In other words, a humanitarian catastrophe often preceded by the collapse of a state. Take Libya or Syria for instance.
"Libya used to be the richest country in Africa in terms of GDP per capita. Libyans had access to much coveted material benefits including free medical care, free housing and free education. Despite limits on oil exports, Syria under the Ba'ath Party enjoyed political stability, social calm … and public prosperity," the online edition of one of China's leading newspapers noted.
At the moment, Libya and Syria are torn apart by rivaling forces, their economies have contracted dramatically and millions of people have become refugees. This seemingly impossible change from stability to civil war took place in 2011 as a result of so-called Arab Spring.
The question of who is responsible for the present-day chaos and suffering in Libya and Syria should be directed at "shortsighted democratically elected leaders in the United States and Europe," as the media outlet put it. They were the ones who used the Arab Spring to instigate regime changes across the Middle East and beyond.
People's Daily Online sharply criticized the US and Europe for adhering to aggressive foreign policy strategies, calling them "dangerous and stupid." According to the newspaper, they emerge from what is essentially the key element of western democracy: choosing visionary and well-informed politicians is impossible in countries ruled by money and populism.
The United States and Europe should view the influx of refugees as a warning, People's Daily Online noted. The time has come for the West to rethink its foreign policy and learn the following: Don't do unto others, what you wouldn't want done unto you.
