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.

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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/

[Buckeye McFrog]

Gotta cram more Democraps into those Red States, dontcha know...

[rigelkentaurus]

I can take a couple of them - I have room in the ground right under the pigsty. Other than that, I live in the rural flyover country for just the reason that I want to be isolated from stupid dangerous people who invest large cities.

[GOPJ]

I’m willing to pay a LOT MORE in taxes to house illegals and refugees next door to Madeleine Albright... all of us in flyover would be grateful to Madeleine if she and her neighbors would show us the joy of helping illegals and refugees assimilate...

Thousands of refugees can be scattered all throughout the 5 wealthiest ZIP codes around DC NOT just next door to Madeleine... Liberal elites around DC can show us how superior their kindness is to ours... by example.

Yes, it’ll be costly to tear down liberal elite McMansions... to make way for these housing projects but it’ll be sooooooo worth the price. Liberal elites can SHOW us the way... The rubes in flyover can see how their betters handle the situation...

Tear down two McMansions every few blocks and build 3 story ‘public housing refugee specials’... House a few hundred single men from the ME... in liberal elite BACKYARDS...

You are so wise and good Madeleine Albright - your neighbors will admire YOU for bringing these men to YOUR neighborhood... to THEIR neighborhood.

Click on this link Madeleine... it’s how MUCH YOU’LL BE HELPING:(not for the faint of heart or the squeamish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE

[SampleMan]

"...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,"

Isn't that Obama's stated 'lead from behind' foreign policy?

[Albion Wilde]

[bgill]

flyover country = conservatives

Gee, ya think she might want to dilute the conservative vote?

[Ohioan]

Maybe, instead of just flying over large areas of some of the States, Miss Albright would land, and inquire of the people who do live in such regions, whether they want their open spaces to be filled by people with completely different histories, culture, values or standards of behavior. It is very easy to allocate other people's neighborhoods from a jet six or seven miles above the property you would dispose of, or congest with incongruous folk!

Many of the settler folk, who came here before the frontier actually closed, were deliberately seeking the open spaces.

Of course, this attitude--especially the airborne part of it--perfectly illustrates the goundless faux altruism of the Leftist theorist.

[USARightSide]

BWWWAAAHAHAHAhahahahaha - ! ! !

[USARightSide]

YES - - more babies!!!

Wonder what Trump’s take would be on this - - - FOR it, I’m guessing.

[DoughtyOne]

Well, if all those kids grew up to be like his, imagine what a great nation we would have.

I’d like to think he would be for it.

[anoldafvet]

Send them to the Bonneville Salt Flats or Mohave Desert, those places are close to the environment they are used to.

[liberalh8ter]

Send them home.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“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.”

She’s smarter than she looks. :-)

[Jonty30]

I see what she is telegraphing. She actually thinks fly over country is too populous and troublesome.

[timestax]

I'm offended by the term "flyover country". I'm appalled that at what she said. If I said something like that, I would deserve getting a cream pie thrown in my face.

[noah]

Put them in HER backyard.

Let them use HER BATHROOM.
I’m sure it’s used less than 10%
of the time.

[JediJones]

That’s why it was so important to Obama to do the Iran deal. He doesn’t want Clinton to have one up on him in the history books when it comes to arming an enemy of America. The left knows it’s the best way to keep America in our “box.”

[Chgogal]

No Maddy!

All 200,000 will move into YOUR neighborhood, you hypocritical bitch.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It is only a matter of time. First, the Mexican flag will be raised alongside the U.S. Flag on public buildings, 'simply to show our love of diversity.' After the passage of sometime the U.S. Flag will be lowered.

Already the California Highway Patrol is heavily Mexican.(At least in our area.) Local police Departments are slowly becoming Mexican.

Soon California courts will conduct proceedings in Spanish(no law has yet been passed requiring this.)

In short "Gradualism."