In light of recent events in Minneapolis, may I recycle an old column? Thanks.

Somalis All Over; Taki's Magazine, August 18 2011. Extract:

Things are rough in Somalia: chronic civil war, recurrent famine, disease, piracy. Private persons who are distressed by the Somalis’ plight should by no means be discouraged from doing anything they can think of to relieve the distress over there.

The reason nations have governments, though, is to protect and advance the interests of their own citizens. How the interests of Americans, Britons, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders have been advanced by having thousands of Somalis settled among them is not clear to me. Perhaps the State Department could send someone around to explain.