Response to Ukraine refugee crisis & reporter’s ‘civilized’ commentary raises ugly question

It was eye-opening to watch European countries fawning over refugees from Ukraine. Some of their commentaries were disgusting.

Ukraine: The war & refugees reveals much

We hope that our brothers and sisters in Ukraine can weather Russian aggression, Russia’s brutal, savage attack, and its accomplices. Unfortunately, even in war, the inhumanity of humans always raises its head.

I found it ironic that many European countries had open-door policies, as they should, with the refugees from Ukraine. Ireland said that “it was immediately lifting visa requirements for Ukrainians.” Poland has “expressed steadfast support for Ukraine.” Many other countries are opening their doors with active support from their populations.

It was not surprising to read this AP story about refugees from Ukraine.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — They file into neighboring countries by the hundreds of thousands — refugees from Ukraine clutching children in one arm, belongings in the other. And they’re being heartily welcomed, by leaders of countries like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania.

But while the hospitality has been applauded, it has also highlighted stark differences in treatment given to migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa, particularly Syrians who came in 2015. Some of the language from these leaders has been disturbing to them, and deeply hurtful.

“These are not the refugees we are used to… these people are Europeans,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov told journalists earlier this week, of the Ukrainians. “These people are intelligent, they are educated people. … This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists…”

“In other words,” he added, “there is not a single European country now which is afraid of the current wave of refugees.”

Syrian journalist Okba Mohammad says that statement “mixes racism and Islamophobia.”

Who are the civilized ones?

Unfortunately, it was not surprising to listen to a CBS reporter say the following.

“They’re out in bomb shelters. But this isn’t a place, with all due respect,” the racist reporter said. “You know, like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades. You know, this is a relatively civilized, relatively European — I have to choose those words carefully — a city where you wouldn’t expect that or hope that it’s going to happen.”

There is so much to deconstruct here, which I do in detail in the video. I find it amazing that our level of education gives a sect in this country the notion that supremacy has some relevance to intellect, civilization, or more what it has done created a faction of the willfully ignorant. And it is on display throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Please listen to the entire video clip.