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The Iowa State Fair is at full boil. Its a little light on the political tourists because its not the summer before a year ending in 0, 4, 8, 12, or 16. Which is not to say that it is entirely devoid of migrant politicians from other states, or the media they drag around in their wake. On occasion, these are politicians you should keep an eye on because they have national aspirations. On other occasions, these are politicians you should keep an eye on to make sure they dont get into the poultry barn and start biting the heads off all the chickens. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Well, thats one way to describe it that begins with an S.

And, dear lord, she brought a friend, someone on whom people are keeping an eye for a whole different bunch of reasons.

Iowa needs to beef up its border security.

Oops, might be too late.

And furthermore:

I dont think MTG is elevating her national profile as much more than a wandering geek show, but her recent travels illustrate certain immutable political realities. One, that the Republican Party is no longer capable of controlling her and the people who follow her, and two, that the Republican Party cannot exist as a national party without them. Shes out there ahead of them, beating them to the freshest corn dogs.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Out of the Republican Party's Control - Esquire

The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set newsroom policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or onbangordailynews.com.

Phil Harriman, a former town councilor and state senator from Yarmouth,is the founding partner of Lebel & Harriman, a financial services firm. Ethan Strimling, a former mayor and state senator from Portland,is the president of Swing Hard. Turn Left, which promotes progressive policy at the local, state and national levels.

Ethan: Do you remember back in 2012 when we posted a columnin the Bangor Daily News beginning a bipartisan call for Gov. Paul LePage to apologize for comparing the IRS to the Gestapo?

Phil: I do. I was thankful that within a week of that post he apologized in his weekly radio address. He quickly understood how out of bounds and insensitive his comment was.

Ethan: I believe it was the only time he apologized for one of his off-color remarks, but I thought his words were very helpful: Millions of innocent people were murdered and I apologize for my insensitivity to the word and the offense some took to my comparison of the IRS and the Gestapo.

Phil: I also appreciate that a couple of years later you called outan angry restaurant owner, who had been shut down for health violations, for comparing LePage to those same Nazi police. There is no place for minimizing the Holocaust to simply score political points by Republicans or against Republicans.

Ethan: Agree, and thats why it was so disappointing to recently see two Maine political leaders go off the deep end with similar language. First our political analyst colleague on News Center Maine and conservative talk show host, Ray Richardson, likened a proposed requirement that federal workers receive vaccines to Obama-Bidens brown shirtsand then eight days later Rep. Heidi Sampson claimed Gov. Janet Mills was Joseph Mengele, the Nazi Angel of Death.

Phil: Really disheartening. For our readers who dont know, the Brown Shirts carried out Kristallnacht. Over two days, Hitlers enforcement arm, who were called the Brown Shirts due to the color of their uniforms, marched through the streets of Nazi Germany destroying hundreds of synagogues, thousands of Jewish businesses and arresting up to 30,000 Jewish men who were then sent to concentration camps.

Ethan: And the Angel of Death, Joseph Mengele, was responsible for selecting who would get gassed at Auschwitz, he often administered the gas himself, and he performed experiments on live Jews in his sadistic drive to prove and replicate racial superiority.

Phil: I read one story of how he tortured a 6-year-old twin named Renate(he was obsessed with experimenting on twins). He took blood from her neck, strapped her to a table, cut her with a knife and injected her with chemicals to make her throw up and have diarrhea.

Ethan: Those stories are sadly endless. And they make it so vivid why comparing anything happening today to what was done by the Nazis is very troubling.

Phil: Richardon and Sampsons comments were inappropriate, painful and ethnically insensitive. For those who lost loved ones to the racist hand of Hitlers charges, their comments simply trivialize the pain.

Ethan: And are historically inaccurate. One may believe that federal or state mandates that require a vaccine for employment are a bad idea (I do not), but to trivialize the Holocaust to make that point shows both ignorance of history and a deep insensitivity to other cultures and ethnicities.

Phil: Deciding whether to inject an FDA-approved vaccine into your body to keep your job, is a legitimate public debate. Holocaust comparisons just distract and are insulting. We called on the governor to apologize back in 2012 and within a week he did. Heres hoping these two do, too.

Ethan: Here, here. And let me add a note of thanks for you being the first Republican in Maine to condemn these remarks. You were one of the only to do it against LePage, and you are showing leadership here again. I know how hard it is to take on your own.

