# Peace, love and understanding in Libya **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648 "2011-10-24T17:29:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/21 "2011-10-24T22:19:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I assume they’ll be asking why nobody took control of the situation to stop something like this from happening Which is really an unrealistic expectation considering there was hardly a legitemate government in place that has the authority to answer that. I think the UN would better serve Libyans if they just let it go as a moment of passionate madness and proceeded with helping the country heal and move on. 'course, the UN never comes to me for these kinds of decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/22 "2011-10-24T23:25:46Z")
“We of the Libyan transitional government seek justice for all of our citizens. We will indeed look into allegations that Muammar Gaddafi was mishandled and if proven true will bring those responsible to justice. However, justice in our nation has an even hand. We must treat all our citizens as equals, therefore, it is only proper we handle all allegations of malfeasance in the order they occurred, beginning with Gaddafi’s coup in 1969. His case work number is 8,534,582,754. We’ll keep you posted.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/23 "2011-10-24T23:33:50Z")
I guess the moral of the story is not to get your Wife out and fight to the last; Get your Wife, your sons as much money as you can and your own ass out. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/24 "2011-10-25T00:05:59Z")
Fucker died a horrible death, at the hands of his “people”. Object lesson: Don’t put the “Dick” in Dictator. No sympathy at all, from me. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/25 "2011-10-25T00:21:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > it sullies a great moment for Libya - although I’m not sure how many people in Libya really give a crap. Judging by the [footage I’ve seen,](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/10/20111020161338365577.html) not too many people outside of his immediate family are shedding too many tears over the manner of his demise. (I agree that a bullet to the head is much more understandable than the whole brutalization thing, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/26 "2011-10-25T00:33:51Z")
Brain Bleach, please. I really want to forget seeing that. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/27 "2011-10-25T00:47:47Z")
> [@cards](#): > > Agree with most of what has been said in this thread. But can someone explain what difference an “investigation” will make? It’s pretty bloody clear what happened. Who leads this investigation? What do the findings mean in terms of outcomes? If he was executed by the military (or a civilian), well, you can’t do that. That’s illegal. You can’t kill someone who had clearly surrendered. Likely, nothing will come of it. I’m guessing there will be a lot of inconclusive findings. But since a lot of stuff was caught on video, you need to do an “investigation,” even though it’s pretty bloody clear what happened. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/28 "2011-10-25T00:55:29Z")
It makes the Libyans look like a bunch of Third World Assholes instead of someone capable of restarting a country. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/29 "2011-10-25T01:31:31Z")
It sucks because even gigantic assholes have human rigths, but when you come to the point where your people want to do that to you, you should’ve have the sense to make a hasty retreat several weeks before or at least surrender to the French or UN. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/30 "2011-10-25T01:44:55Z")
Hell, there are people who would do that to Bush, Clinton or Obama given the chance. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/31 "2011-10-25T01:50:32Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > It sucks because even gigantic assholes have human rigths… Not being silly, but I really have to quesion this premise. Does a peasant in China, who mainly keeps himself to himself, have the right to be left alone and to have his grievances heard? Hell yeah. As does the student who merely wants to bring it to the attention of his countrymen that they ought to have the right to govern themselves as they wish to be governed. But at some point, when by any reasonable standard you have ceased to treat others as humans, I humbly advance the notion that you forfeit the right to be treated as a human because your own actions demonstrate your own disdain of the idea. In other words, reap what ye sow. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/32 "2011-10-25T01:55:03Z")
Live like a Dictator, Die like a Dictator. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/33 "2011-10-25T02:04:57Z")
Gaddafi: ‘‘Show me mercy’’ Rebel: “NOW you know mercy!” That exchange says it all. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/34 "2011-10-25T02:13:13Z")
Let’s hope there is a silver lining to this and the fates of Mubarak and Gaddafi weigh heavy on the minds of al-Assad and Saleh. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/35 "2011-10-25T02:31:24Z")
At least he had the balls to stick it out. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/36 "2011-10-25T02:38:06Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It makes the Libyans look like a bunch of Third World Assholes instead of someone capable of restarting a country. Yeah, only the Third World would do something like [that](http://home.comcast.net/~lowe9101/mussolini/d7.htm). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/37 "2011-10-25T02:46:27Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Yeah, only the Third World would do something like [that](http://home.comcast.net/~lowe9101/mussolini/d7.htm). I never said the Italians were civilized. Their opera fellates with great allacrity. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/38 "2011-10-25T12:42:48Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > . But at some point, when by any reasonable standard you have ceased to treat others as humans, I humbly advance the notion that you forfeit the right to be treated as a human because your own actions demonstrate your own disdain of the idea. Good point. I don’t think I’d ever use that as an excuse for me to ever do something that nasty to somebody that nasty (unless they jump my McDonalds counter 🙂 ). OTOH, I’ll certainly buy into it so I don’t have to fret too much about a very bad man who certainly did reap what he sowed. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/39 "2011-10-25T14:04:13Z")
> [@cards](#): > > Agree with most of what has been said in this thread. But can someone explain what difference an “investigation” will make? It’ll make Westerners feel better for having participated in this, even if only indirectly. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648/40 "2011-10-25T14:13:04Z")
[puts on flame suit] I’ve been a long time apologist of torture on this board and in this particular case, I think a very public death by torture could be good. When Mubarak abdicated power and left the country only to be hauled back for trial, I thought to myself, why would any dictator reliquish power if they were only going to end up in jail anyway. Well, now we have an answer. The choice may not be trying to hold onto power and facing trial if you fail, it may be trying to hold onto power and getting tortured to death, having your family and followers tortured to death. That is what you risk when you do what Qaddafi did rather than what Mubarak did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peace-love-and-understanding-in-libya/600648.md?page=3)