The first time I ever came across Col Gadaffi was through my dad who was always considered a person with controversial views. When asking my dad why are you like this, he would often say that "Society needs to always be at a stage of revolution if it wants to move forward". Where did you get this from dad, I once asked? This is what he heard during one of Col Gadaffis speeches. Col Gadaffi was a soldier in the Libyan army and in September 1969 launched a bloodless coup against King Idris, the ruling Monarch of Libya.
Gadaffi came to power exactly 10 years after oil was first struck in Libya and he embarked on a process of nationalization, seizing the interests of all companies profiting from the countries resources. Following this process, national oil wealth was redistributed towards education, healthcare and infrastructure. Gadaffi also pioneered his own economic policies which he unsuccessfully attempted to export to other countries set out in his "Green Book". Some of the key benefits of living in Libya included the following:
1. Electricity and education was free to all citizens.
2. Annually the Libyan Government would transfer 15000 USD to each unemployed citizen.
3. Upon marriage, each citizen was given a 150 sqm apartment for free 100% Mahala.
4. Libyans experienced the highest living standards in Africa
5. Libya achieved, debt free status where it did not owe any country or any government a single cent.
6. With a stroke of luck, water was found in the middle of the Libyan desert. Without the use of any loans, the Gadaffi Government built the GMA(The Great Man Made River) which is considered the largest aquaduct water system in the world, taking water to places where there was none.
1. Electricity and education was free to all citizens.
2. Annually the Libyan Government would transfer 15000 USD to each unemployed citizen.
3. Upon marriage, each citizen was given a 150 sqm apartment for free 100% Mahala.
4. Libyans experienced the highest living standards in Africa
5. Libya achieved, debt free status where it did not owe any country or any government a single cent.
6. With a stroke of luck, water was found in the middle of the Libyan desert. Without the use of any loans, the Gadaffi Government built the GMA(The Great Man Made River) which is considered the largest aquaduct water system in the world, taking water to places where there was none.
In addition to providing for his people, Gadaffi also assisted freedom struggles in other countries in terms of funding but also in terms of setting up military training camps. An example of this is that several South African freedom movements established military bases in the country. Other movements which had strong ties to Libya include the PLO(Palestine Liberation Organisation) and the IRA(Irish Republican Army). He also assisted many African countries financially and contributed a great deal to the institutionalization of the African Union. As a result of these efforts he was also crowned the African King of Kings. This title now rests with Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. He also was referred to as brother leader to many African Heads of State.
Despite, being honored as a revolutionary in Africa and in other freedom seeking countries, Gadaffi was despised by the West and considered a nutcase or madman. Some of the reasons include, alleged human rights violations, his alleged involvement in the bombing of a PanAm airliner over Scotland, his support for freedom fighting movements, his strange colorful clothing, female bodyguards, his nationalization of Western oil companies and his long and often considered bullshit speeches" as was the case at the UN in 2009. I guess when you are debt free and owe nobody nothing, you can say what you want. In 2011, with the assistance of Nato, unhappy people seeking "democracy"in the country overthrew the government of Col Gadaffi resulting in his brutal death in October of that year. It is also strange that the UN was about to award the Gadaffi Government a human rights award prior to the uprising. Yes the same nutcase who was allegedly killing and abusing his people.(http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/16session/A-HRC-16-15.pdf). When watching the war taking place on TV, I think any person would have come to the conclusion that had it not been for Nato and its allies, the Gadaffi Government would probably have ended up like the Syrian Government of Bashar Al Assad, a prolonged fight. Gadaffi often mentioned that his fight was against Al Qaeda, nobody believed him(See Below). Assad also said the same but nobody believed him, today I think peoples opinions are slowly changing with the rise of ISIL etc.
I remember once hearing a saying that "a politician is someone who died 10 years ago". Other observations I have heard include, "no Government in truth cares or you only see them election time and that's it". In many countries throughout the world people are "free", but many of these free people are not really free, they are poor, live on the streets, are struggling and living from hand to mouth. Some of the benefits of living in Gadaffi"s Libya would most certainly have made many of us appreciative and content even if it meant keeping our mouths shut. I guess when you have something or given something on a plate, a culture of entitlement sets in and people will want more and more to a point where even more is not enough. Gadaffi was no saint, he most certainly has pissed many people off but credit must be given where its due, he most certainly did some things for his people.
