Free Libya 02/21/2011
The flag of independent Libya, not Gaddafi's blank green rag
Here at Politics by Other Means, we’ve taken to mocking Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi, Libya’s leader for the past four decades. We made him into a running joke, because taking him seriously seemed futile. How else do you handle a tin-pot psychopath who goes from bombing French civilian aircraft to greeting French civil servants on the Champs Elysees with a camel and 30 virgins?
Thankfully, it looks like this odious goon’s 42-year reign is finally ending. Unfortunately, unlike Tunisia and Egypt, Libya lacks a strong sense of national identity. Gaddafi stayed in power, experts say, by playing divide and conquer with tribes. Even the military is supposedly divided on tribal lines. Tunisia is having enough trouble figuring out what to do after the ouster of Ben Ali. What are the chances for Libya, a state that Italy cobbled together from three Ottoman provinces, to build a stable and benign regime to succeed Gaddafi? (and talk about bad luck—having Italy as your colonizer!)
Nobody knows who or what will replace the discredited tyrannies collapsing across the Middle East. Nevertheless, the Libyan people, like the Tunisians and Egyptian before them, are declaring that the fear of the known is worse than the fear of the unknown. We stand with them, and hope that out of this struggle they can build a new Libya based on freedom and justice.
Thankfully, it looks like this odious goon’s 42-year reign is finally ending. Unfortunately, unlike Tunisia and Egypt, Libya lacks a strong sense of national identity. Gaddafi stayed in power, experts say, by playing divide and conquer with tribes. Even the military is supposedly divided on tribal lines. Tunisia is having enough trouble figuring out what to do after the ouster of Ben Ali. What are the chances for Libya, a state that Italy cobbled together from three Ottoman provinces, to build a stable and benign regime to succeed Gaddafi? (and talk about bad luck—having Italy as your colonizer!)
Nobody knows who or what will replace the discredited tyrannies collapsing across the Middle East. Nevertheless, the Libyan people, like the Tunisians and Egyptian before them, are declaring that the fear of the known is worse than the fear of the unknown. We stand with them, and hope that out of this struggle they can build a new Libya based on freedom and justice.
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Quote of the Day 02/21/2011
"Libya is...in theory...the most democratic state is the world"
-Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi
For more insane Saif quotes, check out Jon's coverage of the younger Gaddafi's speech at LSE last year here.
-Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi
For more insane Saif quotes, check out Jon's coverage of the younger Gaddafi's speech at LSE last year here.
Gaddafi Watch: Rough Night? 01/16/2011
Gaddafi hates the internet, and Kleenex (translation via Bahraini blogger Amira Al Hussaini):
This Internet, which any demented person, any drunk can get drunk and write in, do you believe it? The Internet is like a vacuum cleaner, it can suck anything. Any useless person; any liar; any drunkard; anyone under the influence; anyone high on drugs; can talk on the Internet, and you read what he writes and you believe it. This is talk which is for free. Shall we become the victims of "Facebook" and "Kleenex" and "YouTube"! Shall we become victims to tools they created so that they can laugh at our moods? We decide our destiny, based on facts and our needs. Besides, this is not the era of blood, of smoke, of burning, of knives and axes; this is the era of the people, and supposedly the era of democracy. Everything is by election and referendum, ie, through the people's direct authority, which is the people's direct democracy, and not through rumours, and Facebook, and YouTube, and the Kleenex and the cables of American Ambassadors. This world wide web Internet is laughing at us and damaging our countries; it is tearing up our clothes; and killing our children for it.
Full transcript in Arabic here.
This Internet, which any demented person, any drunk can get drunk and write in, do you believe it? The Internet is like a vacuum cleaner, it can suck anything. Any useless person; any liar; any drunkard; anyone under the influence; anyone high on drugs; can talk on the Internet, and you read what he writes and you believe it. This is talk which is for free. Shall we become the victims of "Facebook" and "Kleenex" and "YouTube"! Shall we become victims to tools they created so that they can laugh at our moods? We decide our destiny, based on facts and our needs. Besides, this is not the era of blood, of smoke, of burning, of knives and axes; this is the era of the people, and supposedly the era of democracy. Everything is by election and referendum, ie, through the people's direct authority, which is the people's direct democracy, and not through rumours, and Facebook, and YouTube, and the Kleenex and the cables of American Ambassadors. This world wide web Internet is laughing at us and damaging our countries; it is tearing up our clothes; and killing our children for it.
Full transcript in Arabic here.
Meetings are Boring 01/10/2011
Can anyone name the two in the middle?
Gaddafi Watch: ART [UPDATED] 06/29/2010
Striking, no?
