Conflicts in North Africa: The fight for democracy and freedom

[Kofi]

Most poor people in Africa stay away from politics not because they don't like politics but because politics in Africa is a dirty game. Politics in Africa involves money and blood. The rich people have a say in all political affairs. The poor in Africa have very little to no say at all when it comes to politics. Most people vote but the sad thing is that, the poor votes do not count at all in Africa even though every rich vote counts.

My friend doesn't even vote although he has the right to vote why because he considers voting in Africa a waste of time. voting according to my friend just makes politics more colorful in the eyes of external viewers but voting in Africa brings very little to no change at all to the average person. Most poor people in Africa have no voice (especially women and children) and some who think they have voices only yell at their wives and children but their voices do not cross the boundaries of their homes.

Just a few days ago the people of Tunisia (A north African country) said enough is enough for they are sick and tired of this voiceless lives and decided to revolt after one of their own set himself on fire and burned his voiceless life to death. Mohamed Bouazizi a 26 year old hardworking but poor man from Sidi Bouzid a town in Tunisia had worked several jobs since age 10 to support his widowed mother and 7 others after the death of his father.

Since there are no better jobs for even college graduates in Africa, Mohamed started selling fruits by the streets to support his poor family which is a very good idea. But on December 17 2010, Mohamed decided to end his miserable life after a huge humiliation he suffered in a public place when a female municipal officer (Faida Hamdy) slapped Mohamed Bouazizi in the face and insulted Mohamed and his family in a broad day light just because Mohamed did not have license to sell fruits on the streets and did not have the money to bribe this corrupt officer.

In fact Mohamed bought those fruits on credit so he had no money on him to bribe this corrupt officer. Also, his entire family (including a sister he is sponsoring in the University) depend on the profit he makes from selling these fruits so he paying bribe doesn't sound a good idea at all. Mohamed couldn't pay and so he was humiliated by a corrupt female officer in a public place. Not just insult but insult with slaps in a broad daylight.

Mohamed wanted to report his sad story to the authorities but the authorities in Africa have no time for poor men like Mohamed and he was barred from reporting and there was nothing the poor Mohamed could do. The sad and frustrated Mohamed went and bought a gasoline, poured the gasoline on his miserable body infront of a police station and set himself on fire and died later on. His injustice story saddened most in their homes and angered most especially his friends and colleagues on the streets.

His friends and colleagues took to the streets to protest the injustice and a good number of others joined in. That was the beginning of the Tunisian revolution that drove president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali out of Tunisia. The Tunisian revolution encouraged a new revolution in Egypt (another north African country) which lasted today after the resignation of ex-president Mubarak of Egypt after over 30 years of dictatorship and inhumane rule. Mubarak just like most African leaders ruled with no sympathy and no care at all but power is not a family property. Power doesn't belong to one person alone and power isn't something we take to the grave.

Now Egypt is free (atleast for now) but the struggle continues in Africa. In Zimbabwe for example, the old but wicked and heartless Robert Mugabe continues to tear people apart after over 3 decades of barbaric rule as the president of Zimbabwe. Most Egyptians have spoken today and for the first time in many years, their tiny little voices have been heard and answered but millions of poor Africans continue to die in silence with no voice at all which is very sad. Although I do not encourage violence, if we are able to drive a few of these crazy people out of Africa, I think Africa will be a better place for all. Not just Africa but Also India, Mexico, etc. We must do away with these wicked and greedy people if we want a better life for ourselves and our grandchildren. What do you think?

[Doug]

What do I think?

I think I don't have to think. I think history holds the answer of what this world is in truth and what we, the voiceless think, is nothing more than a dream. Everything in this world is designed to go into corruption. Metal rusts, food spoils, our bodies die everything has a beginning and an end. Every nation that ever was wound up corrupt. Even my nation, the USofA, is on it's way. The judges are changing our very constitution to make evil legality good. The Jewish control of the press and hollywood movie and media is corrupting the morals of the American citizen. In fact the Jews are corrupting a great part of the world with their filthy movies, publications, infiltration into high places and so forth. The christian religion thinks the Jews can do no wrong. This country supports these kind of people who think they have a right to slaughter thousand upon thousands of people and take over their country.

The good in corruption is that it will have an end like everything has an end. If corruption was not corrupt there would not be an end to corruption and corruption would go on being corrupt forever.

[S.African]

I am very happy that Mubarak is gone but I am very sad that these two wicked men Mugabe and Gaddafi are still presidents. Because of the poor government in Zimbabwe most Zims are coming to South Africa making jobs very difficult to find. there are so many of them in Soweto where I live.

