Vienna 7/15/2022
I wrote about the war in Libya in the article Two different wars. Today I will deal with the dictatorship of Muammar al-Gaddafi.
With the word “dictatorship” we associate the cruelty, ruthlessness and oppression of the people of the country in which this dictatorship rules. There is no doubt that Gaddafi could be cruel to his political opponents. The question is: What do countries that claim to be democratic do better with their opponents? The answer to this question is the political repression of Julian Assange, whose only fault is publishing the truth about US crimes. See the Collateral Killers article for an example.
A January 2022 Gloria.tv article by Gaddafi – Libya once had the highest gross domestic product in all of Africa stated:
- There were no electricity bills in Libya. Electricity was free for all citizens.
- There was no interest on loans. The state banks made loans to all citizens at zero percent interest by law.
- Having a home was considered a human right in Libya.
- All newlyweds in Libya received $50,000. This money should enable people to buy their first home. The government wanted to help start a family.
- Education and medical treatment were free in Libya. Before Gaddafi came to power, only 25 percent of Libyans could read. Today the figure is 83 percent.
- If Libyans wanted to pursue a career in agriculture, they were given farmland, a farmhouse, equipment, seeds and livestock to jump-start their farms, all for free.
- When Libyans could not find the education or medical facilities they needed, they had the option to go abroad with the help of government funds. They were paid $2,300 a month for housing and a car.
- When a Libyan bought a car, the government subsidized 50 percent of the price.
- The price of petrol in Libya was $0.14 (12 centimes or approximately 0.10 euros) per liter.
- If a Libyan did not get a job after graduation, the state paid the average salary for the profession in which he was looking for a job until a job that was technically adequate was found.
- Libya has no external debt and its $150 billion in reserves are now frozen worldwide and likely lost forever.
- A portion of every Libyan oil sale was credited directly to the accounts of all Libyan citizens.
- Mothers who gave birth received $5,000.
- 25 percent of Libyans have a university degree.
- Gaddafi started The Great Man Made River Project (GMMRP or GMMR, dt. Great Man Made River Project) in Libya It is the world’s largest drinking water pipeline project for better water supply for the population and agriculture. Thank God Nato and rebels liberated the Libyan people from this…
In the countries of the former Eastern bloc, such state aid is of course associated with the theory of socialism. Yes, such plans remained only in the realm of theory. Outside the USSR there were not such large oil reserves. But Norway has them. And among other things, in 2011 Norway sent its planes to bomb Tripoli, the capital of Libya. What would the so-called public say if Libya sent its planes to bomb Oslo?
I invite you to watch 23 Sep 2009 Muammar Gaddafi speech at United Nations General Assembly..
Author of the article: Marek Wojcik