Wrong Ben Ali Dies

While Googling Tunisian tyrant Ben Ali, I came across a following story about another Ben Ali. The story was an obituary, and I am sad to say that the wrong and noble Ben Ali has died:

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Ben Ali, the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl, a landmark D.C. eatery that has fed presidents, celebrities and the common folks of the city, died last night of congestive heart failure at his home in Washington. He was 82.

I eagerily await the headline that will pronounce the death of the Tunisian Ben Ali - a man who has the blood of hundreds of innocent people on his hands. A man who has so cruelly imprisoned even the most innocent and inconsequential of dissidents. A man who has sent plain-clothed thugs to beat up women dissidents as well.

I believe that that headline will not be far off, if you follow the events in Tunisia.

Here is a rule of thumb for Arab tyrants: if their spokesman claims that they are in good health then that must mean they are about to die or have died already. This is a common feature in the Arab world where this or that leader is claimed to be in good health because the close circle of ruling elites fear the consequences in the form of a coup if the leader dies or is known to be in bad health before a successor within that circle can be announced. So while they plan their continued dictatorship, the leader slowly dies all the while the state media runs dated videos and images as if they took place today.

Tunisia’s tyrant and his cadre of thugs are playing this. Tunisia’s president is known to be very sick, and for years now with his health deteriorating. And recently he may have undergone surgery. But here is what the Tunisian propagandists are stating about the 73-year-old:

Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was carrying out public duties this week after taking most of last week off work to recover from a throat illness.

State media said the 73-year-old head of state received the prime minister and the leaders of political parties on Monday and on Tuesday Ben Ali spoke at an economic conference in Carthage north of the capital Tunis.

Spain’s King Juan Carlos had been due to visit Tunisia last week but the trip was cancelled after Ben Ali’s personal physician advised him to rest for five days to recover from an acute pharynx inflammation.

The tyrant-in-office-since-1986 is not ill from a mere sore throat. Have you ever heard of someone resting in bed for five days simply because their throat is hurting? Ben Ali has something and it is far worse, but, of course, we do not know yet.

And this dictator did not meet any leaders and did not speak at an economic conference. There is no photo of video of such events, which are usually highly-publicized by his propaganda apparatus.

Besides this Arab Dictatorial Death Deception, there is also another reason to suspect his impending death which at first appears to have nothing to do with his health but may in fact be all about the coming death of Ben Ali: the Tunisian government recently announced that it will speed up privatization for the year 2010 after privatization only one state enterprise in 2009.

What’s the 2010 speed up about? The Tunisian government stated a short while back that given the global recession, it would slow down privatization of state firms since they usually entail layoffs once they transfer into private hands (naturally, since the government tends to be inefficient). Thus it made no sense to privatize firms and lead to unemployment during tough times. But this recent announcement has entirely put aside that logic and abruptly so. As noted, 2009 saw only one privatization due to the recession, but now all of a sudden 12 will be handed to private “buyers”. This is how privatization works in Tunisia: The ruling elite has been able to walk away with whole industries without making a single bid. President Ben Ali’s family has taken over numerous industries. But it is the Trabelsi in-laws who are most notorious in their corruption and greed. Both these family are from humble origins, but now command billions due to being handed over profitable state companies that they now manage for themselves.

There isn’t even a subtlety to it. Not even a phony bid. Instead, a state enterprise is given to a, say, Trabelsi for free and now that person has just taken over a multi-million $ firm. Simple as that.

Thus my reasoning: Ben Ali is several sick and may die so. Without him in power, the Ben Alis and Trebelsis lose their ability to loot the country. They are trying to clean house before the old man finally dies.

So, given this and other recent news it should not be before long when we get the much awaited headline that the Bad Ben Ali has finally perished.