If You Don't Like Government, Move to Somalia!

Libertarianism, the advocacy of minimal state intervention in the economy and personal

lives, is a political ideology which has received its own share of criticism from a number of

political affiliations, including liberalism and conservatism. As a result, it is a given that in

recent culture memes have arised to make sport of these ideologies, exploiting potential flaws

which at first glance do not appear to add up. A meme posted in 2013, circulated by the

Facebook group Real Truth Now, mocks libertarian principles of low taxation, minimal

government, and few regulations by stating Somalia. No taxes, No Government, No

Regulations. Libertarian Paradise. The meme then shows a picture of a small truck, filled to

the brim with young men, wielding guns and wearing masks, depicting the group as criminals.

Altogether, the meme suggests that a libertarian nation would prove chaotic and unlawful,

resulting in high crime rates and poor economic conditions. However, the meme fails to account

for the reasons of poor economic and moral conditions of Somalia, automatically contributing it

to libertarianism, without considering any other potential variables for its poor economic and

ideological state.

From 1969 to 1991, Somalias central government was ruled by its military, which

resulted in heavy dependence towards the Soviet Union. Eventually, Somalia also began

requiring assistance from the United States following the war between Ethiopia and Somalia in

1970s (U.S. Department of State). While people quickly attribute Somalias impoverished state

with its lack of centralized governance, Somalia has a long history of poor conditions, even

before the collapse of its central government in 1991. This may be for any number of reasons,
including the general region in Africa, frequent droughts which result in famine, civil war, and

large, centralized government, where the latter contradicts the argument in which the meme

attempts to make against Libertarians. In fact, like most other growing countries, Somalia has

a consistently growing population, and life expectancy rates, with a slight decline immediately

after 1991, followed by higher growth rates thereafter, suggesting that the nation as a whole is

improving at a faster rate without the prior government, than with it (The World Bank).

The government of Somalia is not the only reason for its current condition, though it was

most certainly a contributing factor to it. Right up to 1991, the time of the government of

Somalias collapse, Somalia was suffering from a civil war, and in addition, from 1970 to 2010,

Somalia has had over 800,000 deaths as a direct result from drought (Brookings Institution 101).

Considering how devastation war costs and droughts alone have caused, one can already

establish that libertarianism is most certainly not the single, determining factor of Somalias

poverty. In fact, libertarianism may be its one, redeeming factor. After the military coup in

1969, Mohamed Siad Barre, a former Major-General, seized power over Somalia, eventually

claiming title of President. Under his military dictatorship, Barre sought for a socialist-based

economy (Peter Leeson 692). Once the Somali government had evolved into a totalitarian

dictatorship, similar conditions to the standard stereotype of totalitarian followed. Dissidence

and criticism towards the name of the government or Barres name were punished and would

often result in Both the urban population and nomads living in the countryside were subjected

to summary killings, arbitrary arrest, detention in squalid conditions, torture, rape, crippling

constraints on freedom of movement and expression and a pattern of psychological intimidation

(Africa Watch Committee 1990: 9). By ridding Somalia of this regime, death count by armed
conflict in parts of the country did not increase past those of other nearby nations, each with

governments of their own, and some rates within Somalia were even lower than those of

surrounding regions (Peter Leeson 695).

Although the criticism towards libertarianism may not hold its ground, there does remain

a certain degree of truth the the notion that there do exist fair rates of crime within Somalia.

After the collapse of the Somali government, there did spark a degree of conflict after a

transitional government was established, but after a few years, the violence began to diminish.

However, as mentioned before, the violence which pursued was minimal and isolated, and is

often exaggerated, as mentioned by the homicide comparisons to surrounding nations. The

actual rates of homicides are typically from Somali combatants, rather than the Somali citizens,

which proves an additional misconception (Peter Leeson 695). That noted, Somalia is not a

crime-free nation, but relative to the surrounding nations, its crime is nothing exceptional when

taking into account the poverty it was struck by as a result of the military dictatorship preceding

it.

Although Somalia has managed to build up a federal government in recent years, the

government itself is relatively benign, with restrictions similar to those of the United States,

based on the Somali 2012 Constitution (Unmissions). The Somali Constitution restricts

government against infringements on freedom of speech, warrantless search and seizure, etc.

Also in accordance to the 2012 Constitution, the Somali federal government has since been given

permission to tax Somali citizens and place regulations as it sees fit, which does prove a bit

contradictory to libertarian principles. In due time, it is likely that Somalia might shift away
from what was once an anarchy into something somewhat stable, but not quite libertarian

either.

So is Somalia actually a libertarian paradise as the meme might suggest? Ultimately,

no. Somalias history hinges upon large, intrusive government, which suggests that the verdict

may very well be the opposite. The past presence of large governance within Somalia has

crippled its economy and the independence of its people, but in time, the Somali economy has

begun to gradually heal. The prime contributors to the downfall of Somalia were a combination

of natural famines, civil war conflicts, and oppressive, military regimes. While Somalia may or

may not continue to expand under the new federal government that it has established, Somalia is

not, and never has been, a libertarian paradise.

 Works Cited Page:

The Federal Republic of Somalia Provisional Constitution.

Leeson, Peter T. "Better off Stateless: Somalia before and after Government Collapse." Journal

of Comparative Economics 35 (2007): 689-710. Web. 6 Sept. 2016.

"Somalia | Data." Worldbank.org. World Bank, n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

"SOMALIA: DROUGHT + CONFLICT = FAMINE?" (n.d.): 101. Bookings Institute. Web. 7

Sept. 2016.

"Somalia: A Government at War with Its Own People." An African Watch Report (1990): n. pag.

African Watch Committee. Web.

United States. Bureau of Public Affairs. U.S. Relations With Somalia. N.p., June-July 2016.

Web. 7 Sept. 2016