Script

Colleen Wolgast Sociology B Block 5/22/09

__Pirates In Somalia:__ __Why it is socially acceptable__

Piracy has been a growing problem that first started when cargo was transported by ships. The most common recognized pirates, with wooden legs and eye patches have been dated back to the 16th through 18th centuries. Though we do not often see pirates like that today, piracy is still around in a slightly different form. The criminal activities of the Somalia pirates today involve drug and arms smuggling, and human trafficking and are thought to have derived from anarchy and the collapse of their government. With Somalia in such a poor state many young men are turning to piracy in order to have a more prosperous future. Due to the poor conditions of Somalia many young men turn to piracy in order to gain money, and also because the Somalia culture makes this career socially expectable. Piracy seemed to be completely demolished by the 18th in the Caribbean but it continued on in other parts of the world. It has continued on into recent times and in several regions of the world driving the U.N. to forbid piracy in the Law of the Sea, created in 1982. The Law of the Sea Treaty was conceived in 1982 by the United Nations as a method for governing activities on, over, and beneath the ocean's surface. In the 21st century pirates continue to roam the Indian Ocean, the seas around China, and the Caribbean and are mostly smuggling drugs. Today Pirates typically drive small motorboats or speedboats and sneak aboard a ship to overpower the crew and to steal cargo. Somali Pirates are also known to carry long knives and axes and occasionally guns. The criminal activities off the coast of Somalia include piracy, drug and arms smuggling, and human trafficking. This has become such a huge problem that many people are afraid to sail through those waters. “The growing number of pirate attacks has prompted the cruise lines MSC and Fred Olsen to abandon routes through the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden”(Smith). There have been cases reported of attacks more than 900 miles away from Somalia so cruise lines do not want to take the risk of sailing through dangerous waters. Many believe that the criminal activity coming from Somalia is a result of the fall of dictator Muhammed Siad Barre and the collapse of the government in 1991. Since Somalia has been lacking a strong government and has been unable to fix itself since the collapse in 1991 many people are turning to crime. The other factor for why piracy has become so popular in Somalia is that some see it as a justifiable career path. Somalia pirates are living a lavish life, “They have money; they have power and they are getting stronger by the day,” said Abdi Farah Juha who lives in the regional capital, Garowe. “They wed the most beautiful girls; they are building big houses; they have new cars; new guns. Piracy in many ways is socially expectable. They have become fashionable.” For these reasons, it is no wonder that many people are turning to piracy. The Somalia government collapsed and has still not been able to right itself. On top of not having a strict government to set up rules and regulations against piracy, many people are poor and want to do whatever they can to make money. Many are now seeing piracy as a fashionable career path because of the wealth and power that goes along with it. Businessmen in Dubai are now asking pirates of loans. For that reason and more, the success of pirates are attracting great attention from younger generations who have little hope of alternate career paths in their war-torn country. Type in the content of your page here.