Happy New Year Rashid:
The military capability and structure in any country has a lot to do with that country's ability to defend itself against invasion whether from outside or from within. Of course, that capability and form has to be validated by the form and structure of the political system therein. This has been discussed and will continue for a long time. SL has problem with the military capability, structure, and as well as with the instrument of power that invariably validates it. A lot of rethinking is inevitable needed at this point as Rashid suggests.
Rashid wrote:
>What this unprecedented tragedy offers us is an opportunity to rethink our society, and the place of >everything in it. Otherwise, history will, even after the storm has settled, replayed its cruel farce on us >again.
Rethinking our society as pointed out is the first prudent step and if done without bias, then history may not replicate itself much in the same way. There is a suggestion out there that can guide us through this rethinking process. It may not be the best but what else is out there more rational, more calculated, more realistic to SL's situation with the most chance of success than the PC Alternative with its military component..! If there is any, then that too must be placed on the table for the good of SL.
If the PC Alternative could be viewed against the backdrop of SL society then and now, one could clearly see a rethinking process of the SL society. I am tempted not to go into the proposal again for the simple fact that a great deal of time went into discussing it. In the absence of another alternative for SL, I would rather that the proposal be read with the view of pointing out concerns and elements of it that will not work for SL and then we can discuss it.
The military component alone has received an extensive discussion but there has yet to be valid reason why it should not work in SL. I personally think that the fear of most of us is that it will work too well to the discomfort of others - others meaning those who would want to replay Foday Sankoh. Let me quickly touch base with Rashid's PS that made me want to give his piece a second look:
Rashid wrote:
>ps. I notice a certain tendency to frequently use the United States as a
>reference point in our discussions. While I understand that the
>interlocutory value of the example, I doubt very much the cross -
>comparative utility for Sierra Leone. .....Apart from the fact that the average
US >state about the size of Sierra Leone, correct me, if I am wrong, every county
>does not necessarily have its own militia.
>............................................. we should be careful, how we stretch
>and apply the American experience to Sierra Leone.
Well, I left out quite a bit of this quotation to improve on the throughput. I do have a feeling about this for couple of reasons. I do agree that judgment is needed in comparing SL situation to USA experience in the old West and formation of democracy or the good society much the same way we exercise judgment when we compare a Honda and Mercedes. They are both national states, and they are both cars. What do they have in common.. nationhood and carship. Can the perfection of one enhance the other..? I think so. What then maybe the problem if the imperfect one can lend elements of good quality from the perfect one in as much as it can withstand..? Nothing.
And of the "that the average US state about the size of Sierra Leone .... every county does not necessarily have its own militar" in my judgment is mutually exclusive and therefore an untenable argument considering the entities compared. SL is a national state, USA is a national state, but Delaware is not a national state. Conversely, Burlington County cannot be compared to Virginia state which is a state within the union.
But being a state within a federally constituted government does not qualify Virginia to a national statehood. There is a difference between SL and a county or a state in USA. One easy way to find out is to ask the question whether Maryland in USA or Mercer county in New Jersey can be admitted as individual entities to the UN if they want to. SL is a nation that thinks that its security needs can best be fulfilled by apportioning its military structure among subdivisions within the nation. That is the basic premise of the PC Alt security component.
Happy New Year ...
Saffa <end>