Since his demise, Libya has never been the same. Libya has become an almost free for all society, with no proper functioning central government, police and army. As a result weapons once safely stored have now found its way to other countries creating instability for example Mali. It has become a place where there is too many chiefs to a point where fighting is currently taking place in Tripoli and Bengazi. Some countries even fear that Libya has become an AlQaeda Base. I am certain that some of them must be kicking themselves for getting rid of Gadaffi militarily.
Below is one of Gadaffi's last speeches which I think summarises these points perfectly. Happy reading.
Despite, being honored as a revolutionary in Africa and in other freedom seeking countries, Gadaffi was despised by the West and considered a nutcase or madman. Some of the reasons include, alleged human rights violations, his alleged involvement in the bombing of a PanAm airliner over Scotland, his support for freedom fighting movements, his strange colorful clothing, female bodyguards, his nationalization of Western oil companies and his long and often considered bullshit speeches" as was the case at the UN in 2009. I guess when you are debt free and owe nobody nothing, you can say what you want. In 2011, with the assistance of Nato, unhappy people seeking "democracy"in the country overthrew the government of Col Gadaffi resulting in his brutal death in October of that year. It is also strange that the UN was about to award the Gadaffi Government a human rights award prior to the uprising. Yes the same nutcase who was allegedly killing and abusing his people.(http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/16session/A-HRC-16-15.pdf). When watching the war taking place on TV, I think any person would have come to the conclusion that had it not been for Nato and its allies, the Gadaffi Government would probably have ended up like the Syrian Government of Bashar Al Assad, a prolonged fight. Gadaffi often mentioned that his fight was against Al Qaeda, nobody believed him(See Below). Assad also said the same but nobody believed him, today I think peoples opinions are slowly changing with the rise of ISIL etc.
I remember once hearing a saying that "a politician is someone who died 10 years ago". Other observations I have heard include, "no Government in truth cares or you only see them election time and that's it". In many countries throughout the world people are "free", but many of these free people are not really free, they are poor, live on the streets, are struggling and living from hand to mouth. Some of the benefits of living in Gadaffi"s Libya would most certainly have made many of us appreciative and content even if it meant keeping our mouths shut. I guess when you have something or given something on a plate, a culture of entitlement sets in and people will want more and more to a point where even more is not enough. Gadaffi was no saint, he most certainly has pissed many people off but credit must be given where its due, he most certainly did some things for his people.
Since his demise, Libya has never been the same. Libya has become an almost free for all society, with no proper functioning central government, police and army. As a result weapons once safely stored have now found its way to other countries creating instability for example Mali. It has become a place where there is too many chiefs to a point where fighting is currently taking place in Tripoli and Bengazi. Some countries even fear that Libya has become an AlQaeda Base. I am certain that some of them must be kicking themselves for getting rid of Gadaffi militarily.
Below is one of Gadaffi's last speeches which I think summarises these points perfectly. Happy reading.
Gadaffis Last Speech
For 40 years, or was it longer, I can’t remember, I did all I could to give people houses, hospitals, schools, and when they were hungry, I gave them food. I even made Benghazi into farmland from the desert, I stood up to attacks from that cowboy Ronald Reagan, when he killed my adopted orphaned daughter, he was trying to kill me, instead he killed that poor innocent child. Then I helped my brothers and sisters from Africa with money for the African Union. I did all I could to help people Understand the concept of real democracy, where people’s committees ran our country. But that was never enough, as some told me, even people who had 10 room homes, new suits and furniture, were never satisfied, as selfish as they were they wanted more. They told Americans and other visitors, that they needed "democracy" and "freedom" never realizing it was a cut throat system, where the biggest dog eats the rest, but they were enchanted with those words, never realizing that in America, there was no free medicine, no free hospitals, no free housing, no free education and no free food, except when people had to beg or go to long lines to get soup. No, no matter what I did, it was never enough for some, but for others, they knew I was the son of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the only true Arab and Muslim leader we’ve had since Salah-al-Deen, when he claimed the Suez Canal for his people, as I claimed Libya, for my people, it was his footsteps I tried to follow, to keep my people free from colonial domination – from thieves who would steal from us. Now, I am under attack by the biggest force in military history, my little African son, Obama wants to kill me, to take away the freedom of our country, to take away our free housing, our free medicine, our free education, our free food, and replace it with American style thievery, called "capitalism" ,but all of us in the Third World know what that means, it means corporations run the countries, run the world, and the people suffer. So, there is no alternative for me, I must make my stand, and if Allah wishes, I shall die by following His path, the path that has made our country rich with farmland, with food and health, and even allowed us to help our African and Arab brothers and sisters.
