Somalia ravaged by famine...again

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

250 kids are dying every day right now...Al-Shabaab militia group has blocked much aid and vaccinations to their central territory in the ex-state. CNN is reporting that Al-Shabaab has mostly withdrawn from Mogadishu after all local support dried up...guess that happens when you issue an edict banning aid groups

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14394659

It declared a famine in two large southern regions of the war-torn country in July.

"Famine is expected to spread across all regions of the south in the coming four to six weeks," said the UN Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit.

More than 11 million people have been affected by the worst drought in 60 years in the Horn of Africa.

The UN's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) said that famine was "likely to persist until at least December 2011".

Evidence from malnutrition and mortality rates shows that famine thresholds have been surpassed in two rural districts of the Middle Shabelle region - Balcad and Cadale - as well as the parts in and around the capital, Mogadishu, where there are camps for displaced people.

These three areas join the Bakool and the Lower Shabelle region, where famine was declared on 20 July 2011.

"A humanitarian emergency persists across all other regions of southern Somalia, and tens of thousands of excess deaths have already occurred," the UN unit said in a joint statement with the US-based Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet).

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the militants to let the aid through.

"Al-Shabab are preventing assistance to the most vulnerable populations in Somalia," she said.

"I call on al-Shabab to allow assistance to be delivered in an absolutely unfettered way throughout the area... so that as many lives as possible can be saved."

Some 3.2 million people in Somalia are in need of immediate life-saving assistance - almost half the population, the UN says.

According to the FSNAU and Fewsnet, the situation has been compounded by the rise in prices of food staples in Somalia - they have more than doubled since 2010, and in some areas have tripled.

"Across all livelihoods, poor households (30% of the population) are unable to meet basic food needs and have almost no ability to cope with these food deficits," their statement said.

It is the first time in 19 years that the country - which has been without a central government since 1991 - has experienced famine.

[Blue]

Too bad there is no oil there. We could've launched a "humanitarian" mission.

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

Too bad there is no oil there. We could've launched a "humanitarian" mission.

I'm sure they could use some good old fashioned democracy though!

[SicEmBaylor]

Too bad there is no oil there. We could've launched a "humanitarian" mission.

Yep.

And there are people in this country who really truly believe in spreading Democracy to **** holes like this. I've said it before, but some people are totally unsuited for self-rule. Somalia is a great example.

I feel bad for the children starving because the adults in that country have barely evolved from caveman thinking. Nothing is going to change in that country until the people demand it.

Does Somalia even have an official government yet? For several years that country didn't technically have a government...just a bunch of tribes duking it out with each other.

Anyone who suggests the United States get involved in a cluster**** like Somalia needs to be put into an asylum.

[Fish&Game]

I've heard of that place...

[diverdog]

Yep.

And there are people in this country who really truly believe in spreading Democracy to **** holes like this. I've said it before, but some people are totally unsuited for self-rule. Somalia is a great example.

I feel bad for the children starving because the adults in that country have barely evolved from caveman thinking. Nothing is going to change in that country until the people demand it.

Does Somalia even have an official government yet? For several years that country didn't technically have a government...just a bunch of tribes duking it out with each other.

Anyone who suggests the United States get involved in a cluster**** like Somalia needs to be put into an asylum.

America will not give them much aid. We have three wars and economic issues. Someone else will need too take over. On top of that Blackhawk down is firmly planted in everyones mind.

[KantoSooner]

I'm sure they could use some good old fashioned democracy though!

Would that it were that easy. Democracy does not work with people who are illiterate and unacquainted with the rudiments of societal process. The Somali's live in a prehistoric mire where all aspects of life are dominated by traditional Patriarchs and a version of Islam that is closer to black magic and animism than any ivory minaret scholasticism.

Frankly, they are separated from animals only by the technicalities of DNA and an ability to speak.

Forming of them a peaceful, democratic polis would be the work of a century or more. And would require the vision and aboslute dictatorial power of an Ataturk.

They are doomed and the world needs to spend time on people who have a fighting chance.

[MR2-Sooner86]

Too bad there is no oil there. We could've launched a "humanitarian" mission.

How soon we forget.

[NormanPride]

This is why I say we forget about everyone who doesn't want to play nice. And if people come looking for trouble we level their entire civilization. Other than that, let them wallow in their squalor all they want.

