By Mulumebet Asfaw
It was extremely gratifying for me to stir a lot of controversy with my last article on dechasa (welfare) addiction and its consequences. The issue at stake, being a thorny one that pricked the sensitivities of many especially those who have been deliberately caught by the benefit trap indefinitely, all the uproar and furore was understandable. As far as I am concerned, I have achieved my goal and set the agenda for sincere discussion on such an issue which has long been consigned as a taboo that nobody dares to talk about.
Let me make it clear from the outset once again that my criticism is by no means directed towards those who legitimately claim benefits as a result of some misfortunes. My criticism has targeted only those who have been deliberately avoiding opportunities so that they would stay on welfare for the rest of their lives without contributing anything valuable to make a real difference to themselves and others. Throughout this article, it must be noted that I have used the quantifier “some” to avoid the risk of making gross generalizations.
I have heard so many great sermons and moral teachings in Ethiopian churches in the Diaspora but I have never heard a preacher challenging the moral decadence attributable to welfare swindling, the resultant lack of work ethics, loss of direction and the distorted purpose of living in exile seeking a “better” life. If someone from your church catches you eating chicken on a Friday, your sin quickly becomes the talk of the whole congregation, some of whom even dare to share their benefit swindling techniques to others including conning benefit officers into believing that they are disabled or mentally retarded so that they would be guaranteed a place on the benefit system for life. Unfortunately, there are some who feel that their pathetic way of existence is a badge of honour to brag about. Surprisingly there are even those who earnestly believe that God is helping them in their dubious endeavours despite the widely known biblical adage which goes like: “He who doesn’t work does not eat.”
In spite of the fact that some supported my initiative to bring up the issue, there were equally resentful and suspicious views. Some even thought that I might be a Weyane cadre who is out to destroy the reputation of my fellow countrymen who are tactfully stuck in the welfare system. As a matter of fact, those who concocted such a conspiracy theory didn’t know the fact that I hold Weyane cadres and spies who are also artful benefit swindles with utmost contempt. This is because of the fact that they are the ones who are bankrolling the Meles regime with their money laundering businesses that stretch from Europe to North America. They spy on innocent Ethiopians, get paid by Weyane, drive their minibuses and run their businesses and yet you find them living rent free and claiming all sorts of benefits as expert freeloaders and free riders. Some of them are children and close relatives of high ranking officials of the Meles regime and its business associates who bogus refugees milking the nation at the detriment of the hunger stricken people of Ethiopia. Even Meles Zenawi’s London-based relatives, including his sister, are said to be expert benefit swindlers in spite of the fact that their man has been robbing Ethiopia for nearly three decades, as leader of a criminal ethnic syndicate called the Tigray Peope’s Liberation Front. This very ethnic front is an expert welfare cheat as it created a repressive kleptocracy propped up with foreign aid as the whole aid economy, which is said to grow by tenfold every year, survives on beggary.
Contrary to the suspicions of the conspiracy theorists who have gone as further as theorizing that I was motivated by envy, God knows what for, the main reason why I ventured out to speak loudly against deliberate welfare cheating is due to its long term impact among Ethiopians who have lost their sense of pride, purpose, direction and self-confidence. Let us assume that Ethiopia is liberated and the Diaspora is needed to reconstruct Ethiopia. Can the large army of benefit swindlers who have preferred to dodge work and education contribute anything valuable with their corrupt experience? Doubtful!
Before wading deeper into murky waters, let me praise those who have changed their lives through hard work and determination. Unlike the artful dodgers, there are a large number of Ethiopians who have started from the bottom to fulfil their dreams and made their way up the ladder of success. These are the kind of Ethiopians that can take home their valuable skills, experience and know-how to build a new Ethiopia that we will all be proud to call a country. They are well prepared to be trusted and make a difference as they know the value of independence that must be earned through hard work.
Though it is undeniable that immigrants face discrimination, compared to the natives, it cannot be a justification to swindle benefits forever as a way of tackling adversities. For the majority of able bodied Ethiopians caught up deliberately in the welfare system, there are some simple escape routes that can help many get out of the terrible dependency syndrome and declare independence as well as dignity.
Right attitude
Many Ethiopians in exile suffer from attitudinal problems that they imported from our backward culture. The worst attitudinal problem is lack of respect for all kinds of work. It is a shame for some Ethiopians to be seen in public doing blue collar and less privileged jobs. But these compatriots never feel ashamed to live at the expense others. There are even those who choose jobs without having the necessary skills and qualifications to their dream jobs. How can they fulfil their dreams without studying and working as hard as they possibly can?
Another misconception widely held among benefit cheats is that they feel certain that they would remain better off on welfare benefits than working legally, pay bills and taxes. To some extent that may be true, but this can go wrong in the long term. This is due to the fact that those who do not get qualifications and job experience become more and more marginalized from mainstream society. That would in turn make them disadvantaged as they cannot compete well in the job market without work experience and qualifications. So having the right attitude is the first step to escape from the welfare trap that kills the inner energy of any able bodied fellow Ethiopians who have deliberately surrendered their self-confidence to dependency syndrome.
It is ridiculous to see some Ethiopians engaged in hard fought fashion, furniture and car shows as well as wedding and birthday extravaganza while they are intently trapped in the welfare system, the prerequisite of which is supposed to be their claims of being poor and dispossessed.
Self-belief
As mentioned above, self-belief and self-confidence cannot be guaranteed when people adopt a self-defeatist attitude. Those who have lost their self-belief never believe that they have untapped potential that must be unlocked to their own good and the society at large. Therefore, self-confidence is an important asset that should not be compromised and sold out to welfare dependency that saps out one’s self-beliefs and inner strength.
Hard work
From Japan to Taiwan, from Singapore to Israel, from America to Europe, there is one dominant factor that has created a wider gap between affluent and poor nations. The level of hard work in the most affluent nations is incredible. While some of us spend hours making rounds of coffee smelling aromatic smokes of incense and backbiting our neighbours and friends, there are many around the world that have their coffee rushing to work or inventing something new. One can imagine how anyone with a lot of time to waste loses out because they are on welfare benefits with no significant experience and skills. Can they truly believe in hard work even if they work in the black labour market without securing their rights and dignity? The answer is a resounding no as such a belief entails the drive for success and the sweetness of honest gains.
Education
It would be stating the obvious to declare that education is a key to unlock our potentials. That being a universally accepted fact every society invests heavily on education. Every able bodied Ethiopian who lives in the Diaspora must aspire to get a qualification and skills. Those who are unable to be successful academically can do vocational qualifications. Professionals qualified in vocational skills like plumbing, electrical installations, vehicle maintenance, beauty therapy, hairdressing, social care, child care etc. are high in demand in many countries. The majority of Ethiopians who have completed secondary schools are able to gain vocational qualifications provided they have the determination to succeed. Why is it that some have never been to schools and colleges in their countries of refuge while they have been sitting comfortably on welfare? Can they legitimately complain about discrimination and other forms of disadvantages? Not at all!
