Refugee crisis expands in countries west of Ukraine

1. If Biden allows Ukrainian refugees to enter US, I would be willing to house a family or as many that would fit in a 1330 square foot condo in SF Bay Area

2. Much of the Western mainstream media coverage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has displayed once again the blatant white supremacism that is still present in the Euro-American outlook onto the rest of the world.
   Selective empathy for ‘civilized’ people

   As many Ukrainians are forced to flee their homes as a result of the Russian intervention in Ukraine, the political and media discourse around refugees has at times been inherently racist. Numerous white Western journalists and media personalities could not hold back their outburst of orientalism and white supremacy when reporting on the situation in Ukraine.

   The idea that a war could happen in “civilized” Europe surprised many pundits. Of course, Europe, which has caused both World Wars, has waged its many colonial and imperialist wars mostly in the Third World. Besides the fact that war in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014 and that an actual genocide took place in the 1990s in the cruel wars in Yugoslavia, the underlying assumption now was that because of Europe’s alleged supremacy, the idea of war was only imaginable elsewhere – in the “uncivilized” parts of the world.

   In fact, some of the current media coverage reproduces the orientalist contrast between the “civilized” white, Christian West and the “uncivilized” rest.

   The UK newspaper “Daily Telegraph” published an article by Daniel Hannan, in which the author referred to Russia’s actions as “an attack on civilization itself.” “They”, the author argued, referring to Ukrainians, “seem so like us. This is what makes it so shocking.” Stating that “Ukraine is a European country”, the author opposes its people who “watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts” to “impoverished and remote populations.” Reporting from Kiev, CBS correspondent Charlie D’Agata, claims Ukraine is not “a place with all due respect like Iraq or Afghanistan” but rather “relatively civilized, relatively European.” Speaking to the BBC, Ukraine’s former deputy general prosecutor David Sakvarelidze said, “It’s very emotional for me because I see European people with blonde hair and blue eyes being killed every day with Putin’s missiles and his helicopters and his rockets.” His remark remained unchallenged by the broadcaster.

   These are but examples of the double standard and racist creation of difference. The rhetoric is based on the assumption that war is a natural circumstance outside of the allegedly superior Euro-American sphere and that non-white people, i.e. the vast majority of the world’s population, engage in wars because they are not “civilized” – not because of colonial and imperialist wars. This perspective also reveals how comfortably unaffected these media personalities must have been by all the wars launched against people in the Third World.

   White supremacy is the fundament of Euro-American “civilization”. The orientalist division of human beings into desirable and undesirable people has been structurally inscribed in dominant media discourse.

   The discourse around “civilization” not only reinforces Europe’s violent racial hierarchies, but also explicitly normalizes warfare against people who do not look like the white, blue-eyed, blond-haired European.

   Heroes versus Terrorists

   The double standard has also been apparent in the compassionate support that some mainstream media outlets have extended to Ukrainians who took arms to fight against Russian troops.

   Sky News showed live on air how Ukrainians were manufacturing Molotov cocktails. The New York Post celebrated a Ukrainian soldier who blew himself up to prevent a Russian advance as “heroic.” Some Ukrainians have posted pictures online of themselves carrying weapons, like member of parliament Kira Rudik. Their actions were widely praised.

   White victims are given moral and ideological support. Their militancy is glorified. Muslims and people of color who have organized in armed resistance are unlikely to be met with such praise. In fact, victims of US imperialist violence are themselves blamed and their words and actions are policed. Palestinians, who choose to resist the brutal decades-long Israeli occupation are regularly condemned as “militants” and “terrorists” in the mainstream media. In fact, Palestinians do not even have to resist as they are often by default depicted as the threat to Western civilization. Genocidal violence against them is presented as “Israeli defense.” The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah is not shown as patriotic heroes but regularly demonized as an armed terrorist organization by the same outlets that glorify white people taking up arms.

   The visible hypocrisy shows the staunch perseverance of white supremacism in mainstream media discourse.

   Beyond the media

   While the media creates powerful images and narratives, it also reflects societal dynamics. The double standard in reacting to war has been manifest in the continuous discrepancy between the rhetoric on freedom and democracy and the selective outrage.

   As Central and Eastern European governments have opened their borders for Ukrainian refugees, the racialization of people fleeing their homes continues. Poland allows white Ukrainians to cross the border, but there have been numerous reports of Black people being denied entry, many of which remained stuck at the Ukrainian side of the border. This adds to the continuous mistreatment of refugees at the EU’s and NATO’s eastern frontier. The Bulgarian prime minister said that Ukrainian refugees were European, “educated” and “intelligent” people, unlike previous refugees who might have been “terrorists.”

