22. The Dictator Smitten by an American Secretary of State
Muammar Qaddafi saw himself as a messiah. Modeling himself on Chairman Mao and his Little Red Book, Qaddafi published The Green Book, containing a political philosophy labeled The Third International Theory. It was a mix of direct democracy, Arab and African nationalism, and Islamic socialism, which Qaddafi presented as an alternative to capitalism and communism. It formed the theoretical basis of Qaddafi’s government, and he made it required reading for all Libyans. In reality, Libya was a terrible kleptocratic dictatorship, governed on the basis of nepotism to enrich Qaddafi’s family and his tribe. The country’s economy was grossly mismanaged and only survived because of abundant oil and gas.
A creepy womanizer, Qaddafi had a habit of hitting on female reporters, often meeting them for interviews in bathrobes or in his underwear. He became obsessed with former US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, whom he referred to as his “darling black African woman“. When she made an official visit to Tripoli, Qaddafi showered her with $212,000 worth of gifts, including a lute and a locket with his picture inside. He also saw himself as a fashion icon, and to that end cultivated an odd collection of ensembles and sartorial choices that made him modern history’s most bizarrely dressed ruler.