Language
For the majority of Ethiopians language is a barrier that holds them back from being successful in exile. Those who live in Anglophone countries, like the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, have a relative advantage. But one should not discount the fact that in the majority of schools in Ethiopia, English is not taught properly. The majority of students, who even graduate from universities, may not have conversed in English until they “finish” their studies even if the medium of instruction in post-primary schools is said to be English. It is therefore imperative to learn languages seriously so as to integrate and succeed in foreign countries. There are some Ethiopians who think that it much better to speak in broken English and miscommunicate with native speakers rather than being seen around language schools.
Morality
The bases of morality, whether religious or not, are values and actions which have been widely accepted and endorsed as rightful and righteous. Being on welfare benefits with intent to cheat cannot be accepted as righteous by any moral or legal standards. Unless those who have been intently swindling benefits are making efforts to rectify their mistakes by working harder and earning their living in stead of being dependent on those who work hard and pay taxes, they find no moral excuse to challenge a burglar or a pickpocket. This may appear outrageous but the burglar or the pickpocket may also say it is difficult to work hard, pay tax and bills. “Why can’t I seek a shortcut to get better off?”
Success comes with pain
Unless one wins a lottery or inherits wealth that someone else has made, prospering in the right way has always been difficult. As the saying goes, success usually comes with pain. In stead of fending off criticism against welfare cheats and swindlers, we have to convince ourselves and children that working hard is the most important escape route from dependency and despondency, not only in exile but also back home where the regime seems to be helplessly addicted to foreign aid. If such a comment appears to be offensive, let it be. After all this is a legitimate discussion based on legitimate observation.
As a final note, I would like to conclude by calling on my fellow Ethiopians to continue the debate. I firmly believe that we need to have honest discussions on many thorny issues. I rest my case on welfare swindling and make a promise to come back with another upfront comment on some thorny issues. In the meantime, so long!
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
46 thoughts on “Escape routes from the dechasa trap”
Mulumebet:
You raised a very important concept regarding language barrier affecting many of us. Incidentally, English appear your achilles’ heel, too, as depicted by your statements below:
…Being on welfare benefits with intent to cheat cannot be accepted as morally acceptable by any moral or legal standards (tautological and unnecessary repition of words)
…For the majority of Ethiopians language is a barrier that holds them back from being successful in exile. Those who live in Anglophone countries, like the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, have a relative advantage…But one should not discount the fact that in the majority of schools in Ethiopia, English is not though properly (what do you mean English is not though?).
I feel we should go to English class together:)
I do not understand why we concentrate on condemning one rather that argue the actual points discussed. As in Armagedon who preferred to question Mulumebet’s language skill rather than the points she tried to make. Although Mulumebet is referring those who have language barrier as “them” instead of “us”, I do not believe it is her intent to exclude herself from this group.
ato arma
This itself depicts an attitude which kept you too low. You must be one of the cheats somewhere who meantime serve woyane masters in looting the country’s wealth and money laundering.
I would recommend you to go to school and cleanse yourself from that chronic attitude problem you inherited from your stubborn leaders. Mulu will go to school, not to learn English, but to lecture on moral values to you and your corrupt leaders. You don’t have the intellectual capacity or the integrity to challenge the issues raised by Mulu. Instead, you reverted to an attack which is expected of the the likes of you who are master cheats.
Dear Muriel Aston,
Please read
The Poor Law Act 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Welfare economics
If it is easy to get welfare including the protest against the poor law act, which the british themselves abused it!!!
You mean Africa is poor because we do not work?
british! ( with Small B)
Armagedon, That is obviously a proofreading task!
Mulumebet Assfaw
You are sent here to England to study the welfare system? What was the purpose of your study? in your earlier article, you mentioned a comparative study of such policies in Europe but you did not tell us about it. We dont believe you. The England diaspora has been out in the snow and cold to give voice to the voiceless Ethiopians. Did you say a word about this? No! You came to England to put down the confidence of Ethiopians even more.
Little knowledge is dangerous. What have you know about the system? The social security system has a history and the English system is no match to the Scandinavian system. What would you have said if you had an inkling about the support the latter governments give? howl like a wolf?
Even the prince of Wales gets treatment from the national health service, the social security system. Did you say anything against that? No. We have the social security system in America too.
What was your conclusion from this comparative study? have you ever thought of a social security system for Ethiopia, you thick head? Obviously, from what you have scribbled so far one can see that such idea would never cross your mind. You were not here to learn from the social security system, you came to England to attack the pro-democracy diaspora that has been voicing the dark, miserable and terrifying conditions the voiceless Ethiopians live. You are a paid agent, Slut.
Dear Armagedeon, The oversight you mentioned has now been dealt with. Do you have any substative matters to raise?
Dechase. if it is [ dechase ] the root cause of ethiopians conflict even in diaspora, it would go to hell for once and for all. we have enough problems in our country and even the weyane’s hodader the sold out bandas are the root cause of ethiipians problems in diaspora. mulumebete, if you are living in USA , would you tell us why millions of black- americans are the victums of white americans? why are milions of black americans including ethiopians sitting in USA’s prisons?Why so many hodams joined weyanes camp from USA TO KILL THE OLDEST NATION ON EARTH?we know there is no dechasa ssyetm in USA, that is why everybody should work 24 hours. some times no time even to see each other for one month even more.that is why the old aged marriag is maxium six months, after six months they will separate or kill each other. any ways. mulumebete, leave dechasians alone and go a head with your own life . USA is a trouble economic ressession, no work, no salary, you can resettle and join the british dechasians. but my advice to all dechasians, please use your time. do not allow your time to use with. that means try to use your time properely , get every day some amount of money and send that to your parents. give Achance to your brothers and sisters to get good education and later they can compete the weyane’s children so easily. I do not blame those ethiopians who get dechasa on one hnda and doing their work to get more money at the end of the day. But those dechasians who sit at home and think only dechasa is enough for their existance should be woke up. they are on earth only to eat and live. they must work and give chance for those who do not have any opportunities for work or get good education.
Maybe you came in a compfortable way,time and place to the west and you have been privilleged well. I have been working and now also am working(and most of my friends) day and night very hard but it brings nothing because most of the other immigrants are using the simplest way to be rich in a year and at the same time helping each other for legal and illegal way of getting money (eg.the Turkeys).On the contrary we the ethio-eritreans are remained honest in this legalliezed illegal way of our world system.Specially now where we are spending every single money to the capitalists by our cheap labour.They say it’s a big crime to ask one cent more to my monthly salary whereas its normall to make an illegal billions of double triple profit within a month (eg the oil concern) or it’s normall to pay as a space tourist 20 million dollar for a week. Go and combat for the new system on the world if you say that you are intelligent enough. Don’t come to me. Because it brings nothng whether I work legally or not. The rest(majority)immigrants are using this simple way. Or go and participate in your country’s strugele against…. , there is a lot of problem in each and every corner, socially, economically and also if you are brave POLITICALLY. THANK YOU
I am with you in all of the point you raised in the article. not only the issue you raised , but also the way you present it makes me to read it with interest.
I hope for many, who have carriage to read it, where ever they are (UK AU, US …), should take this as a wake up call.
