#1439 Power, Policies and Prejudice in a World of Refugees

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Air Date 9/4/2021

Today we take a look at the slow motion disaster that is the worldwide refugee crisis. We start with the recent focus on Afghan refugees fleeing their country in the wake of America's 20-year war before expanding the view to American and European policies toward asylum-seekers from around the world.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Advocates Call on Biden Admin to Move Faster on Resettling Afghan Refugees - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-18-21

President Joe Biden has allocated $500 million in new funds for relocating Afghan refugees following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The U.S. had already vowed to help evacuate over 80,000 Afghan civilians

Ch. 2: “This Is What America Looks Like”: Ilhan Omar on Her Refugee Journey from Mogadishu to Minneapolis - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-5-21

We speak with Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar about her memoir “This Is What America Looks Like,” the Biden administration’s recent airstrikes in her birth country of Somalia and why the U.S. must remain a country of refuge for people fleeing war

Ch. 3: ‘Desperation And Frustration’: Rep. Omar Reacts To The Biden Refugee Cap - All In - Air Date 4-19-21

“It’s with desperation and frustration that we are speaking out against the Biden administration in their backtracking on this. We do applaud them for changing course, and we just want to make sure they follow through with clear communication.”

Ch. 4: Why seeking asylum in America is so difficult - Vox - Air Date 7-12-18

America has led the world in refugee resettlement for 15 years, but asylum cases have pushed political tempers to a tipping point.

Ch. 5: Green Thinking: Climate and Refugees - Arts & Ideas - 6-15-21

What role do museums and heritage organisations have to play in the climate emergency? How do we stop cultural and historical landmarks from falling into the sea, or is it time to learn to say goodbye?

Ch. 6: This is the worlds deadliest border - Vox - Air Date 5-14-15

Nearly 2,000 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean so far this year. Vox's Dara Lind explains why.

Ch. 7: Death toll surges as migrants try to reach Europe - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-27-20

There’s been a surge in the numbers of people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean as migrants from Africa try to reach Europe. Activist groups are blaming European Union policies for their deaths.

Ch. 8: Understanding the Refugee Crisis in Europe Syria and around the World - vlogbrothers - Air Date 9-18-15

In which John Green discusses the Syrian refugee crisis and the growing number of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea crossing the sea with the help of smugglers to seek refuge in European Union nations.

MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: Red State Refugees - The Documentary Podcast - Air Date 8-25-20

President Trump has dramatically reduced the numbers of refugees arriving in the United States, vowing to protect native-born Americans’ interests. But there’s a catch - some of the nation’s reddest communities may not survive without them.

Ch. 10: The Cycles of Trauma for Vietnamese Americans - In The Thick - Air Date 7-23-19

More than forty years after the Vietnam war, Vietnamese refugees are being deported under Trump's immigration policies.

VOICEMAILS

Ch. 11: New listener - Mike from Texas

Ch. 12: Misplaced focus on Manchin - Dan from Greenville, SC

FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 13: Final comments on theories of change whether you want them or not

MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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