Gaddafi biography book

PartChapterTitleSummary I 1 The Instrument of Government The most important political question is "what form of government should be established?" Such a government should be a direct democracy, but what usually occurs is that representative democracies are established, which usurp the will of large populations who did not vote for existing governments, using first-past-the-post electoral systems. 2 Parliaments The basic feature of a representative democracy is its parliament, or assembly. Once elected, members usurp the authority of their constituents for their term of service. 3 The Party Political parties themselves also usurp the people's authority, and focus on maintaining power instead of improving society for all, the proper object of government. Worse, political parties are susceptible to corruption. 4 Class Society is furthermore split into classes: political, social, or tribal groups. A class which acquires political power, also inherits the society in which that power is gained. A former working class eventually becomes the new ruling class. The problem of a plurality or minority ruling the entire society persists. 5 Plebiscites Plebiscites or referendums are not an appropriate solution to the political problem. One's political opinion does not reduce to a yes-or-no vote. 6 Popular Conferences and People's Committees The solution to the problem of democracy is to establish a series of Popular Conferences (or, Congresses) and People's Committees, which collectively consist of the entire society, and all of its sectors. Working together, these groups supplant government administration, with the participation of all. These groups are also not parliaments in which authority is delegated. 7 The Law of Society The basis of law is in custom and religion, the authentic source of social regulation, and not in written constitutions. The very fact that constitutions are regularly amended is a proof of their weakness and transience as an instrument of government. 8 Who Supervises the Conduct of Society? Just as political power should not be delegated to representatives, policing power also should not be delegated away from the entire society. Again, the structure of Conferences and Committees is the solution. The Whole is the legislature for the Whole, and the Whole is the law enforcement for the Whole. 9 How can Society Redirect its Course when Deviations from its Laws occur? In the case where a minority runs a government, another minority with initiative may seize power through revolution, with the end result being the same: minority rule. The solution to this cycle is again the system of Conferences and Committees: the entire society organically governing itself. When this occurs, there is only a Whole, and thus no exterior enemy to fight. 10 The Press While individuals and companies have the right to express themselves in a private capacity, "the press" as a means of expression for society must be issued by the Conferences and Committees. Otherwise, individuals would again usurp power away from others in the realm of ideas. II 11 The Economic Basis of the Third Universal Theory Recent developments in working life such as unions and minimum wage do not go far enough in achieving equality for all workers. What is needed is the abolition of wage-earning in favor of a "partnering" process of an individual worker with a given industry. Yields must be shared equally not only among individuals, but among all components of a production process. 12 Need Need is a central economic problem. The needs of some may be preyed upon by those who have the means to provide, and thus exploit. Government should eliminate such exploitation. 13 Housing The rental of housing, for example, is exploitation, and infringes the freedom of the renter. Ideally, everyone should have only one house, because if a given party has more than one property, they will be inclined to rent it, thereby exploiting their renters. 14 Income Individual income is essential to an economy. Again, such income should not be realized as wages paid by an owner, but as the result of partnership in an industry. 15 Means of Transportation Transportation should also be available to all, and at the same time not owned by some only to be rented to others, as in the case of taxi services. 16 Land Land, like all of the aforementioned categories, should be equally available to all. In general, the economy is a zero-sum game, and components of the economy should therefore be distributed equally among all, to produce equality of outcome. No one has the right to save for themselves beyond their own needs, except up to their own arithmetic share of a given good among the whole population. 17 Domestic Servants Like goods-producing wage earners, service-rendering domestic servants are effectively slaves. The economic model already sketched can also be applied to their situation. III 18 The Social Basis of the Third Universal Theory Individuals, families, tribes and nations are social units, and their social ties drive the process of history. Of these, the nation is a central unit, held together by nationalism. Just as the sun would dissipate without gravity, nations dissipate without national unity. 19 The Family Families, individuals and nations (in the sense of ethnic nation states) are natural, objective human social categories, on a continuum. Opposed to these is the artificial modern construct of the state, distinct from a nation. 20 The Tribe Past the family, the next largest human group level is the tribe. The various human social units are decreasingly important to individuals on a personal level, as their size increases. 21 The Merits of the Tribe Tribes are rooted in blood, provide social cohesion, able to internally monitor themselves due to their numbers. They also ensure the socialization of their individuals, an education more useful than a school education. 22 The Nation Again, nationalism is a central social category, one closely related to but distinct from other large-scale social categories: religions, states, and empires. The reason why states and empires change and fall is because of their incongruence with authentic nations. 23 Woman Women and men are equal as human beings, in the sense that they have the same physiological needs, and are thinking and feeling beings. However, sexual dimorphism gives rise to gender roles which are natural and appropriate to the differences between the sexes. Freedom consists in following nature, specifically in women having the ability to raise families without being forced by society to seek work which is suitable only for men. 24 Minorities Minorities are of two types: those already having a nation, and those having none, making their own. Either way, their rights must be protected. 25 Black People will Prevail in the World Black people are poised to dominate the human population because their culture includes polygamy and shuns birth control, and because they live in a climate which is "continuously hot", with the result that work is less important for them than in other cultures. 26 Education Formal school education is dictatorial, another tyranny like those listed above. Education should be made available in whatever fashion people wish to engage with it. 27 Music and Art Humans should eventually speak one language. Artistic and cultural tastes are influenced by differences in language, and the former imprint themselves "on the genes" of the individual. 28 Sport, Horsemanship and the Stage Spectatorship in sports, theater and other entertainments is foolish. People should engage in sports directly, deriving the benefits of athletics for themselves, rather than standing by and watching others perform.