http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/08/06/humanitarian-crisis-at-the-border-are-we-to-blame/
The United States has recently begun dealing with an great influx of immigrant children escaping from central america. Many correlate that influx with current crime rates, drugs, sex trafficking and gang activities. However, while the United States attempts to determine a plan on fixing this problem, there is data that shows that the United States is to blame for the economic and social turmoil. This directly relates to Schinkel's theories on welfare states and their global roles. Schinkel states "not only has this in the current situation led to a welfare state increasingly occupied with solving the problems by it's own previous problem solving..." (Schinkel, pg. 4) Such instances can be observed in the case of El Salvador's civil war in which the United States funded anti-communist fighters that ended in the death of more than 75,000 civilians. This violence and instability continues in El Salvador with ripple effects extending across borders into our territory. Similar cases can be seen in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala as well as in South America.
"there is data that shows that the United States is to blame for the economic and social turmoil" is an extremely broad statement. The article does not mention any data, so what data are you referring to? You also say the data puts the blame on the US, but I would argue that states and individuals have at least some responsibility for their own economic prosperity no matter how entwined they are in a larger global economy.
ReplyDeleteI think rather than "data" per se, Angella is referring to the historical and anecdotal evidence offered within the article. I would agree with Angella's argument here that this article offers some interesting examples of how the globalization of the welfare state can have lasting repercussions for all states involved. While it is impossible for the blame to be polarized (the economic/social/political instability of Central America the fault of Central American states themselves OR the United States), I think that this article showcases the fact that regardless of the positive intentions of relieving a foreign state of oppression (globalizing welfare), there can be long-term effects which both states have to deal with. This is the dilemma the United States is currently facing, and I do not think that the "fault" of the United States in the creation of this problem is negligible in any way.
DeleteSarah that is exactly what I meant. Although, I'm sure that if I were to further conduct research, I may be able to find actual "data" that does show correlation (Although, maybe not causation). Instead of saying that the U.S. is to blame, I should have phrased it as they helped to influence the current condition these countries are in.
DeleteI don't think that this article is about who is more at fault. Many are not aware of the role of United States at all. This article shows that there is fault, be it large or small. As the article states, there is a large focus in America on solving the problem of border control without addressing the cause of the problem itself. Many Americans are quick to say "Deport them all' or "Why are they here?". Well, simply put, the reason they are here is in some part because the United States government helped make their countries so unbearable to live in that they had to come to the US.
DeleteWhile I think that the United States can certainly be at fault in some ways in situations such as the ones you mentioned Angella, I do not feel that the United States is purely at fault. Each individual state is at fault for its own issues in internally first and foremost and while the United States intervention could have served as a potential catalyst for some of the deaths I have a hard time saying that is fully the US's fault when there was almost certainly underlying problems that caused the problem in El Salvador in the first place.
ReplyDeleteYou make a strong point. I didn't intend for my post to fully place the blame on the United States. Simply to show to negative influence that they have placed, with however good intentions they may have had.
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