If you were given the job of President of Somalia, what would you do?

[DoctorKenney]

If in 2012 you were elected to the Somali Presidency, instead of Qoslaye (that incompetent loser), what would be the FIRST 5 steps you would take immediately when taking power? What would you do differently?

 

I know I'm gonna get a lot of criticism for this (but I have a good reasons) but what I would do is this:

 

1. Create a Revolutionary Guard (similar to the one in Iran) and recruit 10,000 elite men to train them, discipline them, and use them to conduct intelligence, guard government officials, infiltrate terrorist groups, and have tight control over the country.

 

2. I would officially recognize the self-proclaimed 3 city (Hargeisa, Berbera, Burco) "Republic of Somaliland".

 

Look, we can't force them to re-join our country, and they've made it pretty clear that they plan on staying separated for the next 100 years if it's necessary. People with such a mentality can't be "pleaded with" to rejoin the country, so it's best to go our separate ways. But I would make it very clear that Khaatumo won't be joining the secessionists, and it will be a part of Somalia instead. Perhaps the secessionists will change their minds after a decade and apply to rejoin Somalia.

 

3. Make it my sole mission to recruit and build a professional Army, Navy, and Air Force in Somalia. And I know our country can't afford it, which is why it would be a good idea to use the Europeans, Americans, and Arabs to help pay for it. Force Puntland to incorporate their Army into the actual Federal Army. Actually pay a high salary to the troops, as well as lobby the United Nations to ease the Arms Embargo so we could purchase advanced weapons.

 

4. Attempt to persuade and use the Clan Elders to my advantage. Use their influence and be very severe towards the Elders who oppose the government and attempt to undermine it. (This is for obvious reasons)

 

5. Start a massive propaganda campaign against Al-Shabaab, qabyalaad, people who are nabad-diid, and others. Public opinion will soon be in your favor, and that'll be a good thing for everybody.

 

(6. PS. I was thinking about mandating that my poster be put in public places, but that would be a little too excessive )

 

And for the 1st time in 23 years a President will have complete control over the country . Then after that we can focus on education, health issues, infrastructure, the economy, and everything else.

 

This current President's SOLE JOB is to stabilize the country. There's no use in worrying about anything else. Everything else can be handled by the next President (as soon as he leaves in 2016)

[Safferz]

Can Somalia's problems be solved in a top down manner? I think the lasting imprint and legacy of Siad Barre's regime and the civil war has been the destruction of the philosophical faith everyday Somalis had in being a subject and citizen of a nation-state, and the rise of clan - itself a political unit - as the only trustable source of group welfare and collective security in the absence and failure of the state.

 

So my question is how then can you create a viable state and functioning institutions in a social context of people fundamentally distrustful of statehood? And that goes for Somaliland as well -- it, too, does not have complete sovereignty over its territory, and it does not have monopoly over legitimate use of force, which is the definition of statehood in classical political science. What it has is stability - a delicate balance of power with traditional political structures that does not challenge the authority of clan - which is not statehood, as much as it speaks of itself as one.

 

I think whoever succeeds in reconstructing the Somali state, in creating a state whose institutions are invested with legitimate authority and whose people consent to be governed, will have to be an architect of Somali nationalism at the grassroots level.

[DoctorKenney]

I remember proposing a bottoms-up approach to fixing the country, but that would be an ambitious project which will certainly take DECADES to accomplish.

 

What we need is stability. First and foremost. Once we have stability, then we can focus on nation building, fostering a national identity, and building the economy to a point where people naturally forget about their petty clan differences and work towards building the nation. Those who refuse to change their mind-set will be left behind.

 

And the poisonous generation of Somalis who were responsible for this mind-set will eventually grow old and die out. And this will leave a new generation of Somali kids, who have never known civil war, and have grown up in a stable, peaceful Somalia. I would imagine they'd be less inclined to be Qabiilist if they grow up in a comfortable setting.

