all in the Llano Estacado and fence it.

[odawg]

You freakin’ idiot half-bright, open spaces does not a nation make.

[DoughtyOne]

The Left talks about sustainability.

We should stop procreating, to save the planet. Our resources are fast dwindling.

They would love to see families have just one child.

Then they go against that by proclaiming our doors should be opened wide to as many refugees as want to come here.

So which is it, are we overpopulated, or not populated enough by the “right” people?

Frankly, I’m for bigger families. Time for U. S. Citizens to get back into the bedroom and do some serious work.

= :^)

NO MORE IMMIGRATION for 30 years or so.

Assimilate what we have and then think long and hard about more.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

This is the same dumbass “woman” who gave the Norks the ability to build nuclear bombs, along with former president William Horndog Clinton.

I wouldn’t ask for her advice on anything.

[Heart of Georgia]

“Send them to the neighborhood Halfbright lives in or send them to NY.”

Well, their heart is in the right place, as always. But there’s just no room where they live. [sarc]

Sarcasm aside, their agenda is to infest and bring hopeless change into the conservative states. But we all know that.

[Alas Babylon!]

In 2013, the number of non-native born in the US reached 45.8 MILLION people, out of 320 Million total.

The United States is the world’s leader by far as a destination for immigrants. The country with the next largest number is Russia with 12.3 million. The U.S. total of 40.4 million, which includes legal as well as illegal immigrants, represents 13% of the total U.S. population in 2011.

So how can she say we’re insular and isolated????!!!

Typical Clintonite. Lie with impunity; total disregard for actual facts.

[angcat]

Dear Lord please strike these people dead and save our country.

[blueunicorn6]

You could take Madeline Notsobright up 20,000 feet over Nebraska and drop her out of the airplane and if she landed on that thick head of hers, she’d make a Grand Canyon in Nebraska.

[polymuser]

Opie and his new Mayberry, RFD friends:

[zzwhale]

here is an unelected old hag expressing her opinion...
wonderful
EXCEPT SHE DOESN’T SPEAK FOR ANYONE BUT HERSELF
ok HAG take 10 in your house FIRST ...

[kingu]

What crisis? There's no crisis in Syria - nothing has suddenly changed. The position of this administration is that there must be an overthrow of Assad, and that we shall encourage conflict there by those aligned against him. We've been told repeatedly that Islam is peaceful, so a regional caliph is a good thing, isn't it?

We've been told repeatedly that persecuted Christians in the region is a fantasy. Who are these who are fleeing the region? Are they fleeing the conflict, fleeing Islam, or simply seeking an easy life?

There are refugee camps throughout the region, and of course, there are nations very close by who have more than enough money to welcome their brothers and sisters with open arms - yet shockingly they refuse them - both the refugees and their potential saviors, typically over minor theological debates as to exactly who needs to die.

Enough of the fiction; these aren't refugees, they are simply mass waves of illegals looking to suck at the teat of prosperous economies, to turn them into the same hell holes that they left. And I'm more than willing to see Albright’s wealth liquidated and handed over to the horde so she can see from the view of a cardboard box exactly what these people REALLY want.

[pa_dweller]

How many are slated for Martha’s Vineyard?

[LostPassword]

After she accepts a few in her neighborhood we can talk about where else she thinks they can be put.

I’d bet she even has a few rooms in her house that aren’t used much. How about we put some of them in those rooms? If she’s really concerned about them it only seems like the compassionate thing to do.

It’s a lot easier to do good with other people’s money (taxes) and other people’s inconvenience/security than to use personal money or take personal risk.