This is one of those things where lots of people, though judging from the thread maybe not as many as I'd expected here, will applaud. A wealthy, successful, American company is "stepping up" in a humanitarian crisis caused by the United States' misguided (to put it mildly) aspirations for a country that ultimately had little interest in western-style governance. And so it goes, these Afghan refugees will enter into these countries, and have a place to stay and recover from the trauma that they've assuredly experienced in the frantic exit from their home country.
Eventually, though, they'll have to actually live in the countries they reside in as, one has to assume, permanent residents. I helped sponsor my interpreter's visa years ago when I finished my time as an infantry platoon leader in Afghanistan. He landed in [undisclosed location] and has a stable job driving for a trucking company. He hates it here. He wants to go back. Do you want to know why? Because we let our girls go to school, because there aren't enough Muslims around him, and because he misses his home country, warts and all. He left because he was afraid that the Taliban would kill him, and he was probably right. He's probably still right. We rarely talk anymore, which is sad, but that's the reality. There's a wide range of views that interpreters held, and to be sure mine is absolutely not meant to be a representation of everyone coming from there.
I don't really have a point other than to say that resettling refugees isn't as simple as "oh just give them a place to sleep and some cash and the rest will take care of itself", like it's via osmosis or something that they inculcate the values and culture of the new "home" they find themselves in. This isn't software you can install, it's much harder than that.
I was halfway through suggesting that your former terp moves to a different Muslim country, but the
"we let our girls go to school"
grievance would be too much for most Muslim countries too. There is no religious ban on education of girls in Islam. He can move mentally into the 21st century or, well, sod off back, Taliban warts and all.
This is a serious cultural gap. We would not be able to integrate our own ancestors coming directly from year, say, 600. We won't be able to integrate contemporary people coming with mindset fit for early Middle Ages, unless they are willing to shed it.
Which is unlikely in adults. I wouldn't be able to remake myself to become a good Taliban fighter either, and I wouldn't be willing to. If your former terp sees us as degenerate and godless, he will cling to his old ways bitterly.
I'm from a poor country, currently live in the US and my parents have astonishingly "old-school" beliefs to put it lightly - similar to your interpreter. While it's frustrating to see people not take advantage of the freedoms Americans have, and to squander their new opportunity, reject American values, refuse to learn English and integrate, etc, we should absolutely let these people in because it's their children that will benefit from their new homes.
I saw where my parents come from vs the US, and with the fresh perspective of a child absolutely realized how lucky I am.
Now I'm a high achieving worker, donates heavily to charity (EA ftw), and mentors similar people.
I really hope people have patience for refugees like your interpreter because while it's understandable very frustrating watching their life happen, please think of their children who will undoubtably appreciate the US a ton more.
All sub saharien africans cleaning dishes in our European restaurants live that shock.
My grand pa after his first day as a miner in Belgium, wanted to run back under the sun of his Croatian village. But stayed for his friends he met in the hole.
You land in a totally different environment, and have to adapt, and most do as they can.
How did the United States cause the Taliban control of Afghanistan?
The Taliban were in control before the US invasion following the 9/11 attacks. Although the US failed in training the Afghan military, it seems like the Taliban would be in control regardless. The alternative to occupation would be a more complete destruction of the country.
> I don't really have a point other than to say that resettling refugees isn't as simple as "oh just give them a place to sleep and some cash and the rest will take care of itself", like it's via osmosis or something that they inculcate the values and culture of the new "home" they find themselves in. This isn't software you can install, it's much harder than that.
Everyone understands that, including the Airbnb people. I don't think there's actually anybody mistaking the context as you're suggesting. Over a million poor immigrants - most of them de facto refugees trying to escape from very dangerous third world poverty in Latin America - enter the US every year with essentially nothing, looking to start a new life. Tens of millions of people from that context across the last 30 years alone. This is an old, understood, persistent process in the US.
Looks like they have a rich trove of data on westerners and western sympathizers. I don't think Airbnb is thinking enough about protecting these rental records -- I can see the names and faces of previous guests even on public pages (those who left reviews). There must be tons of PII available to anyone who can access the Airbnb hosts' accounts.
edit: Also, the photos are full of things that immediately imperil the hosts -- innocuous details ranging from music disks to wine glasses to risque art prints.
Presumably Airbnb is paying for the stays. The hosts are doing a nice thing too I guess, but it's also not too different from regular business, since they're, y'know, getting paid.
AirBnB offering accommodations is like the US government promising to take every refugee, only _after_ the airport has been closed off. They just gotta find a way into the airport, and we'll take care of the rest.
Why would you say that? If I bought 1000 hotel nights for refugee wouldn’t it be me offering them free accommodation despite the fact that I own zero hotels?
