Stable Somalia

[Hash]

Your challenge is to create a timeline with a POD after Somali independence in which Somalia is a peaceful, democratic, and stable nation- often a model for other African nations ravaged by war.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Can't be done with a POD that late. You'd need Britain to do a protecterate in the 1860s.

[MaC]

1.kill all Muslim theocrats in Somalia
2.import hardcore libertarians to implement policy
3.kill all Libertari-moderates and in Somailia
4.import anarcho-capitalists
5.no more killing, free markets, everyone has stuff, Somalia has the largest economy in the continent.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Neoliberal economics is FAR from the best system around. It would just mean that somalia is no better than now.

[Colin]

Your challenge is to create a timeline with a POD after Somali independence in which Somalia is a peaceful, democratic, and stable nation- often a model for other African nations ravaged by war.

Can't be done. I'm sorry to say this but it is completely impossible. You can have a stable Somalia but not a democratic one. A stable, democratic, and peaceful African nation that has stayed that way between the 1960s and today has only been achieved by one nation out of the 60 or so on the African continent, Botswana, and that has the distinct advantage of being situated right next to the continents major economic power, having the largest diamond reserves as well as large deposits of other metals and minerals, and being led for the first 22 years of its existance by the one African independence leader who wasn't completely insane and/or tried to create a socialist utopia out of a bunch of subsistance farmers and cattle herders.

As of right now, in Africa, there are only 8 countries that are considered Free by Freedom House they are:

Senegal: Became a true free and fair democracy in 1993 after having a very controlled and regulated system of elections since independence. First sitting president voted out of power in 2000.

Ghana: Democracy since 1992 after the dictatorial rule of Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings.

Benin: Democracy since the late 1980s. Holds destinction of being the first country in Africa where a black President where a black president stepped down after winning an election. This occured in 1991.

Namibia: Democracy since independence in 1990 however the country is in effect ruled by only one party, SWAPO, though its elections are free and fair.

Botswana: Democracy since independence, has been ruled by only one party, the Bostwana Democratic Party, since independence.

South Africa: Democracy with limited voting-rights from 1910 to 1994. Full, free and fair Democracy since 1994. Probably the closest that one can come to a free, stable, democratic nation in Africa.

[ilikeverin]

Have Somaliland take 'em over

Hey, they do get 5/4 from Freedom House.  That's enough to be "Partly Free" (better than the 7/7 that Somalia as a whole gets )

[Hash]

Yeah well by democracy I mean African-style, like Mozambique. Elections moslty free and fair, although a big party (FRELIMO) controls government.

The best guess for a stable Somalia would be to follow in the way of nations like Benin, Ghana, or any nation that suffered dictatorship (Siad Barre) and have the rebels and government (like FRELIMO and RENAMO in Mozambique) come together by 1990s to create a "Partly Free" country. Or have a military coup led by anti-government troops take over and have transition to civilian rule.

[Colin]

Yeah well by democracy I mean African-style, like Mozambique. Elections moslty free and fair, although a big party (FRELIMO) controls government.

Mozambique also had a crushingly brutal 15 year Civil War mixed in there too.

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Well that's very different than what you said earlier. If you had wanted this you should have said so though I think because of all the "it can't happen responses" that you got you are now backtracking. Your original post made it seem like you wanted to create an African role model not something that's "sorta like Mozambique" which I think few countries would ever want to emulate. All the countries in Africa that are functioning Democracy, with the exception really of Mali and Benin, have some historical circumstance as to why they are currently more free than others.

Senegal and Ghana were two of the most advanced colonies in West Africa with the best infrastructure and the largest native middle/professional class. Botswana had a homogenous population of nearly 90% Tswana and some of the largest diamond and copper fields in the world and Namibia took on some of South Africa's democratic traditions, which it was a part of from 1920 to 1990, and it had the second largest white population, in percentage, in Africa.

[Gabu]

1.kill all Muslim theocrats in Somalia
2.import hardcore libertarians to implement policy
3.kill all Libertari-moderates and in Somailia
4.import anarcho-capitalists
5.no more killing, free markets, everyone has stuff, Somalia has the largest economy in the continent.

Of course, you do realize that Somalia currently is a libertarian paradise with no government whatsoever...

[MaC]

1.kill all Muslim theocrats in Somalia
2.import hardcore libertarians to implement policy
3.kill all Libertari-moderates and in Somailia
4.import anarcho-capitalists
5.no more killing, free markets, everyone has stuff, Somalia has the largest economy in the continent.

Of course, you do realize that Somalia currently is a libertarian paradise with no government whatsoever...

not anymore it isn't.  Those crazy Muslim extremists took it over.  (sigh) paradise lost...

[MaC]

Have Somaliland take 'em over

Hey, they do get 5/4 from Freedom House.  That's enough to be "Partly Free" (better than the 7/7 that Somalia as a whole gets )

better than an 8/8 'verin?