Don't ever think that academics are wiser than the rest of the population--present company excluded of course. This is Anthony Giddens: "If [Qadhdhafi] is sincere in wanting change, as I think he is, he could play a role in muting conflict that might otherwise arise as modernisation takes hold. My ideal future for Libya in two or three decades' time would be a Norway of North Africa: prosperous, egalitarian and forward-looking." (thanks Assaad)