(You don’t have to go gently into that good night, but you do have to go.)
Libya’s evil tyrant Muammar al-Gaddafi is dead, killed by a mob of angry Libyans after his convoy was demolished by NATO bombs.
A milestone achievement. A clear sign the troops can come back home. A chance for the Libyans to begin a better life. They could certainly use a democracy-in-a-box right now.
But let’s be clear about one thing:
The death of Gaddafi and the Libyan intervention were NOT part of the Arab Spring.
The fall of Libya’s repressive regime came via western powers – Canada, US, France – who divvied up the spoils of war well before Gaddafi was killed.
And therein lies the problem, and why Libya’s revolution differs from the rest of the uprisings. You simply cannot bomb freedom into a society. It just doesn’t work that way.
An open and free society has to spawn within, from an organic movement driven by the very masses whose voices are neglected by tyrants. Otherwise you could just end up swapping one corrupt government for another.
This great awakening we’ve all be taking part of – that which will bring peace and prosperity to our planet – it won’t come from bombs, guns and killing. Instead, it will arise from hope, community, and a shared belief in brighter possibilities.
While I wish nothing but the best for Libyans in this time of transition, with their new found ‘freedom’ being bought and paid for by outside interests, whatever democracy emerges will likely contain the same corporatist corruption faced here in the West.
