Fox News: Instead Of Taking In Syrian Refugees, America Should Invade And Bomb Syria
After the Labor Day weekend, Fox News got right to work scaring the bejesus out of their old white conservative audience by immediately pushing a narrative that America cannot be involved in taking in any refugees from war-torn Syria or other parts of the Middle East because we might cause radical terrorists to enter the country. Adding to the fear of Islamic terrorism, at least one guest stated that instead of providing asylum to refugees, the United States should instead invade Iraq and Syria and get involved in a full-scale war in order to make these countries more hospitable to the residents. (Yes, the answer to people fleeing war is stay where you’re at and sit tight while we wage a bigger war and drop some more bombs.)
Starting on Fox & Friends, host Brian Kilmeade brought on neoconservative ‘policy’ expert Jim Hanson and immigration analyst Michele Wucker to talk about the large number of migrants from Syria other parts of the Middle East that have made their way to Europe looking for asylum and safety. With the civil war in Syria and the ongoing violence at the hands of ISIS, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the area looking for refuge. Germany has taken in a large amount while other countries have offered to help bring in those seeking a new home. For its part, the United States has said they will take in 8,000 over the next year, but experts feel that is far too low a number. (Especially if you consider America’s role in causing the region’s chaos.)
Kilmeade began the segment by essentially claiming that to allow any refugees into the United States would open the country up to an increase in terrorism. After allowing Wucker some time to talk about what America should do to help in this immediate crisis, Kilmeade turned to Hanson, who works for the Center for Security Policy, which is essentially an anti-Islam think tank run by Frank Gaffney. In Hanson’s opinion, we shouldn’t allow any refugees in due to the threat of terrorism. Also, America isn’t the “world’s domestic violence center” and if we really wanted to help, we’d get more militarily involved in the Middle East.
“If you start importing people from the places where terrorism originates, you’re definitely going to increase it, whatever it is. You know I find it shocking that the same people who say America shouldn’t be the world’s policeman somehow believe that we should be the world’s domestic violence center. I mean if we want to do something good why don’t we get to the root cause. Why don’t we take down Assad, why don’t we take down ISIS. Why don’t we make Syria and Iraq a decent place to live? We had the chance and we left it. Now we should potentially go back and help them make that a place they don’t have to run away from.”
As you’d have likely guessed, there was a lot of Obama-blaming going on in the segment as well.
Below is video of the discussion, courtesy of Media Matters:
Later on in the day, over on Outnumbered, perpetually sour-faced Andrea Tantaros said taking in any refugees from Syria “would be suicide” for the United States. She first attacked Democratic Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley for suggesting we take in 65,000 refugees, saying that only “liberal households” should take them in since O’Malley thinks it’s such a good idea. She then went on to say that the combination of terror threats and economic hardship would destroy our country. (Hyperbole much, Andrea?)
Below is video if the segment, courtesy of Media Matters:
You can bet this narrative will take hold on Fox News and be pushed gleefully by those in primetime, specifically Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity.
