Dear Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (or may I call you “Colonel”?): salaam.

I see you have hired Michael Porter, Harvard’s caliph of competitiveness, to help you with the minor matter of modernising Libya’s economy. Interesting move. Most countries on the road to riches kick off by importing capital goods: you have started by shipping in a containerload of consultants.