Update on the last country we said we saved

[Iterate]

40. Don't be misled by international sources or by grudges from the disempowered.

Look at Libyan sources, especially local sources covering local news and you get a different picture. Trouble is, not much is in English, even though the new press freedoms have led to an increase in the number and quality of sources.

I won't try to recap the past two years, but clearly the scope and scale of violence has steadily declined. By far, most serious conflicts are now resolved without injury, but you won't see that by simply looking at the international press. It's just not newsworthy, and it's not on the scale of Gadaffi's military order to "turn the blue sea red with the blood of Misrata."

The election turnout was huge, and with few exceptions the elected officials/parties are still in office. I don't see any sign whatsoever of a coup happening, or that it would be tolerated. Power is too disbursed right now.

Only part of what the national government has been dealing with has to do with the war. By far most of it is in dealing with legacy issues from the Gaddafi regime or with historical conflicts.

Again, not to recap, but here is one small example of many:

Gaddafi loyalists were rewarded with employment in the civil service. That's part of the reason the 10% fought so hard to protect the .001%. They weren't necessarily competent or well paid. But it did give them the opportunity to collect bribes without restraint or otherwise leverage their power with a side business or second job civil service job. It led to endless conflict and irritation. It also exasperated the 15% unemployment.

Then there was this announcement just a few days ago. The subsidies mentioned had also become hopelessly entangled with corruption, as had the judiciary(which is a huge challenge in itself).

Government increases public sector wages by 20 percent
By Ahmed Elumami.

Tripoli, 4, September 2013:

The government is raising salaries of public sector employees by 20 percent, it was announced today.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, the Prime Minister said that there was also the possibility of annual, inflation-linked allowances, provided the state of the economy permitted it.

The salary increases, Ali Zeidan, explained, were part of the plan to remove the subsidies on commodities. It would contribute to improving the income of Libyans and their living conditions, he stressed.

Zeidan also announced that the Council of Ministers (the cabinet) had decided to separately increase the salaries of Judicial Council staff to reflect the important role they played in society.
...
The announcement also comes at a time the authorities are starting to crack down on state-employees having multiple salaries.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/09/04/government-increases-public-sector-wages-by-20-percent/

Cynics from overseas can say what they want about that move, but it doesn't strike me as irrational or suggest the need for UN supervision.