No one is siding with the West. Gaddafi was a dictator who sometimes supported progressive struggle, other times reactionaries and fellow dictators and other times embraced imperialism. Moreover he oppressed and brutalized Libyans. Nevertheless with the imperialist attack on the Gaddafi regime and Libya, we called for the joint defence of Libya and its government from the imperialist forces of France, Britain and the US. We can never support dictators as struggle heroes and must always fight for 100% democracy, including over the economy.
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Hilary Ojukwu Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 4:53 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [SSN Forum] Gadhafi - What Lessons for Us To side with the west just because Gaddafi gave some support to Mswati in the past is merely emotional, unseemly, and reactionary. To make an objective analysis, you don't just look at some issues, you must consider all the issues. On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 3:54 PM, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: Code, when all is said and done some us wil not forget that it is the same Gaddaffi who bankrolled some of Africa's worst dictactors including Mswati, i vididly remember him sending a team of specialists doctors when Mswati was allegedly poisoned, his infamous visit to Swaziland. Sent from my Nokia phone -----Original Message----- From: Jabavu Rustie Sent: 21/10/2011, 15:35 To: [email protected] Subject: [SSN Forum] Gadhafi - What Lessons for Us 1. Which way is up Africa? Is it true that the AU is now rushing to embrace the TNC hardly 24 hours after Gadhafi's death. What lessons can we draw from such brinkmanship. 2. Is it true that some of our countries(sub-saharan) sent mercenaries and arms to assist Gadhafi to repel the mass uprising and this led to the sad racial tensions in Lybia. This has injured relations and may compromise the fragile relations between sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab north. An inquiry may be necessary to get the facts about these allegations. 3. Some of the actions taken by our leaders were a kneejerk reaction to the NATO invasion. I may not agree with the approach by NATO but I also do not agree with the relaxed approach by the AU whilst Lybia was burning. Douse the fires before they become infernos and we shall not see another genocide in Africa. 4. Was Gadhafi a revolutionary or hero?. Only the Lybian people can answer this question and I suppose they have. Revolutionaries are people who understand that change is the only constatnt because everything else is involved in a viscious cycle of change. Today's heros may be tomorrow's villians and today's villians may be tomorrow's heroes. Revolutionaries are not born but are a product of struggle and once you realise that you are out of step with the people you lead, the honourable thing is to find answers with the same people or to step aside. The liberal definition of democracy as the government of the people by the people for the people is more revolutionary in today's terms than ever before. Leaders who can no longer hear the footsteps of the people that they lead behind them must know that they walking alone and the next time they hear footsteps, they will no longer be behind them in front of them in full confrontation. 5. Should we celebrate the fall of Gadhafi? Yes and No. His fall after 42 years of rule without testing his mandate to rule with the masses that he ruled must be celebrated. His death, like any other death can not be celebrated. 6. Who is next in line? I am incompetent to answer this elusive question. Only history will tell. -- NEW!!!! SSN FORUM IS ON FACEBOOK!!!! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum Google Group. Visit the group home page at http://groups.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum for more options, pages and files. To post to the group, send email to [email protected] or reply to this message. To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] -- NEW!!!! SSN FORUM IS ON FACEBOOK!!!! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum Google Group. Visit the group home page at http://groups.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum for more options, pages and files. To post to the group, send email to [email protected] or reply to this message. To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] -- NEW!!!! SSN FORUM IS ON FACEBOOK!!!! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum Google Group. Visit the group home page at http://groups.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum for more options, pages and files. To post to the group, send email to [email protected] or reply to this message. To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] -- NEW!!!! SSN FORUM IS ON FACEBOOK!!!! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Swaziland Solidarity Network Forum Google Group. Visit the group home page at http://groups.google.com/group/sa-swaziland-solidarity-eom-forum for more options, pages and files. To post to the group, send email to [email protected] or reply to this message. To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected]
