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| Africa North | |
| Gadaffi: West's democracy ill-suited to Africa | |
| 2007-03-02 | |
Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi defended his 30-year-old unique system of rule based on grass-roots government on Wednesday, saying Western-style democracy was not appropriate for Africa. "All people must manage their country according to the cultural and social environment," Gadaffi said in a speech in the town of Sebha, 600km south of Tripoli.
Gadaffi, who is in his mid-sixties, seized power in the North African country in a coup in 1969. In 1977 he proclaimed popular rule to try to create the perfect society in line with the teachings of his Green Book, which combines aspects of socialism, Islam and pan-Arabism. The Arab world's longest-serving leader, Gadaffi holds no official post but is called Leader of the Revolution. Political analysts say he appears secure atop a centuries-old network of family and tribal-based loyalties. On Friday Libya is due to celebrate the anniversary of his Jamahiriyah, or state of the masses, based on a system of town hall meetings in which political parties are banned. Critics call it a dictatorship. Supporters say the system guarantees stability and gives people a direct say in ruling themselves, unlike Western democracy which Gadaffi condemns as the dictatorship of the 51%. On Wednesday Gadaffi described Western politics as a lottery and said the United Nations contained 190 leaders who were not chosen by the people but still oversaw six billion lives. "They got into power through corruption," he said. "Politics for them, of course, involves buying votes in elections." Gadaffi abolished big private enterprises and forbade Libyans to employ one another, explaining it was exploitative. In recent years he has said Libya should build companies, invest and liberalise the economy to make its citizens rich and reduce the country's reliance on foreigners. In his speech, which was punctuated by long pauses, Gadaffi returned to his traditional themes. "Economic crisis is crushing most societies and the big fortunes are dominated by a very narrow social class," he said. "Why do you criticise the theory of socialism or communism if all the people can benefit from the country's wealth? The fortune of every country belongs solely to the people." Libya's oil and gas-reliant economy is struggling to recover from almost two decades of economic sanctions, held back by inefficiency and corruption which Gadaffi himself has criticised. Gadaffi's speech came at the start of a public debate on democracy which included United States political scientist Benjamin Barber and British sociologist Anthony Giddens. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 Ghadawful loves power; everything else is window dressing. |
| Posted by: Sneaze 2007-03-02 20:09 |
| #12 I'm not sure that Bob's a good example of anything, Old Patriot. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2007-03-02 16:26 |
| #11 Three things are needed for western-style democracy to fluorish - individual freedom, a codified and respected bill of rights, and the acceptance and guarantee of personal property rights. Everything else will build on those. Remember, our Declaration of Independence stated that "to secure these rights, governments are constituted by men". The only way to bring people out of poverty is to give them ownership of their own lives. The acquisition and retention of personal property is essential for the abolition of poverty. The abolition of poverty is essential for the development of representative government. You can't have one without the other, or the strongest man who promises the most gets to be leader-for-life. A good example of this is Mugabe's Zimbabwe. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-03-02 15:34 |
| #10 said the United Nations contained 190 leaders who were not chosen by the people but still oversaw six billion lives. Moammar does have a point there, you know. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2007-03-02 13:37 |
| #9 I agree with him. Until the Africans, and Arabs for that matter, are prepared to abandon tribalism and adopt individualism, western type civil society, rule of law, representative democracy will not work, no matter how many elections Carter certifies. It will inevitably degenerate into one man, one vote, one time. Look at how long it took the Brits to de-tribalize India. I doubt any culture can be externally de-tribalized in less than 160 years, two lifetimes, of external domination and control. The western powers no longer have the faith in themselves or the stomach to take on such a task. So these third world nations will continue to stumble along until they gain the internal will to detribalize. And there are a lot of reasons to suspect this could take a long time without external pressure. Ultimately, I expect this to occur through another mechanism. More and more individuals will make the decision to leave the turd world for the west. This will grow the west and shrink the rest. The challenge will if the west will abandon the nonsense of racist multi-culturalism and assimilate them. Ultimately the current third world will start to contract into tribal areas that will look more and more similar to American Indian reservations without the benevolent Uncle Sugar. Disease and ignorance will return as previewed by AIDS and bird flu. If the west assimilates the emigrants, they will return to inhabit the periphery and conduct trade for natural resources with the tribes. From that state, things may or may not evolve. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-03-02 10:59 |
| #8 The peoples of Africa live in tribes and every tribe has a leader, so the system of elections and political parties suits Europe and America more than it does Africa Well, considering that is how Rome came up with the republic idea so the tribes could get along... Dumbass. Him and all of his despot friends need to be sent up the river. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-03-02 10:43 |
| #7 Gadaffi: West's democracy ill-suited to Africa Given the hard data, I'd say colonialism seemed to have worked better. After the dust settled the body count was certainly smaller. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-03-02 09:03 |
| #6 unique system of rule based on grass-roots government ...The only 'grass roots' involved in Gadaffi's government are the one's he's smoking. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2007-03-02 06:57 |
| #5 From the mouths of 3rd world dictators. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-03-02 04:53 |
| #4 So if he killed Libya's king and put himself in power as a col..... isn't he against the same system he said he was for? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-03-02 04:10 |
| #3 "The peoples of Africa live in tribes and every tribe has a leader, so the system of elections and political parties suits Europe and America more than it does Africa." Yes, and tribal leaders authorize actions such as those that took place on Dec 21, 1988 as well. Rot in hell you tent dwelling son of a camel spider! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-03-02 02:20 |
| #2 Lest we fergit, PRAVDA > "At least in the Soviet Union the People were [perm] poor but OPTIMISTIC" - you know, when the LARGE, SPACIOUS OCEAN-VIEW DACHAS of Party Leaders/Members alongst the Caspian-Black Sea = equals the decrepit State-subsidized MINOR APARTMENTS OF THE LOYAL MASSES = PEOPLE'S ARMY WORKER-SOLDATS IN SOVIET CITIES. WIth EQUALISM like that, who needs to run off to America, besides only the World!? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-03-02 01:16 |
| #1 On Wednesday Gadaffi described Western politics as a lottery and said the United Nations contained 190 leaders who were not chosen by the people but still oversaw six billion lives. "They got into power through corruption," he said. "Politics for them, of course, involves buying votes in elections." Gotta admin the old boy does a hell of a blind pig routine. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-03-02 01:01 |