The Tribes of Libya Speak Again

[little grey rabbit]

I really don't see how you can overlook the collection of the great philosopher of Botulism, BHL.

The Neo-Kantians of Paraguay or the Tribes of Libyan, this renaissance man knows no boundaries

http://www.margaretsoltan.com/?p=21159

In his latest book, published this week amid the traditional adulation in the media, Lévy, 61, attacks Immanuel Kant, the 18th century philosopher. He calls him “raving mad” and cites as his authority Jean-Baptiste Botul, a 20th century philosopher.

The trouble is that Botul never existed. He was invented as an elaborate joke in 1999 by Frédéric Pagès, a literary journalist, who wrote works in his name. One was titled “The Sex Life of Immanuel Kant.” His school, known as Botulism, subscribes to his theory of “La Metaphysique du Mou” [The metaphysics of the limp].

In “De la Guerre en Philosophie” [On war in philosophy], his new book, Lévy writes that Botul had proved once and for all “just after the second world war, in his series of lectures to the neo-Kantians of Paraguay, that their hero was an abstract fake, a pure spirit of pure appearance.” …

 

[egslim]

All things considered, which one holds more weight?

Neither. Both sides are trying to score cheap points.

 

[Caustic Logic]

Neither. Both sides are trying to score cheap points.

I think the second part is fair enough, but on the first, I disagree. I'm unable to get things done quickly these days, but I had a look, put it together here and here. Almost no matter what one says about this Tripoli gathering, it comes out well ahead of the Levy letter.

It's worth a full explain, but here are the quick facts:
- 32 tribal chiefs or representatives met April 12 withMr. Levy in Benghazi
- they somehow drafted a letter, in French, affirming wishes for a non-Gaddafi future, thanking France for its help. (see below)
- 29 additional signatures to the French letter were achieved later.
- Levy publicizes it on April 27

At my second link at the top, Levy providies some suspiciously impressive details I cannot yet vouch for or de-bunk - in particular, one man is claimed for the largets tribe, Warfalla, another one standing in for all southern tribes, one from "Lockerbie bomber" al-Megrahi's tribe swears off the regime, as does a "leader traditionnel" of the al-Gaddafa tribe, the Libyan leader's own!

And he sums up, auto-translated, that with these 61 names:

All the tribes of Libya, I repeat, present here.

All have, through one of their chiefs, ratified the manifesto.

The myth of Libya cut in half has lived.

The cuts, more accurately, no longer geographically separating the free tribes of the East than in West always be based on which the regime: it is political, internal to the tribes themselves, which when not clear to have or be on track to have an allegiance to the National Transitional Council, at least, outstanding leaders are here.

So my comparison:

Do the math: about 2,000 tribal chiefs, compared to "61 chiefs or representatives." A well-publicized gathering with hundreds of public speeches in their native tongue and own voices, and provided transcripts to compare with the video. Compared to a behind-the-scenes meeting with a couple of staged photos, announced only two weeks later, followed by signatures attached to a single letter that only speaks once, which they couldn't even read, being in French and for France. As the statement they signed closes:
Nous profitons de ce message, confié à un philosophe français, pour remercier la France et, à travers la France, l’Europe : ce sont elles qui ont empêché le carnage que nous avait promis Kadhafi ; c’est grâce à elles, avec elles, que nous construirons la Libye libre, et une, de demain.

(trans):
We take the opportunity of this message, given to a French philosopher, to thank France and through France, Europe: it is they who have prevented the bloodshed that we had been promised by Gaddafi, it is thanks to them and with them that we build a free Libya, and a unified tomorrow.

(trans):
سنكون يدفعون لك مرة أخرى لسنوات قادمة. تهاني.

 

[Captain.Sassy]

At my second link at the top, Levy providies some suspiciously impressive details I cannot yet vouch for or de-bunk -

Well, I'll check your links and such but generally I prefer 'suspiciously impressive details' to 'suspiciously vague'.

 

[geni]

Neither. Both sides are trying to score cheap points.

Reports suggest that the rebels have at least some front line fighters for whom tribal loyalty is an issue.