When he isn't trying to explain the importance of his father's little green book or wax poetic on how the international political system should democratize, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi (in PBOM parlance GaddafiLite) likes to pull out the brushes and paint.
The results? Predictable but none the less hilarious. Portraits of his father (see above), obvious political pieces ("Intifada" and "The Dead" among others) and a magic horse. I think this review from Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones sums it all up pretty well:
Saif's vision extends far further than politics, encompassing love, what it is to be an artist, and every other imaginable cliche. His paintings are extensively, I would say exhaustively, represented in the exhibition and the achievement is, in its way, breathtaking. Look for a moment at his tribute to romanticism, Bella Rosa. A real rose, red and with a straight stem, is fixed to a canvas next to a painting of the same rose. Love, as the artist comments, "is a gift from God to all men," and this is a memento of a very special person in his life. There is an even greater triumph of banality in Arab Horse. A lovely horse, glowing white, gallops towards us over fuzzy green grass in front of a brown sky. The painting remarkably reproduces in oils the look, quality and sophistication of a picture done on a pavement in chalk.
You can see more of GaddafiLite's work and the work of other modern Libyan artists on his website: www.thedesertisnotsilent.com.
Hat tip to Gavin
PS: Why does GaddafiLite's website have Google Ads? Daddy must have cut his allowance.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, many of these old links are dead. Check out this new post for pictures.
The results? Predictable but none the less hilarious. Portraits of his father (see above), obvious political pieces ("Intifada" and "The Dead" among others) and a magic horse. I think this review from Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones sums it all up pretty well:
Saif's vision extends far further than politics, encompassing love, what it is to be an artist, and every other imaginable cliche. His paintings are extensively, I would say exhaustively, represented in the exhibition and the achievement is, in its way, breathtaking. Look for a moment at his tribute to romanticism, Bella Rosa. A real rose, red and with a straight stem, is fixed to a canvas next to a painting of the same rose. Love, as the artist comments, "is a gift from God to all men," and this is a memento of a very special person in his life. There is an even greater triumph of banality in Arab Horse. A lovely horse, glowing white, gallops towards us over fuzzy green grass in front of a brown sky. The painting remarkably reproduces in oils the look, quality and sophistication of a picture done on a pavement in chalk.
You can see more of GaddafiLite's work and the work of other modern Libyan artists on his website: www.thedesertisnotsilent.com.
Hat tip to Gavin
PS: Why does GaddafiLite's website have Google Ads? Daddy must have cut his allowance.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, many of these old links are dead. Check out this new post for pictures.
The Colonel's love affair with Italy continues. It's a heartwarming story really. From the Telegraph:
Gaddafi has reportedly "adopted" the tiny town of Antrodoco after discovering it by chance last year when he travelled to Italy for the G8 summit in the earthquake-hit city of L'Aquila. Nervous of driving through tunnels possibly weakened by the powerful quake on the motorway which connects Rome with L'Aquila, he instead instructed his entourage to take a winding back route through the mountains.
He stopped for a break in Antrodoco and was reportedly bowled over by the locals' hospitality and warmth. After posing for group photographs and hugging villagers, he was quoted by La Repubblica as telling them: "You have entered my heart and I won't forget you." The Libyan leader subsequently sent several envoys to the village, including his ambassador to Rome, Hafed Gaddur. [...]
Col. Gaddafi has reportedly promised to help the village by converting a historic palazzo into a luxury hotel and setting up a business bottling mineral water from a mountain spring.
Who says all colonial relationships have to end badly?
Gaddafi has reportedly "adopted" the tiny town of Antrodoco after discovering it by chance last year when he travelled to Italy for the G8 summit in the earthquake-hit city of L'Aquila. Nervous of driving through tunnels possibly weakened by the powerful quake on the motorway which connects Rome with L'Aquila, he instead instructed his entourage to take a winding back route through the mountains.
He stopped for a break in Antrodoco and was reportedly bowled over by the locals' hospitality and warmth. After posing for group photographs and hugging villagers, he was quoted by La Repubblica as telling them: "You have entered my heart and I won't forget you." The Libyan leader subsequently sent several envoys to the village, including his ambassador to Rome, Hafed Gaddur. [...]
Col. Gaddafi has reportedly promised to help the village by converting a historic palazzo into a luxury hotel and setting up a business bottling mineral water from a mountain spring.
Who says all colonial relationships have to end badly?
PBOM is live at the London School of Economics for a speech by Saif al-Islam al-Ghaddafi (Gaddafi, Qaddafi, Khadafi...), the son of the Brother of the Revolution, Colonel Muammar al-Ghaddafi. Saif is Chairman of the Orwellian Ghaddafi International Foundation for Charity and Development. See our previous posts on Gaddafi here.
