The Green Book is a short book setting out the political philosophy of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. It is said to have been inspired in part by The Little Red Book (Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung)
The Green Book
1. The solution of the problem of democracy: the authority of the people
- The instrument of government
- Parliaments
- The party
- Class
- Plebiscites
- Popular conferences and People's Comittees
- The law of society
- Who supervises the conduct of society?
- How can society redirect its coursewhen deviations from its laws occur?
2. The solution of the economic problem: socialism
- The economic basis of the Third Universal Theory
- Need
- Housing
- Income
- Means of transportation
- Land
- Domestic servants
3. The social basis of the Third Universal Theory
- The social basis of the Third Universal Theory
- The family
- The tribe
- The merits of the tribe
- The nation
- Woman
- Minority
- Black people will prevail in the world
- Education
- Music and art
- Sport, horsemanship and the stage
Influence
In Libya
According to British author and former Greater London Council member George Tremlett, Libyan children spent two hours a week studying the book as part of their curriculum. Extracts were broadcast every day on television and radio. Its slogans were also found on billboards and painted on buildings in Libya
International
By 1993 lectures and seminars on The Green Book had been held at universities and colleges in France, Eastern Europe, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Views
The Green Book rejects both capitalism and communism, as well as representative democracy. Instead, it proposes a type of direct democracy overseen by the General People's Committee which allows direct political participation for all adult citizens.
The book states that "Freedom of expression is the natural right of every person, even if they choose to behave irrationally, to express his or her insanity." The Green Book states that freedom of speech is based upon public ownership of book publishers, newspapers, television, and radio stations, on the grounds that private ownership would be undemocratic.
A paragraph in the book about abolishing money is similar to a paragraph in Frederick Engels' Principles of Communism.Gaddafi wrote: "The final step is when the new socialist society reaches the stage where profit and money disappear. It is through transforming society into a fully productive society, and through reaching in production a level where the material needs of the members of society are satisfied. On that final stage, profit will automatically disappear and there will be no need for money."