Submit your comments on this article | |||
Africa North | |||
Gaddafi scolds Libyans for relying only on oil | |||
2006-08-29 | |||
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has scolded his nation for over-reliance on oil, foreigners and imports and called for the manufacture of things people need. The criticisms, in an unusual series of speeches in July and August, have stirred keen interest in a forthcoming annual September 1 address to the nation of 5 million marking the 1969 coup d'etat that brought him to power.
Two factors, one foreign and one domestic, mean Libya has a chance to diversify its old-fashioned command economy, long hobbled by a primitive banking sector and red tape, experts say. The foreign factor is the revival of diplomatic relations with Washington: On May 15, the Bush administration said it would restore formal ties with Tripoli as a reward for Libya's scrapping of its weapons of mass destruction programme.
| |||
Posted by:Fred |
#19 Thank you! :) |
Posted by: Thoth 2006-08-29 20:00 |
#18 But Japan bootstrapped themselves after the war by producing first shoddy and then better consumer products. I remember when 'Made in Japan' was synonmous with shoddy and badly made. |
Posted by: phil_b 2006-08-29 19:43 |
#17 Mmmm...Fembots. |
Posted by: Homer 2006-08-29 15:25 |
#16 This is almost as surprising as when he gave up WMD's. With age and experience comes wisdom (to some). |
Posted by: Bobby 2006-08-29 11:16 |
#15 It's a good first step for an oil-based Islamic country to admit that a) oil as a power/wealth base is not going to last much longer and b) what real countries do is develop educated workforces and industries that use them. Libya won't suddenly turn out Nobel prize winners in electronics or computer science, like modern Japan. But Japan bootstrapped themselves after the war by producing first shoddy and then better consumer products. Gaddafi is right. Devil's in the implementation details, though. |
Posted by: he has a point 2006-08-29 10:21 |
#14 Hey, the guy's trying. Okay? I for one would love to try out one of those Libyan fembots if they decide to start exporting them. |
Posted by: Thoth 2006-08-29 10:17 |
#13 Libyan Juche |
Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-29 09:44 |
#12 Lol! Riiihgt, Mo. Hint: the reason Libya is "socially backward" is YOU, ya clown. Try trading your sprockets for a clue. |
Posted by: Spot 2006-08-29 08:28 |
#11 This thread is useless without a picture of his fembot guards. |
Posted by: Mizzou Mafia 2006-08-29 08:13 |
#10 Also, militant Berberists tend to as minimum, despise wahabism and often, Islam itself so I doubt they would long for the times where Berbers perpetrated atrocities for Islam. |
Posted by: JFM 2006-08-29 06:07 |
#9 Heh - Berber-ness? As in "Arrrgghh, we be pirates!" Berber-ness? :) I doubt there was Berber piracy before Islamic conquest and the spreading of the idea that infidels are made to be enslaved and ransomed. |
Posted by: JFM 2006-08-29 05:57 |
#8 “Libya could have become an economic power like Japan were it not 'socially backward'...” My aunt could have become my uncle had she testicles. |
Posted by: JFM 2006-08-29 05:54 |
#7 Its called "democracy" and "freedom", Colonel. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-08-29 02:34 |
#6 I guess "products/markets/consumer differentiation" is too advanced a concept for the Colonel's yes-Men and Camel-kazes. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-08-29 02:33 |
#5 Threatch Unons6270, no. The indigenous populace of North Africa, mostly Christian, before A-rabs ran them over and islamized them. Related to Puns, e.g. Carthaginians. There is a shy trend in Lybia, Tunisia and Morocco in that direction. |
Posted by: twobyfour 2006-08-29 01:59 |
#4 Heh - Berber-ness? As in "Arrrgghh, we be pirates!" Berber-ness? :) I figure their trade balance would improve if he'd lay off the fancy duds and sunglasses. Maybe they could export FemBots... |
Posted by: Threatch Unons6270 2006-08-29 01:30 |
#3 “Libya could have become an economic power like Japan Hahaha! Muammar is spending too much time smoking hash pipe. That will never happen. But if the command economy is scrapped, banking system reformed and property rights are set in legal code, it may become relatively prosperous country. Also, emphasis on Berber-ness of Lybians rather than on Arab-ness may help to ease the transition. |
Posted by: twobyfour 2006-08-29 01:27 |
#2 Getting smarter as he gets older, it seems. Too bad he couldn't have done it a bit sooner. |
Posted by: gorb 2006-08-29 00:55 |
#1 Things that Maummar produced............well? |
Posted by: Captain America 2006-08-29 00:10 |