As kos has pointed out, the Syrian refugee “crisis” is a manufactured conflict of the most cynical type and the reality is that ISIL/Daesh may not be the primary “radical Islamist” enemy not unlike the ultimate failure to stop US domestic terrorism is by increasing domestic repression in order to leverage RW power.
In the case of GOP governors posturing about refusing refugees because they are potential terrorists, the real danger in numbers is more likely from white supremicists in each GOP state and a probable state-level reluctance to install state-level border controls. So far, the GOP has managed to forgive the French and its Frites in order to seek domestic political capital.
Selective outrage.
If North Dakota can finally choose a mascot “The Fighting Hawks” for one of its two major state universities, then US hawks should be able to reconcile their fetish for selective, cultural domination over the world. Since Charlie Hebdo, we now see the real problem of all those Hebdo(sic) people of color everywhere scaring already frightened US low information voters (LIVs or LoFos) in the discourse of GOP POTUS candidates to the tune of Lindsey Graham wanting 10,000 US ground troops in Syria.
As with all international entanglements, conflicts are about natural resources, whether or not renewable and it’s always about trading individuals’ blood for big oil. As 2016 approaches, posturing over military action under the umbrella of national security should not drive the policy memes.
DAKAR, Senegal — As much of the world remains focused on the Islamic State and its horrific attacks in Paris, another radical band of extremists has, by one account, captured the infamous title of the world’s deadliest terrorist group: Boko Haram.
Boko Haram, the militant group that has tortured Nigeria and its neighbors for years, was responsible for 6,664 deaths last year, more than any other terrorist group in the world, including the Islamic State, which killed 6,073 people in 2014, according to a report released Wednesday tracking terrorist attacks globally
Of course, none of this is particularly controversial. We’ve known for over a decade the insidious role of petroleum money in the funding of terror networks, including from supposed allies like Saudi Arabia.
What is surprising about all of this is how resistant conservatives are to drying up this source of terrorist money. These are the people who have worked tirelessly to dry up liberal funding sources like labor unions and trial lawyers, yet when it comes to terrorism, they are working side-by-side to ensure the supremacy of Big Oil.
But instead of doing ISIS’ bidding by keeping out Syrian widows and orphans, why not strike a blow against their biggest funding apparatus? Why not help to make petroleum obsolete?
The US could help fuel a global shift away from fossil fuels by more aggressively supporting renewable energy sources, helping develop and popularize new technologies, thus increasing economies of scale and lowering prices. By seeking more aggressive cuts in global emissions, the US could further push the world toward non-petroleum energy sources.