I have been arguing with many Ethiopians whom I know are trapped with “dechasa” to do something better for them selves than being young pensioners, majority says claiming dechasa for them means is just exercising there right. But in my view it is something morally damaging exercise than a personal right.
Now rightly Mulu is becoming a little bit soberer and have noticed the necessity of narrowing down of the contents of the welfare benefit’s issue by focusing on the TPLF cadres and relatives who live abroad and abuse welfare benefits.
Of course the clique is swimming in stolen national and international wealth being distributed among a tiny minority and causing untold underdevelopment and miseries.
Such material and financial wealthes are meant to develop the country and protect the Ethiopian people through national welfare and well being developments just similar to all of these rich, democratic developed Western countries to where we are forced to run as immigrats, refugees, etc.
And then again we forget the big picture and the big problems while eagerly picking up quarrels as to whether a half glass of water is in fact half full or half empty.
Similarly and by the same logic we pick up some kind of “quarrels” as to whether receiving welfare benefits for some Ethiopians is morally correct or morally incorrect, of course morality being defined by ourselves for our intrinsic selves, according to our world views and views of human nature.
As a matter of fact there is no one single standard of truth or morality but only relative and many types of truths and moralities depending on individual’s world views, human views as well as all the different social and environmental suroundings shaping communities and individuals for centuries goneby and still ongoing.
For example, Biblical morality and biblical truths can be different from that of the budhists, Islam, Hindus, Judaism,Shintoism, etc. moralities, world views and human conceptions.
For example, the welfare system cannot be characterized as a “trap” by most people and its inventors who put it in place but is meant to uphold human degnity and protecting them from being forced take up degrading slave labour and work for burdensome long number of hours for a none existant slave salary on which a normal dignified life sustainance is impossible.
Think of child labour in Africa, Asia and Latin American countries working 15 to 18 hours under the most inhuman conditions for token amounts of pay and die before adult hood.Think of the lots women(moder day slaves) being forced in to the “job” of prostitution as profession claimed by cone masters to be good work and good income.
Even at the start of the industrial revolution people especially women and children were forced to perform slave labour under the most inhuman conditions at an extremely nominal pay.
The welfare system is to protect people from inhuman slave labour and help them to choose their prefered jobs and tasks with coll mind without undue and degrading insecurities whether finacial, health, moral or otherwise.
Why should people go to work 15 to 16 hours for s substandard irregular token payment of no practical value to their life for a street corner despotic samll time dictator pizza owner and live short lives of misery just to prove that he/she is a human being living on his/her sweat and blood and not “traped in the welfare system”
Why should a pretty unemployed girl take up some sort of semiprostitution job and work as a sex slave at the expenses of her health, dignity and humanity for a well dressed cone men/women in order to moralise and avoid the so called “welfare benefit trap?”
Of course the cone men/women(company) will only run to the so called tax paradises with their millions thus earned without paying taxes and social benefit payments to society and and communities. No wonder that they are in the fore fronts in battling welfare benefits and beneficieries since it slave labour availability very difficult.
In fact the welfare system liberates people and gives dignity while avoiding forced official or semi official labour with token unsustaining incomes under the most inhuman conditions in the companies of racist colleagues. Wefare benefits help people to peacefully refelct on what they really want in life and gives them the time to think and choose their own individual road in life.
But of course there can always be the danger of getting used to the welfare benefits for some as a way of life and getting endlessely passive. But there are political,mental, social, environmental,educational,etc. reasons for that too. So, one needs to be careful from blaming the victims.
After all the tranquilities, securities, peacefulness as well as all the human social, political, environmental and personal well beings in the Nordic countries are singularly attributed to the system of welbing and basic universalist wellfare system for all.
So, when we arrive from the disgraceful chaotic failed states being ruled by the brutal failed minority dictators and cherishing majestic individual grand achievemnets at all costs, we totally forget the big societal and the common benefits of welfare services and relative justice and basic securities for all.
Armagedon,
Why don’t you focus on the real issue instead of critisizing her English . If you don’t agree with what Mulumbet said show us that by providing proof.I don’t have to tell you that even the native speakers make mistakes once in a while.
By the way what do you think about your sentence below.
“Incidentally, ENGLISH APPEAR appear your achilles’ heel, too, as depicted by your statements below:”
Did you say English appear????? Is that the proper way to say it??? what happened to the “s” after “appear”
Yes,you are right when you say “I feel we should go to English class together.”
Guest1 says:
“Mulumebet Assfaw
You are sent here to England to study the welfare system? What was the purpose of your study? in your earlier article, you mentioned a comparative study of such policies in Europe but you did not tell us about it. We dont believe you. The England diaspora has been out in the snow and cold to give voice to the voiceless Ethiopians. Did you say a word about this? No! You came to England to put down the confidence of Ethiopians even more.”
Guest1 ,does the purpose of her study really matter here?? is that the real issue here?? Could you please say something about the points she made on her article instead of redirecting the discussion to somethingelse.
Yes, we all know what Ethiopians in Englad have done so far in exposing the atrocities committed by the government.we all are proud of that,however do we have to be proud of the way most Ethiopian generate their income there?
Snezero
Dear Guest1,
Oh dear! Are you on the edge or something? Cool down and take a deep breath brother. There is no need for such a blatant hostility towards the author of an article such as this one. Granted, we all were a wee bit suspicious of her motives for writing the first article and now I am totally convinced that she is not a Woyanie agent. I believe Mulumebet is just one of those high minded and well meaning Ethiopians trying to give her compatriots a piece of her mind and that is OK.
Even though the beginning of her first article was sort of misleading, now I see Mulumebet’s logic that is first lay out the problem in its entirety and now the solution. I believe there is some merit to this escape route, or rather escape chute (it addresses only a narrow subset of the target group, mainly those who have access to the Internet and who can read and understand it). All her points are obvious and valid and she is spot on, regarding our work ethics as well as our attitudes regarding well paying menial jobs. I know for a fact that some of us would rather be dead in the ditch rather than dig a ditch for $20/hr in case someone we know might see us.
I think we should all be thankful to Mulumebet for taking her time to tackle one of the many issues faced by Ethiopians outside their homeland. I look forward to her next article and I hope we will be able to dissect and discuss it without the need to hurl insults towards her or each other for that matter.
Sister Mulumebet,
I salute you for your courage and determination to tell us the bitter truth. It takes more than mere academic intelligence to tackle such controversial issues. Of course, bitter truth has bitter taste for some. Whatever you do, you cannot change that. Simplified, in order to grow as a society as well as as individuals, we need to wage war on our weaknesses. We cannot solve a problem we prefer to hide or deny. Dechasa addiction is one such hidden and taboo problem among the diaspora. Actually, UK is not an exception. Same problems prevail in Scandinavian countries, Australia, Canada….etc.
Garbage in, and garbage in again!