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Holocaust comparisons are insulting and inappropriate. A Republican finally calls them out. - Bangor Daily News

In the sports world, Tuscola and Pisgah make up as passionate a rivalry as there is at the high school level. But as fellow community members, the two schools have each others backs, especially in the face of disaster.

On game night, were trying to beat them and theyre trying to beat us, but the rest of the week, we go to church together, we live together, were the same communities, longtime Tuscola band director Tim Wise said, whos been at the school since 1993. When something like this happens, they would have our back just like weve got theirs.

Since tropical storm Fred devastated many parts of Haywood County Tuesday, including the outdoor athletic facilities at Pisgah, support and donations have poured in from numerous outlets. Tuscola band students wanted to pitch in too, so they organized a drop off location at their band room.

We noticed that our community needs a lot of help and I feel like, as a band member, we have to thank the community a lot because theyre the ones that support us a ton, Tuscola baritone player Jonah Ottie said. We want to help give back, so Im hoping a lot of this food, water and clothes will go to help a lot of people.

Wise said his band members contacted him Wednesday asking if it would be okay to use the band room to accept donations to take over to Pisgah. The students got the word out on social media and Wise sent an email to band parents and posted on Facebook to help spread the word.

The kids have been here all day and its just been a steady stream of donations, food, water, clothing, cleaning supplies, whatever people need, Wise said.

In a matter of hours, the Tuscola band room was overtaken by piles of donations from the community. Those donations then go to Pisgahs band room, which is even more packed than Tuscolas, and from there are taken out to distribution sites like churches in the most heavily affected parts of the county.

Weve just sort of been like the hub of gathering stuff and now were just trying to find the people who can get it out, Pisgah band director Matt Sanders said.

Sanders said along with the Band of Bears, Pisgahs student council and JROTC helped organize the donations. Sanders said that at first, his plan was just to donate band hoodies and shirts leftover from last school year and extra food leftover from band camp. But with the food and clothes donations drive organized by the student council, the operation quickly grew bigger and bigger.

We have things for infants and toddlers all the way up to adult 3XL, Sanders said. Anybody whos been devastated by tropical storm Fred can really come here and get anything that they need and sorta kinda have a fresh start.

Seeing the hard work multiple parts of the community came together to put in to take care of each other made Sanders proud to be part of it.

Its great to belong to a program that has the admiration and love of its community, he said.

At Tuscola, the band members were surprised at how quickly their room filled up. Drum major Doris Thomas said she expected a big turnout, but was impressed at just how big the turnout actually was.

It was really tragic when it happened, so its really cool seeing everyone come together and really help the community, Thomas said.

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Rival bands pitch in for flood relief | Flood Coverage | themountaineer.com - The Mountaineer

This week Sky News has been identifying the gaps in Britain's border defences.

As the number of small boats crossing the Channel breaks new records and European countries brace for a new wave of people fleeing Afghanistan, the issue is rising up the public consciousness once more.

Ministers are meant to be able now to deliver on their promise to take back control post Brexit. So why does it not yet feel like that to some?

The government response to this issue is being led by Home Secretary Priti Patel. Nobody would doubt her right-wing credentials, and interestingly she has had plaudits from across the political spectrum for her handling of the migration aspects of the Afghanistan crisis.

Her answer to the questions around Britain's borders is the Nationality and Borders Bill currently in committee stage in the House of Commons. But does it answer the problems, many of which are caused beyond Britain's borders?

One area of concern is the Mediterranean where people flee from countries like Tunisia, often aided by people smugglers. Sky News' Adam Parsons talked to people smugglers acting with impunity, little worried about the consequences.

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Tom Tugendhat, Tory chair of the foreign affairs select committee told Sky News the answer is to send more Royal Navy vessels to help in the Med.

"Our great strength we have with NATO allies around is that our border doesn't start at Dover, it starts at the southern tip of Italy and Greece - working together and making sure these borders are defended and reinforced is exactly what we should be doing but we need to do more.

"It's not about being kind to Italians. It's about defending ourselves further out."

The Nationality and Borders Bill tightens the penalties for people smugglers in an attempt to tackle the problem.

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Another issue comes when migrants who have made it to the EU then try and cross the Channel to Britain. Sky News' Michelle Clifford found that while French authorities would stop anyone still on land who looked like they would be attempting to cross the Channel, they would not stop boats once they were in the water, even when it was under French control.

