I just watched this whole BBC show on Somalialand.
It was sickening.
All pro-statist. The way the spun it was anarchy=warlordism and chaos, while government=peace and order. The fucking UN is training people there to become riot police.
Sorry but this is very far from liberty, it's tribalism mixed with some kind of democracy.
Estonia isn't a libertarian paradise either. Far from it. Mandatory "service" is tyranny. And you bet your ass that taxes will go up...and their currency will fall apart, especially as they go to the Euro.
I am looking more into somalia, and don't quote me on this (unless you are refuting it, but this is what I have gotten so far:
After the central government in somalia fell, Competition and free markets thrived. Conditions, as bad as they are, have become much better for somalians. Even our own government and CIA have admitted it. Infastructure actually began to thrive.
quickly the thriving buisness communities began suppling power and water to villages that once had none. The communications industry thrived, with the growing number of news industries, telecommunications (international plan $10/month), and others's growing competitiviness. A country that once had 1 plane, now had 16 airfields and multiple airline companies with increasingly lower prices.
The growing buisness also began to hire security companies in order to combat the feudal warlords.
Then Charity from outside coutries, began funding certain religious organizations that offered their services as judicial moderators to somalians. Their justice system was based on islamic law. When these judicial orginazations where artificially proped up, they joined together to become the UIC. Secular warlords in the area began to opose the islamic courts. Our CIA, fearing ties between the UIC and Al'queda began funneling money to the secular warlords in the area.
When the secular warlords began recieving funds, Islamic militias formed inorder to back the UIC. The secular warlords then began attacking the UIC. The UIC was winning until the Ethiopian militia backed by the UN and US imposed and ousted the UIC. Former States men of the last central government, reimposed themselves with the backing of Nato forces.
Or basically, the world decided to intervene, and slowly began screwing things up.
Of course this is all from an hour of reading which is pretty shallow for analysis of an entire country between 1990's and today. I'm looking for a book or two on the subject. It seems as if it would be very interesting.
Also in regard to Estonia, I agree its no paradise of liberty, it just seemed intriguing as being much closer than many other countries. I don't know if there is a government in the world without injustice, Estonia just appears to have less on average. Also the libertarianish party there has 30 seats of 101. They premote the end to involuntary service. Hopefully for Estonia, they will suceed in ending that tyranny. I don't know much more than that about it though.
And as for taxes, Sales tax is going up 2% in their attempt to keep their budget balanced, which has grown a little more expensive than projected due to to the recession. So you called that correctly... unfortunatly they didn't when they made the call to raise taxes. And pegging to the Euro is going to hurt them later on if not already, I'm sure we all agree. It seems as if they were so close, yet so far.
Still for a minority in congress, the liberals could be doing much worse. I remain optimistic for them when comparing them to most of the world.
