Beware Citizens Dictatorship Noureddine Boutahar

Good Bye and Good Riddance to Gaddafi Noureddine Boutahar

دولة الباطل ساعة ودولة الحق إلى قيام الساعة * Ali Bnu Abi Talib

Congrats to the Libyan people for getting rid of the tinpot dictator who had held tight rein on them for more than four decades. Their success is an undeniable proof that any authoritarian regime is “more vulnerable than a spider’s web”[1] when people resolutely stand up for freedom.

Good riddance to the ruthless brutal dictator who had been sitting on his people’s shoulders for almost half a century depriving them of all freedoms and feeding them long shallow and ridiculous self-congratulatory speeches. Good to see the back of a recklessly stubborn and stupid dictator who has always refused to concede fault or listen to the voice of reason and act accordingly. Adieu paranoid, megalomaniac dictator who used his country’s money to fund terrorist groups all over the world instead of promoting infrastructure and building a productive economy at home, or offering his people quality education, and improving the Libyan population’s welfare.

Gaddafi is a prototype of ruthless and cruel dictators who see their people only as slaves, subjects, and a herd of sheep who should be led as they see fit with no right to protest or demonstrate against anything. Instead of coming down to talk to them and listen to their demands when people took to the streets on Feb 15th, he adamantly got on his high horse and began to insult them calling his own people “rats”, “cockroaches”, “stray dogs”, "traitors" and “terrorists” and murdered hundreds of them in an attempt to mistakenly scare them and silence the voice of freedom. He threatened to hunt them down “from house to house and from alley to alley”. It’s these terms that added fuel to the fire and provoked freedom loving sons and daughters of Omar Al Mukhtar to stand up and take arms to fight the dictator.

Gaddafi is an example of ignorant dictators who wouldn't listen or leave or step aside at the propitious time. They insist on holding on to their thrones waiting to get the torch of defeat from their predecessors. They put on blinkers and cling to power to the last shred of imaginary hope, selfishly and cruelly murdering, imprisoning, and torturing their own people. They have no place for democracy, freedom, justice, and dignity in their dictionaries in their countries which they have turned into family estate.

Gaddafi is a sample of adamant dictators who never learn lessons from other arrogant dictators who end up living a horrible life in exile or prison or hiding hole. Because of their morbid attachment to power, they end up being mass murders and then fugitives from justice or prisoners struggling with diseases in cold lonely cells.

The fall of the world's most ridiculous buffoon-dictator, who called himself “desert messenger”, “king of African kings” and a whole slew of other names, is a warning to other dictators - in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere - that tomorrow is just a day away. "An alert and learned man will take advice from any event," said Ali Bnu Abi Talib

* A state built on falsehood is [for] an hour,
A state built on truth is until the coming of the hour [of Judgement].

Moroccan Makhzen plays chicken (Noureddine Boutahar)

"Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law." (Oliver Goldsmith)
It’s really disappointing and frustrating how those against the new constitution are treated and fought by the ruling elite (Makhzen). To my mind, people who seem to be against the constitution or who have reservations about it have adopted such an attitude as a reaction against the rotten mentalities in the ruling elite who claim they own absolute truth and exclude dissenting opinion and prevent others from voicing their opinion. It is also a reaction against the ruling elite's attempts to contain and hijack what I call the Moroccan Spring Movement.
Soon after the king’s speech on 06/17/2011, the Makhzen resorted to its antiquated practices of provocation against opposing activists in the streets and public squares using goon squads, repudiation and exclusion of different opinions, and biasing the rules of the campaigning game. Practices like these have disturbed and interfered with all attempts to build and reform this dear country for more than half a century. No harm in letting things go their normal course and pace instead of acting like a crow that picked its baby’s eye trying to kiss it – look how they are tarnishing the image of the country on the Internet. Be reassured, though, the constitution will be voted by a comfortable majority for the reasons we all know (illiteracy is the first in the list, and that’s why there has never been a real educational reform in this country).
I personally have no problem with the constitutions (old or new one). The problem is with these rotten mentalities, as I said earlier, which will not do any good to the country even if you provide them with the American Constitution (7 articles and 27 amendments that took two years to be debated and voted on). This ruling elite will never let go their powers, mindsets and prerogatives and privileges unless under duress. They will never be willing to apply and enforce the law and make EVERYONE obey the rules and be accountable. So, the new constitution will have no authority if it is put (and it seem it will be put) in the hands of the same people and antiquated institutions and organizations that abused the old ones. These include the political parties which had the opportunity to rule the country and gave bad account of themselves; the unions which have run out of steam and members and alienated all the working classes because they have sold out the employees to the politicians; and the associations and organizations whose interest is only fame and filling their coffers.
The constitutional debate has excluded the real change seekers of Morocco and included only unrepresentative political elite. These elite have not been part of the movement that led to the March 9th speech and eventually to the drafting of the new constitution. So why should they be trusted with it? They are up there ready to parrot whatever gets them some (political) favor and to applaud in expectation of something in return (though they haven’t lived up to their constituencies’ expectations)
Leftists, Islamists, and all Feb. 20th Movement young citizens who constitute a growing proportion of Moroccan population are a result of rejection and exclusion by the country’s political parties and structure. These political parties have not implemented democratic practices within their own structures let alone ask for its implementation in a country they view as a cash cow that enables them to live lavishly at the expense of development, transparency, and democracy. Oppression, wealth gaps and social inequality issues etc are election gimmicks produced and sold only during election period to more than 60% helpless illiterate Moroccans. Election period is the time of political theater and grandstanding. It is always time to throw accusations right and left and to fight the "Don Quixote battle" against the windmills: They eat fat tail with the wolf and cry with the shepherd.
It is almost impossible to imagine the executioners of yesterday – used to operating with impunity – to simply stand up and watch democracy move its pace and fashion forward. They are scared of democracy as bats are scared of light. They are afraid they might lose the lap of luxury and wastage as well as their uncontrolled and unfettered abuse of power. This morbid attachment to power and alienation of all sides is a chicken play because the wind of change has begun to blow and has turned irreversible tides.
"Nothing endures but change," said Heraclitus. So, our ruling elites should be prepared for the certainly coming change and make necessary concessions to save their face and hide. The old game of betting on time to heal the old large and deep wounds is an illusion at this time and age. They should show concrete signs of commitment and willingness to engage in genuine political reforms. They should release whistle-blowers, journalists and all political and opinion prisoners and detainees. Journalist Nini and his Almassae is an example of a model of free and committed press which will play a role in the passage to real democracy. Also, the state should be a real role model and abide by the law if it wants the citizens to do so and not allow itself “in the sins it condemns in others”. The Makhzen should also know that committed, visionary, and competent young leaderships and officials, as well as true and correct institutions, will get the best out of this constitution while waiting for a better and improved one. Hopefully, in Geoffrey Chaucer words,“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” Last but not least, they should not try to abusively change the history and ethnicity of the country: Amazigh language hasn't been given its due place, attention, and importance yet. It's still lagging behind.