I know two families from Libya, long time patients of mine. Both have said life under Gaddafi was wonderful especially education-wise. All 4 of the parents received university degrees in Libya. The only negative comment I have heard is from the family that is Muslim who felt Gaddafi was not Muslim enough during his reign.
Discussion
People underestimate how much a dictator you have to be if you want to fend off the sneaky actions of the CIA. They will kill or overthrow you if you don't cooperate.
Very true. So the choice becomes be a bad dictator or die. What would you choose?
What would you define as bad?
The Western media knows very well how to portray the actions of unaligned leaders in a way they always seem badguys(especially by our so called standards). Thing is, your media is captured by the same interests as the CIA. You cannot believe anything you hear unless you live there imo. So many wars have been started over lies.
Would I be 'bad' by being undemocratic? Wouldn't have a problem with that in dire times. Sometimes that opposition is funded by NGOs run by the US state department. People should realize politics and propaganda is part of the battlefield.
Would I send millions of my citizens to their deaths? No
Luckily, I'll never be in that position because I don't have the ambitions to become one or a politician. It are difficult choices. Choices that can easily be interpreted as bad/evil to the outside.
Perception is a major factor.
Wouldn’t take millions. Not even tens of thousands. Killing innocents to save power is always bad. But you are right. Hard to know what he actually did unless you are in the inner circle.
No, it's wouldn't be to save power.
How about executing 100 traitors and spies that would sell you country to foreign business interests in order to leech all the wealth from the country, so you can keep the rest our your citizens wealthy and happy?
You already have the presumption a dictator is bad.
Not true. Dictatorship isn’t bad. Depends on the person. What if the dictator was the one doing the selling? That is usually who it is.
Here is a list of things I found online for positive things Gaddafi did for Libya. I certainly never learned about a single one of these things in school or on msm and wouldn’t know about the college education if it weren’t for my Libyan patients.
1.There is no electricity bill in Libya; electricity is free for all its citizens.
2.There is no interest on loans, banks in Libya are state-owned and loans given to all its citizens at zero percent interest by law.
3.Having a home is considered a human right in Libya.
4.All newlyweds in Libya receive $60,000 dinar (U.S.$50,000) by the government to buy their first apartment so to help start up the family.
5.Education and medical treatments are free in Libya. Before Gaddafi only 25 percent of Libyans were literate. Today, the figure is 83 percent.
6.Should Libyans want to take up farming career, they would receive farming land, a farming house, equipments, seeds and livestock to kickstart their farms all for free.
7.If Libyans cannot find the education or medical facilities they need, the government funds them to go abroad, for it is not only paid for, but they get a U.S.$2,300/month for accommodation and car allowance.
8.If a Libyan buys a car, the government subsidizes 50 percent of the price.
9.The price of petrol in Libya is $0.14 per liter.
10.Libya has no external debt and its reserves amounting to $150 billion are now frozen globally.
11.If a Libyan is unable to get employment after graduation the state would pay the average salary of the profession, as if he or she is employed, until employment is found.
12.A portion of every Libyan oil sale is credited directly to the bank accounts of all Libyan citizens.
13.A mother who gives birth to a child receives U.S.$5,000.
14. 40 loaves of bread in Libya cost $0.15.
15. 25 percent of Libyans have a university degree.
16.Gaddafi carried out the world’s largest irrigation project, known as the Great Manmade River project, to make water readily available throughout the desert country.
Libya doesn’t sound like a bad place to live honestly.
Hard to say. Is anyone immigrating to there? Don’t see that in the media
Interesting. I will have to look those up. How long has he been dead? They still doing those things?
Like 15 years right? No idea, but I’d be shocked if most are still in place. Socialism always breaks down.
Not as long as I thought. 2011. Thought he was killed early 2000s when Bush was president. Bourbon has damaged my memory
He wanted to make a north African coin to trade oil independent from the dollar I think. You don't just threaten to primary source of American power and get away with it.
Gaddafi was also a fashionista. He had outfits! 😂😂
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. All we hear is filtered thru media. So any post from a Libyan is appreciated.
I thought it was interesting too. It was the first time in my life I really felt like I had been fed Western propaganda and honestly I didn’t fully believe them at the time.
Those Libyans in America and the West had the means to either escape the Gadaffi regime or, more often, because they had close ties with his tribe and were allowed to leave. These Libyans are very often his supporters because they were in his pocket. I would say the vast majority disliked him and he caused far more internal issues than were ever reported to the outside world. Took some time but he very much became a dictator after he seized power and basically acquired the countries wealth - then came western interference, sponsored terrorism, international meddling, the denial of free speech and regular public hangings of writers and poets or anyone who spoke out against him. He mellowed towards the end a little later but the Libyan people have long memories.
Makes sense. Both families immigrated here in late 90’s/early 2000. I still found it interesting that they described their life there as idyllic growing up. I hear the same from my patients who grew up in Venezuela in the 90’s/early 2000’s.
It is certainly interesting. When he first came to power it was good. And the country itself is beautiful for many reasons. Started changing early to mid-80s and progressively got worse hence the exodus for those who could. What would be interesting is to ask these families why they emigrated in the first place and how often they went back while he was still in power.
Excellent question. Why leave if it was so good?
I know the answer to this because I asked them. They both emigrated for the dream of American riches. Same for my family from Korea in the 70’s. It’s human nature to want more than your basic needs met. It is surprising to me to see the younger Korean generation in my family no longer dreams of coming to America.
I went to school in Libya. With Americans and other expat children from many other nations. That was until he expelled them all. Was an idyllic time until then (in my child’s eyes).
I think what they are seeing and reading about America isn’t accurate. And I would think South Korea would be a great place to live.
No I think it’s accurate. There are just a lot of opportunities there and it’s technologically superior in many ways.
i agree. the administration of the usa consists of a demented clown wandering around mumbling words which do not even exist, a woman who speaks like a 5 year old and other complete morons.
they want to turn the usa into a communist cesspool. you can see the effects already in commifornia and other communist states. the us was a superior country for technology but this has changed almost 180% with an attack to the new technologies which will blossom outside of the usa.
korea does not care what the usa does
africa does not care
mexico does not care
the whole world does not care
the usa is just another country, a small one with a small number of people
most people in the usa have been brainwashed into thinking that their place is the best in the world or the richest in the world. this is not true, far from the reality. many countries are much richer and do not have those problems with crime, unemployed and homeless as in the usa.
if you travel, you know that there are many far better countries than the usa
Safe to say all we see or read is the bad stuff. Sure it wasn’t great for everyone. Nor was it hell for everyone.