[Kofi]

I just read an article on Reuters that more than 1000 have died so far in the protest in Libya but Gaddafi and his government are reporting only 300 dead which is not true. More than 1000 protesters have died so far. Gaddafi's secret snipers keep shooting and killing innocent protesters from roof tops. I also read Gaddafi has executed some of the protest leaders and the police who refused to open fire on the innocent protesters.

Because Gaddafi controls almost all television and radio stations in Libya, none of these images are being shown on TV or broadcasted on radio stations so most of the poor in the rural areas don't know what is going on because the TV and Radio stations in Libya keep showing people praising Gaddafi for a good job done instead of deaths of the innocent civilians.

Gaddafi is threatening Aljazeera a private News agency for broadcasting the true story. I have also heard that Gaddafi threatens to blow up Libya's oil pipelines.

In my country for example, we are poor and our leaders are very greedy and corrupt but although those greedy leaders don't take our voices into account, we have the right to atleast cry out for help. It is very sad to be poor with nothing to eat and also no voice to cry out for help.

Because of the continuous violence in Libya, the Obama administration is freezing assets held by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and four of his children in the United States. French president Nicholas Sarkozy said "it is time for Gadhafi to go". United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged the UN Security Council to take "concrete action" over the Libya crisis. I hope that bastard gets the message now. He deserves death. He must be tried and hanged like Saddam Hussein.

[Kofi]

I just read on yahoo news that more than 6000 Libyans have died so far in this clash. Gaddafi is now bombing cities and towns from the air which is causing even more deaths. So far nobody is stopping Gaddafi. Obama has spoken but words cannot stop Gaddafi and the death toll keeps rising.

[Doug]

Does anyone ever wonder why these men became your leaders? These men are your leaders you know. They are there as your leaders for a reason. These men are from your own population. They have come into power. Why and for what reason are they now ruling you? Who let them climb into the seat of power and rule? Did some super man from outer space come down and give them to you? At one time these men had a diaper on just like you did. What happened?

You know, but none of you want to face up to the facts, just moan about them.
In case you don't know it, you cannot change the law of nature. Pat yourselves on the back you green type folks but you really live in your world of frustration. Live in the land of La La you do-gooders. Any person of real worth will first look into themselves and see what they really are. The peoples of any nation of any worth will look into what they have let happen and repent of their actions. To find the root of anything you must work hard and dig deep.

And so like it or not the law of nature will be in control until there is no more nature. So the law, 'YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW' will always haunt those who are tempted to break it. Poor or rich, tall or short, young or old nor black or white. None can circumvent this law of nature.

Can a nation of adulterers, fornicators, bribers, body mutilators, witches, voodoo workers, liars, cheaters, corrupters and such ever produce a leader of any value? You reap what you sow folks, you reap what you sow.

Can north be south? Can up be down? Can left be right? Can evil be good?
You are what you are because you are what you are. And so a nation is what the mass of it's people are. And so is is what is is.

[Kofi]

I just read an article on cnn and according to that article the UN security council has authorized a 'no fly zone' in Libya. The council voted today and imposed a 'no fly zone' over Libya after the Arab league gave their support a few days ago for a 'no fly zone' in Libya.

The rebels are very happy about this decision because the 'no fly zone' will halt the Gadhafi's dangerous air-strikes which have destroyed several lives and properties these couple of weeks. The 'no fly zone' is not going to stop the conflict but to the rebels, this is a great sign the international community is watching. For the past couple of days, Gadhafi forces have been bombarding cities and towns with dangerous air-strikes in the hope of destroying some of the rebel strongholds but the 'no fly zone' will prevent all that.
Now it will be ground fight which in some ways will benefit the rebels who have been fighting on the ground all these while. The 'no fly zone' also sends a very strong message to Gadhafi that he better gives up before it is too late.

[Kofi]

The civil war in Libya has taken a different turn these couple of days. Yesterday American, British and France troops launched an attack on the Gadhafi after Gadhafi refused to abide by the decisions of the UN council.

The UN made it very clear that Gadhafi must support a ceasefire and pull out all attacks on the innocent civilians but the wicked Gadhafi refused to listen instead he said "there will be no mercy". Gadhafi sent even more forces into cities, towns and villages and started shooting at random killing several people.

The external forces (American, French, and British troops) could not just stay idle and watch people die just like that so they decided to fight back yesterday to protect innocent civilians which the majority of the poor Libyans are very grateful for.