The composition of the Opposition Camp in regards to clarity and applicability of cardinal principles by all seemingly dedicated individuals in achieving true and lasting democratic changes and the plight to and reliance on the Western Nations to bring down the Meles’ regime are two (2) areas that would require immediate awareness and adjustments, mostly of a psychological nature than anything else. If we listen carefully, they are repeatedly telling us, in plain English, that we don’t seem to be strong enough to become winners for them to take such a risk!
The Sisters, rightfully so, has rejected and the Brothers are forced to change the old adage, ” ‘BEHIND’ every successful man, stands a great woman.” The new saying now goes, ‘BESIDES’ or ‘At the side of’ every succesful man, there is a great woman. No wonder social scientists these days stress that women contribute the most brain power in the world, as they are the majority. Without their representation in every level of society, we are simply wasting most human resources. I hope and soon, Ethiopia can elect woman leaders , the “BIRTUCAN MIDEKSAs”, as did Liberia. There is no question that we would have had a democratic, sensitive , compassionate and peaceful country if such successful women only ruled having “GREAT MEN BEHIND” THEM.
On the other hand, the Brothers, must only accept the fact that behind every successful dictator there are ‘Hodams’, subservient, sadistic and coward individuals, mostly men, who relive our own fantasies through someone else’s actions. We really need to do something about it.We are either the honchos or the facilitators, enablers and keepers of autocratic rulers. Most seem not to have the ability, courage and the self-confidence to stand on their own two feet to fulfill their dreams. They have become, to use one compatriot’s beautiful _expression of those whom he considers such leeches, “the vine that twists around the sturdy oak tree for no other reason in the world, but because it has no strength sufficient to support itself.” Such bloodsuckers should not have a place in the struggle such as ours as they always dilute or weaken our efforts, await for an opportune time to diminish our principles and revert our struggles. The freely accessed and exited camp with an open door policy simply encourages spies, selfish and obssesive power mongers to join the movement to only endanger the lives of honest and principled Ethiopians and the existence of political organizations established with the sweat and blood of selfless brothers and sisters.The only aim of such individuals is to become the right or left hands of future dictators. They do not care about the human and democratic rights of the majority.The positions they aspire to hold and the comfortable living they would like to lead is their priority. They would rather keep the current tyrants in power than replace them with democratic and country loving individuals, where they may not have a place in such governments. As we all are aware, the Opposition Camp is comprised of political parties, civic and other associations, individuals and groups of different persuasions. Those who claim to be members and supporters of our cause are not compelled to prove their true identity or what they mean is what they say. In a hodge-podge gathering such as our Camp, anybody can belong to the enemy’s camp. There are no rigorous or litmus tests, scrutinies and selections made to avoid hired guns and detractors who would openly join the oppressor’s camp after doing so much damage.
There are checkpoints in our journey to the “promised land”, like we are stuck now, where these traitors are magnified and stand alone. During the pause, we might as well separate the chaff from the wheat and move on. As Thomas Jefferson once put it, “Men by their constitution are naturally divided into two parties. Those who fear and distrust the people and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher class…,” the tyrants in our case, “…and those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherrish them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise depository of the public interests”. We must cleanse the Camp from the anti-majority evils and continue with our journey. We must be careful, though, not to silence or destroy those with legitimate differences and offer constructive alternatives to enhance and direct our struggle in the right path.To carry the dead beats on our weak shoulders is counter productive. This is a dynamic process that requires essential and good riddance. We must always be alert and diligent in protecting and defending our organizations, unions and most imprtantly the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. NO COMPROMISE ON PRINCIPLES WITH THE LOW LIVES.They either have to accept the guidelines or be dumped.
On the other hand, we have a second front that we unnecessarily waste too much of our precious time on. It is the diplomatic arena. Of course, it is essential to have the international community on our side.The Diaspora activists seem to have done a marvellous job in possibly cutting the life-line of Meles’ regime, the aid and support he receives from donor nations to subjugate our citizens.
One important factor that we seem not to be aware of or willingly admit is that the people of the world has come to recognize that elected and assigned members of adminstrations of the powerful Western Nations will never gamble with or jeopardize the interest of their countries, are unwilling to sacrifice the reelection opportunity of themselves or the winning trends of their political parties by changing well established and proven profitable policies that pleases their mentors, THE BIG CORPORATIONS that are, after all, the initiators, planners and financiers of such engagements.
