Rasta Livewire just received reports that Libya plans to purchase over 20 warplanes from Russia. The deal is evaluated at $1 billion.

Libya plans to purchase 12 or 15 Su-35 multipurpose jets, four Su-30 and six Yak-130 trainer aircraft. The documents can be signed at the end of 2009 or in the beginning of 2010.

The only question left for one to ask here is why a third rate military power like Libya has to spend one billion dollars on toys that it will never deploy in real battle.

When last pray tell me did Libya engage in any real war?

When Libya was violated by U.S. Airforce bombers in the early 1980s what defence did all the sophisticated weapons it had at that time buy for it? It was only by the intervention of Allah that Ghaddafi did do die that night although his adopted child paid the ultimate price.

When the spy and spook agencies of the Western world plotted day and night to assassinate Ghaddafi (the leader of Libya) throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his survival was only insured by the nightly prayers and saintly fasting of ascetics and the holy men of the desert.

By the powers of the meditations of the holy marabouts no weapons fashioned by his enemies could hobble Ghaddafi.

So why now seek protection in vain weapons, too expensive to buy, wasteful to maintain, and never to be used for any useful purpose.

One billion dollars of Africa’s money is to be spent to buy some Russian toys, for stupid boys!

What about the children that need to be schooled? And the herbal medicine clinics that should be established in every community? What about the roads and the railways that provide people the opportunity to network and prosper? What about power and energy? What about clean air and water?

As if all these have been taken care of inside Africa, someone in Libya decides to mis-place their priorities, confuse their philanthropies and indulge in tools of grandeur, fake power and momentary gratification.

Lion!

20 October 2009