POLITICS

THE DEATH OF MUAMMAR GADDAFI, HYPOCRISY’S FINEST HOUR

With: Muthoni Ismail

It would appear that the world went mad on September 11 2001, when a part of it was in jubilation because about 3,000 innocent people lost their lives as a result of a suicide attack and the other in mourning. The jubilant people gave many reasons for their happiness and justified an evil of great monstrosity. The inappropriate nature of the affect of those who were rejoicing was obvious to those who know that death and destruction evokes sadness and mourning from normal people and that inappropriate affect is a feature seen in schizophrenia.
Since then, the madness of the world has continued. Every day, innocent women, children and elderly people are killed by unmanned American drones patrolling the skies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Innocent soldiers are killed by IEDS, and many more are killed by insurgence. In an attempt to avenge the death of 3000 innocent people, tens of thousands more have been killed, countries renders ungovernable and many young people radicalized. The world has become a more dangerous place. Yet, people justify the senseless destruction that some people are determined to continue in the name of war on terror or fight for democracy as if there is no other way.
Earlier this year, the signs of madness were reversed as America erupted in jubilation at the death of Osama Bin Laden and the people of Pakistan and many of his supporters mourned his death. Again I could not help noticing the incongruity of affect. It was yet another pathetic spectacle to watch western leaders justifying extra judicial killing of an unarmed man who should have been brought to justice in accordance with civilized values. In that round, America celebrated and the fundamentalist Islamic world mourned. Then few weeks later a helicopter crash resulted in the death of some elite American soldiers, some of who took part in the killing of Osama Bin laden and Americans mourned and Islamic fundamentalists rejoiced.
Since then, the madness has taken a sinister turn as the world economy collapsed and the governments instead of bailing out the tax payers, bailed out the Bankers who are owned money by tax payers with tax payer’s money leaving tax payers eternally indebted to banks. The Arab world erupted in violence and bloodshed, which has so far claimed three governments and one head of state. The spectacle has been gripping to watch, with soldier shooting on defenseless citizens in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, and police brutalizing peaceful demonstrators in ‘developed countries’. Who would ever have believed that Saddam Hussein would be found in a hole on the ground? Who would have thought that Hosni Mubarak would be brought to an Egyptian Court on his sick bed? Who would have imagined that Brother Leader, Strong man of Libya, King of kings of Africa and Imam of Muslims, would have been found on a drain pipe and killed like a dog? These are the realities of life in our mad planet. It is frequently unpredictable and the seemingly impossible, seldom proves insurmountable; a lesson to those who think that Nigeria cannot make a peaceful transition to good government.
Thursday 21 October 2011, was another day that diminished humanity and provided evidence that humanity has not evolved much from the cave of ignorance and learnt very little form history. It suggests that inspite of our smart phones and advanced technologies that we are still very much animals at heart. Brother leader, Mummar Gadhafi, was a wicked a dictator who brutalized his people, enriched his family and friends and persecuted his opponents. He had lived in power and splendor, feared by friends and foes; his word was law and his ambition and ego knew no bounds. He spent a substantial part of his country’s oil wealth on arms which did not protect him from his people. He also supported freedom fighters and the struggle against apartheid. Which goes to show that nobody is so evil that he is not capable of some good? He was found inside a drain pipe and shot like a dog.
He ended like many others before him, another example about life which humanity has refused to learn. Which is that we indeed blossom and flourish, and then wither and die? That only goodness protects on the day of rage. How different his meeting with the rebel would have been, if Muammar Gaddafi had allowed his people some of the rights he reserved for only the members of his family and friends. Even though he often made a monkey of African leaders, he did some good when his demon left him which was not very often. Yes he was a megalomaniac with delusional ideas of grandeur about his power and position in the world. But he did not deserve to be murdered in the circumstance the rebel did. Yes, it was a war, but he had been captured and he was defenseless. There is no excuse to murder a defenseless old man in cold blood, no matter his crimes. The manner of Gaddaffi’s murder should shame the west and all believers in civilized values. It makes mockery of the west claim to higher moral and civil values and gives insight into the type of future that may await Libya.