[StoopTroup]

Another good article video

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=157231

[StoopTroup]

How soon we forget.

Yep. Blackhawk Down popped right into my mind as well as all these pirate deals we have gotten involved in.

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

Would that it were that easy. Democracy does not work with people who are illiterate and unacquainted with the rudiments of societal process. The Somali's live in a prehistoric mire where all aspects of life are dominated by traditional Patriarchs and a version of Islam that is closer to black magic and animism than any ivory minaret scholasticism.

Frankly, they are separated from animals only by the technicalities of DNA and an ability to speak.

Forming of them a peaceful, democratic polis would be the work of a century or more. And would require the vision and aboslute dictatorial power of an Ataturk.

They are doomed and the world needs to spend time on people who have a fighting chance.

While you're correct about what is required for democracy to function, you're incorrect in assuming that it cannot function in Somalia. The "country" has been completely decimated by 20 years of civil war between groups who should never have been united under one country by the British and Italians.

In northern Somalia there is a completely unrecognized but de-facto independent state, Somaliland, which held elections in 2010 that BBC said "elections considered largely free and fair by international observers." Thats quite a step in progress from their independence in 1991 (not a century like you claim), unfortunately Somaliland will continue to struggle as no international recognition will mean its pretty much impossible to for Somaliland to seriously develop.

This is why I say we forget about everyone who doesn't want to play nice. And if people come looking for trouble we level their entire civilization. Other than that, let them wallow in their squalor all they want.

You can't be ****ing serious

[NormanPride]

While you're correct about what is required for democracy to function, you're incorrect in assuming that it cannot function in Somalia. The "country" has been completely decimated by 20 years of civil war between groups who should never have been united under one country by the British and Italians.

In northern Somalia there is a completely unrecognized but de-facto independent state, Somaliland, which held elections in 2010 that BBC said "elections considered largely free and fair by international observers." Thats quite a step in progress from their independence in 1991 (not a century like you claim), unfortunately Somaliland will continue to struggle as no international recognition will mean its pretty much impossible to for Somaliland to seriously develop.


You can't be ****ing serious

No, I know it's not a feasible foreign policy, but I'm sick of a few countries ****ing it up for everyone. There's a point where the world is better off without said country.

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

No, I know it's not a feasible foreign policy, but I'm sick of a few countries ****ing it up for everyone. There's a point where the world is better off without said country.

The good ole USA ****s it up for a lot of people to. Would the world be better off without us?

[KantoSooner]

Somaliland has a completely different history from Southern Somalia. The North was largely a trading area with 1500 years of ties to Yemen, Oman, Egypt and the Emirates. The South has pretty much forever been a **** hole, subsisting on hard scrabble farming and fishing.
It's part of the wadged together nature of the 'country' that you refer to above.

[NormanPride]

The good ole USA ****s it up for a lot of people to. Would the world be better off without us?

Not if we kept to ourselves and only played with the nice countries like I said in my original post.

[KantoSooner]

The good ole USA ****s it up for a lot of people to. Would the world be better off without us?

At the risk of speaking for NP, I don't think he's talking about eliminating Somalia, but, rather, letting them do the job themselves. So, a non-interventionist policy; which I think you'd support.

A logical exception could be drawn for piracy; in which case carpet bombing with a view towards extermination of the local population could be easily justified. And executed.

[NormanPride]

^^ Yes. Not isolationist in total, but do with the ****ed up countries like we do with Cuba. They do not exist in our eyes.

[SouthCarolinaSooner]

At the risk of speaking for NP, I don't think he's talking about eliminating Somalia, but, rather, letting them do the job themselves. So, a non-interventionist policy; which I think you'd support.

A logical exception could be drawn for piracy; in which case carpet bombing with a view towards extermination of the local population could be easily justified. And executed.

"And if people come looking for trouble we level their entire civilization." is by no means non interventionist. There's also quite a difference in military non-intervention and sending aid. Albeit we ****ed that up pretty well once in Somalia, so I admit it may not be time to try it again. However we could easily send huge amounts of aid to the 400,000 refugees camped out in Kenya, 800 tons of food is a good start.

Logical to level an entire local population due to the actions of a few? Uh-huh

[KantoSooner]

Hold on their boah!

I dated a Cubana once, many years ago. There's at least a solid 40% of their population who exist most vibrantly.