General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Rise of a ‘Democratic’ Fascism (John Pilger) [View all]sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)his help in ending Apartheid.
We here in the West view Africa still as a Colonial Continent. Gadaffi was pouring money into building up an African NATO to prevent the West from colonizing the Continent every again. That didn't sit well with the old Colonial Imperialists. They still have 'interests' on that Continent.
I try to look at things from the POV of Africa rather than of Western Empires. And when you do that, it's amazing what a different view you get.
I imagine both Bishop Tutu and Mandela also viewed Gadaffi, whose country had one of the highest standards of living in Africa and whose government was employing Africans from other African nations and paying them large salaries for the work they were doing in Libya, from the POV of Africa also.
He was also putting money into other African nations, helping with infrastructure, education etc.
We in the West have a very bigoted Foreign Policy. In our view, Africa and the ME and South America cannot get along without our superior intellects guiding them choosing their Dictators for them and 'managing' their resources, from the pov of Africa.
To us in the West, THEIR leaders are all bad if they won't hand over their natural resources.
And yet, we've supported some of the most brutal leaders, all over the globe. So it's not like it matters if a leader is bad or good, it matters how much of his country's resources he's willing to hand over.
Try viewing Africa from the viewpoint of Africans rather than the Western Colonial nations.
Our Western Leaders were quite fond of Gadaffi so long as they had access to his oil.
It didn't bother them how brutal he was, I already told you, the US sent 'detainees' to be tortured in Libya.
So it's not like we CARED what kind of guy he was so long as he was on board with our needs.
But when he decided that Africa needed its own currency, suddenly all the stuff we turned a blind eye to before, became just 'terrible'.
I hate and despise hypocrisy.
The West destroyed Africa after years and years of Colonialism. The Belgians, the French, the British, all the old Colonialists, just as they destroyed the ME.
I guess I don't agree that African nations are not capable or smart enough to run their own countries. Gadaffi was a leader who was dealing with the aftermath of Colonialism.
Mostly, Libya is not our business, is it?
And speaking of Libya since we 'liberated' it. Have you checked on it lately? Seems we got the oil, and forgot about the 'brutalized civilized' who are now living in a world that makes Mad Max look civilized. Yay for us, we 'democratized another 'inferior' nation of brown people.