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Matthew Lester takes aim at those criticising German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s handling of the refugee crisis. He says the cost of policing walls is unsustainable and looks at how Germany succesfully managed a vast influx of humanity previously post World War II.
Lester predicts that within 10-20 years we will see fantastic success stories of the children that walked to Germany in 2015 with one mission in mind, to get a better life. He says South Africa should take note and instead of trying to strengthen its borders to keep migrants out, rather think of how those that make it could help make the country a better place for all. – Stuart Lowman
By Matthew Lester
I find it hard to stomach criticism of German Chancellor Angela Merkel these days. And there is a lot of it! Not from the Germans mind you. But others come with this stuff, some it xenophobic in fact, about how Germany will pay for letting hundreds of thousands of refugees in the door.
Not that Germany has had it easy this year, being saddled with the problems caused by unrestrained Greek government expenditure. If this had all happened in the UK it could well have toppled David Cameron. But it doesn’t seem that opposition politics in Germany has jumped on the bandwagon.
The critics are missing the plot. This is not the first time that Germany has faced a vast influx of humanity. And they have done very well out of it.
Merkel is like a misguided teen who advertised her houseparty on Facebook, then when everyone turns up, she panics and slams the door shut.
— Paul Nuttall (@paulnuttallukip) September 13, 2015At the end of the World War II there was literally nothing left of Germany. And yet by the 1970’s the economic might of Germany was back. How did they do it? Some would believe that the Germans just got back to work. Rubbish. Literally put, there were not enough able-bodied workers left alive.
The USA came with the Marshall plan. This was not only about massive loans and economic policy. Where did the hands come from?
If one takes a walk around German cities you see massive sectors of the working class. They are German yes, but many are descendants of the people who were literally imported into Germany from the Middle East in the post World War II era. And they were allowed to stay when the job was done.
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Post World War II Germany put a massive amount into their education system. They educated the children of immigrants. And in one generation they produced a new face of solid German citizens.
It is no secret that Germans have always been great administrators. They will provide somewhere to live and a job for the refugees. In return they will forever enjoy their devoted loyalty and respect. That must be an asset.
I predict that within 10-20 years we will see fantastic success stories of the children that walked to Germany in 2015 with one mission in mind, to get a better life.
Read also: “Democracy remains a mirage” for many immigrants heading to SA
Perhaps the Berlin wall showed us that no wall can keep people in or out if they just start walking. And it is simply unsustainable to incur the cost of policing walls.
Back home in SA there are some that would say we should strengthen our borders to keep migrants out. ‘Lets build a wall from Swaziland to the tip of Botswana’ they say. That’s simply not sustainable. We should rather be thinking of how those that make it here could help make SA a better place for all.
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