It's extremely generous of you to do this for foreigners, why not do this for the homeless here?
I think we are going to regret letting these thousands and thousands of Afgans into our country. Maybe one of these thousands has a friend or cousin who you never know
could want to harm the US...
And now they have an in......
Would you prefer to stay in a hotel or a refugee shelter? That's what this campaign says to me at the gut level. Might be nice and altruistic, but it's kind of lousy brand marketing.
If you think this is some gotcha (you can't help with Afghan refugees during a crisis until you've solved homelessness?) then you never cared about the homeless in the first place, and are using them as a pawn when it's useful to dunk on the middle east.
I disagree. Most homeless are sheltered, and the unsheltered homeless are largely in their situation due to mental health and drug issues which tend to persist. By comparison, these Afghan refugees are likely going to try and connect with the Afghan diaspora and get jobs and eventually become independent of this support system. Not to mention, the risk of lodgings being trashed by the inhabitants is likely much less - that is what happened when Seattle metro hotels were converted to homeless shelters during lockdown.
The Airbnb is a solution to a temporary problem, which is that there is a lot of Afghan coming to America and need temporary shelter while they find something else.
The homelessness problem needs a more long-term solution than 25k shelters for a limited time. You can read about Toronto leasing hotels for the homeless if you want to read more about some solutions that are being worked on, for example.
I doubt he has lined up 20.000 properties yet who
want to do this. So that will be fun distribution:
1 to Alaska. 3 in Portland, 1 in Colorado Springs.
On a more serious note. this is not a promising idea,
Nobody has any real idea who these people are.
What sorts of trauma they may have experienced?
What their medical, psychological, or sociological needs are.
There is also the tragic issue that inevitably there will be a
few among them who mean to do harm to a country that occupied
them for 20 years.
Random AirBnB hosts who probably mean very well have no training
or practice to do something like this. And once it gets real
they will not want to either.
It is not a hippie utopian meeting of the minds and "all is chill"
It is real people, Real trauma, Real culture shock, and quite different
means of resolving conflict.
I hope Biden will not just dump the refugees into US cities.
However, the camps that Obama, Trump, Biden are using now for
refugees on the southern border does not fill me with a lot of
confidence that the refugees from Afghanistan will get the
help, care they will all need and the reeducation some will need.
The state should be forced to build and staff suitable accommodations
that are warm, friendly and safe.
That are set up to help them through a process of adjusting to life
outside of Afghanistan and towards a life in the US.
They also need to be screened to help identify those who may have ill intent.
Honestly this is the sort of thing Social Media companies could be really, really good at.
“Find all Pashto speaking Muslim families from the Kandahar area, currently living in the US, who have two extra bedrooms, and have lived in the US at least seven years. Rank families by likelihood they would sponsor refugees.”
[+] [-] remarkEon|4 years ago|reply
Eventually, though, they'll have to actually live in the countries they reside in as, one has to assume, permanent residents. I helped sponsor my interpreter's visa years ago when I finished my time as an infantry platoon leader in Afghanistan. He landed in [undisclosed location] and has a stable job driving for a trucking company. He hates it here. He wants to go back. Do you want to know why? Because we let our girls go to school, because there aren't enough Muslims around him, and because he misses his home country, warts and all. He left because he was afraid that the Taliban would kill him, and he was probably right. He's probably still right. We rarely talk anymore, which is sad, but that's the reality. There's a wide range of views that interpreters held, and to be sure mine is absolutely not meant to be a representation of everyone coming from there.
I don't really have a point other than to say that resettling refugees isn't as simple as "oh just give them a place to sleep and some cash and the rest will take care of itself", like it's via osmosis or something that they inculcate the values and culture of the new "home" they find themselves in. This isn't software you can install, it's much harder than that.
[+] [-] inglor_cz|4 years ago|reply
"we let our girls go to school"
grievance would be too much for most Muslim countries too. There is no religious ban on education of girls in Islam. He can move mentally into the 21st century or, well, sod off back, Taliban warts and all.
This is a serious cultural gap. We would not be able to integrate our own ancestors coming directly from year, say, 600. We won't be able to integrate contemporary people coming with mindset fit for early Middle Ages, unless they are willing to shed it.
Which is unlikely in adults. I wouldn't be able to remake myself to become a good Taliban fighter either, and I wouldn't be willing to. If your former terp sees us as degenerate and godless, he will cling to his old ways bitterly.
[+] [-] Shindi|4 years ago|reply
I saw where my parents come from vs the US, and with the fresh perspective of a child absolutely realized how lucky I am.
Now I'm a high achieving worker, donates heavily to charity (EA ftw), and mentors similar people.
I really hope people have patience for refugees like your interpreter because while it's understandable very frustrating watching their life happen, please think of their children who will undoubtably appreciate the US a ton more.