They blame international law, though many in Britain including MPs on the home affairs select committee claim the French are wrongly interpreting this.

Tim Loughton, Tory member of the home affairs select committee, said the French interpretation was "completely wrong".

He added "We have evidence from maritime international lawyers - they made it clear that French authorities have power to intercept and repatriate passengers on boats, but actually have an obligation under international law - people on boats guilty of trying to enter UK illegally and paying organised crime to facilitate that journey, that would give grounds to French authorities to apprehend people, that is only what is going to stop that horrendous trade - people paying money to people smugglers, highly likely with them being taken backthat could stop that miserable trade stone dead."

Asked why the British government hasn't succeeded in convincing the French they're wrong, he said: "It's all excuses, we made it clear - the French claiming it's a different interpretation, that's wrong - also internal politics going on, a big row with those who run Calais and the federal government. They're each trying to make it each other's problem."

The Nationality and Borders Bill will mark a serious attempt to block illegal immigration, alongside the new post Brexit points based entry system.

It will make it easier to return some illegal asylum seekers more quickly, make some asylum seekers apply before they reach UK shores and give border officials powers to turn back boats in UK waters.

But this does not - and cannot - stop Britain being an attractive country for economic migrants and asylum seekers.

Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch, said that Britain would remain a country many aspire to live in so more had to be done to turn back illegal arrivals.

"Britain is an attractive country, so is France, US - most people wanted to go to the US first, we are part of a wider picture of prosperous civilised fun countries.

"A lot of those coming are young men who want a better life - we are part of the story, in a way we have to create the opportunity for a lot of Afghans to want to come here."

But he added that once here, many were treated generously with little chance of being sent back.

"One of the principle reasons why the traffickers are able to sell Britain as the destination of choice is that having arrived here there's very little chance of being sent back - very few people who apply for asylum and fail actually are sent back.

"That is a huge factor, while they're here, we look after - hotels, detention centres that have been used - even these are not bad accommodations, there is a bit of money given for people to spend.

"Once you're in the system you're looked after - people see messages coming across, it is all made to be very attractive."

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Migrant crisis: Tough new laws are planned, but the problems start far beyond the UK's borders - Sky News

Although Europes ongoing migrant crisis experienced a peak in 2015, the consequences of the pressure borne by European nations at the time particularly by the Mediterranean countries whoreceiveda majority of asylum-seekers are increasingly being felt today. In an attempt by the European Union (EU) to reduce migrant arrivals, a growing number of member states have begunadoptinganti-immigration policies, with little regard for the migrants consequently affected. In the case of Libya, European countries recently signed anagreementwith the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG), agreeing to provide financial and material support to the LCGin exchange for Libya taking on the responsibility of seizing and returning migrant boats leaving from their coast. This allows European nations to purposefully disregard the obligation they have to uphold international law, which states that they cannotreturnrefugees to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom, as declared under the1951 Refugee Convention. The core principle of nonrefoulement is thus technically respected since the signatory members are not those directly refusing refugees access to safety.

Since the fall ofLibyan leaderMuammar Gaddafis authoritarian regime in 2011, the country hasfacedworsening political instability. With no central government and rival militias dividing the nation, smuggling businesses based out of Libyan ports havethrived. The flow of migrants leaving for Europe through the central Mediterranean route usually Libya to Italy hasrisendrastically in past years. While all of Europe felt repercussions from the exceptionally high influx of migrants in 2015, seeing over 1.3 million arrivals from multiple war-torn countries in North Africa and the Middle East, Italy has been especially affected. Proximity to Northern Africa via the Mediterranean Sea has made it one of the most accessible European nations; as a result, Italy has continuouslyreceivedbetween 120,000 to 180,000 migrants each year since, with numbers only dropping after their agreement with the LCG in late 2017. At this point, with the EU refusing to help migrants andremovingmost of their naval forces from the Mediterranean, non-governmental organizations wereforcedto play an even more significant role in aiding refugees despite the struggle they faced in safely carrying them to shore. Frontiers were often closed, and ships full of refugees abandoned, causing more migrants to die at sea. Today, nearly twice as many migrants have died at sea in 2021 compared to 2017,risingfrom 1 in 42 deaths to 1 in 22. This marks an exorbitant increase, considering that the number ofarrivalsduring this time shrunk from 119,370 to 19,060 people.

