RadioRaheem84
10th August 2011, 23:24
Both are recent expats working for an oil company in town. I start up a conversation about the situation in Libya and they are ready to talk to me.
One said that most people were behind the rebels and hated Gaddafi, the other said the situation was really 50/50. It seemed like both hated Gaddafi though and they were starting to sound a bit gusano-ish. I don't say this because I want to be delusional about popular support for Gaddafi, but that the way they carried themselves it seemed like typical expat gusano talk I hear exiled Cubans, Venezuelans, etc. talk.
When I mentioed the rebels already selling off the oil in captured territories without public consent, they blew it off and said that the rebel movement needs money. When I asked them about NATO, they said they didn't matter because the people were fighting in the underground and NATO was just air power.
I tried to keep the conversation as civil as possible but it was clear that these two engineers were rebel supporters and seemed more like they were putting their faith in the TNC to bring about a better country, really not knowing what they stood for.
One thing was for sure that I came out of knowing; Gaddafi is a corrupt as hell motherfucker. Whatever he was once, he is no more.
I really think that he represented the many, many young professionals out there that are battling the tough beuracracy of Gaddafi and the neo-liberals reforms that made both the public and private sectors of Libya just plain suck. They think that by ousting Gaddafi and placing their hopes in the TNC that they will get to enjoy the fruits of liberal democracy.
There is a legitimate sector in the rebel movement but it's most definately not in the leadership.
One said that most people were behind the rebels and hated Gaddafi, the other said the situation was really 50/50. It seemed like both hated Gaddafi though and they were starting to sound a bit gusano-ish. I don't say this because I want to be delusional about popular support for Gaddafi, but that the way they carried themselves it seemed like typical expat gusano talk I hear exiled Cubans, Venezuelans, etc. talk.
When I mentioed the rebels already selling off the oil in captured territories without public consent, they blew it off and said that the rebel movement needs money. When I asked them about NATO, they said they didn't matter because the people were fighting in the underground and NATO was just air power.
I tried to keep the conversation as civil as possible but it was clear that these two engineers were rebel supporters and seemed more like they were putting their faith in the TNC to bring about a better country, really not knowing what they stood for.
One thing was for sure that I came out of knowing; Gaddafi is a corrupt as hell motherfucker. Whatever he was once, he is no more.
I really think that he represented the many, many young professionals out there that are battling the tough beuracracy of Gaddafi and the neo-liberals reforms that made both the public and private sectors of Libya just plain suck. They think that by ousting Gaddafi and placing their hopes in the TNC that they will get to enjoy the fruits of liberal democracy.
There is a legitimate sector in the rebel movement but it's most definately not in the leadership.