Somalia: Vigilantes Hired to Secure Neighborhoods in Mogadishu
The vigilante culture continues to thrive and develop. I remember seeing an article in recent weeks saying that at least one TFG official supported the hiring of private gunmen for security. Not that the opinions of officials mean much, but this particular opinion definitely doesn't mesh with the stated goal of disarming the population.
The vigilante culture continues to thrive and develop. I remember seeing an article in recent weeks saying that at least one TFG official supported the hiring of private gunmen for security. Not that the opinions of officials mean much, but this particular opinion definitely doesn't mesh with the stated goal of disarming the population.
posted by Steve | 9:09 AM
10 Comments:
Steve, just an aside. I'm posting this here, because I cannot seem to find your email address, lol.
I am advocate of civil disobedience, so I'm wondering if there is a anarchic/libertarian/democratic organization that files lawsuits against the US federal government to punish them financially. I suppose the lawsuits would be over lack of democratic representation, illegality of Federal Reserve, etc etc. I know very little about lawsuits, but I imagine (if an organization gets good at it) that anarchists can makes the US government burn millions of dollars until it accepts more democracy. And this would seem to be a much more 'legal' disobedience than destroying government property, not paying taxes, etc. Thoughts please?
I don't know of any such organization and I doubt that the strategy you are suggesting would work.
As I observe what's going on in Somalia and the world in general, there is a clear trend toward states breaking up into smaller states. Look at the USSR, Yugoslavia, Somalia, and Eritrea (formerly part of Ethiopia). The EU is sort of an exception to the rule, but the political integration there is meeting some serious resistance. So a near-anarchic world is probably not too far off regardless of our efforts or lack thereof.
I think there are 2 good ways to promote freedom. The first one is to de-legitimize the state whenever the opportunity arises. The second one is to promote the use of precious metals as money. A good way to do this would be to buy bullion coins at above the spot price and then use them as money at the spot price. On the one hand, you lose money, but there are good reasons to do it:
1. You put the coins in circulation. The person you give it to can subsequently use it in a transaction with somebody else at the spot price without losing money, then that person can do the same, ad infinitum.
2. Don't think of it as losing money, but rather as making a donation to promoting freedom. You were already planning to spend time and energy on some other scheme to promote freedom, so why not spend that same time and energy earning extra money that you can "donate" in the way I'm talking about here.
By the way, my email address is anglomarsh@mail.ru, but I think it's better to communicate via the blog so others can join the conversation or at least read it.
Hmm... I personally hate to carry cash around with me. I love paying with a CC. Using bullion coins would be aggravating...
Yes, inconvenience is a factor.
Steve, this article is interesting. Anarcho-Capitalism is on display as citizens use cash to choose what is normally done by government--policing of their neighborhood. I am very interested in the rest of Somalia at this point. Is Puntland and Somaliland very anarchic, also? Or do they just have they own version of a federal government that every other nation has?
I think Somaliland's government is more powerful than Puntland's because Somaliland's government prints its own currency, whereas Puntland's uses the old Somali shillings. I don't think it matters much long term which parts of the old Somalia are the most anarchic. The governments or quasi-governments probably won't grow very powerful over the long term. The main factors are the destabilizing influence of foreign governments versus the local pro-freedom/gun culture. So, in that sense, it seems that Mogadishu will be unstable for as long as foreign governments can afford to stir the pot, while the rest of the old Somalia will be peacefully near-anarchic.
How accepting of Westerners are the Northern parts of Somalia? If I decided to live there for a year or two, myself being an atheist (among other things), how do you think I would be treated?
Also, is the economy sufficient that I could afford a car, computer, Internet, and most simple things like those?
I don't know how to answer your first 2 questions, but the answer to your 3rd question is yes.
private co's police US citizens:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/private_police.html
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