{"id":17845,"date":"2011-02-21T19:47:51","date_gmt":"2011-02-22T00:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/17845\/gaddafi-international-fashion-criminal\/"},"modified":"2011-02-21T19:47:51","modified_gmt":"2011-02-22T00:47:51","slug":"gaddafi-international-fashion-criminal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/17845\/gaddafi-international-fashion-criminal\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaddafi: International Fashion Criminal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forty-two years ago, a young, brash, handsome colonel seized power in the oil-rich North African nation of Libya.\u00a0 This was the 1960\u2019s. Handsome, young heads of state were all the fashion!\u00a0 Here, a new dictator, charismatic like Castro, but without all that nasty facial hair and geurrilla warfare dust.\u00a0 Just look at the young Gaddafi in 1969.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward to 1986 when Gaddafi made world news again.\u00a0 He allowed his country to be become the base for terrorist organization’s training, one of whom blew up a plane in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing hundreds of Westerners.\u00a0 Reagan was president, and in what was quite a big deal at the time (whereas today, we air strike people everyday), ordered air strikes on Libya, targeting Gaddafi himself and actually killing his daughter.\u00a0 This is how we remember the mid-1980\u2019s Colonel Gaddafi, defiant (and alive) in his military regalia.\u00a0 Again, still the sharp dressed dictator.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

BTW, if he\u2019s been running the country so long, how come he\u2019s still a Colonel?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, I am not an expert on Libyan politics, even though I can pretend to be one for purposes of this blog.\u00a0 Like many other tin horn Middle Eastern dictators who rule countries with lots of oil and not that many people, Gaddafi has been able to stay in power for quite some time.\u00a0 Average estimated per capita income in Libya is $14,400 (source<\/a>), as compared to $5400 and $7900 for their neighbors Egypt & Tunisia respectively.
\nGaddafi?\u00a0 You\u2019d think he\u2019d have received a promotion by now. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"A<\/span>nother factor leading to Gaddafi\u2019s long tenure are his vicious cadre of personal bodyguards.\u00a0 Fiercely loyal, this modern day Praetorian Guard answers to no one but Muammar.\u00a0 Oh, to be a fly on the wall in their barracks!!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Gaddafi\u2019s personal bodyguard consists of only really hot women, \"\"but again, this is for practical reasons, not as just eye candy.\u00a0 Women can be far more vicious then men when needed. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So if Libya is prosperous, has a nice position as Italy\u2019s Mexico and isn\u2019t really all that radically Islamic, why all the demand to kick out Gaddafi?\u00a0 Why is next in line in the Jasmine Revolution (and yes, I predict in the next couple weeks, the regime WILL fall)?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is because Colonel Gaddafi is a criminal.\u00a0 A horrible criminal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n


\nWhat kind?\u00a0 Heroin addict?\u00a0 Despite the uncanny resemblance of Gaddafi today to one Keith Richards, I can\u2019t say he\u2019s riding the Horse for sure\u2026 Maybe.\u00a0 He certainly seems to have a hard time staying awake on occasion! <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

No, Gaddafi has become an International Fashion Criminal.<\/strong> Gone are the snappy military outfits with their crisp hats and medals.\u00a0 No, he\u2019s given up any sense of decorum and gone for the multi-colored moo-moo\u2019s.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Is he raiding his bodyguards’ moms’ wardrobes?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This man expects to be taken seriously at big international conferences dressed like this?\u00a0 Here’s Moo-Mar’s outfit at a recent gathering of the Organization for African Union.\u00a0 Did he pick up this patterned shirt at the OAU Gift Shop? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Trying to make a political statement with your outfit… Moammar, leave that to Lady Gaga.\u00a0 Please. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Respected world leaders have to stand this next to this guy when he’s dressed like this.\u00a0 Oh, it must be hard.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Seriously, what kind of leader would shake hands with this guy? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(BTW, this is an image of the Libyan flag.\u00a0 Yes, it is just a plain green banner.\u00a0 When they do kick out Gaddafi and his son, they should look at a new flag too.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

(this blog dedicated to the unknown number of Libyans who have already died in their struggle for democracy and self-determination.\u00a0 I am making fun here.\u00a0 There’s nothing funny about the violence of revolution) <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Forty-two years ago, a young, brash, handsome colonel seized power in the oil-rich North African nation of Libya.\u00a0 This was the 1960\u2019s. Handsome, young heads of state were all the fashion!\u00a0 Here, a new dictator, charismatic like Castro, but without all that nasty facial hair and geurrilla warfare dust.\u00a0 Just look at the young Gaddafi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1428,25],"tags":[1316,1798,81,1957,1170],"class_list":["post-17845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics-2","category-world","tag-africa","tag-islam","tag-joko","tag-libya","tag-world-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendburst.com\/blog-new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}