Dr. Gary Mounce

EDINBURG, Oct. 23 - I’ll grant you a given. Gadhafi was Gawd-Awful.

Before his ignominious, but what some justify as appropriate, death he had ordered deaths of thousands of his countrymen. His life and death was a testament to the commonsensical, Biblical admonition. “He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”

One political cartoon features a devil at a bar, in Hell, flames licking the customers, joking with the barkeep: “So, Gadhafi, Saddam, and Bin Laden were sitting at a bar. . . .” Poof! That terrible threesome appear in robes and ribbons, startled at what many conclude is their well-deserved roasting (Marshall Ramsey, re-printed in The Monitor, McAllen, Texas, 21 Oct 11).

Opinion now is nearly nothing but condemnation of Gadhafi, exaltation at his execution. But truth can be nuanced. University of Texas—Pan American specialist on the Middle East, Dr. Sonia Alianak, noted Gadhafi—crazy as he seemed--was “held in high regard by many” in her native Egypt. He helped neighbors with oil and “set up a somewhat democratic society” (Stephanie Zepelin, ABC affiliate, KRGV, 20 Oct 11).

Gadhafi over-reached. But neither are hands of others—not just dictators--squeaky clean. We should “follow the money,” or the oil, and check the connections with British Petroleum, NATO, and the West. Their (our) seemingly insatiable demand for oil fuels many fires. Gadhafi had committed the sin, for Big Oil and Big Countries, of trying to keep more of it for Libya. His downfall came from his megalomania, hubris, and the sin of keeping too much of oil monies, apparently, for himself and family. This was intolerable for oil companies, who think “the oil is ours, not Libya’s.

Dr. Alianak noted the immediate, obvious “power vacuum created by his death.” She is joined by other analysts: “Libya’s formerly ragtag band of rebels must now avoid falling prey to extremists among themselves.” They must try to subdue “infighting that has hijacked the hopes of previous revolutions” (Bradley Klapper, AP, 21 Oct 11).

Groups in the U.S., at various levels, at this time, will not wonder much about those matters. They are now only rejoicing. President Obama congratulated Libyans: “You have won your revolution.” Moreover, regarding Friday’s tremendous announcement of the end of the war in Iraq, he promises: “troops will be home for the holidays.” Libya might fade, just as the bizarre, alleged “Iran-Zeta” connection dropped off the radar. At the local level, consumers rejoice because gasoline prices may drop as more Libyan oil enters the market (Chris Kahn and Jonathan Fahey, AP, 21 Oct 11).

Meanwhile, back in Libya. What is to be done? What shall we expect? Shortly after the beginning of the upheaval, partially prompted by the other changes of the “Arab Spring,” the Transitional National Council (TNC) attempted to prepare for Gadhafi’s fall. They formed a Cabinet and sought help from the West. The U.S and others responded.

Now, many hope for democratic elections soon. But “eight months are not enough for a full pregnancy and certainly not for delivering any sort of organized election” (Andrea Murta, Center for Democracy, 4 Oct 11). Tunisia, holding elections soon, may prove the exception to the rule. The U.S. must be patient about these things.

Libyan democracy will not look like ours. During Gadhafi’s forty-two year reign, Libya had no parties. It attempted to make its unique direct democracy work through communal councils. These followed Gadhafi’s Green Book. That document “vied with the Quran as the basis for Libya’s development” (U.S. Library of Congress). Its moderate socialism allowed for selected private ownership. It hoped for national unity over troubling tribal jealousies.

Libya was and probably will continue to be fairly liberal, unless extremist Muslim factions take over. Its society is more favorable to women than certain other Arab states, several of which are U.S. allies. In any case, his philosophy was not completely alien. “Qadhafi’s political ideology was part of a radical strain of Western democracy associated primarily with Jean-Jacques Rousseau” (op. cit.). The Book, the ideology, the dictator are now gone. What follows is, to an extent, unpredictable.

Perhaps the worst is over. However, essentially tribal, armed groups across the country “have emerged as laws unto themselves” (Klapper). Even the TNC interim leader Mahmoud Jibril, indicated he will step down soon. But Gadhafi’s vast arsenals of, conventional arms and rocket-propelled missiles have been looted. The threat of wide-spread instability is still high. Gawd-awful violence may return.

Yet, there is hope. We have the surprising, welcome draw-down from war in Iraq, for which the President gets no appreciation from Republicans. Do they want more war? Add a possible move— somehow? soon?—toward more peaceful agreements like the recent trade of prisoners between Israel and Palestine. It may be, after all, Barack Hussein Obama’s inter-cultural name and ability to empathize with ethnic minorities at home and with other nationalities abroad will achieve farther-reaching, increasingly progressive results. Ojala! Say a little bi-lingual prayer of hope to Allah, to God.

Dr. Gary Mounce is a professor of politics at the University of Texas-Pan American. His columns, often about Latin America, appear regularly in the Guardian.

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