Obama to propose higher refugee limits for Syrians

[Zioneer]

Whenever we take in refugees or immigrants, everybody's afraid of them, and every time, they turn out to be harmless overall (with the same amount of bad apples as everyone else), and prove to be a benefit to America's economy and cultural mix. The Germans in the days of the American Revolution (and after the Revolutions of 1848), the Irish, the Italians, the Polish, the Russians, the Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, the Mexicans and the Puerto Ricans (though we annexed them, so not technically immigrants), the Vietnamese and the Lebanese, the Cubans and the Brazilians, Thai and Laotians, the Somalis, the Hmong, Koreans, Sudanese, Indians, Nigerians, and even Iraqis, all of them eventually assimilate, and all of them prove to be another ingredient in the American melting pot. I highly doubt that Syrians and more Iraqis will be dangerous.

[Zioneer]

10,000 isn't that bad a number. We took in 100,000 South Vietnamese if I am not mistaken.

It's a good start, and I expect that we'll take a lot more. As I pointed out with my rant, we can absorb them pretty easily, especially if we put them in areas that already have sizable Arabic populations (like Dearborn).

[Zioneer]

We need to take as many as we possibly can.

We also need to provide micro-credit programs to them to help them start businesses, go to college,  and get settled, plus intensive English-language courses so they can navigate life here. Investing a little bit in them when they arrive will jump-start their lives and make up the investment tenfold in the long-run. Syrian-Americans are already a highly-accomplished and integrated community, and having an existing community foundation like that is critical to helping this new wave of refugees get settled.  Since 2007, an increasing number of skilled immigrants have returned to their native countries after achieving their career goals here, and this trend is bad and needs to be stopped, and more Syrian refugees would help reverse this emigration.

If Europe wants to keep being stupid and not take advantage of the solution to their demographic problems, then that's their loss; we'll keep 'em. Since 30% of new businesses were founded by immigrants in 2010 (and that number keeps rising), and immigrants from the Middle East have higher-than-average entrepreneuership rates, this will be a boon for our economy and society. What makes America different from xenophobic Europeans is our ability (and willingness) to integrate immigrants both economically and culturally. A rational immigration policy would work against a scenario of rapid aging, stagnant population growth, labor shortages, and declining entrepreneurship, which are likely to afflict Europe and East Asia, and though accepting refugees is not quite traditional immigration, it is nonetheless important to maintain America's economic and cultural prowness.

And on top of that, it's also the humane thing to do

*applauds wildly*

Seriously, this is the right thing to say.

[Zioneer]

What is wrong again with creating a safe zone in the Kurdish zone next to the Turkish border again for those endangered by the Syrian civil war? I am totally wrong that most of these refugees (mostly young males per what I have read), are taking to the boats for economic reasons?

Well, the Turks don't want it, and the US is supposed to be allies with Turkey (thus relying on their logistics), so...