What is about dictators that they do not understand their vulnerability? Muammer Gaddafi must have had a different view of the revolution. May be, he believed that they were a group of young people on drugs who would regain their common sense once the effect of their drugs wore off. No, he knew they were rebels and he said that he would show them no mercy. Unfortunately, he was stopped from his real intentions for Benghazi. How difficult to prevent evil. What was prevented in Benghazi was allowed in Sirte. How sad and imperfect human justice can be. It all boils down to who your friends are.
It is inconceivable that with a son who holds a doctorate degree from a top British university that Gaddafi could not understand how vulnerable he was in the face of the West apparent failure to take over Iraqi’s oil field and its economic collapse. His mistake has had a fatal outcome for him and a very serious long term consequences for the country he claimed to loved but lived to exploit. Another important lesson for African dictators that, the best way to secure your legacy is to look after your people and allow them the freedom and consideration you allow members of your family and friends. I hope the president of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Bokino Fasso and Nigerian politicians are watching the news. If it can happen to Brother Leader, it can happen to anybody in Africa.
The apparent triumph of the Libya revolution is the victory of liberty over tyranny, but the killing of Mummar Gaddaffi’s in cold blood is the defeat of a smaller evil by a bigger evil. How can a country defend and justify the broadcasting of a mob setting on an old man and still lay claim to higher moral values? Pictures which would have been described as gruesome and in bad taste under a different circumstance and censored were judged acceptable because it was Gaddafi. Gross violation of human rights and rules and laws of war are being justified. Bombs were dropped on innocent people who have not done anything to deserve their fate. Cities have destroyed which may never be rebuilt. When has it become acceptable to shoot prisoners of war in cold blood? Or besiege a city because of one man. It is a dangerous thing to justify evil because it was mated to a wicked man. What goes around comes around. 21 October 2011 May go down in history as hypocrisy’s finest hour. If the west cares so much about freedom and democracy and justice, why is it silent on Syria, Palestinian problem and Yemen? Does it mean that what is good for Libya is bad for Syria, Yemen and Palestine? I think Mummar Gadhafi was a grotesque dictator, but I will always defend his right to due process even though he denied it to many people. A civilized people do not judge themselves by the standard of those who they oppose. I come from a culture that abhors death penalty. We exiled our murders and rapists because my ancestors realized that evil is conceived in the dark part of human heart and that the only cure is to give an evil man opportunity to reflect on his evil. They knew that revenge makes bad justice.
In the face of opposition, Gaddaffi’s resulted to type; having suppressed his people for so long he underrated the determination of the people and miscalculated the reaction of his so called friends. Even though he wined and dined with western leaders, and his children socialized with the cream de la cream, they treated him as an outcast at the time of his greatest need. He could not read the signs of the time. If he did, he would have understood that he represented a dying breed which no longer served the interest of the west. That he behaved the way he did may not baffle, if one realize that he had never lived in the same world with the rest of us. He died because he lived in a fool’s paradise and put his trust in men and his weapons of war.
Like his predecessors he chose to fight to the end when he could have lived. He forgot that power is held in trust for the people and must be surrendered once the people want it back. He had ample time to negotiate a dignified exit but chose to be guided by his pride, ego and overvalued ideas about him and power. He could not read the mood of the people. His life is evidence that in the end, if not in this world, definitely in the hereafter, good will triumph over evil, that the triumph of evil over good which we experience every day is but momentary. The end of Gadhafi, although, tragic, barbaric and unnecessary is another lesson to all leaders who use their political position to amass wealth and build political dynasties on corruption; that anything build on corruption will not endure, That there is no leader too strong for the people to remove from power. That tyranny may endure for a time, but in the end, the will of the people will prevail.
The west will not emerge from Libya covered in glory. The death of Gaddafi is the end of the beginning of the problem of Libya. African leaders should study the relationship of Gaddaffi’s and the west to understand the type of friends the west can be. Libya has been thrown into uncharted water. I hope it is smooth sailing for Libya from now. Who knows, who will be next, the sharks have tasted blood.