Somalia is an interesting test case for Anarchy, but let me explain, don’t jump to conclusions. This is actually an important story for Jeff and his quest for reality.

Less than a lifetime ago, the central government controlling “Somalia" basically dissolved due to lack of interest and the local people went back to their local customs of managing themselves. This local control is based on extended family structure and is embodied in what is known as the Xeer law. Everyone there knows the Xeer because it’s no natural to them. It’s like you know right and wrong, and the golden rule, but you do not want to molest yourself with all the legal bullshit. Our legal framework use to be the “Common Law”, which was easy to understand, but it has been bureaucratized into endless “codified” law, which is endless, meaningless and simply dictate. The Xeer is NOT dictate, it's basically their “Common Law” and accepted and understood by all.

Michael van Notten, a Dutch Attorney, married a local Somali gal, studied the Xeer and ended up writing a book on it, “The Law of the Somalis”. He highly admired how the Xeer functioned and respected it more than the legal setup for which he was licensed in Europe.

At any rate, the local Somalis tried to go back to Anarchy, and wanted to forget about the central government, but that left them vulnerable to the governments on the outside. A land under Anarchy, or basically happy hippies minding their own business, leaves a fertile area for other governments to come in to exploit. It’s so easy to start supplying weapons and resources to a cooperative and ambitious local group, who then proceeds to try to establish a new central government in order to exploit everyone under their umbrella. The more that the locals have no interest in the central government, the more the locals will be decimated and the area devastated. It’s basically the same routine that is imposed when a “Communist” style government is imposed, the more the locals have no interest, the more they will be slaughtered.

The maverick cows are slaughtered so that the docile cows remain to populate the farm, it’s called “breeding”. The farmer hates a “bad”, “trouble-maker” cow like Jeff, a true Maverick. The farmer wants Jeff to say only “moo moo”, not FREEDOM like in Braveheart!

Anarchy exists in the Garden of Eden. We are all Anarchists by birth, but we do not live in the Garden of Eden. Eden is a free open area with plenty for all, very hospitable, and a nice tropical climate. It’s like a small group of hippies living on a beautiful tropical coastline, with fresh water all around, plenty of fish and fertile land, and fruit trees waiting to be picked.

When Adam and Eve lost Eden, they were cast out into a dry, tough world, with endless drudgery just to stay alive. A tough world is full of opportunities for Mafias to make their turf pay for them.

“Mafia” is a very old word originating in old Sicily, and refers to “muscle” or “power”. So, if there is a disagreement, you ask help from the local Mafia to resolve the problem, or if you see an opportunity, you get the Mafia to help you realize it. It’s those problems and opportunities that lead to the formation and profitable activities of Mafias, or Governments, or however you want to label the “muscle". Anyone who studies real Mafias or Governments, such as Jeff did, realize that the only difference between them is a matter of size. If we labeled “Government” as “Mafia”, then there would be no more confusion.

Somalia tried to go back to the Garden of Eden, but the local and external Mafias (Governments) came in to exploit the opportunity.

We are all Anarchists by birth, and we would love to live in the Garden of Eden, some of us can even find a relatively free niche like Jeff did, but the reality is that there are Mafias all around. We are Anarchist bunny rabbits in a world of wolves, so take care and learn from Somalia…