Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Welcome to America

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

Afghan refugees boarding a bus at Dulles international Airport. Photo credit: AP

Thousands of Afghan refugees are arriving at Fort Lee in Virginia for medical treatment and immigration processing before settling permanently in the U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, who visited Fort Lee Monday, estimates that 70,000 to 80,000 Afghans live in the U.S., reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Odds are that most of the refugees from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan — more than 140,000 have been evacuated by the U.S. military — will end up in the United States, where they will plug into existing Afghan communities in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville, and elsewhere. Here at Bacon’s Rebellion, we thank the Afghans for their assistance to American forces, welcome  them to the U.S., and wish them well as they build new lives for themselves.

— JAB

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Comments

20 responses to “Welcome to America”

  1. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    That is a happy looking baby.

  2. tmtfairfax Avatar
    tmtfairfax

    Reminds me of the situation where European religious wars drove away talented citizens from one county to another. I have a friend who worked with Afghan people for four years as as U.S. Government contractor over there. He says that the people who worked there with him were top notch. America’s gain and, unfortunately, Afghanistan’s loss.

  3. energyNOW_Fan Avatar
    energyNOW_Fan

    WTOP radio said this morning that the newcomers will relocated to Afghan communities, the largest of which is Fairfax Co. So I guess our % foreign speaking households in Ffx will start to exceed 45%. Not a problem for me, but I just want to say the moneybags role of NoVA to fund entire Virginia is perhaps outdated picture.

  4. James A. Bacon Avatar
    James A. Bacon

    I hope the Afghans open a lot of restaurants. We could use one in Richmond. I still remember a meal I had at an Afghan restaurant in D.C. some 30 years ago. One of the most delicious meals I ever had! Afghan food could become the new “Thai” or the new “Indian” — the next big thing in the foodie world.

  5. kls Avatar
    kls

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/faeb6fd7147ebb4ea5bcac0ec8a58b62c22bf523c1b7cee2a6f20cd6508d35af.jpg

  6. kls Avatar
    kls

    Reports of Taliban going door-to-door in Kabul executing anyone who worked with ANY western entity – according to the lists it has…….

  7. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    The Afghan refugees I know (and I know quite a few) are ambitious, hard-working, entrepreneurial and generally great people. I welcome the new refugees to the United States, Virginia and Fairfax County.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      My son was equally impressed with many of the Kurds he dealt with around Kirkuk 15 years ago. My memories are of the Turks, long before that. Others fear what they do not understand.

  8. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    It is a loss of talent, energy and character that those who remain in that benighted country will notice. Yes, the lady’s lamp shines bright again.

  9. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I’m thinking that the Taliban will have their hands full now that they have “won” and actually have to govern. They could well turn into another not-so-good country like North Korea or Iran or worse but now that many of their citizens have seen better , there is hope that enough of them will want better for their country.

    And the ones that came here – they are indeed lucky , and yes will have to deal with some anti-immigrant types but over the long run they will benefit this country and some day, maybe go back to their homeland.

    As I always say – most of us are half-glass but it does depend on what half we are seeing.

    1. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      “I’m thinking that the Taliban will have their hands full now that they have “won” and actually have to govern.”

      Good Lord man they ruled before and their idea of “governing” is listen to us or we will cut your f’n head off.

      1. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        But this is the new kinder gentler Taliban..

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          Perhaps they’ll use a sharp knife this time around.

  10. energyNOW_Fan Avatar
    energyNOW_Fan

    WTOP radio said this morning that the newcomers will relocated to Afghan communities, the largest of which is Fairfax Co. So I guess our % foreign speaking households in Ffx will start to exceed 45%. Not a problem for me, but I just want to say the moneybags role of NoVA to fund entire Virginia is perhaps outdated picture.

  11. LesGabriel Avatar
    LesGabriel

    The current exodus of Afghanis is not the first. After the Soviet invasion in 1979, some 5 to 6 million became refugees, with perhaps 100,000 or more coming to the U.S. For the last 2 decades of the 1900’s, Afghanis constituted the largest number of refugees in the world. Northern Virginia had the second highest concentration of these refugees in the U.S. My family sponsored an Afghan family in the early 1980’s in Omaha, NE

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Do you happen to know how many emigrated to the USSR after the Russians left?

      1. LesGabriel Avatar
        LesGabriel

        Sorry, I don’t have that information. I would guess not too many willingly.

  12. James Kiser Avatar
    James Kiser

    just remember the number of US soldiers killed by their own “Afghan Allies”

  13. Jeanine Martin Avatar
    Jeanine Martin

    Have all these people been vetted? I seriously doubt it.

    1. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      They are SIV’s and their families. They worked directly with the Coalition forces on the ground and therefore have a giant bullseye on their heads.

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