måndag 7 mars 2011

On Green Books

av TOR BILLGREN

Today Colonel Gaddafi is the laughing stock of the world and one of the most detested dictators. I just found a selection of the most insane quotes from his revolutionary "bible", "The Green Book" from 1972, surrounded by LOL:s and scornful smileys on Twitter.

But as we know: the world hasn't always laughed at Gaddafi. In 1979 the African National Congress even named their own struggle manual "The Green Book", as an hommage to the Libyan leader. In the book the ANC outlined its newly adopted People's War strategy, which was heavily inspired by the NLF in Vietnam.

At that time the ANC had already succeded in becoming the struggle movement on everybody's mind. In 1977 the Socialist International recognized it as the "the authentic liberation movement" in South Africa. The year after, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands endorsed it as "the only authentic representative of the South African people". The ANC's strategies, ideology and methods were favoured and Gaddafi's thinking was considered as a credible source of inspiration.

If you dared to question the revolutionary wisdom as a white European, the anti-apartheid movement would brand you as a racist and an admirer of the dreadful Botha regime. If you happened to do this as a black South African in a township, you could expect to get a burning tyre around your neck. Indeed, the Times They are a-Changin'.

Inga kommentarer: