Libya is a country in Northern Africa. Col Gaddafi (Gadhafi) took power by a coup in 1969 and has ruled with the proverbial ‘iron fist’ since then. Although the motto is“Freedom, Justice, Democracy,” no political parties are allowed. ("Libya") As in the novel 1984, citizens have been told a very skewed truth for the past 40 years and have few opportunities for disagreeing or dissenting from the government. Even the motto "Freedom, Justice, Democracy" is analogous to the slogans of 1984: War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Truth (Orwell 104). The truth of them is farcical, but the leaders seem to think that simply by stating it often enough, it can become the truth in people's minds. Just like the people in Plato's cave, whatever we believe becomes reality for us: "In every way, then, such prisoners would recognize as reality nothing but the shadows of those artificial objects" (Plato 481). People can only recognize as reality the things that are put before their eyes and in their ears.
This repressive situation began to change in the past year, after popular uprisings occurred in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia. The Libyan resistance group was able to gather enough support to gain the backing of some of the outside world, and so NATO forces have been bombing Libya since March of 2011. The height of the conflict was reached in August of this year with major fighting occuring in Tripoli, the nation's capital, and Surt, Gaddafi's home city.
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