This liberal video is making it's way about the interwebz. Supposedly it's a message to the Tea Party encouraging them to move to the "Libertarian Paradise" of Somalia which no longer has a centralized government. I didn't realize that the Tea Party was composed of anarchists who wanted to abolish the State. Perhaps this is because so many Tea Partiers still want Medicare, Social Security, police, war and such. But liberals cannot be bothered with such philosophical subtleties. Since Tea Partiers do not subscribe to the liberal brand of collectivism/socialism, they are enemies and must be vanquished.
The PSA argues that Somalia has not had a government since 1991. However, this statement is not accurate. Somalia has not had a State, i.e., a monopoly provider of law and protection services, since 1991. (See Albert J. Nock's Our Enemy, the State for discussion of the difference between government and State. Somalia has government. As Benjamin Powell writes:
Somali law is based on custom interpreted and enforced by decentralized clan networks. The Somali customary law, Xeer, has existed since pre-colonial times and continued to operate under colonial rule. The Somali nation-state tried to replace the Xeer with government legislation and enforcement. However, in rural areas and border regions where the Somali government lacked firm control, people continued to apply the common law. When the Somali state collapsed, much of the population returned to their traditional legal system.
The Xeer outlaws homicide, assault, torture, battery, rape, accidental wounding, kidnapping, abduction, robbery, burglary, theft, arson, extortion, fraud, and property damage. The legal system focuses on the restitution of victims not the punishment of criminals. For violations of the law, maximum compensation to victims is specified in camels (though payment can be made in equivalent monetary value). Typical compensation to the family of a murder victim is 100 camels for a man and 50 for a woman; an animal thief usually must return two animals for every one he stole.
Clan elders chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the law judge cases. The elders cannot create the law. They only interpret the community customs. Elders who make decisions that deviate from community norms are not consulted in future cases. When a dispute arises between two members of different clans, their clan elders must reach a compromise. If they are unable to do so they appoint an elder from another clan to settle the dispute.