Libya, Leviathan and Hobbes

Can 17th century political theory help explain the situation in Libya? Of course it can; just consider Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan.
Generally, people are alarmed when they hear the word leviathan, or the name Thomas Hobbes. However, what Hobbes was arguing in Leviathan is for a political structure that is reflected in the foundation of modern political thought.
Hobbes argues life is nasty, brutish and short because people are in a constant state of war with each other competing to fulfil self-interests. To mitigate this chaos, people give their consent to be ruled by some authority which provides a sense of security and control in society.
This authority is what Hobbes refers to as a leviathan and what we now refer to as government. The leviathan has supreme authority and this power can never be stripped away.
The leviathan was put in place by the consent of the people. Therefore, if you don't like your world under the leviathan, it is your own problem.
However, Hobbes also argues that people never give up their natural right to survive.
Moreover, just as the people give consent to be governed by a leviathan, the leviathan has the responsibility to ensure our safety and the right to live.
Only when the leviathan loses the power to protect the people's basic needs can he be overthrown.
When this happens, the people are thrust back into a state of war with each other and need a leviathan to step in and ensure peace and order.
You can see how this vicious circle of events dominates modern-day politics. Libya is a nation under the oppressive control of Moammar Gadhafi for over 40 years.
Libya has one of the highest GDPs in Africa due to its abundant oilfields. However, very little of this oil revenue makes its way to the population.
Vast numbers of Libyans live in extreme poverty, 30 per cent of Libyans live below the poverty line, the Libyan poverty line, which is much lower than Canadian standards.
Terrorist organizations are financed to commit atrocities like the 1988 bombing of Pan
Am Flight 103 while people starve in the streets.
As the country deals with the war and while the oppressive elites are nowhere to be found during this, the people are suffering.
The connection between Hobbes' Leviathan and Libya is striking.
When the people could take no more, they took to the streets to overthrow a ruthless leviathan.
Now they are desperately searching for another to take over and perhaps restore peace and order.