Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related To Gaza

February 24, 2009 by Dick.

President Obama has sent a memorandum to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to wit, “that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to exceed $20.3 million … for the purpose of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs … of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza.

The rug-chewing right-handed blogdom has jumped on the initial days of the Obama presidency. They note that his first call to any head of state was to Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, his first interview was with Al Arabia, he ordered Guantanamo Bay closed, and more. This memorandum adds to their ammunition when they say the order provides a “free ticket [here in these United States] replete with housing and food allowances to individuals who have displayed their overwhelming support of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).”

Which doesn’t appear to be the case. Having read the actual Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 , I do wonder if the rug-chewing right has choked on a piece of Persian carpet that was never intended to fly here.

The MRAA sets U.S. policy for the involuntary return of refugees and for whatever overseas assistance to refugees and displaced persons we will grant.

We have, after all, put a fair amount of money out in the past to help refugee succor and resettlement all over the world for peeps who stayed if not in their own countries at least on their own continents. The Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the Boxing Day Tsunami it caused are a case in point. Our response to the humanitarian needs in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand added billions of dollars to our own deficit.

Interestingly, Obama did not need to sign the order in the first place. Then-President Clinton delegated the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act to the Secretary of State, who he further authorized to redelegate those functions and authorities.

On the other hand, the rug chewing right has a serious point. We have a long history of admitting likely enemies to the U.S. under our open doors policy to accept and care for the World’s sick, the poor, the downtrodden wherever they may be. This isn’t even the first time we’ve paid for them to come here and paid for them to live (c.f. Mariel). It is, however, an expansion of the liberal belief that the reaching out of hands, the mere exposure to U.S. culture will change an enemy to a friend.

Of course, that would be the same liberal belief that encourages the segregation of peoples within the U.S. so that their cultures not be lost or assimilated here.

Press “1″ for English.

In this case, I hope I am indeed right although other political prognosticators are so often not and I may have fallen into the trap of believing the Administration would follow the law rather than some cherished liberal wish. If we do indeed relocate thousands of armed insurrectionists to poor enclaves in American cities, it will be treason.

And it might very well kill you and you and you.

And me.

In an interesting coincidence, Bablefish is sure today is “FATTY Tuesday.”

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