Week 6 - "The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Failed States"

Over recent decades, several states have experienced mounting difficulties in fulfilling classic state-functions such as guaranteeing territorial integrity and law and order. Since 11 September 2001, this phenomenon has been particularly associated with terrorism, trans-border criminality and global instability. Through analysis of America's Somalia-policy, this paper will illustrate theoretical flaws underpinning the Orthodox Narrative of State-Failure together with the disastrous on-the-ground implications of Washington's new "Long War" in the Horn of Africa. Today, an insurgency is ravaging Somalia and the humanitarian situation has plummeted: the narrow world-vision of the Global War on Terror is hindering the re-emergence of legitimate authority and blocking bottom-up responses to human security questions.