“They were left behind” – the interpreters for the US Army with John Taylor

2:20 John Taylor – why he connected with me for this conversation. Topic immigration.

3:40 Hosting concerts and inviting people from other countries has become almost impossible: the starting point to look deeper and find some disturbing facts.

6:10 Heidi describes the situation in Europe, where many people had to flee. 

7:20 Europe has forgotten that in the past many had to flee. The occasion: Refugee in Southafrica as a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda.

8:35 Coming back to the Irak war. Heidi gets upset of what is happening

10:50 John gives his background: National guard member. Which up to then was only concerned with domestic issues. To his total surprise he finds himself in Irak. The story of his time there.

13:25 What were you doing there? Combat controls, almost like a police officer. Not an offensive mission. Interpreters were essential for what they were doing, without any promise of the US of taking care for them who made huge sacrifices than the average American soldiers. 17:30 The danger of working with the Us being seen as traitors. People coming in from other countries trying to cause harm to the US soldiers, not so much Iraki people.

19:00 Interpreters were not liked by the Iraki people and the insurgers from other countries. When the US soldiers left, almost all interpreters were left behind without help

20:20 What are the motivations to work as an interpreter for a foreign army? The alternatives: Take money from the insurgers, from the US or finding something to work in a non-existing economy. 

22:20 The individual troops tried to do as much good as possible while they were there: interpreters might have seen the attempt to help their country. An inimmaginabile situation for the average person in the US to understand why people do this.

24:20 Heidi: Americans cannot imagine how other countries work, many don’t even have a passport, so they do not go out of their own country. Heidi’s experience when going to South Africa.

25:55 Raising consciousness to what is going on in the world – and become able to care.

26:45 More of John’s story. He assumed about the interpreters, but he was not actively looking into it. The story of na “lucky” one. Who had to endure assassination attempts and his father was killed by the insurgents. The absurd difficulty to get a visa for the US.

32:30 in 2016 he was contacted for help – and from here he realised how bad the situation was.

Despite having done huge things for the US he is not considered to be helped. John realised that there are tens of thousands of interpreters in the same situation, who have supported a country, risking their lives, and probably will never have the chance to get any recognition and offer of safety for what they did. People are still in danger, after all these years, forced to live in hiding.

35:30 What you morally would expect how to handle someone who has helped you. Where is the “morality” claimed by the US state to be grounded on and even export.

37:20 John: the average person cannot even imagine these things and would be willing to help. It is different with the authorities. It is a question of ignorance – who has helped you would be eligible to be protected. 

39:00  In 2018 only 2 (TWO) interpreters granted a visa to the US.

40:00 Heidi on the situation in Germany – every moral country should do everything to help people in immediate danger – Do governments really want to HELP people??

41:30 Immigration policies need to change, while an average person agrees that these people need an asylum.

42:15 How can people help who care about that? Make your voices heard?  Petitions? CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS! Start helping our allies!

44:30 For fear of “terrorists” you refuse 99% of people of good will who want to contribute – John: if you want to be malicious you probably don’t use the immigrant way. His experience of knowing these immigrants shows that the risk is very small, but the result – creating trust – would be huge, also in their cou8ntries.

47:00 America has lost its trustworthiness. It behaves like an absolute King. No allies without trust. 

49:50 Seperation, fear, hate, blaming others, war tactics instead of peace. And create understanding.

51:05 The interpreter situation is only one aspect of the bigger picture of behaving. Many problems need to be addressed. Heidi is collecting money for the refugee children. What can be the future of a child who is excluded from school. – Rage and adherence to destructive movements.

53:45 expand consciousness, not necessarily protests. Systems are preventing the interpreters to live in safety. Immigration needs to be re-thought, also tourism which excludes countries to enter US, even for giving concerts! Sharing experiences is so important 

56:20 Problems in the big picture, expressed in the single cases. Most deputees don’t know these things either. You need to tell them and ask for changes.

57:40 contact info: nooneleft.org  Organisation “No one left behind” specifically for the interpreters. Donations to help them to create a new life as soon as they can get out 

59:05 It should be the task of the government to take care for those who have worked for them, not the mercy of private people! The common idea and belief is that they are helped by official institutions, but instead they are completely abandoned!!!!

1:92:40 Turning the pain into something useful.