Independent Institute: Somalia, the libertarian paradise
Libertarianism - the political doctrine usually indistinguishable from satire - reaches one of its lows in a paper from Dr. Benjamin Powell called "Somalia After State Collapse: Chaos or Improvement?" He looks to be about 18 years old, but more telling is it's from the Independent Institute, the same group that gave us the Open Letter on Immigration. Our friends at Reason Magazine provide this excerpt (reason . com/blog/show/117519.html):
...In 2005, Somalia ranked in the top 50 percent in six of our 13 measures, and ranked near the bottom in only three: infant mortality, immunization rates, and access to improved water sources. This compares favorably with circumstances in 1990, when Somalia last had a government and was ranked in the bottom 50 percent for all seven of the measures for which we had that year's data: death rate, infant mortality, life expectancy, main telephone lines, tuberculosis, and immunization for measles and DTP. Furthermore, we have found that during the last years of Somalia's government, 1985 to 1990, their performance was deteriorating compared to other African nations as their relative ranking fell in five of these measures...
I'm not familiar with Somalia, but I'm going to hazard a guess that their earlier government - as well as the ones being compared - are a bit - just a tiny bit - dysfunctional. I'm also going to guess that there are certainly governments in Somalia right now, albeit unrecognized ones. And, I'm going to guess that Dr. Powell would not like to live in some of those, unless he were willing to convert. I'll refrain from asking, "other than that, how did you enjoy the play", or commenting on trains running on time.
Comments
Fred Dawes (not verified)
Thu, 12/28/2006 - 11:09
Permalink
John S. Bolton is dead on the money and fact is that is the plan.
John S Bolton (not verified)
Thu, 12/28/2006 - 00:12
Permalink
On the other hand, though, averaging everything together and comparing partial or geographically spotty anarchy, to a unitary, grossly incompetent socialist dictatorship which monopolized power previously is not utterly wrong so far as it goes.
If anarchy leads to the rise of smaller more realistic states, which are answerable to the customs of a primitive people, this will be an improvement of a dictatorship which holds them down even lower.
There is an objectionable tendency to frequently equivocate on the terms state, nation, nation-state, sovereignty, and the like, which introduces an element of unreason.
The main claim that anarchy can allow space for something better than vicious dictatorship in one of the world's poorest countries, to eventually develop, is not so unreasonable, nor lacking in support in the report.
Most likely, what is being missed is the value and importance of freedom-from-agression, as distinct from, and quite the opposite of, freedom-for-aggression.
Loyalty to civilization, its continuity and advancement, should be the more nearly absolute, the more one knows.
John S Bolton (not verified)
Wed, 12/27/2006 - 23:25
Permalink
Amazingly, an anarcholibertarian is willing to even look at real-life anarchy.
Unfortunately, he cannot seem to do so honestly.
To use some figures from the parts of that non-country which do have functional governments, such as Puntland, Somaliland, and the Ethiopian puppet which calls itself Somalia(Baidoa), and credit these to the anarchic parts is dishonest.
Somalia overall, is at or near the bottom of any international list of indicators.