Food Rations in Kenya Cause Concern to US

In the article "US Concerned by Ration Cuts to Refugees in Kenya" by Teresa Welsh, it shows the concern the U.S. has because of rations cuts the World Food Program has had to make to refugees in Kenya. The food given to nearly 500,000 refugees in camps in northern Keny will be cut in half, decreasing the calorie count from 2,100 to 1,050 a day. The U.S., just in 2014, provided $111 million to refugees as a part of its $5 billion spent in humanitarian organizations around the world. The World Food Program struggled to raise $38 million to fund its operations for the next six months and is now facing the consequences. Funding shortages are the main reason for ration cuts, while world crisis also put a strain on the system with more and more people seeking refuge and help. This money shortfall is also forcing refugees to be prioritized, making it only the more difficult for those not on the priority list to go along with their normal lives. 

If the U.S. was to follow the lasting principles of the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. would not be taking the actions it is today. By the policy of non-intervention, the U.S. said that if a situation does not effect us directly, we will not get involved with it. Helping those in Kenya, although very nice, goes against the Monroe Doctrine directly. Refuges in Kenya do not affect those who live in the US directly. It is not clear, besides showing compassion, why the U.S. is intervening with these refugees when really we are spending tons of money on a situation that is not in our country or improving our country when this money could be spent on solving our own issues. This situation, in part also contradicts the idea of non-colonization, and not dominating a country. By the U.S. putting themselves into a situation in another county when they are becoming depended upon, it gives the idea of domination, something the Monroe Doctrine wanting to avoid.

Welsh, Teresa. "US Concerned by Ration Cuts to Refugees in Kenya." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/11/26/us-concerned-by-ration-cuts-to-refugees-in-kenya>.

The Factor of Race

In class, we learned about the many countries of Latin America and their fight for independence from their "mother countries." In Brazil, they experienced the most peaceful transition from a country ruled by Portugal to and independent country. It started when King John VI arrived in Brazil as Portugal's prince regent in 1808. By 1815, John VI had elevated the status of Brazil to a kingdom. An uprising in Portugal from Portugal's army in 1820 forced John VI to return to Portugal in 1821 and leave his son, Pedro, in charge of the kingdom. In 1822, Pedro declared independence for Brazil. Finally in 1824, Pedro wrote and enacted a constitution for Brazil and in 1825, Portugal recognized Brazil as an independent country. In this revolution, race was not a factor. This allowed for less bloodshed during the revolution, but it also meant that slavery was not identified or dealt with. Not focussing on race meant there was a longer lasting hierarchy in the country and more social class divisions.

Though race  did not play a role in the revolutions of Brazil, it did play a major one in the trials that recently occurred in Ferguson, Missouri between a black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer. In the article "Darren Wilson Resigns from Police Department," the author William Welch explains how these trials have forced Darren Wilson, the police officer to resign from his job. Based on the jury's decision, they did not indict Wilson, who had killed Michael Brown a few months prior. Riots broke out in Ferguson, a mainly black community, because they felt this white officer had wrongly treated this black teenager who was meaning no harm. It was said that if Wilson kept his job at the Police Station, the lives of the officers and community would be at risk. Wilson would not allow this to happen and willingly resigned from being a police officer.  



Welch, William. "Darren Wilson Resigns from Ferguson Police Department." USA Today. Gannett, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/29/woman-loses-eye-ferguson/19660629/>.