The disproportionate impactof the crisis on Mediterranean countries spurred drastic anti-migration policies in 2018, beginning with the Italian governments closed ports approach that blocked NGO ships carrying migrants from docking at their ports. This was largely a response to the EUs system for verifying asylum claims, known as theDublin system, which makes nations responsible for such procedures on receiving the migrants. While bearing the brunt of the migrant crisis, coastal countries began to find ways to prevent arrivals on their territory. While Italy recentlyoverturnedits closed port policy, the EU is still far from providing a sustainable system forsharingresponsibilities amongst countries to support migrant arrivals. In a vicious cycle, a nationalistic approach to immigration has led far-right parties togain tractionin nearly every European nation, solidifying a widespread belief that migrants threaten European unity. Such thinking only reinforces the far-rights rhetoric, despite the true crisis at hand being a humanitarian one, revolving around the increasing number of migrants facing deadly or inhumane conditions, both at sea or within the repressive regimes from which they attempt to escape. The lack of solidarity with coastal countries shown by other EU member states has fueled Italysexteriorizationof border management, as exemplified by their agreement with the LCG.

By helping the LCG capture departing boats and ignoring theappallingconditions in Libyan detention camps, EU members are exacerbating the inhumane conditions experienced by migrants. By June 2021, 13,000 people had been forciblyreturnedto Libya,exceedingthe total brought back in all of 2020. Considering that the International Organization for Migration (IOM)reportshigher numbers of asylum-seekers attempting the passage this year, the final tally will likely be much higher. Nonetheless, many migrants continue to crossdespitethe blatant dangers awaiting them because any alternative seems better than being stuck in Libya, where horrifichuman rights violationsare experienced daily by those in detention camps. Detainees face constanttorture, from sexual violence to forced labour, andremaintrapped unless they escape or pay exorbitant ransoms for their freedom. One survivors account detailed conditions in theZintandetention centre, where approximately 700 migrants were held in overflowing and filthy living quarters; prisoners had no access to clean water and faced frequent malnutrition as food was withheld as a form of punishment.

European governments and even NGOs within Libya (often backed by the same EU funds that finance the LCG) have failed toadequately addressthe humanitarian crisis at hand, likely because of their role in engendering it. Many asylum-seekers, and even certain aid workers, havestatedthat there is little to no substantial assistance from the international community. They remain in the same conditions and continuously feel alone in dealing with the abuse they face, further highlighting how rare the prospect of support from European nations is today. Fear that the consequences of the 2015 migrant influx will recur, againspreadingcertain nations resources thin, is cited for the rise in support for anti-immigration policies.

However, the migrant issue remains rooted in the EUs system for receiving asylum-seekers, which has a major shortcoming in its uneven division of responsibility among all union members. Should better migrationmanagement practices [and] better migration governance tactics be adopted, as stated by the IOM, accommodating the number of arrivals to Europe each year would be a feasible task. By spreading the demands for refugee support, both financial and other, among all member nations, the integration of migrants could become both smoother and more beneficial to refugees and states alike. The human cost of this refugee crisis has long come second to other factors motivating the EUs decisions, a trend which desperately needs to change to reverse the recent trends of rising migrant deaths.

The challenges faced by North African migrants looking for a better life in Europe, from the dangerous sea crossings they attempt to the cruel treatment they face if returned to Libya, are unfortunately largely due to the EUs continuous contributions to repressive regimes and actors. The role played by European nations in this crisis is far from the first and will likely not be the last. In Turkey, the EU has long beenprovidingbillions of euros in funds in exchange for the Turkish government to block the migratory route coming from Turkey towards western European nations. Considering the influence and resources of the European continent, it is lamentable that they choose to utilize their capacities to further the humanitarian crises seen in war-torn and transit countries instead of addressing the systemic violations of human rights seen abroad. Instead, developed nations continue to benefit from the suffering of the less fortunate despite a legal obligation to uphold international law. Their eagerness to find loopholes in longstanding agreements shows that the moral side of their duty is dangerously ignored, with decisions being made at the expense of the vulnerable populations they are supposed to be protecting.

Featured image Refugees on a boat crossing the Mediterranean sea by Mstyslav Chernov is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Edited by Grace Parish.

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The EU's Deal With Libya's Coast Guard: Funding the Continuation of the Global Refugee Crisis - The McGill International Review