That is not necessarily bad. I grew up in a federalist Pakistan divided into 4 provinces, each province inhabited by a specific ethnic group. During my stay, I have never seen a Balochi or Sindhi. A Punjabi is almost unheard of in Balochistan, Sindh and Balochistan and vice versa. The point of federalism is not to intermingle and sing songs of unity and other shyt. The fundamental reason for federalism is to protect the interests of the people and give them a reason to feel empowered in an environment where they feel that they are in control. Clans in Somalia serve the same purposes as ethnic groups in other countries. Hence, it is futile to ignore the dynamics and relevancy of clan. In fact, it can be argued that the lack of proper discernment of clan dynamics is the basal reason for Somalia's failure as a state and the collapse of the Somali project that was initiated in 1960.
I am very surprosed at you Twisted. You completely misunderstand the nature of clans as it exists in Somali culture and I did not expect you to. Clans are no way shape or form comparable to tribal relations as it exists in Pakistan or Kenya or anywhere else. Somali clans do not have a bottom, they do not have a point with which you can settle to the lowest common denominator that still attempts to provide a unitary organization of any or peoples that are housed under that umbrella. Have you never heard the idiom "my nation and I against the world, my clan and I against my nation, my sub-clan and I against my clan, my family and I against my sub-clan, me against my family". Unlike tribes, Somali clans
do not have a lowest common denominator that stills keeps the clan identity rooted, functioning, and relevant!!! Basically federalism in its form in Pakistan or Kenya or any other tribal entity is not compatible with Somali relations of shifting alliances and banding and fracturing sub-sub-sub nucleaus based on the interest as it comes down to even the individual.
Twisted I hardly get surprised but I am very surprised you of all people do not understand this very volatile and highly erratic nature of Somali clan dynamics.
Corruption, ignorance/illiteracy, manipulation, injustice and all sorts of social ills will manifest themselves in the short and intermediate terms. The beautiful thing about democracy is that it is a self-correcting mechanism. The largest democracy in the world, suffers from the very same fears that we have of federalism and clan/ethnic empowerment. Mosques are being burned down in India, because some Hindu god is supposedly buried there and communal wars are instigated because a Muslim villager decides to slaughter a cow in Southern India.
In the long-run, people will learn and correct their errors and learn from their mistakes.
The problems faced by Somalia's experimentation/flirtation with democracy is not unique and is in fact exemplary compared to other countries that have flirted with democracy; India being a good example.
You can blind yourself to the reality sxb. I have never read anywhere that is similar to our stint with democracy. Over a hundred clan based political groups and corruption with the "ina adeer culture" manifested in the highest powers. Again, very few societies in the world are similar to us when it comes to our clan culture and few societies are as affected by it as ours. Instead of providing case studies and comparing apples and oranges, Somalia is a very unqiue circumstance as is apparent from the state of lawlessness, the only and longest failed state in modern times. I do not believe with every fiber of my body that democracy is the answer for Somalia in this moment of time. At the very least we need a transition period that sees clans as powerless, weak, and ineffective and the only way this will be happen is through some Islamic-oriented rule.
Any quick-fix to Somalia's problems doesn't exist and will prove to be counterproductive. I have my own views of religion and politics and so it would be pointless to restate here once again. However, understand that any system that we choose must empower the people and be transparent, just and equal opportunity provider.
The idea that the Somali people are not fit to decide their future has given us despots of all colors.
Here you go speaking like your political theories book have the answer to Somalia's ills. I am a university student just as you and I have great exposure to many of the things you are relying on but the difference between you and I is that I recognize the vast differences between cultures, peoples, and the
state of mind between West and say Somalia and I analyze with an eye on both sides not just looking at things from my poli sci classe's perspective.
it's all good.
