People 3, Dictators 0

While I was in sunny Reno enjoying the Worldcon, another autocratic regime crumbled into the desert sand.  I only found out when I turned on CNN Monday morning, but then regime c0llapse happened very, very quickly, within the previous 24 hours.

An offensive by a largely Tamazight-speaking Berber force from the western highlands coincided with a massive uprising in Tripoli itself. By the time the rebels arrived, the Tripolitanians had pretty much liberated themselves.  As I watch CNN now, I can see jubilant rebels carrying away gold-plated Kalashnikovs from Gaddafi’s own compound.

Yes, there are Gaddafis still at large, and there is still fighting.  But it’s a mop-up now, not a war.

This is an outcome so stunning, so successful, and so swift, that I really hadn’t even considered it as a serious possibility.  The Gaddafis seemed to have their capital, at least, under control.  I was terrified that there would be a months-long Siege of Tripoli, with massive civilian casualties, before the Gaddafi regime finally kicked the bucket.

Just look at the guys who won!  Ordinary Tripolitanians who had obviously been carefully putting together an armed underground resistance out of bits and pieces and who hid their operations from the security forces until the day of rising.    For a bunch of self-taught resistance fighters, that’s astonishing.

Not to mention the Berber army.  Quad-barreled anti-aircraft guns mounted on the backs of Toyota pickup trucks!  Volunteers armed with knives and meat cleavers hoping to scavenge an assault rifle!  High-school kids with two hours’ practice firing their AKs!  Officers who in civilian life were barbers, electricians, and shopkeepers!

They kicked the regime’s collective ass.  Colossal.

I even saw a picture of a tank turret mounted on the back of a flatbed truck.  They were firing this thing!  I’m amazed the truck suspension survived.

(I’d like to say that these events should be put down to the Deep State Effect.  Sound good to you?)

While we think about this profound issue, please enjoy this video featuring a young fighter who liberated Colonel Gaddafi’s cap!