Advise Mrs Mulu to send her research to WALTA information center or TPLF’s “Minstry of the Rich”…..hope she may have heard about George Orwell during her Research Trip in England….
i must admit that this article refelects not only someone intellectual curiosity,but reality and values with utmost practical prudent.this is the kind of many issues that we must discuss to find a remedy for our country social,political and economic pains.we must struggle to defeat our enemies, such as poverty ,ignorance ,bigotry ,political injustice,passivness or lack of motivation to do something , and illiteracy, in all fronts. eventhough her article comparitive historical reliablity might be a matter of controversy, she raised a burning question we ethiopian have faced for centuries.
her point of views regard to dependence need to have further discussion among ethiopians.in my judgement ,we need such kind of diverse opinions in the spirit that every opinion is as valuable and valid as other.we need also a group of people who have really a burning desires to make change for our country.let us chnage our mind set from natural simplicity to sophistication.
now we talk the talk and it’s time to star walking the walk.
The most perplexing basic question is as to why this lady Mulu chose her target of “investigation” the relatively wretched and displaced Ethiopians from home, community and country by a ruthless minority dictatorship completely rejected by all Ethiopians both at home and in the diaspora.
What is that completely unsubstantiated and fake welfare abuse propaganda compared to what the British government have been offering and donating material, financial, diplomatic, political, military , etc. assistances to the despotic dictatorship “new bread of African leaders?” grossely violating national and international human rights freely and at will.
Lots of Brtitish donated cars, lorries and other implements were being used for killing and displacing innocent and poor Ethiopians whose children were probably helpless refugees in Britain if lucky enough.
Remember that the Ethiopian dictator and PM. Blair of the UK were hands and gloves for a while until their common road came to a cross road and forced them to part with grudges when the Ethiopian dictator kep massacaring and committing genocides on Sidamas, Gambellas, Oromos, Amharas, Somalis, etc all in the shadows of Mr.Blair and companies and taking their supports as ever lasting and irrevocable.
Well, dictators and their cadres always choose to investigate and spy directly and indirectly on their opponents and the entire population whom they consider as potential opponents and challengers.
Similarly, even opposition parties and groups if competent
try to analyse, evaluate weaknesses and strengths and engage
the dicatatorship to defeat it.
Mulu’s so called “research” have changed forms and shapes many times since it has been placed on this forum. Mulu herself have admitted that she did not conduct any research on the topic but that she come across the welfare issue by accident and in connection with her other research.
And now, seemingly her pamppering funders are shouting high and loud in support of Mulu’s fake propaganda claims meant perhaps for the hidden benefits of Wayane dictatorship.
Discredited Wayane simply cannot openly engage in spying, defaming and isolating Ethiopian refugees individuals and communities and make their meager lives imposible in a democratic and plural society.
All what the Wayane can try to do is planting incompetent and miserable bought cadres and use them in dividing Ethiopian dispora communities as well as also using host authorities against Ethiopian immigrants.
All these for the sole pupose of strengthening the TPLF minority dictatorships impoverishing Ethiopia and leading the coutry back to the middle ages.
We don’t need to be a rocket scientist inorder to understand the strategies and tactics of a rejeted dictatorship and its low life hidden spies posing as ABRAGADABRA.
comechambawe says:(#16)
You call such crap propagnda as intellectual curiosity? That is complete disgrace to your intellect to say the least.
This so called “welfare abuse” junk Mulu is trying to recycle as something new and miracle discovery is simply a long standing and documented information by many countries’ social work authorities, say country and country, individual by individual as well as by the entire immigrant communities.Some such lorry loads of documents in one welfare country was found dumped in garbage dumping special area for distruction after the information have been shfted to the computer system. If I knwew Mulu’s intellectual curiosity by then I would have saved at least half the load of that lorry full material of interest for her.
The fact that immigrants themselves, say people like you and Mulu, were not aware of some documented and avaialble archived information may not render issue as a matter of great intellectual discovery. Some such lorry loads of documents in one welfare country were found dumped in garbage dumping enclosure
Please remember the fact that a polar Bear’s shit still exists somewhere in the polar areas even if you did not happen to see it.
But I wonder if you dare to exaggerate and characterize that shit as a matter of great intellectutal curiosity when you run across the stuff once in your life time. For thos who are used to see it on regular basis it is only an ordinary shit with certain smell and texture.
Polar Bear shit characterization is of course a metaphorican epression.
dear fola, just wondering that in what sense her view of dechasa became political.as far as i am concerned her view ,in pure sense ,social issue.
This is a message to all of you who are against Mulumebets’ criticism of “dechasa addictions”… You need to see the point; do not take it personal!!! To put it in simple terms “her point is to try to help her country men and women” who supposed to be in the West prospering. We are rather languishing living “below the poverty line”.
What is the point leaving our beloved country (as most of us are “Economic Migrants” and are here for better life) and come to one of the richest country in the world with full of opportunities but be beggars????? that is the point. We should be ashamed of ourselves when we go out there to cash our giros!
Well done Mulumebet! Keep it going.
Thank you Achamyeleh, You nailed it.
There was no honesty from her aricle right from the start. Her despicable article should be thrown down the drain where it belongs. As if the suffering of Ethiopian and other immigrants is not enough she addes insult to injury. And no one can present such despicable article as a research except to knock down the confidence of the diaspora and denigrate their image. She did with hate not love for Ethiopians.
Her snobbery is beyond measure she has to be brought down from the high moral pedestal she is preaching. Who is funding her scholarship and for what purpose? we have every right to suspect that she came to benefit herself by slinging the mud this half-baked research (in quotation). Money is what made her talk. immoral preaching morality! revolting!
The article by Mulu is the truth but since it raises issues many are aware of or are participants of the welfare state, like many things we do, it is a taboo to bring out our dirty laundry in public. Mulu may be guilty of that in our collective denial and the gang mentality to silence those who expose our shortcoming. I believe, this single attribute i.e. silence when our behavior is criminal to the determinate of our society is what kept us poor and disillusioned.
Everybody knows someone who is engage in criminal activity of swindling welfare, involve in corruption, forgery etc. here and at home but no one dare tell them, let alone to collectively sanction theses individuals in our community. In many cases they proudly talk about their unethical of not criminal behavior with pride, with out any reaction from any one in public but the usual gossip in private.
Mulu raise the issue but as almost like every issues raised before there will be no follow up on it to get to the bottom and see if we can fix the problem. Then, the question is why raise the issue if one is not prepared he/she is not going to do something about it for the better? This is why those who attack the messenger always win because the massager is not willing to step up to do something about it beside protest.
With the political atmosphere theses days, those who raise important issues are almost always labeled in a bad light because adding more problems to the already overwhelming problems we are facing is paramount to addtional assault on our community. It would be Nobile to do something about it than simple talk about it in a language many do not even understand.
I suggest those who like to write more of our problems should at least say how it can practically be solved, if not get their “hands dirty” to change it.
Also priority and timing is important, in a period were our society is facing many problems here and in country like divstion, diseases, famine, corruption, tyranny of the worst kind etc. talking about welfare swindlers in Diaspora seems an over kill for the situation we are in.
