By Abdullah Alkabir, political writer and commentator
Forsake your stupidity, you fools!
The dismantling of the Stability Support Apparatus and the government's control of its headquarters in Tripoli, in a swift and successful operation, and the subsequent outbreak of fighting with other groups, led by the Special Deterrence Force, revealed fragility of the security balance in the capital. Immediately after the news of the killing of the head of the Stability Support Apparatus, Abdulghani al-Kikli, and the advance of government forces toward his camps and headquarters, the remaining armed groups in the capital prepared to confront government forces.
The scope of the clashes expanded in several areas of Tripoli, with the use of medium and heavy weapons, threatening the lives and property of civilians in several neighborhoods of the capital. With armed groups in cities west of Tripoli mobilizing their forces in preparation to support their counterparts in Tripoli against government forces, this threatens to spiral out of control and escalate the conflict into an intractable street war, in addition to the expected cost in civilian casualties, the government opted to declare a ceasefire, thus beginning a new chapter in the Libyan crisis with a different security and military map after the elimination of the Stability Support Apparatus, the reduction of the influence of the Special Deterrence Force, and the issuance of the decision to disband the armed groups not subject to government control. Following the clashes, calls for demonstrations began, and several thousand people took to the streets in Martyrs' Square in Tripoli. This was accompanied by a media campaign funded and supported by all anti-government forces, with the aim of bringing down the government.
However, this alignment against the government by its opponents backfired and weakened the demonstrations, due to people's reluctance to join them. Popular anger had reached its peak, and all conditions were ripe for a widespread popular movement that could last for several days, with the people themselves becoming a decisive factor in the political equation. However, the majority in Tripoli and other cities refrained from responding to the calls for demonstrations against the government, when they discovered that the campaigns organized by television channels, political figures, and media figures had, the day before, aligned themselves with the invaders of Tripoli, inciting them to destroy the city over the heads of its residents!
The demonstrations, long called for by activists not aligned with the political parties, could have expanded, imposed a new political equation, prompted everyone to scratch their heads, and compelled the United Nations mission to accelerate the launch of a political initiative. However, the stupidity of the parties opposing the government, and their rush to support the demonstrations against the Tripoli government without the other political parties, through publications and video messages on the internet, and live coverage on satellite channels affiliated with Aguila Saleh and Khalifa Haftar, the most notorious criminals in Libya's modern history, led many to refrain from responding.
Meanwhile, others took the initiative to register their positions against the demonstrations, recalling previous positions taken by some fools who are calling for demonstrations today, not out of anger and a movement for the national interest, but rather to undermine a political opponent in the interest of political parties that have exerted, and continue to exert, every effort to bring down the government, only to fail due to their excessive stupidity.
Anyone who demonstrates in a climate of freedom, knowing their goals and demands, and being well aware of the safe path out of the crisis by overthrowing all parties in power and establishing a new beginning through elections, cannot be influenced by dubious calls that serve a particular political agenda. As for fools among the media and politicians, they must first rid themselves of their stupidity so that their voices can have an impact and their positions can be effective. This means abandoning greed and whims and embracing freedom. There is no mature or genuine political position if your will is usurped by a brutal authority. Your opinion and stance are unreliable, and some excuses are sought for you as long as the chain is in front of you and the lock is behind you. Psychologist and sociologist Erich Fromm said: "Stupidity is not the result of a lack of innate intelligence, but rather a lack of freedom. The mind develops only in freedom."
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Libya Observer
