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German edition of The Green Book
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| Author | Muammar Gaddafi |
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| Country | Libya |
| Language | Arabic |
| Subject | Political philosophy |
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Publication date
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1975 |
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Published in English
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1976 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 110 |
Burned-out The Green Book centre in Benghazi‘s downtown during the 2011 Libyan Civil War
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi |
The Green Book (Arabic: الكتاب الأخضر al-Kitāb al-Aḫḍar) is a short book setting out the political philosophy of Libyandictator Muammar Gaddafi. The book was first published in 1975. It was “intended to be read for all people.”[1] It is said to have been inspired in part by The Little Red Book (Quotations from Chairman Mao).[2][3] Both were widely distributed both inside and outside their country of origin, and “written in a simple, understandable style with many memorable slogans.”[4]An English translation was issued by the Libyan People’s Committee,[5] and a bilingual English/Arabic edition was issued in London by Martin, Brian & O’Keeffe in 1976. During the Libyan Civil War, copies of the book were burned by anti-Gaddafi demonstrators.[6]
Influence
In Libya
According to British author and former Greater London Council member George Tremlett, Libyan children spent two hours a week studying the book as part of their curriculum.[7] Extracts were broadcast every day on television and radio.[7] Its slogans were also found on billboards and painted on buildings in Libya.[7]
International
By 1993 lectures and seminars on The Green Book had been held at universities and colleges in France, Eastern Europe, Colombia, and Venezuela.[7]
Contents
The Green Book consists of three parts and has 110 pages.[7]
- The Solution of the Problem of Democracy: The Authority of the People (published in late 1975)
- The Solution of the Economic Problem: Socialism (published in early 1977)
- The Social Basis of the Third International Theory (published in September 1981)
Views
The Green Book rejects both capitalism and communism, as well as representative democracy. Instead, it proposes a type of direct democracy overseen by the General People’s Committee which allows direct political participation for all adult citizens.[7][8]
The book states that “Freedom of expression is the natural right of every person, even if they choose to behave irrationally, to express his or her insanity.”[9] The Green Book states that freedom of speech is based upon public ownership of book publishers, newspapers, television, and radio stations, on the grounds that private ownership would be undemocratic.[7]
A paragraph in the book about abolishing money is similar to a paragraph in Frederick Engels‘ “Principles of Communism”.[10]Gaddafi wrote: “The final step is when the new socialist society reaches the stage where profit and money disappear. “It is through transforming society into a fully productive society, and through reaching in production a level where the material needs of the members of society are satisfied. On that final stage, profit will automatically disappear and there will be no need for money.”[11]
Criticism
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George Tremlett has called the resulting media dull and lacking in a clash of ideas.[7] Dartmouth College Professor Dirk Vandewalle describes the book as more a collection of aphorisms rather than a systematic argument.[1] U.S. Ambassador David Mack called the book quite jumbled, with various ideas including “a fair amount of xenophobia” wrapped up in “strange mixture”.[12]
Writing for the British Broadcasting Corporation, the journalist Martin Asser described the book as follows: “The theory claims to solve the contradictions inherent in capitalism and communism… In fact, it is little more than a series of fatuous diatribes, and it is bitterly ironic that a text whose professed objective is to break the shackles… has been used instead to subjugate an entire population.”[9]
The book caused a scandal in 1987, when West German ice hockey club ECD Iserlohn, led by Heinz Weifenbach, signed a US$900,000 advertising deal for the book.[13]
More at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Book_(Muammar_Gaddafi)