I am left astonished as to why there was an uprising in Libya and the killing of Muammar Gaddafi. I can't help feeling that there was some sinister plot to get his regime out of the way so that the corrupt businessmen and foreign governments could get control of the country's funds and oil resources. From the information I have obtained, Gaddafi could be classified as the world's most generous leader. Before Gaddafi came to power in 1969, only 25 per cent of Libyans were literate; today the figure is 83 per cent. There were many aspects of generosity awarded to his people. If a Libyan was unable to get employment after graduation, the State would pay the average salary of the profession, as if he or she was employed, until employment was found.
Banks are state-owned and loans were given at zero interest. Those who wanted a farming career were given land, house, and livestock for free. Newly weds were given around £35,000 to buy their first apartment and on the birth of a child, mothers got around £3,600. A portion of Libyan oil sales were credited directly to citizens' bank accounts. The Government also subsided 50 per cent of the price of a car and petrol was less than 11 cents a litre, as was 40 loaves bread. With all this generosity, why would the people want to topple such a generous leader?
GA Marques
Via e-mail