Eshitu
ብዙ ሰዎች ሙሉን በመሰለ ነፈዞች አንድ ነገር ሲጻፍ አትደናገጡ:: ዋናዉ የጽሁፉ መነሻ ደቻሳን በተመለክተ ሳይሆን የ ኢትዮጵያዉያንን ሞራል ለመንካት የታለመ ነገር መሆኑን አትዘንጉ:: ኢትዮጵያዉያኖች የትም ብንሄድ ይው ኢትዮጵያዉያኖች መሆንችንን አንክድም:: ስለዚህ ሞራል ለመንካት የሚጻፈዉ ጽሁም ሁሉ ጥሩ አይነት የጽሁፍ ምላሽ ያስፊልገዋል::የአለም ህዝብ 2/3 ኛዉ በድጎማ እንደሚኖር ማወቅ አለብን ::
እንግሊዝ አገር የሚኖረዉ ኢትዮጵያዊ አብዛኛዉ ተሯሩጦ ላቡን ጠፍ አርጎ የሚኖር ዜጋ እንደሆነ
ሁላችንም እናዉቀዋለን: ስንቱ ሰዉ ነዉስ በኢትዮጵያዉያን ስምስ የሚነግደው??? ፖሊስ ሲይዘዉ ኢትዮጵያዊ ይሆናል ሌላ ጊዜ ደግሞ ሌላዜጋ ይሆናል:::
አመሰግናለሁ
Dear Mulumebet,
Well done unviel the untold story among our fellow brothers and sisters. This is a big break thorugh. Keep it on.
It was really a pleasure to read such article from fellow Ethiopia. I am thrilled with the way you lit the light. I am student here in Australia and I did a research among Ethiopians, somalis and Eritrean in Melbourne and found out many related things.
What is wrong with us? it is a disgrace to read the “comment” of people like Armagedeon . It is clear that the writer didn’t say she is prefect in English. As preson from Non-English Speaking background making such error doesn’t mean anythning unless you are a faultfinder. It doest prevent her message from conveying its message. Poor Armagedeon who can’t grab the essence of the article but who want to show off his/her self as good English speaker.Sham on you mate! Grammer is not the theme of the article poor Armagedeon.
Read it again or ask those who understood what the article is all about before your hang up on single line to give a comment.
May God give us the courage to all the spad is a spad?
Thank you Mulu. You are a very intelligent and an articulate person. Continue doing the good job; the war should continue in every front till Meles gives back our Badme.
Natsinet
I am with you, sister Mulumebet!
The old saying: “No pain, no gain” has no meaning and value as far as we have some able-bodied Ethiopian brothers and sisters earning their living by swindling the welfare system without pain, while the rest of us sweating, working in a foundry, in the mining industry or in a school, teaching undisciplined urban city students and sending our tax money for those brothers and sisters who believe working as a dishwasher or toilet cleaner demeans one’s dignity; therefore they prefer to seat, watch television, make love, and then go to sleep. No wonder why the welfare system has become the shelter of criminals and indolent people from all over the world. We know there are very needy people: the blind, the deaf, the crippled, the chronically sick, the orphans, the old, and the destitute, and welfare for such needy people is justified. If the healthy young people fill the welfare shelter instead of the barber shop, working as barbers, instead of the transportation offices, working as bus or taxi drivers, and instead of the pizza hut makers, working as pizza deliverers, where should then the real destitute go, lay their heads, worm their cold bodies, and feed their hungry souls?
The blind, the deaf, the crippled, the chronically sick, the orphans, the old, and the destitute have no signs that tell us they abuse the welfare system or our tax money; when we see such people are being helped, comforted, fed, and well treated, we are inspired to do more to help them because their pitiful conditions are self testimonials that we should not go and examine them if these people are indeed abusing the welfare system, but when the excessive life style of a welfare recipient catches our eyes – the eyes of us the tax payers – a justified anger drives us to complain about the misuse of the welfare system, and we shall not rest or neither shall we get satisfied until the poor are in and the welfare swindlers are out in the cold to shovel the snow, clean the toilet, or go to school and learn the art and beauty of working and earning and supporting oneself and one’s own family. The destitute have no energy to fight the able bodied welfare recipients to reclaim their territories that belong to them, the destitute, by us the tax payers’ judgments, but instead of the destitute do the fight, we shall fight for them against the government that has failed to give adequate shelters to the destitute instead of to the welfare cheaters, and we shall fight against these welfare criminals with or without the help of the government.
One should be ashamed of when he consciously occupies some one’s place that does not belong to him and lives there, gets married, have children, and dies there, and all these time being paid by the government that runs the welfare system. In this particular case, the government should be accountable for not encouraging the welfare recipient to get out of the welfare and find a job; instead, the government let him die there without contributing anything valuable to the community he has been living with until his death.
Anyone able to work, but who is still trapped in the welfare system, get out of it and get some advice from the wise man, Solomon, who says: “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” ( Proverbs 6:9-11). He further advises you to go to the little ant and learn its wisdom how it does its work professionally and save itself from dying from starvation (6:6). There is a season for a welfare, and there is a season to get out of the welfare system, and the right season for you to get out of it must be now, not tomorrow or next year.
You may be one of those people who hate to take a menial job, but remember the saying: “No job is too menial for a hungry man.” If you are really very hungry to find a job, you will find it, and when you get one, keep it until you will find a better one.
Intelligent, yet regarded ignorant because you are a dishwasher; diligent, yet regarded useless because you are always on time to work; humble, yet regarded inferior because you respect people what color or gender they are; unshaved, yet regarded unclean because you don’t have adequate time to shave; satisfied with what you do, yet regarded unhappy and unsatisfied because you don’t show your happiness; — a hard working person like you never applies for welfare and you will achieve the “American dream” – brand new car, brand new home, a beautiful wife and godly children. When you achieve the American dream, then those who disparaged you at your dishwashing job will come to you to salute you for your great achievement, and the ones who refused to get out of the welfare system will envy you and come to get some advice from you.
Young and healthy welfare recipients should try to be good examples for others by getting out of the welfare system and finding a job and working hard day and night to improve their lives. Knowing there are idle and lazy people in this world of ours, St. Paul, one of the great Apostles, reminds his follower in this way: “We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this , not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).
It is in the spirit of St. Paul’ advice, I assume, our sister Mulumebet Asfaw contributed her article – Escape routes from the dechasa trap – an article that reveals the facts about the welfare cheaters to get out and find a job, any job and work hard day and night to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Mulumebet is trying to help her Ethiopian friends trapped in the welfare system, call her whatever name you want to, to get out of the system, and her message is clear; in fact, some of the welfare recipient Ethiopians, moved by her sisterly and heartfelt advice, may have started searching for a new job. I wish we had thousands of Ethiopian Mulumebets very concerned about their brothers and sisters and who, through their timely advices, inspire many welfare recipients to change their dependencies on this elusive welfare system and, instead, find something meaningful in life.
Dear Mulu,
I would like to congratulate you on your great job. Well done. You research show us our weakness. Our empty ambition. Ambition with out hard work is a fantasy.
Those of you who are criticizing Mulu here are all collaborators/associate of welfare system abusers.
