Modern nation-states have armies in order to protect themselves against foreign danger. Those are supposed to perform essentially the same task as our immune system which protects our health against foreign bodies. However, in certain situations, the army turns against its own nation, overthrows its constitutional government, and sets up a brutal dictatorship over the people. Something similar occurs when the body’s own immune system attacks its healthy tissue, resulting in considerable damage to one’s health and wellbeing. That is lupus, a disease caused by a combination of an inherited predisposition to it and an environmental trigger (e.g., infections, sunlight, or medication.) This is what happened in Libya in 1969 when the army, led by then captain Qaddafi and helped by the United States, overthrew the constitutional government of King Idris. Libya’s resultant political malaise was thus brought about by a combination of an inherited predisposition to political lupus (Middle Eastern-style military takeovers) and an environmental trigger (America’s crucial assistance to Qaddafi’s coup.) What followed was the gradual decline and fall of Libya over a forty-two-year period of hellish existence for many Libyans.
- Husam Dughman, Author and Political Analyst
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