I just saw the news that Saif al Islam, Muammar Ghadafi’s son, is offering to hold elections in Libya, at this news link- (Gaddafi son offers Libya elections).
Readers will note that previously I expressed that I didn’t think the European powers and a few middle eastern ones should get involved in Libya (at this link). However, that does not mean I support Ghadafi. In fact, I think he is awful, and it would be better for him to be removed from power, and preferably leave the country. There’s no excuse for a person who rules unilaterally and as a dictator for 42 years.
What about all the other people in Libya? Do they have any chance to have a say in things? Or just one man- the BIG man, who can control everything for everyone else. Please, this is pathetic, this man has no right to take everyone else’s power away through a reign of suppression. I hope the Libyan people will get rid of him.
Ghadafi now senses, probably, that he is in serious trouble, as the rebel transitional council has made military gains in both the East and the far West of the country. So now, finally, after murdering demonstrators and resisting calls to resign to the point of waging a civil war against the Libyans in the East, he proposes to hold elections.
Well, its too late buddy. You should have done that about 37 years ago.
There is no way there can be fair elections in Libya after his own reign has brainwashed the Libyan people for the last 42 years. There may in fact be people in Libya who support Ghadafi, but their consciousness is false- they have been brainwashed through all these years to support him. I cannot take them seriously. Then there are others who support Ghadafi because they have a material interest in his regime- for example if they are employed by Ghadafi’s government, or a family member is employed by that same government. Of course, because these people have a material interest in Ghadafi, their opinion really has little moral weight to it, in terms of showing us how Ghadafi’s rule is legitimate.
But it is theoretically possible that Ghadafi would win an election at this point. I personally doubt he would win, but I cannot gauge the real sentiment among the Libyan people at this moment.
Ghadafi’s election call should be rejected because people need to make a voting decision in a free environment, free of pressure from an imposing power, so that they can make a free choice among different candidates (or better yet, in free and fair referendums). The only way to do that is to clear out the society of that old imposing power, which still clings desperately to its own power, and attempts to impose its will on the populace.
So I do think Ghadafi should go. He should resign and leave the country.
Therefore, I encourage all citizens, popular activist, internet activists, influential parties, and governments in the region and in the international community, not to fall for this trick by Ghadafi, and oust the dictator once and for all. Don’t be fooled by the dictator trying to hold onto his power even longer. Resist him.
While I still feel ambivalent about the bombing of some targets in Libya by the “Coalition”, the continuing of this war is really Ghadafi’s fault. If he were reasonable and allowed people to demonstrate as much as they wanted in the very beginning, including in Tripoli, there would have been no bombing and intervention. So it is Ghadafi’s fault. I only hope that the casualties from the bombing will be few, and that the claims by the Libyan government of civilian casualties are false (these claims are not possible to verify in the media controlled environment of Ghadafi-oppressed areas of Libya).
I still feel that it’s too early to make a clear call on where this is actually going to end up, but I hope it will be a more peaceful, democratic Libya where most or all people have the ability and the right to participate in political life.
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I just saw the news that Saif al Islam, Muammar Ghadafi’s son, is offering to hold elections in Libya, at this news link- (Gaddafi son offers Libya elections).
Readers will note that previously I expressed that I didn’t think the European powers and a few middle eastern ones should get involved in Libya (at this link). However, that does not mean I support Ghadafi. In fact, I think he is awful, and it would be better for him to be removed from power, and preferably leave the country. There’s no excuse for a person who rules unilaterally and as a dictator for 42 years.
What about all the other people in Libya? Do they have any chance to have a say in things? Or just one man- the BIG man, who can control everything for everyone else. Please, this is pathetic, this man has no right to take everyone else’s power away through a reign of suppression. I hope the Libyan people will get rid of him.
Ghadafi now senses, probably, that he is in serious trouble, as the rebel transitional council has made military gains in both the East and the far West of the country. So now, finally, after murdering demonstrators and resisting calls to resign to the point of waging a civil war against the Libyans in the East, he proposes to hold elections.
Well, its too late buddy. You should have done that about 37 years ago.
There is no way there can be fair elections in Libya after his own reign has brainwashed the Libyan people for the last 42 years. There may in fact be people in Libya who support Ghadafi, but their consciousness is false- they have been brainwashed through all these years to support him. I cannot take them seriously. Then there are others who support Ghadafi because they have a material interest in his regime- for example if they are employed by Ghadafi’s government, or a family member is employed by that same government. Of course, because these people have a material interest in Ghadafi, their opinion really has little moral weight to it, in terms of showing us how Ghadafi’s rule is legitimate.
But it is theoretically possible that Ghadafi would win an election at this point. I personally doubt he would win, but I cannot gauge the real sentiment among the Libyan people at this moment.
Ghadafi’s election call should be rejected because people need to make a voting decision in a free environment, free of pressure from an imposing power, so that they can make a free choice among different candidates (or better yet, in free and fair referendums). The only way to do that is to clear out the society of that old imposing power, which still clings desperately to its own power, and attempts to impose its will on the populace.
So I do think Ghadafi should go. He should resign and leave the country.
Therefore, I encourage all citizens, popular activist, internet activists, influential parties, and governments in the region and in the international community, not to fall for this trick by Ghadafi, and oust the dictator once and for all. Don’t be fooled by the dictator trying to hold onto his power even longer. Resist him.
While I still feel ambivalent about the bombing of some targets in Libya by the “Coalition”, the continuing of this war is really Ghadafi’s fault. If he were reasonable and allowed people to demonstrate as much as they wanted in the very beginning, including in Tripoli, there would have been no bombing and intervention. So it is Ghadafi’s fault. I only hope that the casualties from the bombing will be few, and that the claims by the Libyan government of civilian casualties are false (these claims are not possible to verify in the media controlled environment of Ghadafi-oppressed areas of Libya).
I still feel that it’s too early to make a clear call on where this is actually going to end up, but I hope it will be a more peaceful, democratic Libya where most or all people have the ability and the right to participate in political life.
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Posted in Civil Liberties, Civil War, Country commentaries, Democracy and Elections, Government, International system and law, Issues, Libya, Media | Tags: "the big man", 42 years of Ghadafi, brainwashing, democracy, dictator, dictator brainwashing, dictatorship, elections, european powers, fair elections, free elections, free voting environment, freedom of speech, Gadaffi, Ghadafi, Ghadafi afraid, Ghadafi resign, Ghadafi's fault, human rights, human rights abuse, intervention, Libya, Libya conflict, Libya prediction, Libya public opinion, Libya war, massacre of protesters, material interest, military dictatorship, military intervention, Muammar Ghadafi, murder of protesters, National Transitional Council, no to Ghadafi, NTC, Obama, oppression, people, people's vote, people's will, political control, political oppression, politics, Qaddafi, rebel, rebels, right to freedom of speech, right to participation, Saif al Islam Ghadafi, USA, war