Why Libya isn't Egypt

From New Yorker writer Andrew Solomon ("How Qaddafi Lost Libya"): "A post-Qaddafi Libya could easily be roiled in internal battles, ultimately dividing into several smaller countries, each dominated by local tribes. That could make life better for some Libyans, and it could make life worse for others; it would almost surely be problematic for Western companies with oil interests in the country. Modern Libya is an artificial construct, a remnant of colonialism. The glue holding it together is failing, and the warnings of chaos are real. The choice between chaos and oppression is always a tricky one, but this population is tired of oppression and corruption, and chaos may look more attractive to them. Chaos tends, however, to wear thin." These observations ring true and are worth bearing in mind as events unfold in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. ("Jamahiriya" is Arabic for "republic ruled by the masses.") Read Solomon's terrific essay here.