Libyan bloggers scrutinize corruption, poverty

Bloggers are up in arms after Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi told elderly beggars that they "disgraced us before the world" on national television.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 17/12/10

Libyan bloggers this week discussed corruption, underdevelopment and the lack of a change in governments in Arab states.

Naji al-Faitouri disagreed with the resentment felt by a large number of Libyans for being denied the right to exercise the power of the people. He explained that they are wrong to believe there is such thing as 'power of the people'.

The blogger justified citizens' error, blaming it on "the mind-manipulation they have been subject to for over forty years. They were told there was a 'power of the people', and that the only mistake was not applying the theory. The excuse upheld by proponents of the theory was that people in Libya were largely mobs."

"As such, this nation has unconsciously started to blame itself and accuse itself of ignorance, oppression and vice, for being unable to take on power, and consequently wealth and weapons. To dodge blame, people started to take it out on the revolutionary committees which, they thought, were more or less responsible for their being denied their rights and the luxury they were to bask in. Only a few Libyans thought otherwise. They knew the truth right from the start. Unfortunately, they are only a small bunch, and had no influence on the course of events, as those who would dare to say the truth were always relentlessly persecuted."

Salim al-Ragihe spoke of the footage aired by the Libyan television on December 10th, where Libyan President Moamer Kadhafi asked some old female beggars about their nationalities while touring some of the mosques in Tripoli.

The blogger sarcastically commented, "It became clear to him [Kadhafi] – beyond a shred of doubt – that those beggars were not Libyans! It is a well-known fact that a few years ago, Kadhafi admitted that there were thousands of destitute Libyan families! Also, his son, Seif al-Islam acknowledged that fact repeatedly. Secretary of the General People's Committee, al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi, the Libyan Prime Minister, declared in 2008 that there are 180,000 Libyan families that need aid from the state so as to improve their economic conditions."

"I really laughed when Kadhafi told those beggars, 'you disgraced us before the world.' The truth is he did Libyans more harm than anyone else, humiliated them and denied them the wealth of their homeland. Poverty-stricken Libyans are a flagrant fact on the Libyan land that is rich in oil. Some of them are the children and grandchildren of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Libya. You can recognize them from their impoverished homes. Visit the popular districts in Tripoli, Sabha, Banghazi, Tobruk, etc. You cannot miss their old, run-down houses. The most impoverished of Libyans hang on to their pride, despite being in dire straits."

Another blogger, Mohamed Badala, picked up the topic of existing conflicts over power in a number of countries, including the Arab states.

"Individuals, groups, and nations all across the world vie over power, presidency and control of others, whether justifiably or otherwise. Power brings unimaginable joy. That is why everyone is out to reach power, even if the route to the top has proved incredibly difficult. The final destination at the top is an indescribable pleasure. That is why people, good and bad, contend to attain power and control one another."

The blogger further wonders, "Why do people insist on controlling others even though they hate them? Why does Mubarak insist on ruling Egypt though most Egyptians are against him? Why does Nouri al-Malki insist on ruling Iraq though most Iraqis do not support him, and though Alawi beat him in the elections? Why does the president, whose term in office came to an end in Cote d'Ivoire, insist on continuing to rule, though Hassan Ouattara won the people's elections? Why do most rulers and presidents insist on clinging to power and passing it to their children? Why are opposition parties denied power, even if they win?"

"This is all because they are worried that the scandals they created and the money they ripped off while in office would be disclosed, and that people will hold them accountable and depose of them, to have worthier rulers replace them. Listen, rulers, if power had lasted for your predecessors, you would never have attained it. Democracy is all about people ruling themselves by themselves," Badala added.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/17/feature-03.