The refugee crisis is a direct result of George W Bush

[Lint Head]

and Dick Cheney's lies, promoted by the media, that led us into a bloodbath called Iraq. ISIS is a direct result of that war. The continued infux of people escaping the resultant slaughter is overwhelming Germany and Austria.
George (War Fucker) Bush's actions are a war crime so monumental that it's aftershocks will be felt for decades.

For so called well educated politicians to be so politically blind and ignore these facts, is nothing more than elitists thinking the common civilian is stupid and uneducated. Because there is no real outrage it makes me wonder just what the future holds. Have the elitists won? Have we been so dumbed down by the corporate pop culture that we just don't give a good rats ass anymore?

[underpants]

1. Yep

[smirkymonkey]

2. You would be amazed at how many commenters on other sites are

blaming this on Obama (of course) but fortunately there are other commenters putting them in their place by reminding them of who started the meddling in Iraq in the first place.

[DirkGently]

3. Impossible. Jeb assures us it's all Obama's fault.

You see, it's not the monumental destruction and upheaval caused by disastrous war Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld concocted out of a national tragedy unrelated to Iraq in any way, and still swear was a good idea, although it certainly would appear that way.

It's actually Obama's failure to continue clean it all up, just as he failed to clean up the American economy they left in ruins.

Makes perfect sense, if you are completely insane.

[Octafish]

4. Most media seem to be calling it a ''migrant'' issue.

"Refugee" sounds like they're fleeing war or something.

Like most modern politics, just re-brand the thing with a new name and pretend it isn't what it is.

[pampango]

5. Juan Cole views the Syrian uprising as "spontaneous, indigenous, centered on dissatisfied youth".

IOW, Syrians could only take so much of an Assad family conjugal dictatorship. When the "Arab Spring" seemed to offer a chance for change, people went with it.

http://www.juancole.com/2011/12/top-ten-myths-about-the-arab-spring-of-2011.html

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Indirectly. The Iraq war destabilized the entire region.

However the current administration shares the blame here and if we are going to proclaim a "direct result" then I have to go with a direct result of our current conflicted and incoherent middle east policy and especially our muddled and disastrous Syrian policy. We have armed and enabled ISIS in our efforts to overthrow Assad. We are committing the same misguided pro-sunni jihadist policies that spawned al qaeda all over again. We have learned nothing. We are currently turning a blind eye while the one decent potential ally in the region, the Kurds, are being slaughtered by our nominal ally the Turks. The whole clusterfuck is a shameful amoral mess. Assad is likely not going away. Not now. We need to figure that out, figure out how to get ourselves the fuck out of dodge and do it. Every time we mess with shit in this region we just make things worse.

[Lint Head]

10. Get out of Dodge is the goal. People are dodging

enough as it is. Dodging bullets and dodging the issue.

[pampango]

12. "Assad is likely not going away. Not now." Was he ever?

My impression is that he had no intention of leaving pre-ISIS, ISIS or post-ISIS. Some dictators really like their gig and keep a large army around so that they can't be forced to leave.

Should we have recognized that he "is not going away" back in 2011? Perhaps not just tolerated but supported his crackdown on protesters, as preserving the lesser of two evils? Should we support Arab dictators forever since the "greater evil" seems to always be out there?

[elehhhhna]

7. 5 yr drought in Syria also a factor

Climate change anyone?

[DFW]

8. A German TV station found out what was going on, and how this was possible (subtitles provided)

[Lint Head]

9. This is funny!

[DFW]

11. It gave a whole new meaning to the term "Bush Pilot." n/t