We Ethiopians like show off. Our biggest weakness is we seek excuse for every thing. We blame those who told us the true or we seek excuse to escape. We rarely accept our weakness. That is sham of us we should accept and change.
Those who do not work while they are capable to work think round the clock to abuse the system. They don’t have any skill of qualification but complain about racism. They want to get high paid white collar job because they think that their father was a respect army officer or minister or Dr. or own 5 minibus or you name it. They do have skill and they don’t want to work unskilled job. What a disgrace it that?
While depending on the shoulder of tax payers money we celebrate our new born baby baptism with band. We spend thousand of dollars on party. I am not against baptism. We can make small party at a reasonable cost. We shouldn’t do it because Mrs. x has done it last month. It would be a lot of money for the newly born baby if opened and saved that money for his/her schooling at the time he/she turned 18 and joined university. Most of us totally lost why we are here! Apology for my rude word instead of f ,,king around we have to do something in our life time. We shouldn’t spend our gold time the way we used to spend it in Ethiopia, sipping coffee and back biting has to end now. We have to get up of our bum and work hard to help our self, our family and our country.
Enough is enough.
How many of us are aware of what our own close friend is doing? Do asked him why he/she did that? Don’t we know at least some one who is abusing the system for few hundred dollars? Don’t you know fellow Ethiopian who have taxi or work daily cash in hand job just like full time and live in public house as unemployed person? Don’t we know our fellow citizen who fill separation form from the mother of his children and gave different address but live with his “wife”? Don’t you know those who come up with thousand complain when they got job to remain under doll? What is wrong with us guys? Why we hate those who tell the truth? Where is our morality? Where is our religion? Where is our fasting? Where is our courage to make a difference? Belive it or not some of us living in country like Australia where you are paid every time you gave birth are don’t want to work but giving birth as much as ten children. Buying new car and visiting Ethiopia after they received the money actually given not for parten hoilday but the newly born baby. Do we need to keep quite until we are told by someone else?
Those of you who criticized Mulu please do it on the basis of rational argument and sold evidence. It is shame of those of you guys who spend the whole days behind computer on website like cyber Ethiopia and other chat room doing nothing but talking rubbish stuff. It is sham for those of you who can’t witnesses what you sow in you necked eyes but furiously react against those who unveil the veil..
A gang of TPLF cadres are praising their comrade in arms Mulu rather godolo in bashing the Ethiopian Diaspora behind their corrupt embassy copmputers. Those who live off the poor Ethiopian’s sweat and blood are crying morality when they themselves and the governmnent they slavishly serve is denying millions of our people at home a day’s bread. You keep patting each others backs for bleeding Ethiopia. Blood suckers!
The Ethiopian Diaspora know about their predicaments very well and trying to fork out a living from an oppressive system. And they are learning that the way out of this foul immigration policy that traps them wherever they are is to find their own community where they support each other but not lecturing them of the powerless state and adding an insult to injury.
Mulu or godolos article doesnt deserve any praise but contempt!!
Thanks a lot, comechambawe, for asking me(Fola) very good question.
You may need to know my dear the fact that there is no value free researcher or value free research. Elementary research methodology and reasearch ethics would tell even an uninitiated individual the fact that there is always some value connections to a research choice and its design. Similarly also there is a strong influence of the values, world views and human views of the researcher behind the so called research work.
So, when you are choosing a research topic and produce a research report in fact you are reporting about your own values, dreams, wishes, hates and love affairs hidden and wrappedup within the so called research production.
Research does not happen in a vacuum but in a concrete sociopolitical and cultural space and and time.
Think that you may be doing research for Hitler’s regime in Nazi Germany and studing a tiny group of presecuted Jewish family in California and come up with a research report that this Jewish community possesses lots of pure gold jewelleries and quality silver kitchenwares without mentioning anything about Germany and Hitler.
Any astitute observer can see through that the resesrcher is in fact antisemitic and is a planted Nazi operator out there defaming and waging propaganda warfare in favour of the Nazi dictatorship.
Every embattled dictator uses underground propaganda warriors who infiltrate, divide, weaken and destroy its opponents every where and at any time. They take advantage of the weak life situations of the various opposition groups and its mass base.
So please rest assured that the so called Mulumebet “research” is not a value free investigation meant only for humanity and dignity.
comechambawe says:(#19)
dear fola, just wondering that in what sense her view of dechasa became political.as far as i am concerned her view ,in pure sense ,social issue.
Dear Mulu,
While you have recongized the editorial weakness of your article and took measure without get offended by my comment, I could not figure out why your readers are generating too much negative signals towards me. Some are too emotional that they travelled extra mile to politicize my trivial reaction that I deliberately shy away from the real issue you were trying to address. I am very aware that not only my grammer, but my thick East African Accent is costing me a lot even in routine conversation. Cool down everyone and don’t get offended for I am not good in English either.
Now that Mulu asked me to reflect my view on her article, I feel I have the obligation to respond. Please open your mind that I am not interested if you are supporting this or that political organization.
Unlike many of your admirers, I am not impressed by your article. Sorry if this harms your feelings. All that you have narrated is an open secret and I feel does not deserve study methodology. We discussed this same concept at higher education in the presence of the Prime Minister, Education Minister, and other high officials of EPRDF under a title “MEN AYNET ESSET ENEGENBA?” and the authorities were complaining in the same tone ane maginitude regarding dependency syndrome of the Ethiopian people at home. The only difference between your article and the one I mentioned above is you took the complaint to the diaspora and the rest is the same. Treating the symptom but not the cause will never create salubrious climate for us. As I am writing many Ethiopians are drowing in the high Seas to escape from the harsh realities of Ethiopia.Many more have perished in the ill-fated route of Yemen via Bosasso. As Bob Marley observes a hungry man is an angry man, I refrain from blaming Ethiopians who faced all else failing but hope in their treacherous jouney following their survival instinct. I would support you if the blamed fox were in UK or USA through a negotiated channel between goverments of Ethiopia and the destination country. Many are where they are now after travelling a perilous journey and after being treated almost bestial by boarder pass control system and cumbersome asylum seeking processes. I remember a medical doctor who failed to be kind to the patients he was trying to treat because they were too seek and too many thus over crowding his tatched roof public post used for exmination. At last he refused to treat them and many returned back home after travelling several kilometer to seek medical treatment.
If there was a hopeful sign in Ethiopia people would keep their moral integrity because when they are pushed too far they would have the option to say no. Judging from the present circumstances, people are well off to cheat the western democracy and pay a moral price than to return to Ethiopia. So, your advice or study well fall on deaf ears. I feel it is a waste of time if you have travelled all the way to UK to figure out why Ethiopians moral standard is at its lowest. Because its origin is traced to the present day Ethiopia.
By this, however, I am not justifying that all the social ills mentioned are justified. It is also imprudent to lump all Ethiopians in to one category. There are many who work more than 16 hours a day and earn their living and support their family in Ethiopia. What I am trying to say is that Mulu must dare to dig deeper to the root cause of this moral decay at home not abroad ao that she can prescribe remedial measures.
Cher yigtemen.