I do not wish to die, but if it comes to that, to save this land, my people, all the thousands who are all my children, then so be it. Let this testament be my voice to the world, that I stood up to crusader attacks of NATO, stood up to cruelty, stoop up to betrayal, stood up
to the West and its colonialist ambitions, and that I stood with my African brothers,
my true Arab and Muslim brothers, as a beacon of light.
When others were building castles, I lived in a modest house, and in a tent. I never forgot my youth in Sirte, I did not spend our national treasury foolishly, and like Salah-al-Deen, our great Muslim leader, who rescued Jerusalem for Islam, I took little for myself… In the West, some have called me "mad", "crazy", but they know the truth yet continue to lie, they know that our land is independent and free, not in the colonial grip, that my vision, my path, is, and has been clear and for my people and that I will fight to my last breath to keep us free, may Allah almighty help us to remain faithful and free.
– Mu’ummar Qaddafi.
RIP Brother Leader
For 40 years, or was it longer, I can’t remember, I did all I could to give people houses, hospitals, schools, and when they were hungry, I gave them food. I even made Benghazi into farmland from the desert, I stood up to attacks from that cowboy Ronald Reagan, when he killed my adopted orphaned daughter, he was trying to kill me, instead he killed that poor innocent child. Then I helped my brothers and sisters from Africa with money for the African Union. I did all I could to help people Understand the concept of real democracy, where people’s committees ran our country. But that was never enough, as some told me, even people who had 10 room homes, new suits and furniture, were never satisfied, as selfish as they were they wanted more. They told Americans and other visitors, that they needed "democracy" and "freedom" never realizing it was a cut throat system, where the biggest dog eats the rest, but they were enchanted with those words, never realizing that in America, there was no free medicine, no free hospitals, no free housing, no free education and no free food, except when people had to beg or go to long lines to get soup. No, no matter what I did, it was never enough for some, but for others, they knew I was the son of Gamal Abdel Nasser, the only true Arab and Muslim leader we’ve had since Salah-al-Deen, when he claimed the Suez Canal for his people, as I claimed Libya, for my people, it was his footsteps I tried to follow, to keep my people free from colonial domination – from thieves who would steal from us. Now, I am under attack by the biggest force in military history, my little African son, Obama wants to kill me, to take away the freedom of our country, to take away our free housing, our free medicine, our free education, our free food, and replace it with American style thievery, called "capitalism" ,but all of us in the Third World know what that means, it means corporations run the countries, run the world, and the people suffer. So, there is no alternative for me, I must make my stand, and if Allah wishes, I shall die by following His path, the path that has made our country rich with farmland, with food and health, and even allowed us to help our African and Arab brothers and sisters.
I do not wish to die, but if it comes to that, to save this land, my people, all the thousands who are all my children, then so be it. Let this testament be my voice to the world, that I stood up to crusader attacks of NATO, stood up to cruelty, stoop up to betrayal, stood up
to the West and its colonialist ambitions, and that I stood with my African brothers,
my true Arab and Muslim brothers, as a beacon of light.
When others were building castles, I lived in a modest house, and in a tent. I never forgot my youth in Sirte, I did not spend our national treasury foolishly, and like Salah-al-Deen, our great Muslim leader, who rescued Jerusalem for Islam, I took little for myself… In the West, some have called me "mad", "crazy", but they know the truth yet continue to lie, they know that our land is independent and free, not in the colonial grip, that my vision, my path, is, and has been clear and for my people and that I will fight to my last breath to keep us free, may Allah almighty help us to remain faithful and free.
– Mu’ummar Qaddafi.
RIP Brother Leader