Libya and the LSE: Interesting Connections

With the events in Libya at the center of the world’s attention, I thought I would write on some interesting developments we have had at the LSE in connection with the crisis. When Col Qaddafi’s son, Seif Al Islam, gave a wandering 40 minute derisive speech last Monday on Libyan state TV blasting the revolution and vehemently proclaiming support for his embattled father’s regime, he seemed to be an exact replica of his father who is known for lengthy, drifting speeches. At a recent UN meeting, for example, he had a fifteen minute time slot to speak, and rambled on for 45 minutes against American imperialist policies to the chagrin of all the delegates who were forced to listen.

While Seif’s speech on Monday focused on consolidating power in the face of the uprising, some of his statements raised some eyebrows in the West. For example, he said that “American and European forces” were waiting for the regime to fall to colonize Libya. He also said that he would not leave Libya for the “Italians and the Turks”. This worried many analysts because Saif Al-Islam has, until recently, been hailed as the future of Libya and the person with whom the West could work. His address was a direct turnabout from his careful, articulate manner he has been previously been known to have.

A manner he perfected when he got his PhD at the LSE in 2008.

His thesis? The Role of Civil Society in the Democratization of Global Governance: From ‘Soft Power’ to Collective Decision-Making?

While it may seem like an unmistakable hypocrisy that he would devote his time studying peaceful transitions to democracy, and then blast an arguably pro-democratic movement sweeping through his own country, the professor that worked with him commented that the man we saw on TV was not the person he came to know at the LSE. “Watching Saif give that speech – looking so exhausted, nervous and, frankly, terrible – was the stuff of Shakespeare and of Freud: a young man torn by a struggle between loyalty to his father and his family, and the beliefs he had come to hold for reform, democracy and the rule of law. The man giving that speech wasn't the Saif I had got to know well over those years.” Whether he was under extreme duress to make the statements he did, or if he truly believes the things he said, I can’t tell, but it does add an interesting perspective.

In 2010, the LSE accepted a £300,000 grant from the Libyan government, which the school director said (this morning) he was “embarrassed” about receiving considering the current events. Yet in November, the relations between LSE and the Qaddafi regime reached an all time high when the Colonel himself agreed to give a satellite broadcast speech to the LSE. Realizing how incredible of an opportunity it was, I got a ticket. When we lined up to enter the auditorium, the first hint of the Libyan disconnect with the outside world became evident. They didn’t bring enough translating headsets to the school, and were expecting a larger Arabic speaking audience. Even though I am the only native English speaker in several of my classes, to imagine that the LSE is chalk full of Arabic speakers . . . it simply isn’t the case. Consequently, we all split the headphone jacks, and listened with an earpiece per person.

The event was titled “Libya’s Position in the World” and was supposed to begin with a speech by Col. Qadaffi followed by a question/answer session. The broadcast opened with Col. Qaddafi sitting at a large desk in a black turtleneck covered by a white jacket, in what appeared to be a sitting room. Quite a departure from his usual brown robed North African attire! Instead of speaking, he just opened with questions and answers with a booming, “Greetings sons and daughters!” and the audience was a bit uneasy not knowing what to say. A student soon raised his hand and asked, “What is Libya’s position in the world?” The room was filled with suppressed laughter as Col. Qaddafi proceeded to explain how Libya was located in northern Africa, and was the center of African oil trade. He immediately went into a lesson on the 13 invasions in Libyan history, and stated that “from the Roman empire to the American empire, Libya has played a major role in Africa” helping smaller powers overcome larger imperialist forces. He summarized the 1986 American air raids against Libya, and finished with a confident “Allah’s will is not Reagan’s will. I am alive still.”

During the question and answer session he was laid back, and approachable, frequently laughing in his low resonant voice. When a student asked if she could visit with him personally regarding her PhD thesis (to scoffs from fellow students for using a public event to further her own personal aims), he invited her to Libya and said he “would do anything to help a student on their school work”. This immediately drew applause from the audience largely made up of students.

I did my best to write what he said, and here are some of the intriguing statements he made:

Libya’s relationship with Latin America is good, because Latin America is ridding the influence of America.

In the future, no single state will survive on its own. Only in unions, like the African Union, and the European Union.

Arab nations should move together, and be familial. They should all move to a larger space like Turkey, or Asia, or Africa and form a EU like union called the Arab Confederation

Colonialists created failing countries.

