As I expected, there have been a number of articles, both from the left and right, that have gleefully reveled in the post-revolution problems that Libya is facing. So many armchair pundits, who are getting paid to peddle their opinions - even though they only recently could tell you where Benghazi is - are proudly yelling, I told you so. The right wing side come from a colonialist perspective that they are all barbarians. The left wing side come from a perspective that every ill in the world is orchestrated by the West, and none of these poor people are able to make choices themselves. Both sides converge on the classic 19th century Orientalism. That those poor savages are either incapable of taking care of themselves, and its the white mans burden to civilize them. Or that those poor savages cant make any decision for themselves. And everything that happens is orchestrated by the imperial bogeyman. Yes, the Libyan revolution has been hijacked. And its heartbreaking to see. But this in no way changes the timeline. It does not alter the events that actually occurred, and that these armchair pundits decided to erase. What I saw in those months of the revolution was the majority of the people of the East (I was only in the East) exercising their citizenship to the fullest. It was palpable in the air, and there was a sheer joy in tasting the air of freedom at last (to quote my buddy Tawfik Mansurey). The political vacuum that emerged, and those that emerged with it to create Hell within its borders...they cannot change that indelible mark that was made on those months. And every revolution attracts the thugs. With no real legal structure, nor a police force, nor a standing army in place, it is no surprise that these thugs have taken full advantage of the situation. And these articles do nothing but piss on the graves of the brave martyrs who gave their lives to rid the country of a bizarre, despotic tyrant. Mahdi Zew, Mohamed Nabbous, and thousands of others died in the belief of a better Libya.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 20:30:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015