On Socialism and The Green Book

Socialism, as expounded in the Third Universal Theory outlined in The Green Book, can in no way be confused with state socialism, which has created in state socialist countries a society based on the exploitation of man by the state. This society is as harmful to man as that which, in capitalist countries generates the exploitation of man by man.

One of the greatest mistakes of our time is to associate the term socialism with state socialism or Marxism. Muammar Qadhafi has on many occasions made a series of statements on the economic aspect of the Third Universal Theory. 

State socialism has separated man completely from his traditional life, and reconditioned him as a robot. Thus, in the Commentary on the Green Book we read: "By simply pressing a particular button, human robots move like ants to gather the fruits of their labour into previously designated places of storage. Such human robots do not have the freedom to choose when to eat and drink, love and dream, desire and rest; to rise to a higher station in life or to achieve fame." This state socialist system subsists on violence and "requires that an iron fist be always placed over the head of the people. Were it possible for this iron fist to be lifted, people would revert back to their old ways and only serve their own private interests. The tendency in Marxist society is, therefore, to establish a strong state which controls the wealth, authority and arms in order for it coerce all people to relinquish their personal interest and work only for Communism." (Commentary on the Green Book)

The state socialist and capitalist systems are similar in that both have a people, a government and a state. They both have a regular army and police force, which are used in the capitalist system to protect the interests of rich capitalists, and in the Marxist system to protect the ruling party. Yet in both systems the people toil without being able to manage their own affairs. Rather, they are managed by public or private administrations which represent either the state, or private exploitative firms or companies. The Commentary on the Green Book concludes: "Leaders of the capitalist system pride themselves on their system having produced some affluent workers, yet they ignore those who became poor because of the affluence of the workers who usurped their opportunities for work and their share of the wealth of society. Marxists, likewise, pride themselves on having eliminated unemployment and thus ensured employment opportunities for all those who are capable of using them, yet they too ignore their own inability to provide the comforts of life for the workers." 

The Third Universal Theory, by contrast, proposes a New Socialism the purpose of which, in the words of The Green Book, "is to create a society which is happy because it is free. This can be achieved through satisfying the material and spiritual needs of man, and that, in turn, comes about through the liberation of these needs from outside domination and control."

Speaking in the early 1970's Colonel Qadhafi stated: "Solutions adopted both by the East and the West which lacked sufficient aspirations and urgently required a Third Universal Theory, have caused great harm to humanity. Capitalism has harmed man... The whole of Western social life deteriorated because of wealth - wealth is the only thing that matters. He who has no capital, has no place and nobody will listen to him." 

Capitalism is the original cause for social disorder and state socialism is its most disastrous consequence. According to the Third Universal Theory it is necessary to end the economy of exploitation and replace it by a social economy without exploiters or exploited and where each receives a just payment in accordance with his capacity and effort. Capital must be at the service of the economy and not the economy at the service of international capitalism as has occurred up to now. Capitalism subdues and dominates man through the oppression of a techno-bureaucratic minority. 

By eradicating the capitalist cancer and establishing a New Socialist society based on natural law, the Third Universal Theory also eliminates the causes which generate the necessary social disorder for the development of Marxism.

The application of the economic aspect of the Third Universal Theory leads to the establishment of economic independence and real social justice. It builds a New Socialist society, which is unlike both the existing state socialist and capitalist models, and in which man and the satisfaction of his needs is the essential factor.