The World Is Failing Syria

The son of a World War II refugee myself, I’ve been researching the anti-refugee hysteria of the 1930s and ’40s. As Bekink suggests, the parallels to today are striking.

The reasons for the opposition then were the same as they are for rejecting Syrians or Hondurans today: We can’t afford it, we should look after Americans first, we can’t accept everybody, they’ll take American jobs, they’re dangerous and different.

Some readers are objecting: But Jews weren’t a threat the way Syrian refugees are! In the 1930s and ’40s, though, a world war was underway and Jews were widely seen as potential Communists or even Nazis. There were widespread fears that Germany would infiltrate the U.S. with spies and saboteurs under the cover that they were Jewish refugees.

News organizations didn’t do enough to humanize refugees and instead, tragically, helped spread xenophobia. The Times published a front-page article about the risks of Jews becoming Nazi spies, and The Washington Post published an editorial thanking the State Department for keeping out Nazis posing as refugees.

History rhymes. As I’ve periodically argued, President Obama’s reluctance to do more to try to end the slaughter in Syria casts a shadow on his legacy, and there’s simply no excuse for the world’s collective failure to ensure that Syrian refugee children in neighboring countries at least get schooling.

Anne Frank Today Is A Syrian Girl

Hillary's "Health" : Sexism In 2016

Hillary looks like she might be 10 times more fit than Donald Trump. She is younger than Trump. She does not eat McDonald's two to three times a day. She exercises. Trump has never believed in physical exercise all his life.

Compared to Donald Trump it can be said Hillary Clinton is an Olympic athlete. But only in comparison. Objectively speaking do I think she is an Olympic athlete? No.

So why is Donald Trump bringing up health as an issue? In 2008, it was "cleavage," written up by some journalist. This year it is "Health." Both times it's about the body. It is about objectifying a woman.

There are about 160 million women in America who could wake up. Shed the diffidence. Gay people came out of the closet. Women should do the same.

Donald Trump is not like Bob Dole. Dole actually knew policy. This is not like 1996.

This time it is about a wave election to take the House.
 
The Republicans are one with Donald Trump on the so called health issue. Tie Donald Trump around the Republican neck. They are with him.

Education And Health: The Costs Are Supposed To Go Down

If you own a smartphone today you look a millionaire to people from the ancient era of 1969-1989. Your smartphone has a ton of free stuff all of which used to cost a ton of money, if the services were even available, that is.

The entire world is to enter a knowledge economy. Lifelong education has to become true for all human beings.

When you say that some people start doing their back of the envelope math and start seeing a bill for tens of trillions, money that they claim does not exist.

They are thinking in terms of a million dollars worth of services. They are not thinking in terms of a smartphone.

Costs are supposed to go down dramatically, for both education and health. The Internet is the new classroom. All textbooks and lectures are to be digital and mostly free.

There has to be education in every language. Artificial Intelligence will make everything available in every other language. There will not be a total emphasis on literacy. Where literacy does not cover the ground, oral will do.

With a tablet and internet access you should be able to get a high school anywhere.

Teachers don't go away. People are not meant to go away. Human interactions are a big part of the education process.

There is a need for a fundamental rethink. Human capital is the very center of hypercapitalism.