Thesis statement: Terrorism should be tackled from the root cause, and not the symptoms.
Munson has written an article Somalia: Is There a Way Forward? The article sheds some light on the ongoing terrorism and piracy issues in Somalia and the responsibility international communities have in restoring peace and stability in the region. To date, Somalia has been categorized as a failed state, and major incursions to restore peace have failed. The main reason for these invasions by USA, Somalia, and Kenya is to eliminate piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean and Gulf or Aden.
The author has used ethos, pathos and logos in this article. Ethos has been used when the authors discuss the importance of African states handling Somalia issue, to avoid western armies being perceived as imperialistic. This shows that the author supports the ethics of the AMISOM intervention in Somalia rather than the response of the western nations (Munson). Additional, the author use logos in this case, as they try to argue the logic behind the intervention of African states in Somalia than the response of the western nations. This makes sense considering most issues in Somalia are related to policies, which is well understood by African.
The author of the article has also shown logic reasoning thus making the article a success. It is essential understanding that he relates the increasing cases of terrorism and piracy in the Indian Ocean to lack of stable government in Somalia. After the dictatorial leadership of Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has had no stable government, and it is, therefore, wise making conclusion that solving the menace of terrorism will begin by initiating a functioning central government. The author of the article has claimed a causal relationship between the increased acts of terrorism and piracy to anarchy. In essence, the author avoids some inherent fallacies such as hasty generalizations and non-sequitur.
Additionally, the author has showed appeal ethos in this article. The analysis of the situation in Somalia is backed by figures from reliable sources. There is a high degree of objectivity in the article since the author avoids the fallacy of false authority. The author of the article is objective as he describes the increasing cases of piracy across the Indian Ocean. He uses information from the international chambers of commerce’s international maritime bureau to support the number of ships and people held hostages by the pirates. From this pointy of view, one can easily classify this information as credible and reliable. The sources used in the article enable one to trust the information since it comes from knowledgeable sources.
Munson is also very fair and objective in the article. He refuses to stereotype and make a hasty generalization as he explains the terrorism and pirating activities in the east Africa country. Munson is not carried out by the general public opinion that the Muslims are terrorists. He, however, explains the different types of Islamic groups in Somalia and their allegiance to piracy and terrorism. In the article, he clearly explains the role of al Qaeda and al-Shabab and also notes of other Islamic groups that are not part of the terror groups. The author shows fairness in his work by acknowledging that Muslims should not be despised by Christians on premises that they are terrorists.
The article can also be classified as a success due to the author’s ability to draw the reader’s attention to the subject matter. Munson has stylistically made use of rhetoric questions in the article. ‘’Are current U.S. and international policies designed to combat piracy working? Are they incompatible with counterterrorism efforts?’’ The use of this style makes the reader feel like a part of the debate. The author wants to draw the attention of the reader on the development made by the different stakeholders in dealing with the problem. When answering the questions, the author has used pathos to attract the emotions of the readers. One can readily associate with the Somalis who feel that their sovereignty is undermined by the invasion from the international community. On the other hand, one can also feel for the U.S whose citizens have been victims of terror and piracy from the terror groups in Somali. The author ensures that the emotions of the reader are in the participation of the article.
From this argument, it is easy to understand how one can go about as a writer in discussing issues beyond personal understanding. In this case, the author tries to explain what is going on in Somalia, even if they do not have deep understanding of the region.
Work cited
Munson, Mark. B. U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings. 137.7 (2011): 52-57. Print.
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