Muammar Gaddafi: Why I Changed My Mind About Him

Among African leaders, I have often spoken kindly of Gaddafi, especially to my students. Although he had been detested for a long time by the West, I have always interpreted this hatred for him as born of the fact that he would not suck up to Western interests as many puppet African leaders do. Also, even though he has squandered the wealth of his people, he has managed to provide a better life for many of them. In fact, many people from other African countries go to seek a better life in Libya. When the uprising in Tunisia began, Gaddafi asked that the border of his country be flung wide open so that Tunisians may come and work in Libya. By the standards of many African countries, Libya is a paradise. Even more, when many Western countries were supporting apartheid in South Africa, he helped to train fighters who contributed in bringing the obnoxious system to an end. Further, Gaddafi has been a very strong advocate for African unity, even though many people know that his quest for unity is to further his own projects. Anyone who knows me knows that the project of African unity is very dear to me and I believe that it holds one of the keys to a better Africa. Thus, even though Gaddafi has sometimes been seen as a pan-Arabist racist, I have accommodated him in my imagination because I believed that, in spite of the double standards that he sometimes manifests, he, at least, has the interest of Africa at heart.

However, current events in Libya has made me change my mind about Gaddafi. These events have led me to believe that, like many African leaders, Gaddafi has a messianic complex which leads him to believe that without him, his country will not survive. Having ruled for over forty years, he has come to see Libya as his personal property. Instead of the visionary that he might have been if he had orchestrated an open society, he is now willing to kill many people in full view of video camaras, so that he can maintain power. Like many other African leaders, he is using state news outlet to lie to his people, showing pictures that might give the impression that all is well in Libya. He sees the advent of an open society as a threat that must be extinguished so that he might have a dynasty in Libya. These are not actions that are fitting for a patriot. My conclusion now is simple: Gaddafi must go.