1. A Famine We Made?

A Famine We Made?

America's campaign against Islamic terrorists in Somalia contributed to a catastrophe that could kill hundreds of thousands

by Alex Perry/Mogadishu

Summary:

            Tens of thousands of people are sick or dying in Somalia due to a raging famine. A mass exodus of people have been embarking on several hundred mile treks to Mogadishu in search of food for their children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and will most likely only recieve help if they are lucky. Nearly 170,000 children are near death, and 29,000 have already died. However, the triggering factor is not solely  attributed to the greatest drought the area has experianced since 1950; America has played a huge role in the nation's ability to cope with the situation. Beginning with the 1993 battle called Black Hawk Down where 18 American troops were killed, an economic war has begun between the Islamic militants and the US and its allies. When this Islamic group, al-Shabab, took control of Mogadishu and bombed Uganda, the United States declared it as terrorist organization, "making aiding and abetting it a serious crime". By 2009, the lack of a central government and $50 million dollars worth of aid caused the suffereing of nearly 2.8 million Somalis; only 20% have recieved help. While these sanctions have had the effect of weakening the terrorist groups, it has inadvertantly killed, and will kill, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Analysis:

"How did this happen? Could it have been stopped? And how is it that millions of Somalis were so sure that no help was coming that they took their families on a death march across the desert?"
           
            The author's goal in writing this article was to encourage thought on the side effects of our government's actions. There was a very narrow minded goal in mind: get rid of the terrorists. The point being made in the article is what really happened was the suffering of thousands, potentially millions, of people. He quotes many political leaders stating how successfull the endeavor was, but shows how none of them stop to consider the destruction it has caused. He also incorporates a portion showing that, while many aid groups submit false reports to the press stating statistics of people that are being helped, the truth is that a majority of the people will die without recognition. He quotes the mayor of Mogadishu, who says, "The aid groups say they're here, but where? It's complete rubbish! Children are dying!" Perry is trying to encourage his readers to delve deaper into what the media is showing. As TIME is a well known news periodical, he could assume that his audience was educated and has the  potential to influence society. His strong  incorporation of pathos was intended to wake up his readers and push them to act. The famine was caused partly by the United State's sanctions, so it may be up to us to address the consequences that arose.


            I found the method in which Perry presented his arguement extremely effective. He sandwiched the logos portion of his article with a introduction and conclusion of pathos. The article began and ended with imagery filled stories of the deaths of innocent children. Paired with visuals of suffering and starving civilians, it caused the reader to begin comprehending the despair of those in Somalia. However, his tone was not so much accusing as it was clear. He incorporated the conflicting views of several different groups, giving the overall impression of unanticipated side effects rather than direct blame. He made it very clear that there were many different factors that lead to the famine (by separating each factor into individual sections within the article) and that America's influence was just one portion of the problem. This was a wise choice, due to the fact that his audience is American and his article would most likely be read by many people within the government. I think that by ending the piece with information of how the aid groups are struggling, however, he pushed his readers to look deeper into the questions he posed above, "How did this happen?" and "Could it have been stopped?"

Source/Author:

This article was located in the World News section of TIME magazine.

Alex Perry is TIME's Africa bureau chief, covering everything south of the Sahara. Perry has been a TIME correspondent since 2001, reporting Asia, the Middle East and Africa from postings in Hong Kong, New Delhi and Cape Town.