Tales From The Drop Box - Better Than Radio

Episode 18 of Tales From The Dropbox is a return to normal. Normal for this podcast anyway. I needed the raucousness of the last episode to shake out the cobwebs of that week and start anew with more energy. And let me tell you, there is also a ton of energy in this episode but it is more indie/pop/alt/rock directed energy with only a sprinkling of punk rock. You know…the normal.

Not normal are the latest happenings in the EU. A story that caught my attention today was the news that Greece has started deporting migrants to Turkey as part of a deal reached to ease the mass migration into Greece and the island of Lesbos arriving from a number of countries over the past two years. More than 1 million migrants have created a human crisis in Greece. The economically depressed Greeks are financially ill equipped to handle mass unplanned immigration. The consequences of the world’s failure to prevent mass killings from zealots in the lands the migrants are fleeing create unintended consequence in the recipient countries. What is most shocking is that the citizens in these recipient countries are divided in their perception of the migrants with many resentful of the migrants whom are, in significant numbers, only children. According to the BBC, of the 150,703 migrant arrivals to Greece in 2016 (as of March 30), 37% of 2016 arrivals are children, 53% arrive on Lesbos, 366 died on Turkey-Greece route and there were 853,650 arrivals in Greece in 2015.

Glaringly, there is no news coverage in the United States about the crisis. Out of sight out of mind. Relevant to the United States, however, are the parallels to America’s own treatment of migrants. The perception that immigrants create competition for jobs and resources leads to the conclusion that migrants negatively impact the economy regardless of the numbers. This ignores the reality that illegal immigrant populations have stabilized over the past 10 years comprising approximately 3.5% of the U.S. population while foreign born citizens, according to the U.S. Census, comprise only 12.9% of the total population (2010). These numbers are relatively small and yet the furor over immigration is disproportionate to the reality that lawful immigrants contribute to the overall economy and success of a nation and illegal immigrants do not put the strain on the economy as frequently decried in discussions regarding their illegal status. This ignores the reality that a number of U.S. citizens are also “economic migrants” as they seek jobs in other countries. We must remember that immigration is the natural consequence of the continuing human struggle for a better life and we (the royal “we”) should not view immigrants as threats to our way of life. We should do better.

Here is what you’ll find in Episode #18:

1. Social Studies – “Moment Is Dead” (Live From the Banana Stand)
2. A Call at Nausicaä – “Soldier” (Grand Feu)
3. Parachute – “Without You” (Wide Awake)
4. The Saint Johns – “Falling Back To You” (Dead of Night)
5. The Last Shadow Puppets – “Bad Habits” (Everything You’ve Come To Expect)
6. Bob Mould – “Pray For Rain” (Patch the Sky)
7. The Dirty Nil – “Wrestle Yu to Husker Du” (Higher Power)
8. The Foreign Films – “Tear Drop Down” (The Record Collector)
9. Parquet Courts – “Dust” (Human Performance)
10. Golden Daze – “Never Comin’ Back” (Golden Daze)
11. Generators – “City of Angels” (Earn Your Stripes)
12. The Joy Formidable – “Radio of Lips” (Hitch)
13. Thermals – “Thinking Of You” (We Disappear)
14. Hooverphonic – “Badaboum” (In Wonderland)
15. Jennifer O’Connor – “Down To the Wire” (Surface Noise)

Nothing left to do but pray for rain … I don’t care about your boyfriend he don’t like me anyway.

KFR