Mulumebet,
May I ask why is this welfare system in England is a great concern to you to the extent that took you all the way across the atlantic when you could do something far better where you are? I am amazed to see you went as far as to honour your piece of writing as a comparative study when it is just a trash gossip flowered by a beautiful vocabulary. You would have contributed genuinely a great deal to your people has your writing, by any means, attempted to unravel the plight of tens of millions of Ethiopians back home who don’t even have enough to fill their tummy once a day and are crippled by the economic policy cleaverly tailored to only serve corrupt Woyane leaders. That is when you writing becomes a real study that beckons lots of applaud. I wonder those people in England you mentioned who are probably < 0.01% of the total welfare claimants would have a fraction of second to listen to you.
I am very sorry to say this but my conclusion is, simply, you made a big fuss out of nothing. Just leave this issue to those policy makers in England to deal with and make yourself useful where you are desperately wanted, which is the issue of ETHIOPIA.
Dear Armagedeon,
Thanks for your analytical comment.
Believe me my friend I think that there is not an iota of moral decay regarding the Ethiopian immigrant communities unless we want to invent that artifial decay for the purpose of demonistrating our own holiness and relative archangel or modern day sainthood.
Can there ever be all those beautiful winged angels if there are not all those ugly devils? All what Madamme mulu is trying to do is reinventing herself as beautiful winged flying angel by creating all those “ugly and morally rotten devils.” May be the cunning fox TPLF planted such junk stuff just to divert attention from its current fake election and tightening of its dictatorship. “Even the genocidal Ethiopian dictatorship robbing over 80 million daily may look like an innocent young lamb compared to these sinful creatures?” Hmm…!
What is a moral decay my friend? Blatant moral decay is choosing and poiting evil fingers at groups disempowered, excluded, victimized, embattled, traumatized and living on handouts in foreign lands and foreign culture surviving at the bottom of the social and political ladder.
Are they or should they be Angels? Well, where are the Angels? Ethiopian dictator? Foreign governments who fund, support and sustain that brutal dictatorship to commite ongoing gross human rights violations, mass killings, evicting and displacing ethiopians nationally and internationally?
Believe me these blamed and black mailed Ethiopians may simply come out as clean and clear Angels if their deeds and misdeeds are compared and contrasted in relative fashion to that of Ethiopian dictatrships and its cadres, the Foreign suopporters of such genocidal regime, British national social benefit beneficieries as well as several individuals and groups in there.
The devil is Madamme Mulu who failed to choose and investigate the robbery and thefts of the TPLF boses and their running cadres. These killer dictators are robbing 80 million people in Ethiopian and 10 million people in Somalia as well as several other foreign material and immaterial donating countries.
The funds thus robbed are being deposited in secret bank accounts all over the world.
Mulu’s approach is vain propaganda meant for hunting trivialities while avoiding the real problems causing harm and pain to a large number of human beings in Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and the entire uprooted diaspora. SHAME!
# 30. Armagedeon says:wrote
“What I am trying to say is that Mulu must dare to dig deeper to the root cause of this moral decay at home not abroad ao that she can prescribe.”
dear sister mestawet
first of all ,my opinion is as valid as yours.u may have a liberty to call my views as crap ,but as an ethiopian and a member of this soverine country i have legitimet right to express my views. second if you were a person who believe in merets and dviverse opinion ,u would’t have been generated such paradox stetements.u are a hostile for true change that is why u keep insulting people without any justifbale reason.some of us believe in pacfism and u have no right to defelect our fundamental ethics.
warmonger and extrimiest like you have made difficult for ethiopian society to live in harmony.what is wrong to make a proposition that attempts to tell your country men and women become independent.the fact and matter is that her proposition was inclined to analysis ethio socio- economy problems,but people like u, for ur own shamless and wicked interests, tend to twist her words and make them something else.this is not the right strategy for grouth. this is not the right conceptual methodology to defeat our people pains. u need to have selfreview .
dear fola..i thank u for ur response ,but i have a problem with ur personal attack. u may disagree with her view ,but u should not take to the extrem and personalized it.in any event,i have learned something from our discourse. thank u bro!!!
Dear Fellow Ethiopian,
I honour some of the comments and views posted in response to Mulu’s research. But I do have question to some of those who are against it simply because their secret life is unveiled.
Some of us are furiously against Mulu’s work simply with out any subsistence argument. Some of us try to be rational and support our argument with our own view about the problem, whereas others call Mulu’s research finding as the work of TPLF cadre to weaken the unity of diasporas, still other go far and try to relate the problem of Ethiopian moral decay to the Ethiopian internal political and socioeconomic condition.
I feel a few of us couldn’t understand the relevance of the research. Sadly reader like Fola went further to the extent of diminishing research to the status of reflection of personal dream, views, opinion, wish, hate on and on . Dear Fola if personal wish, hate, dream etc is the way research is reflected the world of today where I and you exchange idea across the glob would have been left as unthinkable. Reacher is not the reflection of personal wish, hate, love or dream it is converting those dreams and wishes in to reality and facts. I feel some of us even couldn’t distinguish the difference between what is mentioned above by Fola and Research. If research is where personal wishes, dreams, hate, love etc is reflected upon, where does the neutrality, validity, innovation, authenticity, originality, etc of research fit into Mr Fola? I am not arguing about Mulu’s research alone but I am afraid that you have misunderstanding about research. You shouldn’t conclude and generalize all research as not value free.
It is sad to undermine the work of some hard working fellow Ethiopian. Some of you are just trying to attack her novel work mainly because you are part of the game or you can’t succeed anything valuable that pull all of us together to shout at. It is better to come up with such controversial idea rather than doing nothing but counting the number of years we spend in the west.
Mulu has done great JOB. She is successful because she initiate such debate among us. She posed a question among those Ethiopians who are highly engaged in thinking round the clock to come up with evil idea to get social welfare or deceive the system to receive social benefit.
Mr. Fola’s writing is self conflicting because at the beginning he admit the existence of the problem and wrote “… it is open secret and I feel does not deserve study methodology”. If the problem is there what is wrong if she did research to support that fact with evidence rather than accepting the rumours? Such rumours can’t be refered as evidence in academic and research world.
Mr. Fola stat that the cause of the problem of Ethiopia dependence syndrome is rooted back in Ethiopia. That is true. The reality in Ethiopia and in UK are simply quiet different. In Ethiopia you people not have a chance to work even a cleaning job if you want to. In Ethiopia some one may not have a chance to study what he/she want to study. Here it is the reverse. The sky is the limit if you are really committed to be what you want to be. Therefore isn’t it immoral to sit ideal while you can work or learn to make a difference to your self and your country rather than to be dependent on social benefit?
Helina,
Please be as good as your name and read between the lines before levelling criticism. You pretend to understand my message and yet unable to distingush the messenger:) Fola did not utter a word on that line of arugment you are labouring to diminish; it is Armagedeon. Charlatan!
Dear comechambawe!
Thanks for your comment. I respect and defend your rights to your comments. What I disagree with is to the content and manners of Mulu’s deliberately trying to diminish the values, morals, lives and ethics of the weak and the victims and the vitimaized being on the run.
