Somalia, from what I can tell, could be used to dissuade peolpe from advocating anarchism (and outside of college campuses, globalization protests and internet chat rooms, not many peolpe do), but not more moderate steps towards limiting government. Somalia is essentially ruled by competing war lords and religious nut jobs (that may be a bit simplistic, but you get my drift). Essentially, you may have different "laws" from block to block, which will lead to inevitable problems. Who in the U.S. would stand by if female circumcision or child abuse was being permitted in village next door? We need minimum standards, and that is the primary rationale for the existence of the state.This is not to say I would comfortably advocate too much central government though. In the U.S., in fact, I believe we really need to reduce federal power and empower the states. Actually,I think the real hope is in the states. While some states are taking baby steps towards marijuana decriminalization, the DEA busts medical marijuana shops. Local school districts try to innovate (sometimes incorporating the dreaded concept of "school choice") while the feds implement the statist "No Child Left Behind" program. During the civil rights era, federal power was needed to push the country into a more humane direction. Today, the national government is pushing us backward.