Europe will be a black continent of mixed religions, and it doesn’t have the courage to face immigration. Europe should give Libya 5 billion Euros each year to help combat illegal immigration.

There is nothing on Wikileaks about Libya (click here)

In one corner of the screen, stood a map of the world with the USSR still covering most of Asia. When a student from Azerbaijan asked if he thought that’s how the world really was, Col. Qaddafi spoke of the virtues of the USSR. “It was the only country who was a deterrent to the US- it kept America at bay. With the USSR gone, America has become colonialist, it colonized Iraq, and many historical sites were destroyed. If the USSR was still here, none of that would have happened. The US is trying to destroy the Greenline of Islam, and is using an imperialist strategy like Hitler, Mussolini, and Ghengis Khan.

America has greed and intentions to add the Ukraine and Azerbaijan to its colonies. All of this is before Obama though. Obama isn’t imperialist, Bush was, and he doesn’t want to continue fruitless wars. With Obama, America is now different. It is wise, and easy to work with.

At the end of the broadcast, it became apparent that he is truly in his own world. Anyone that compares the US to Ghengis Khan, hasn’t changed his own private map to reflect major geopolitical changes over 20 years old, and honestly thinks that all the Arab countries should pick up house and move to Asia, has problems. Clearly, he is disconnected from reality on many issues.

I can’t help but draw conclusions that it is this same ethos and mindset that drives him today as he desperately clings to power in his brutal, bloody fight against his countrymen.

Despite all this, I wonder how Seif Al-Islam will weather the storm, and wonder what is role will be in the future of Libya. Will he (with his LSE PhD, and masters from a Swiss University) be the darling of the west? Will he put his education and connections to use, and lead Libya into the 21st century? I don’t know, but as far as the LSE is concerned, it has nothing to do with him.

A BBC reporter said last week of Col. Qaddafi, “clearly, he is divorced from reality”.

From what I saw in November, I couldn’t agree more.

Are you Goodenough?

Mikaela and I took a walk after she got home from work the other day, and we found this college near where we live.



So, what doe it say about people who apply, but don't get in?

The Royal Albert Hall and Catching Elton's Muse

The past two weekends I have had the opportunity to work part time at the Royal Albert Hall as a member of the catering staff. The royal Albert Hall is one of the premier venues in London, and since its completion in 1871, many of the world’s leaders, performers, and other luminaries have visited or performed here. Case in point, there is a huge celebration next month for Mikhail Gorbachev’s 80th birthday being held in the hall.

The building is a multilevel, domed amphitheatre with all the trappings of a classic European venue: spacious boxes for wealthy patrons, ornate wood and metal work throughout the building, roman style friezes with latin script lining the outside, and, of course, plenty of statues of old Albert to go around. Across the street on the edge of Hyde Park enshrined on a golden throne and surrounded by the imperial vestiges of the Victorian age, Albert sits thoughtfully contemplating his domed namesake opposite him. If that weren’t enough, go directly behind the hall, and yet another statue (less impressive) stares impassively at the Royal School of the Arts (part of Imperial College). While he was the impetus for the vast public works project that included the hall, the nearby Natural History Museum and the other museums along Exhibition Road, sadly, he had been dead for 10 years when it finally was completed (jeez, rough timing . . .)

An interesting blurb about the acoustics of the hall however deserves attention. It used to be said that the hall was the only place where a British composer could be sure of hearing his work twice- so bad were the acoustics. Consequently, hanging from the ceiling, there are massive fiberglass “diffusing discs” which help control the sound. While it does leave a sense of hovering alien spacecraft, the sound is phenomenal.

The show that is currently running is “Totem” a Cirque du Soleil production, and it sadly ends this week to be followed by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The dazzling lights, sets and acrobatics captivate the audiences, and I’ve met several people who have said they come to see the production each year. While most people are impressed by the stage work of the actors and athletes, if they knew the complexity of the work behind the scenes, they would be stunned. Unseen by the audience, and running around the labyrinthine corridors and basement hallways is a veritable army of cooks, stage hands, security guards, waiting staff, and managers who work with impressive coordination to put on each of the two shows daily. Provided the building is 140 years old, I’m surprised it’s still able to handle the demands of 21st century productions!


My primary job is with the catering company that is contracted by the hall to provide food and drinks for the thousands of patrons who come on a daily basis. This could mean a variety of tasks which include serving drinks and meals, setting up for events, and even selling ice cream at intermission. The ice cream is in 100 ml containers- and they sell at the outrageous price of 2.75 ($4.40 US). It was amazing to think that when I sold over 199 in one day, I had made them over US $800.