8:09 - Speech is done. When Saif stood up (to leave) the front two rows (of Arab men in suits) stood up immediately in unison. Kinda creepy.
8:06 - He answered the hardball question (see below) by saying that what I am saying about participatory democracy is not new, this is all in the green book, so there is no dispute on this between me and my father. He says the difference is that he wants to do it more efficiently. On a question about the relations between Libya and its neighbors-- one great line: We don't trust them. On women in Libya, he says they are already too powerful (jokingly).
7:59 - Great question from the crowd: ""Forget brain drain, no Libyan I know wants to go back. So called democracies can be easily manipulated by those in power. How can you explain that his won't happen in Libya?" Look like time will run out before he has to answer, he's been busy rambling about the other softballs about tourism.
7:48 - Says don't listen to rumors, all Libyans want to go forward, there is no "old guard", bureaucrats are all pro reform. It "is not like Iran." So then what are we waiting for? Now he's answering a question about why hasn't he mentioned his father in his speech, Colonel Ghadaffi. He says we have facts in Libya, we are Arabs, Muslims, and barbarians (apparently Saif made a bad translation in his head of "Berber"), and that Colonel Ghaddafi is not only his father, but also the Father of the Nation, and nothing can happen without him. Spontaneous applause in the theater. Supporters have been placed very cleverly, because this not the first time that this has happened. The applause isn't confined to the front row, and people who don't look Libyan at all are applauding.
Click "Read More" to Continue -------------->
8:09 - Speech is done. When Saif stood up (to leave) the front two rows (of Arab men in suits) stood up immediately in unison. Kinda creepy.
8:06 - He answered the hardball question (see below) by saying that what I am saying about participatory democracy is not new, this is all in the green book, so there is no dispute on this between me and my father. He says the difference is that he wants to do it more efficiently. On a question about the relations between Libya and its neighbors-- one great line: We don't trust them. On women in Libya, he says they are already too powerful (jokingly).
7:59 - Great question from the crowd: ""Forget brain drain, no Libyan I know wants to go back. So called democracies can be easily manipulated by those in power. How can you explain that his won't happen in Libya?" Look like time will run out before he has to answer, he's been busy rambling about the other softballs about tourism.
7:48 - Says don't listen to rumors, all Libyans want to go forward, there is no "old guard", bureaucrats are all pro reform. It "is not like Iran." So then what are we waiting for? Now he's answering a question about why hasn't he mentioned his father in his speech, Colonel Ghadaffi. He says we have facts in Libya, we are Arabs, Muslims, and barbarians (apparently Saif made a bad translation in his head of "Berber"), and that Colonel Ghaddafi is not only his father, but also the Father of the Nation, and nothing can happen without him. Spontaneous applause in the theater. Supporters have been placed very cleverly, because this not the first time that this has happened. The applause isn't confined to the front row, and people who don't look Libyan at all are applauding.
Click "Read More" to Continue -------------->
Can You Use the Word in a Sentence Please? 05/11/2010
According to ABC's news blog The World Newser there are 112 different ways to spell Muammar al-Gaddafi in English:
Because of the difficulty translating Arabic to English, there are several different translations -- the Library of Congress lists 72 alternate spellings, and the New York times, Associated Press and Xinhua news sources used 40 additional spellings between 1998 and 2008.
Qaddafi, Muammar
Al-Gathafi, Muammar
al-Qadhafi, Muammar
Al Qathafi, Mu'ammar
Al Qathafi, Muammar
El Gaddafi, Moamar
El Kadhafi, Moammar Gadafi, Muammar
Gaddafi, Moamar
Gadhafi, Mo'ammar
Gathafi, Muammar
[...]
See the full list here. For what it's worth the Libyan President's personal website uses the "Muammar al-Gathafi" spelling. We should all just agree to avoid the mess that is transliteration and call him "The Colonel."
Because of the difficulty translating Arabic to English, there are several different translations -- the Library of Congress lists 72 alternate spellings, and the New York times, Associated Press and Xinhua news sources used 40 additional spellings between 1998 and 2008.
Qaddafi, Muammar
Al-Gathafi, Muammar
al-Qadhafi, Muammar
Al Qathafi, Mu'ammar
Al Qathafi, Muammar
El Gaddafi, Moamar
El Kadhafi, Moammar Gadafi, Muammar
Gaddafi, Moamar
Gadhafi, Mo'ammar
Gathafi, Muammar
[...]