We cannot rely on the adminstrations of the WEST that are spending trillions of dollars engaged in space and ground international wars. They even heat up and raise the tension of fear in the areas they are involved in, to sell more weapons.The West is building a plutonium arsenal in space, rather than building schools for children, affordable houses for the homeless and hospitals to provide healthcare for the tens of millions that are sick and helpless in their own lands. America has now successfully waged three (3) space wars [Afghanistan, Chechnia and Iraq] and is totally dominating and controlling space to instantly strike and easily win battles with anyone on Earth. How can we expect these governments to stand by the side of foreigners, when they care less of their own people at home to even provide them with their basic needs? The Government’s response to the victims of Katrina, per human right and religious groups, politicians, foreign governments and even the media, has totally shown us their true nature about their concern for people of color. The West is not exporting tools and heavy machineries to underdeveloped countries in Africa or elsewhere to improve and increase farm products so that they can feed themselves. They are not sending free medications or even at an affordable price to prevent and fight killer diseases. They may consign free food aid that they are about to dump in the oceans due to expiration or to maintain the price of grain in world markets, but entice and allow dirt poor countries like Ethiopia to spend more than half of its budget on buying arms from them. The military industries of the West are getting richer and richer from the sale of arms to countries that cannot meet the subsistence requirements of their citizens. The energy sector of business are also enjoying unheard records of profits while the people of the underdeveloped countries are emptying their national coffers to meet such needs; what ever is remaining from their own thieves and embezzlers in leadership positions.
The West, decides who should stay in power or who must go, depending on who serves their interests best. I know how much effort some of us put in pleading to the 9/11 Investigation Commission to look into the American Adminstration’s policy that cuddles and aids dictatorial regimes around the world forcing disgruntled citizens, with no other alternatives, to resort to armed struggle that may become a safe haven and a breeding ground for TERRORISM. Incidentally, there is no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties in this policy.The victims of such authoritarian regimes are against all “Yankees” as they cannot differentiate the Adminstration’s stance with that of the just and humane beliefs of the majority of the American citizens. I remember the daily e-mails I myself had sent to prominent hosts like Phil Donahue and other prime time news anchors to put pressure on the commission to examine this fact, all in vain. We all know that the media is owned and/or under the control of these big Corporations that help the officials elected and practically have them in the palms of their hands during their terms and beyond. No news is news unless they decide it is worth reporting. The army’s effort in Ethiopia to save a cheetah or two was big and important news broadcasted on the western media when there was no mention of innocent children, peaceful mothers and the elderly being butchered, hundreds wounded and thousands herded, picked up from their homes by the Agazis and thrown in TPLF dungeons during the same period of time. What a misplaced value? Tony Blair has become so insensitive that he not only tolerates, but celebrates violence and death if committed by his tyrant friends and terrorist regimes. It is quite different when individuals and groups retaliate in defense of their rights and wellbeing. The question to him and his likes is not the unjust suffering of how many humanbeings and for how long, but who committed the atrocities where, on whom and the degree of loyalty of the perpetrators to him.
Today, those that have been puzzled by the USA adminstration’s efforts to sell empty democratic and human rights ideals to the world when its foreign policy truly reflect that it cajoles, embraces and protects tyrants and autocrats have come to the conclusion that the world will only win if it faces the “bullies’ as a united force. No one nation or people can stand their wrath or awesome might alone. Those who understand the nature of these beasts have launched a united form of struggle known as THE GLOBAL PEACE MOVEMENTS. It would be a waste of our time to beg the West to solve our problems while losing their profits or interests.WE MUST BE READY TO EMANCIPATE OURSELVES ON OUR OWN AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MOVEMENT THAT IS DESIGNED TO WAGE A COLLABORATIVE FIGHT AGAINST THE AMALGAMATION OF BIG CORPORATIONS.The only way they will come on our side is if we prove to them that we are the force to be reckoned with and they cannot stop our historical march. We must also remember that in the early 1990s, Mali and Benin had become democratic by civic movements bringing down long standing dictatorships without foreign help or fanfare. Infact, the USA had outrightly denied direct assistance to Mali to sabotage its genuine efforts to establish a free and just system, democracy.WE MUST BE WILLING AND READY TO PAY THE NECESSARY SACRIFICES! As the well seasoned diplomat and elderly statesman, Ambassador Imru Zelleke, always remind us: let us not fault them for pursuing their national interests instead of striving to make our’s a reality by ourselves.
Having said all the above, I must agree with the opinion of one smart politician that said to the effect that the American type of democracy is a bad system, but for the fact that all other systems are worse. By opposing such bad policy, I am sure I am not biting the hands that is feeding, sheltering me and respecting my rights.Those who are ready and determined to fight it to change its ways is not out there to kill it , either, but to make it better, interms of making it a humane and just system to all mankind, irrespective of creed, color or location.
We must not also forget or abandon what has worked for us, the theme and motto that “UNITED WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE FALL.”
Pressure can bust a pipe or make diamonds. Let us put pressure on Meles and prove the obvious outcome. Come rain or shine, THE BUMS THAT ARE THIN PIPES MADE OF TIN, AND NEVER EVEN HAVE THE ARTIFICIAL LOOKS , LET ALONE THE TRUE QUALITIES OF A DIAMOND, WILL TOTALLY BUST!
