I don't think any of us could look at the picture of that tiny Syrian boy dead on the beach and not be moved by it. Think of the simple joyful innocence of any three-year-old and compare it to the horrors this small lad must have endured.
I seem to be writing about moral dilemmas a bit lately because this is another one. Much as we bitch and moan about this country and how broke all of us really are, I have no doubt that by comparison to the ordinary Syrian, Iraqi or Libyan, we are pretty well off actually. But let us not ignore either how most of us Irish citizens have been so recently wronged by our banks, our Government and the EU. Put simply, they robbed us to enrich themselves and when that didn't work they came back to rob us again to maintain the status quo they so badly need for their own wealth and position.
We are presented now with the further dilemma of the flotsam of wars in the Middle-East and that includes that little baby boy on the beach, though it is too late to help him. But based on him, pressure is on for us to accept a lot of these refugees onto our soil and already the politicians and their handlers here are tossing around figures as to the cost to the rest of us of their largesse. To take in several thousand of these poor unfortunate souls, house them, feed them and educate them is going to cost this country millions and millions of euros anyway we look at it. And we know now from bitter experience that the home-grown fat-cats will not be affected either in their wallets or their walled communities.
That will leave the cost of this down to you and me, make no mistake about it. So let us look rationally at the problem. This cold wet island is under-populated comparatively speaking so we have the space. We are a kind and good-natured people and I believe our sympathies lie with these refugees and we would like to do something for some of them. Asked in isolation, "Should we just stand by and let these people die?" and I think Irish people would say, "No, we shouldn't."
The problem is money. If we had the money to spare to really help them out, perhaps we'd be willing do so. There is the other uneasy feeling across Europe as regards Islam. Extreme Muslims view us Europeans as little worse than degenerate dogs who deserve to die. But let's give these refugees the benefit of the doubt on that score. So the real obstacle is money and this begs the question, who do we know that's rolling in the stuff? Actually, who do we know who's rolling in the stuff, comes from countries near where the refugees come from and even shares the same religion and culture with those unfortunate people.
Step forward the 15 wealthiest Arab businessmen In the world. The lads on this website could buy Ireland and re-house the rest of us elsewhere. They could afford to hire luxury ocean liners to transport their brother Muslims anywhere on the globe and they could easily afford to fund the housing, feeding and educating of their brothers and sisters in the faith. Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, to name but a few, could have a Muslim whip-around and hand over a pot of dough to the EU to do the job for them.
But hang on a minute! Saudi Arabia is about one-fourth the size of the continental United States but with a total population of less than 30 million people. If they don't have the space there for refugees then who the fuck has? It can be reached overland and once there, the Muslim refugees would not have to run the gauntlet of pig-eating Christians without a pot to piss in themselves. They'd be surrounded by wealthy fellow Muslims and just think, Mecca and Medina would be just down the road, a hop, skip and jump in time for Ramadan. Sure fuck it, surely that must make sense?
But do you think that's what will happen? Can you see the combined Muslim brotherhood getting together and sorting this one out? No? Well, neither can I. In fact I know it would be a snowy day in hell before that happens. So it is back on our laps again. I do not know how we will do it but we cannot let another little tike die on a beach tomorrow. But I still have my reservations about it and this time it has to do with us and not them.
Any way you look at it, we have made a horse's ass of housing the refugees we have in the past. Hundreds of them have been locked up in places like 'Mosney' for years, imprisoned by bureaucratic wrangling among ourselves in Ireland and they are still in those places on €20-a-week. Emotions aside, I don't have an answer for this one.
Do you?