One of the best parts about the job is meeting interesting people who come from all walks of life for part time work. One guy I met last night just graduated in engineering from Warwick, and has been saving up so he can fly to San Diego and walk the length of the west coast to Vancouver over the course of 6 months. Another person is saving up so he can travel around the world and see life outside of England (Africa, South East Asia, Australia, then on to Argentina and back again to England). One girl is from Jersey (as in the island of Jersey in the English Channel) and trying to make it as an actress in London while figuring out life: “The problem with having a supportive family is that no one said I couldn’t do it!”. I met a Nigerian who wanted to leave her country for more opportunity, and is now here in the UK studying law. They represent a slue of countries from Slovakia, South Africa, Columbia, India, and Portugal just to name a few. It is fascinating to hear their stories, and what they are doing currently in London.

While the people are great, the best part is what is in the room in which I usually work. The Elgar Room is housed in one of the 4 square annexes that jut out from the opposite ends of the building. It used to be home to the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1906-1957 where Lawrence Olivier and Dame Judi Dench (among many others) trained and graduated in theatre. Yet in the corner of the room on an elevated stage stands a fantastic red piano- but not just any piano.



It is Elton John’s Red Piano.



Well, at least one of his Red Pianos. But, I got to play it!



He donated it to the Royal Albert Hall, and besides the occasional concert, it just sits there! While I am only allowed to play when customers aren’t there, I can officially say that I have played in the Royal Albert Hall.

Just have to get to Carnegie next.

Peter Pan at the Panto

A few weeks before Christmas, Mikaela introduced me to a new, unforgettable type of theatre: Pantomime.

“Wait a minute”, your probably thinking, “isn’t Pantomime where the actors are silent, and create invisible objects via their hands and overt expressions?”

Well, yes. In America, that is. Pantomime in England, or “Panto” for short, is an entirely different animal- one that needs careful handling and care. Panto is one of those shows where the actors break the 4th wall (the invisible wall that theoretically separates the audience from the story which induces suspended disbelief) and actively involve the audience in the play. Let me explain.

Take Peter Pan, the show we saw, for example. You know when Captain Hook says he doesn’t believe in fairies, and Tinkerbell nearly dies? Peter Pan breaks the 4th wall, appeals to the audience to clap for Tinkerbell, and the place goes wild. Tinkerbell gets her mojo back, and saves the day with Peter.

That may be just one instance in the play I saw as a child, but in Panto, it happens all the time. There is always a dastardly villain who taunts the audience, and a good Panto never goes without a “Dame”: a woman who is played by a . . ahem... flamboyant man. Panto is designed for the whole family, and especially little kids: Everyone boos when the villain enters the stage, and everyone cheers when the heroes enter. Often the characters will banter with the audience (which in our case was all school children) so there were a couple of times when the place was deafening in children’s screams.

Throw in bright and sparkly sets, insert the basic storyline of a ubiquitously known story, add in a few dirty jokes above innocent comprehension, and sell the children glow sticks and twirly light toys- and you get the picture.

Oh, but one more thing. David Hassellhoff. Yes, the washed up baywatch actor with enough attempted career comebacks to make Cher blush.



“The Hoff” played Captain Hook, the villain, and wasn’t too shabby. I mean the two have a lot in common: grizzled swashbucklers well past their best-before date who dote over their bubbly a little too much, and frequently fail in their chase of high-flying ambitions. He is huge over here in Europe for some reason, and was the main attraction of the show. Kaela said that as a Panto villain (from the many that she has seen growing up in Zimbabwe) he did OK. As far as the Dame went, a popular English Dance instructor played the part of a flashy “cabin boy” who was the impetus behind many of the play’s humor of lewder sort.




Despite the cheesy lines, and the even cheesier tongue in cheek acting, the magic of Panto comes from watching the kids around you. The best part of the play was sitting in the small theatre and having hundreds of children scream at Peter Pan- warning him not to drink the poison from Captain Hook. It got so loud, Mikaela and I looked at each other and just laughed. To feel the energy, enthusiasm, and their utter captivation in the story was remarkable. In some ways, it reminded me of what it felt like to be a kid again, and to re-experience the exhilarating magic that my cynicism eliminated years ago.

Speaking of magic and cynicism, lets not forget the fact that Jerry Springer replaced the Hoff as Captain Hook the week after...



Pantomime in England. Nothing like it.