[+] [-] tchvil|4 years ago|reply
All sub saharien africans cleaning dishes in our European restaurants live that shock.
My grand pa after his first day as a miner in Belgium, wanted to run back under the sun of his Croatian village. But stayed for his friends he met in the hole.
You land in a totally different environment, and have to adapt, and most do as they can.
[+] [-] rank0|4 years ago|reply
How did the United States cause the Taliban control of Afghanistan?
The Taliban were in control before the US invasion following the 9/11 attacks. Although the US failed in training the Afghan military, it seems like the Taliban would be in control regardless. The alternative to occupation would be a more complete destruction of the country.
[+] [-] adventured|4 years ago|reply
Everyone understands that, including the Airbnb people. I don't think there's actually anybody mistaking the context as you're suggesting. Over a million poor immigrants - most of them de facto refugees trying to escape from very dangerous third world poverty in Latin America - enter the US every year with essentially nothing, looking to start a new life. Tens of millions of people from that context across the last 30 years alone. This is an old, understood, persistent process in the US.
[+] [-] jhallenworld|4 years ago|reply
https://www.airbnb.com/s/Kabul--Afghanistan/homes?tab_id=hom...
Google reviews also interesting, nice restaurant in Kandahar..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/AFGHAN+SHINWARI+RESTAURANT...
[+] [-] perihelions|4 years ago|reply
edit: Also, the photos are full of things that immediately imperil the hosts -- innocuous details ranging from music disks to wine glasses to risque art prints.
Why are these pages still public?
[+] [-] pyuser583|4 years ago|reply
None of the available places are by superhosts, so it’s best not to risk it.
You don’t want to end up staying in some dump.
[+] [-] shimon_e|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TulliusCicero|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] foota|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] batch12|4 years ago|reply
Edited: clarity
[+] [-] jkestner|4 years ago|reply
https://twitter.com/Abihabib/status/1430231520820797442 https://twitter.com/ericuman/status/1430284770680913921
[+] [-] unknown|4 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] hourislate|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tomaszs|4 years ago|reply
It is great initiative but Airbnb does not own locations .
[+] [-] alkonaut|4 years ago|reply
The AirBnB spokesperson says
> ... we will be paying for these stays ...
So I think it’s pretty clear
[+] [-] inasio|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kratermagee|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Igelau|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nintendo1889|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kratermagee|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] narrator|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kyawzazaw|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] getlawgdon|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Igelau|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] throwawaysea|4 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] dang|4 years ago|reply
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
[+] [-] LambdaComplex|4 years ago|reply
Congrats, you've stumbled upon the open secret of....literally every single for-profit corporation on the planet!
[+] [-] matchbok|4 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] coding123|4 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] eat_veggies|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Manuel_D|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] not_math|4 years ago|reply
The homelessness problem needs a more long-term solution than 25k shelters for a limited time. You can read about Toronto leasing hotels for the homeless if you want to read more about some solutions that are being worked on, for example.
[+] [-] TedShiller|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TedShiller|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] villgax|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ThinkBeat|4 years ago|reply
I doubt he has lined up 20.000 properties yet who want to do this. So that will be fun distribution:
1 to Alaska. 3 in Portland, 1 in Colorado Springs.
On a more serious note. this is not a promising idea,
Nobody has any real idea who these people are. What sorts of trauma they may have experienced? What their medical, psychological, or sociological needs are.
There is also the tragic issue that inevitably there will be a few among them who mean to do harm to a country that occupied them for 20 years.
Random AirBnB hosts who probably mean very well have no training or practice to do something like this. And once it gets real they will not want to either.
It is not a hippie utopian meeting of the minds and "all is chill" It is real people, Real trauma, Real culture shock, and quite different means of resolving conflict.
I hope Biden will not just dump the refugees into US cities. However, the camps that Obama, Trump, Biden are using now for refugees on the southern border does not fill me with a lot of confidence that the refugees from Afghanistan will get the help, care they will all need and the reeducation some will need.
The state should be forced to build and staff suitable accommodations that are warm, friendly and safe.
That are set up to help them through a process of adjusting to life outside of Afghanistan and towards a life in the US.
They also need to be screened to help identify those who may have ill intent.
[+] [-] vidoc|4 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pyuser583|4 years ago|reply
“Find all Pashto speaking Muslim families from the Kandahar area, currently living in the US, who have two extra bedrooms, and have lived in the US at least seven years. Rank families by likelihood they would sponsor refugees.”
FB should be on this right now.
[+] [-] blahblahblogger|4 years ago|reply
AirBnB is honestly trying too hard with this PR move, it boggles my mind that shareholders don't reign in corporate stunts like this.