Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

Evening all.

Was reading the FT in hard copy today and it seems that the UK is going to take Syrians directly from the refugee camps in countries adjacent to Syria, rather than a proportion of those who have entered Europe already. This strikes me as a bit of commonsense, and should be far more equitable to those who are vulnerable but who don't have the means to bribe people smugglers or the strength to jostle on long journeys. I saw very few grandmas and disabled amongst the crowds.

Oh, and the US has taken just 1,434 refugees from Syria since the start of their civil war. Pitiful, isn't it?

I had noticed the disproportionate amount of youths and young men among the crowds and this gives me some concern, as it's not a sector of any population known for having great good sense and moderate behaviour. Gawd help the rest of the refugees if some of them turn out to be thoroughgoing wrong 'uns. Never mind possible terrorists, a few acts of serious violence, particularly if the victims are long-established Brit residents, and it will be like petrol on a fire.

We can only hope that people given refugee status behave themselves and that cool heads prevail on all sides.

moneyistooshorttomention

I don't tend to think a "Waiting to see what Life comes up with" approach is a very good idea on a personal level.

I tend to think its wise to have a triple level Plan - that boils down to Best Case Analysis/Worst Case Analysis/The Most Likely Scenario and to have at least basic level plans in place for each of those 3 possible scenarios.

That way = at least reasonably ready to deal with whatever Life might throw at you.

Hence - I do think its necessary (at all levels) to bear all 3 possible scenarios in mind and have at least basic plans as to how to cope - dependant on which one of them gets thrown our way. Not just a "cross fingers and hope" way of coping (I've seen all too many people adopt that strategy at a personal level - and been horrified at how things have turned out for them subsequently - because they hadn't figured out how to deal with whatever scenario got presented to them and just winged it).

[Deleted User]

Of course we ALL have a just in case plan, in most cases several degrees of plan depending on what we feel might come to pass, I personally will wait to make a judgement on what these poor unfortunates actually do when they arrive just not pre judge them as villains of the piece until they DO commit some atrocity. I don't expect they will be received with open arms anywhere in the world and there is naturally going to be lots of suspicion and distrust and they will be watched like hawks. I wonder if someone there is a Grandma just like me? with daughters and a grandson and loving them just as I do mine, I'd hate to judge her badly for wanting to make them all safe!

moneyistooshorttomention

Indeed - and am thinking again of my (dead) Arabic friend that was determined her daughters would live according to Our Way - and she managed it:D

Frugalsod

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Could large quantities of food (eg from catering size tins of things) be dehydrated? There are various videos on Youtube about solar dehydrating for those that don't have dehydrators as such and a hot climate like Greece would possibly be a better bet for trying to dehydrate things that way????

You could dehydrate the contents of tins but I doubt that we will get to the point where the masses are without electricity to run a freezer. So my preference would be to open a big can and then freeze in individual containers all your excess. Then simply pull out a bag of what you need at each event.

If you are seriously concerned about power supply then the better solution would be to re-can them into smaller mason or kilner jars. This is what many do already.

lobbyludd

whilst young men en masse in groups aren't known necessarily for calm orderly behaviour and patience, it isn't surprising that the first waves of those who manage to get out are primarily young men, and it doesn't mean they aren't bona-fide running for their lives, they are the most mobile and the most likely to make it intact. The elderley, sick, and families with young children are simply not as mobile. Young women and children may start out with criminal gangs to be illegally transported, and end up instead being trafficked...

we can all pick press messages and reports that align to our own political biases so here is a nice snippet re the current crop of refugees in europe:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34172729

That said, some business leaders and a couple of Tory ministers gave me what can only be described as an off-message critique of David Cameron's approach to the migrant crisis over the weekend.
They said that Angela Merkel is creaming off the most economically useful of the asylum seekers, by taking those that have shown the gumption and initiative to risk life and limb by fleeing to Europe.
Precedent suggests they will be the ones that find work fastest and impose the least economic burden on Germany or any other host country.
By contrast, David Cameron appears to be doing what many would see as the more morally admirable thing - which is to go to the Syrian camps and invite children and the most vulnerable of refugees to Britain.

something for the more sceptical to think about?

these are all people, and they are in crisis, adrenalin running high - terrified, they will have endured things we cannot thankfully imagine and fled because of them. They may have started off with family and lost them on the way, they may never find them again. They have fled to somewhere they hope is safe, but imagine how distrustful and wary you would be if your home country had turned into the nightmare their's has? I imagine they are being given little to no coherent information, plans or certainty, they probably don't feel very safe yet - would you? they probably aren't very safe yet. Some will be being attacked in person whilst waiting, refugee camps are never safe areas. all are being attacked in the press in some form somewhere. They will also be prey to those with criminal or sociopathic tendencies within their travelling cohort and where they land - they may be safer, but they are not safe.

are they all sitting mutely and patiently in queues for weeks on end, tugging forlocks and grovelling in gratitude? no. Is this surprising? no - because humans in crisis sometimes explode or make poor decisions or get very angry to cover being very scared.

I am sometimes disgusted by the sheer lack of imagination some people have about what another person's situation might be like.

There but for the grace of god (and I'm an atheist)

armyknife

Well said LobbyLou.

Maybe we could now section off this migration/refugee topic into another thread, as it seems to be getting rather OT?

[Deleted User]

The man on the news said today that ALL the homes affected by the Criptosporidium contamination were now able to use their tap water without boiling it, ALIBOBSY I hope that includes you too? It must have been a Herculean task to have to boil water for such a length of time. I so hope you are in the clear now and able to all have a bath if you want one and as many cups of lovely cold water as you could possibly want!

cbrown372

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Indeed - and am thinking again of my (dead) Arabic friend that was determined her daughters would live according to Our Way - and she managed it:D

Daily, I'm glad my way is not Your Way.

I'm very blessed to know that as the nights grow colder I am warm, I have food for my table, neighbours who pull together no matter and many groups across Scotland who over the weekend have raised £10k and rising and warehouses full of donations of warm clothing and bedding. Syrian's already living here are helping with the co-ordination of aid and believe me these people have nothing either.

I wish I could thank Loubyludd many times.

lobbyludd

DUCKS

hope this isn't OT - does anyone here keep ducks? I would really like to get some next year - it has been a wish of mine for a long time, and I think the last remaining feline overlord has got to an age where he won't be bothered by them.

Is there an association/book/website you could recommend as a stater for me to think about/read up on and then I would like a way of contacting a reputable duck keeper with a view to spending some time learning the hands on reality of it before committing us and some fowl to a life together.

any help gratefully received.