   The climate for the current discourse has been present for years. Long before Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, anti-Russian fear-mongering has been part and parcel of Western narratives of the “common enemy.” The outspoken condemnation against Russia has swiftly entailed new sanctions and boycotts, with Russian media being banned and Russians being excluded from participating in sports events. Meanwhile, calls for boycott of the Israeli regime by Palestinians and human rights supporters around the world have vehemently been condemned by the EU elites for years and oftentimes smeared as being “antisemitic.” The current dynamics reveal the unfortunate continuation of Orientalist and white supremacist structures.

3. Will ABC News do some journalistic material about the way of life of oligarchs in western countries and their responsibilities in supporting the invasion of Ukraine?

4. Wish they felt the same for refugees from Africa and other war torn middle-east countries, when they were going through the same hardship. Hope the Ukrainian war ends soon. As we still wage the war against ethnic racism…

5. Don't come to Middle East.

6. USA should accept those nice European refugees much better than those Syrian and Afghan refugees.

7. Repent to Jesus Christ
   “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
   ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

8. Thank you sir from Warsaw for offer help to ukraine refugees

9. God Bless that man.
   Please, Jesus keep them all safe and give victory to Ukraine.

10. Fucking Russia

11. My heart goes the all the peoples of Ukraine

12. All refugees should be treated with respect, but unfortunately they are not depending on country of origin or race or religion of the people. If you are a Christian especially, we are to open our hearts to all 🙏🇺🇦

13. Ukraine i love you I love you

14. Giving civilians arms is a warcrime and they should be executed to death by wet of geneve as spies because they dont wear a uniform

15. Where are the feminists complaining about equal opportunity to die in battle

16. Go go go Russia 💪💪👍👍, Putin is our hero in destroying western imperialism ✊✊✊

17. Due to current events, I recorded a peace song by a Ukrainian-Russian composer (Dmitri Stepanowitsch Bortnjanski, 1751-1825). If you don't know the song: In the video description you will find informations about the four-part choral writing of the sheet music with the original text. You can sing along; the recording corresponds to the four-part choral setting. Perhaps this is also a possible expansion of the repertoire for some choirs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbN0lNJhqc&list=PLBqBtmhHeqam6h0GxDYN9snNt_WaS05iM&index=784

18. Ukraine stands strong

19. The EU, NATO and the rest of the World should help the front line nations like Poland and Romania with money and other necessary resources to accommodate Ukraine refugees , fleeing for their lives after having Putin rain missiles and bombs on their homes.. Their resources will be stretched to the limit. They should not be put in a position of having to shoulder all of the burden alone, The death and destruction of lives and property caused by Putin's Global ambitions are staggering. Ukraine did not want this war. It was visited upon them by Putin 's desire to recreate his evil empire. Were it not for their geographical location some other country would have been in Putin's cross hairs. This is a war against Freedom. Democracy, humanity , the UN principles , and western values as Pres Zelensky has said and all freedom loving people should chip in and help Ukraine.

20. Still some awesome people in the world.

21. May God be with all the men who are fighting for the freedom of Ukraine. From 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 thank you so much Poland for showing the world how to be hospitable..

22. Hypocrisy and Racism at it's highest level!
    The very countries that turned away refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea and others -Christians, Kurds, Yazidis, and Muslims. Happy for Ukraine, but am left saddened by the fact that one group is invited and welcomed, while other group is turned away. Some of them just wanted transit through some of these countries and are still held back. A Refugee is a refugee, regarding of where he/she has come from, Gender, age etc

23. NATO and West's goal is now being acheived.

24. Justice only comes from God…Revelation 11 : 17, 18…

25. ****** Earthlings have many nuclear weapons.
    
    We are running for the nuclear war of the future.
    
    To prevent nuclear war, do not try to expand territory by obsessing over possessions.
    
    You have to manage your current situation well.
    
    In particular, it is to pass on a healthy earth to our descendants by managing the global environment well.
    
    Can't Earthlings go to the country they want to live?
    
    What's wrong with which country's territory is that place?

    The Earth has a one-party dictatorship and a multi-party democracy.
    
    The one-party dictatorship is trying to expand its territory.
    
    Multiparty democracy is trying to stop it for the sake of peace.
    
    If we try to expand our territory, nuclear war will break out in the near future.

26. RUPTLY … WHY DOES YOUTUBE ALLOW THAT PROPAGANDA CHANNEL TO CONTINUE? SHUT IT DOWN ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻 Youtube is enabling and essentially endorsing Russia war crimes 🤨 EVERYONE, DEMAND THAT YOUTUBE BAN RUPTLY NOW!!!

27. imagine providing food and shelter for these refugees.. it's a lot of money for the government of poland to spare.. how generous poland is.. i hope this war end very quickly..

28. Trouble makers must pay a heavy price. They never listen to Russia.

29. They can go live in Mexico now since all the Mexicans are in the USA due to Biden!!!

30. Stay out of USA!!!! We have enough illegal immigrants here!!!!!

31. Those women better stand with their men and fight! WTH is this world coming to?

32. We had months to prepare

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