 

I've noticed in America, that although many of the 25 year old Somalis ARE Qabiilists, they're not as bad as their parents. Because they grew up in America, a peaceful country, in comparative wealth and a comfortable standard of living. And I guarantee you that their children will be even less Qabiilist than them. It does gradually die out if the people live in a stable atmosphere

 

Even a temporary delicate balance of power will be enough. As long as the stability is maintained long enough to grow the economy and then create a grassroots group (a 21st century Somali Youth League) which could be Pan-Somali in nature.

[Alpha Blondy]

Dr. Kenny,

 

the truth of the matter is you're not the president of the world's first failed state. 23 years of utter failure and total collapse of it's machinery bears witness to this.

 

it's futile wasting time on idealised bespoke solutions.

[DoctorKenney]

None of it is idealism alpha

 

Read the 5 points again. All of it is extremely doable and realistic. And this current President has the political capital and the resources to carry this out.

 

He just doesn't want to. He's either unwilling or he's too dumb to do it. But he could do it, which is why I'm asking you "What would YOU do differently" if you were given the presidency? Remember, over 70 men ran for office, and any one of them could have won and could have done something different.

 

It's not like I'm trying to make Mogadishu the next Singapore or Hong Kong. I'm making very realistic points.

[Alpha Blondy]

^ i didn't read the points your raised, ruunti. nor do i particularly care for the sad and pathetic state of reer Somalia.

 

<cite>

@DoctorKenney

said:</cite> which is why I'm asking you "What would YOU do differently" if you were given the presidency? Remember, over 70 men ran for office, and any one of them could have won and could have done something different.

 

this doesn't make any sense whatsoever. this is not a game of charades, abti. there are actual people involved. si kastoo oo ay ahaato reer Somalia are incapable of ''high politics'' or for that matter a '' geed hoosti ku midooba'' sort of politics. they need a strong man. a benevolent dictator. there are too many institutional qaloocs in the system to resolve. unilateral decisions are better than the consensus based politics aad sheegeyso.

 

if you’re offended by advice you solicited, that’s a sure sign your heart wasn't right when you asked. if you’re not willing to hear it and follow it, don’t ask for it.

 

Al.

[Holac]

Dr. Kenney,

 

As a side comment, there is more to Somalia's problems than meets the eye. I believe a large segment of the population back home suffers from some sort of mental illness. Combine that with poverty, lack of education and the daily cycle of violence and wollaa, you have a monster as a neighbor, brother, friend and a family member.

 

It is not easy to turn things around.

[DoctorKenney]

Warya Alphy, if you didn't read the points I raised then what gives you the nerve to respond in a manner as if you did read the points?

 

Every single point I made is about consolidating power in Somalia. Not any reconciliation conferences, not addressing human rights abuses, not improving education/infrastructure and not worrying about the economy.

 

This is the very direct task of consolidating power by behaving like a Dictator. Starting a massive propaganda campaign, creating a Revolutionary Guard, and using international funds to recruit a professional Army are all things which are extremely doable and can be done in under a decade.

[DoctorKenney]

<cite>

@Holac

said:</cite>

Dr. Kenney,

 

As a side comment, there is more to Somalia's problems than meets the eye. I believe a large segment of the population back home suffers from some sort of mental illness. Combine that with poverty, lack of education and the daily cycle of violence and wollaa, you have a monster as a neighbor, brother, friend and a family member.

 

It is not easy to turn things around.

 

I know, I've heard of it myself. A large proportion of Somalis do have illnesses.

 

Which is why I think the "bottoms-up" approach to rebuilding Somalia would be unnecessarily difficult and could take several decades to carry out.

 

A "top-down" approach would be much quicker. And the FIRST Task would be for a Leader to consolidate his power and tighten his grip on the country. That's it. That's all the President should be focusing on. Honestly, the ICU of 2006 proved that you CAN stabilize Somalia if you take the necessary steps.

 

Everything else (poverty, crime, health, education, human rights) can be handled later.

 

It's better to be realistic and focus on actual doable goals. And since the President has literally hundreds of millions of dollars (of international money) at his disposal, then he could definitely carry this out in several years.

[DoctorKenney]

Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, over the last 10 years, consolidated his power and purged the country of the Secular Military Establishment, which was responsible for 4 coups and which held the "real power" in Turkey. He is a political genius and he masterfully undermined the Generals and then he took control of Turkey (which was a much harder task than Somalia)

 

Saddam Hussein did something similar in Iraq, when he took power.

