http://www.andrewheiss.com/blog/2009/03/18/libya-obsolete-paradigms-and-rip-van-winkle/

[andrewheiss]

Libya, obsolete paradigms, and Rip Van Winkle
http://www.andrewheiss.com/blog/2009/03/18/libya-obsolete-paradigms-and-rip-van-winkle/

[andrewheiss]

Originally posted by Jamal on 2009-04-16 20:56:19

Uh, methinks one gives Qadhafi faaaar too much credit here. While I'm
not going to dispute that one needs to look outside the standard
"democracy" and "liberalized markets" as ultimate goals paradigms as
you suggest, I think it's just plain absurd to consider what Qadhafi
has done in Libya as anything other than yet another (admittedly
bizarre) autocrat ruling over a rentier state. Divide and rule and keep
your enemies on their toes through fear and (especially in Libya's
case) uncertainty aren't exactly novel tactics. And whether or not
Qadhafi gives himself official titles ("king of kings" aside) or not,
he's clearly at the top of the system utilizing hydrocarbon rents as
the lifeblood of his entire system of control.

If one wants to make political and economic system comparisons that's
where it's at. Rentier states and now we might add the MENA Juhuri
(we'll put Jamahiri systems in the same class just for kicks, plurals
count today) family succession tradition that's developing what with
Bashar, Gamal, and Seif al-Islam. Yeah the Qadhafi's are goofier and
more sitcom-worthy than their Syrian and Egyptian counterparts, but at
core they share a lot in common.

[andrewheiss]

Originally posted by Andrew on 2009-04-20 19:46:01

Yeah, since writing this up I've thought more about the presentation
and sense a large measure of academic pride coming from Dr. Anderson
regarding Libya--"Nobody studies Libya, but I do, so it's super cool
and completely different from all other countries."

At the core the Qaddafis are playing the game just like the Mubaraks and
the al-Assads, only like you said, fortunately for them they actually
get rents. He tries to hide it in his jamahiri, third way rhetoric, but
in the end he's still playing the system.