by B. R. GOWANI
PHOTOS/the 1960s had their share of world revolutions
Libya experienced one, too
in 1969, Libyans witnessed King Idris being deposed
and saw Gaddafi as their new leader
he and his partners didn’t face much resistance
so bloodshed was not a factor in the coup
also, by 1969, the preciousness of oil
and the western craving for it
was a well established fact
Libya had oil:
so Gaddafi had wealth
to use on people’s welfare
he started on the right path
but then the megalomania crept in
or, more correctly, it was always there
but wasn’t yet out of bound
the top placement in any system
is usually rife with great powers
and not everyone can control their base instincts
Nasser was Gaddafi’s hero
who resigned when Egypt lost the war to Israel
Egyptians rejected his resignation
and Nasser was reinstated;
his funeral saw millions in tears
Libyans want Gaddafi to quit
but he instead talks of “civil war”
so who’ll cry for Gaddafi when he is gone
because he is going Ceausescu and Mussolini’s way
also, Nasser never dreamed of spreading Islam
whereas Gaddafi is a missionary type
Nasser liked Gaddafi
but Nasser died in 1970
he didn’t live long enough
to see this fool’s idiocies
in 1969, Gaddafi’s was a bloodless entry
but his 2011 exit is heading towards rivers of blood
and in between a lot of blood was shed, too
the majority of Libyans have revolted
so Gaddafi is now in a minority
since his Green Book says:
“51 per cent of the votes leads to a dictatorial governing body
… a false democracy,
since 49 per cent of the electorate
is ruled by an instrument of government
they did not vote for,
but which has been imposed upon them”
so the beginning of the civil war is, actually
Gaddafi’s way of fighting for minority rights
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com