 

Gamal Abdel-Nasser took power and consolidated his position when he took over Egypt.

 

Fidel Castro did the same in Cuba.

 

Ibn Saud did the same thing in Saudi Arabia in the 1920's. Ibn Saud masterfully maneuvered his way into power, and then consolidated his positions as soon as he took power. And then when he died, his sons took over.

 

Some of these men were elected, and some of them took over forcefully. But all of them were politically savvy, and all of them consolidated themselves as soon as they took over. And this has happened dozens of times in the 20th century alone.

 

I mean, History is replete with examples of strong men who overcame these obstacles and successfully took over their country. I would argue that subduing some of these countries was a much harder task than Somalia.

 

But when it comes to Somalia, we have this defeatist mentality and most Somalis think like "Oh our country will never get better, Somalia is hopeless and no one can do anything to resurrect it." Why is that? Is it really that far-fetched to believe that the same thing can be done in Somalia, when it occurred in other countries literally DOZENS of times? What we need is a strong man who's politically savvy. And a man who's willing to get his hands dirty. And why would that be hard to find?

 

And why do people who do complain about the situation in Somalia have no will, or drive to actually improve ourselves?

[Alpha Blondy]

<cite>

@DoctorKenney

said:</cite>

Warya Alphy, if you didn't read the points I raised then what gives you the nerve to respond in a manner as if you did read the points?

 

Every single point I made is about consolidating power in Somalia. Not any reconciliation conferences, not addressing human rights abuses, not improving education/infrastructure and not worrying about the economy.

 

This is the very direct task of consolidating power by behaving like a Dictator. Starting a massive propaganda campaign, creating a Revolutionary Guard, and using international funds to recruit a professional Army are all things

which are extremely doable

and can be done in under a decade.

 

folks like you want to institute sharia law through the backdoor. y'all gadhweyne folks can't rule. reer Somalia needs a secular system. they don't need fanatical islamism.

[DoctorKenney]

Yeah I'm totally sure the secular republics of the 20th and 21st century's were peaceful and didn't violate the rights of their citizens (sarcasm)

 

You're out of touch saaxib. I'm looking at Africa and the Middle East and there are secular governments all over the place, and the countries are still poor, backward, violent and corrupt.

 

Reer somalia needs Islamism, we don't need fanatical secularism

[Tallaabo]

Dr Kenny, the problem is not finding the "strong man" you desperately need for Somalia- there are millions of such men, even in this forum as every Somali wants to be a dictator. The real problem and the root cause of many of Somalia's problems is what is the CLAN of the "strong man" going to be

[DoctorKenney]

I would have to suggest that this "strong-man" be from one of the smaller sub-clans of the H-Block.

 

It can't be someone from the Northern regions of Somalia (obviously as the South would have to be subdued first)

 

And it can't be a man from the 2 larger H-Block subclans (the one predominant in Galmudug nor the one that Qoslaaye belongs to) but perhaps the smaller ones. And again, this is for political reasons

[galbeedi]

I had a thread in my mind called " Biciidkaan Dili Doono" but since you presented this question I will postpone my ideas. Tallaabo ,Waad Asiibtay. We have enough Dictators among SOl residents, I am one of them. Dictatorku ciduu noqonayo waa suaal meesha taala.

 

Dr Kennedy, you have some valid points on the elders and the revolutionary guards, but your ideas have failed before you even started the question. First you proposed Somaliland to be fragmented on clan lines and then break down Somalia ( dalka in aad kala dirto). I read your extensive debate with Xaaji Xaanjuf this week. Xaaji is a tough opponent who also knows history and culture. It seems he convinced you that a total separation is the only future. By giving up that easily you weakness is apparent.

 

Also you are expecting others to build your army and navy. you did not provide any meaningful ways to raise any revenue within the country. Every Somali want free money to build the country, that is why these Presidents are in the airplane as soon as they proclaimed President.

 

As I said. I do not want to share my ideas at this moment because I could be one of those Dictators Tallaabo mentioned.