State Assets
Sergey Ponomarev - Rebel fighter poses for a photo as he sit on a two seater couch that framed by golden mermaid with the face of Aisha Gadhafi the daughter of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in her house
As the rebels take charge of Libya, and in particular, at the present time, Tripoli, having, with the considerable assistance of NATO bombing missions, routed their long-reigning tyrant, they are amply demonstrating the kind of civility that Libya is mired in as a society. There are concerns expressed that rebels will reciprocate in kind the barbaric brutalities that regime loyalists have to date demonstrated.
And there is the very public airing of Libyan rebels looting from the lavish and grand, now-abandoned homes of the elite loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, and more specifically, Gadhafi's own palaces, and the stately homes of his family members. Expensively appointed homes are proving irresistible to the rebel forces who feel it is their right to take home 'souvenirs' of their conquest.
The seized assets, some of which are quite valuable indeed, should of course, remain with the state. In fact, the rebels enjoy stating that "the money of the Libyan people is now going to the Libyan people", and those making those pious statements are busy making off with goods and appliances and arms that will enrich them personally.
As they enter the homes of the wealthy ruling family they are astonished at the extent of the grandeur and the lavish items that enhanced the lives of those family members. Including costly European sport vehicles, alcohol, clothing, electronics and ornaments. Some claim they are liberating items to ensure that they don't fall into the hands of looters.
Others are more specific about what they collect, looking for one-of-a-kind items, because they are "businessmen". The caches of weaponry that are being revealed and made off with become a worrying concern. Shopping carts stuffed with desirable items are being wheeled and carried off to be considered rewards for choosing the right side.
"They are only stealing and looting Bab Aziziya, not banks or even government institutions", said one rebel supporter, holding aloft a newly-acquired assault rifle. "We took things because, for 42 years, he took everything from us." That must make it all right, then. Just so it is understood that what they are engaging in is actually "stealing and looting".
Obviously these are the circumstances in which "stealing and looting" become something other than what they are. All hail a new society, released from inconvenient restraints.
Labels: Chaos, Conflict, Corruption, Crime
posted by Pieface @ Friday, August 26, 2011
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