>http://www10.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/081000somalia-govern.html
> >
> > So it may come as a surprise that business people in Mogadishu,
> > the wrecked and lawless capital, are begging for a government.
> > They would love to be taxed and would gladly let politicians
> > meddle at least a bit in their affairs.
There were two basically different types of requests for governments.
Some people said they wanted a government to stop bandits from
robbing and extorting from them, believing that a government police force
would be much more efficient than everybody having to hire their own guards
(and often the guards they hire would otherwise be the bandits robbing them.)
Other people said they wanted a government because they needed roads,
electricity, a seaport, and other economic infrastructure to be provided,
presumably paid for by other people's tax money. Greedy bastards -
they ought to get together with others in their community and build some.
(Somewhere in between there were people who'd like some infrastructure,
and who might believe a free market could provide them,
but don't believe the current bandit-ruled market can do so.
Free riders are one thing, but constant robbery is a higher barrier.)
Part of the problem is the failure of traditional Somali critiarchy to
adapt to cities, and to rebuild itself in areas that have previously been
run by corrupt dictatorial post-colonial governments.
Traditional Somali society doesn't have permanent police, but when
families and tribal judges can't get cooperation with confict resolution,
everybody who's armed becomes the police. This means occasional violent
conflicts, but there's very seldom anything resembling war,
especially prolonged war. But the concentration of power in and around
Mogadishu appears to have corrupted the process, and enough people
are living as robbers outside the normal tribal structures.
(I'm not saying that there weren't cattle-rustlers inside the
normal tribal structure, but this urban thuggery has a much different
character.)
Thanks!
Bill
Bill Stewart, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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