See the full list here. For what it's worth the Libyan President's personal website uses the "Muammar al-Gathafi" spelling. We should all just agree to avoid the mess that is transliteration and call him "The Colonel."
Gaddafi Watch!!! 05/03/2010
Der Spiegel has a great new interview with the man, the legend: His Excellency Brother Leader Moammar Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. (Seriously, that's his full title.)
Here's a quick summary:
1. Switzerland = The Mafia, The Masons and Al Qaeda all rolled into one:
Gadhafi: Money is laundered on a grand scale in Switzerland. Anyone who robs a bank later invests the money in Switzerland. Anyone who evades taxes goes to Switzerland. Anyone who wants to deposit money in secret accounts goes to Switzerland. And a large number of owners of such secret accounts have died under mysterious circumstances.
SPIEGEL: Excuse me?
Gadhafi: Yes, Switzerland is behind it all.
2. Gaddafi lies:
SPIEGEL: Allow us to ask once again: Are you really hearing today for the first time that your son allegedly severely beat two people?
Gadhafi: Yes, I'm hearing this now for the first time.
Check out the full article for more on Gaddafi's love for Silvio Berlusconi, opinions on Angela Merkel's "manliness" and plan to bring peace in the Middle East.
Hat tip to Becky R.
Here's a quick summary:
1. Switzerland = The Mafia, The Masons and Al Qaeda all rolled into one:
Gadhafi: Money is laundered on a grand scale in Switzerland. Anyone who robs a bank later invests the money in Switzerland. Anyone who evades taxes goes to Switzerland. Anyone who wants to deposit money in secret accounts goes to Switzerland. And a large number of owners of such secret accounts have died under mysterious circumstances.
SPIEGEL: Excuse me?
Gadhafi: Yes, Switzerland is behind it all.
2. Gaddafi lies:
SPIEGEL: Allow us to ask once again: Are you really hearing today for the first time that your son allegedly severely beat two people?
Gadhafi: Yes, I'm hearing this now for the first time.
Check out the full article for more on Gaddafi's love for Silvio Berlusconi, opinions on Angela Merkel's "manliness" and plan to bring peace in the Middle East.
Hat tip to Becky R.
Gaddafi Speaks! 04/27/2010
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, PBOM’s favorite world leader, spoke to the World Affairs Councils of America yesterday via video link. Unfortunately, I can’t find the video, so the best I can do is provide highlights from David Millibank and the Palestine Note:
Gaddafi on Obama:
"I really endorse and support the policies that he has adopted so far…He comes from, originally from a Muslim family, maybe even of an Arab origin…And at least psychologically, it was very useful."
Gaddafi also congratulated Obama for having "condemned the war in Vietnam." [The Vietnam War ended when Obama was 13]
On Saddam Hussein:
His execution was "really sad."
On Women:
Women should be "reproducers" and avoid "male vocations." [or they should be virgin bodyguards]. This is part of the natural “division of labor.”
On Israel:
A single state, modeled after Lebanon, called Isratine. "I think this is a historical -- a final solution." [The Final Solution was also the Nazi phrase for the holocaust]
On Obama’s ramping up of the Afghanistan War:
"As a military person myself, I can understand the military aspect of this," he said, calling the troop increase "irrelevant" because withdrawal will follow.
Guests were also treated to free copies of Gaddafi’s “green book”, in which the Brother of the Revolution outlines his famed political philosophy. On a more serious note, Gaddafi appeared irritated that he was not invited to Obama's Nuclear Summit, despite having peacefully renounced his own nuclear weapons program.
Gaddafi on Obama:
"I really endorse and support the policies that he has adopted so far…He comes from, originally from a Muslim family, maybe even of an Arab origin…And at least psychologically, it was very useful."
Gaddafi also congratulated Obama for having "condemned the war in Vietnam." [The Vietnam War ended when Obama was 13]
On Saddam Hussein:
His execution was "really sad."
On Women:
Women should be "reproducers" and avoid "male vocations." [or they should be virgin bodyguards]. This is part of the natural “division of labor.”
On Israel:
A single state, modeled after Lebanon, called Isratine. "I think this is a historical -- a final solution." [The Final Solution was also the Nazi phrase for the holocaust]
On Obama’s ramping up of the Afghanistan War:
"As a military person myself, I can understand the military aspect of this," he said, calling the troop increase "irrelevant" because withdrawal will follow.
Guests were also treated to free copies of Gaddafi’s “green book”, in which the Brother of the Revolution outlines his famed political philosophy. On a more serious note, Gaddafi appeared irritated that he was not invited to Obama's Nuclear Summit, despite having peacefully renounced his own nuclear weapons program.
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