Please remember the fact that I am trying to defend the weak and the oppressed in genral with all their small virtues and small vices. It does not mean that all Ethiopians may like me or dislike me, but work fora priciple and a world view just like you believe in your priciples of pacifism and its world views.
Why don’t you preach to the violent wayanes these pacifist philosophy of your when the over fed and over armed TPLF keeps massacaring helpless human beings and keep on chasing the rest to alien lands and cultures to go and bicker about dachassa?
Or is your pacifist philosophy only meant to tranquilize the victims and hinder them from liberating themselves while turning a deeply blind eyes to the activities of the devilish victimizers? Hmm…!
Oh boy! Oh girl! the grand elements of extremism resides hidden in your peaceful sounding pacifism that condones mass killers and blames its victims.
In this sense I am not at all a pecificist because pacificism did not help even the communities of sheep and chicken populations. Rather I am activist who believes in human rights and changes from bad to good, from injustice to justice, from blaming the victims to blaming the victimizers. It is very good for you to go and hide behind the phrase, “pacifismi” when generations of Ethiopians are being exterminated, displaced and perishing regularly on the high seas, traumatized and impoverished in alien lands and cultures.
I don’t believe that you are anything close to a pacifist but using pacifismi as an excuse to help and support impovershing robber dictatorship and supporting their idological hidden propagandists.
You may also claim to be a pacifist simply for the pupose collecting naive followers to imitate you and thereby help the genocidal TPLF dictatorship have peace and tranquility for its power monopoly and unilateral dictatorship.
Believe me the Wayane will buy your brand of pacifism both in cash and kind a to make make you very rich and keep you and Mulu blaming Dachassa benficiaries in order to deflect attentions from its own gross human rights violations.
Let the Allmighty Lord confer on you all the strengthes in your pursuits for pacificism and 80 million Ethiopians liberation improvement through that. Or it may be even enough if you liberate those imaginary Dechassa collectors from “moral decay?”
In addition to that, I am sure we will all learn some thing from each other in due time, slowly but surely.
The only thing that I cannot and will not learn is never becoming a pacifist when both my small world aound me and the whole world carrying my small world are being destroyed together with my good self!!
comechambawe says:
dear sister mestawet
first of all ,my opinion is as valid as yours.u may have a liberty to call my views as crap ,but as an ethiopian and a member of this soverine country i have legitimet right to express my views. second if you were a person who believe in merets and dviverse opinion ,u would’t have been generated such paradox stetements.u are a hostile for true change that is why u keep insulting people without any justifbale reason.some of us believe in pacfism and u have no right to defelect our fundamental ethics.
warmonger and extrimiest like you have made difficult for ethiopian society to live in harmony.what is wrong to make a proposition that attempts to tell your country men and women become independent.the fact and matter is that her proposition was inclined to analysis ethio socio- economy problems,but people like u, for ur own shamless and wicked interests, tend to twist her words and make them something else.this is not the right strategy for grouth. this is not the right conceptual methodology to defeat our people pains. u need to have selfreview .
dear mestawet ,while i admire ur intensity to fight what u believe in , i have failed to understand why such mind is wasted on nothing. i must say that ur analogical propositions seem to collide head on with universally accepted logic.i don’t even know mulu personally ,but i tend to agree with her ideas.does that make me weyaney? i don’t understand why u associated me with current regim.why don’t u embark ur inquiries and critisism in good intention!!! sister, u would have a potential to be one of the great minds in this century if u used ur GOD given talent properly. in my part i have nothing but love for u ..mesawet,but i respectfully disagreed with ur philosophy
i am really proud to be a part of helina and mulue generation. we need such kind of people who have a burning desires for change.though there are some ppl within our community who have refused to swallow truth,we must continue our struggle for better ethiopia.
God bless ethiopia
Dear Mestawet,
Thank you for your feedback on Mulu’s article. For some reason I fail to understand how and why you come to the conclusion that Mulu and those who agree with her are either TPLF agents or sympathizers. I mean, where does the TPLF mafia come in? I know most of us hate and despise the TPLF and some of us more vocally than others, but do we have to understand everything in the context of Woyanie, pro or against?
I think we need to back off and take a deep breath here. There are lots excellent articles posted on ER that analyze the plight of Ethiopians by the TPLF looters and this is NOT one of them. Mulumebet’s article focuses on one of the many problems that some Ethiopians have to grapple with while living abroad, mainly welfare dependency. We could all argue whether this is a real issue or a non issue, and that is fine. But labeling Mulumbet as a paid Woyanie agent, just because she didn’t write a political article rubbishing the TPLF is misguided and off mark. Besides, labeling individuals and groups that we don’t agree with as TPLF agents will give the impression that they are the majority.
Let’s just sit down and think for a minute about the so called paid TPLF agents: those who don’t agree with Hailu Shaul and those who support him, those who support Bertukan and her group and those who don’t, those who are for peaceful struggle and those who are against, those who are for armed insurrection and those who are not, the list goes on. Now we are adding individuals who are writing articles that are non political in nature. My friends, we need to have a sanity check here.
First and foremost, I found the article very interesting and really admire Mulu’s courage to raise such a very emotive (even taboo) issue. Forget about Armagedeon and the rest who are rather shy to discuss the substantive issue and talk about her English (as if they write better!!) and calling/labeling her with all sorts of names. The gist of the article is some Ethiopians in Diaspora (those who can work) should maintain our human dignity, self-respect, morality and good citizenship by engaging in legal employment and/or in some form of economic or social activity rather than to abuse the welfare benefit system. My understanding of the welfare system in the UK is meant to support individuals who are genuinely out of work, until they find work (because they are able to work), or to support individuals who can not work for health and other reasons. The article mainly talks about some Ethiopians who can work but who abuse the system and remain in the welfare trap. Frankly, many of us know fellow-Ethiopians who fall into this category, and I cannot understand why telling these people what they are doing is wrong.
I know of a fellow Ethiopian who started to claim benefit and who then got embarrassed queuing at the post office with old and disabled people to collect her benefit. She later embarked on a job that paid her less than her benefit, and eventually she moved up in the employment ladder. One has to have the desire to work and step on the humble beginning in the host society.
I have been in exile long enough and have been working closely with unemployed people who are supported by the welfare system, and I have come across to some Ethiopians with the view that “benefits pay more” and therefore why work. These are the people who remain trapped in benefit system for most of their life, or move into the black economy with unscrupulous employers.
I cannot see how these Ethiopians who are messing around and abusing the benefit system can fight corruption, greed and immorality in our country when they are not fulfilling their civic duties in a host society. The article is raising an issue that we all have to discuss among ourselves (individually, in groups, church, communities) rather than to shy away from the issue.
Dear Mulu-Emebet,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. You really touched a subject no one wanted to address publicly. Yet, it is a fundamentally important issue for our very survival as a society.
I believe you are sincere and sincerely telling the truth. We, Ethiopians seem to have replaced our traditional, religious and moral values with modern, atheistic, humanistic and a pragmatic system of beliefs, particularly after the advent of the communism in 1974. Yetem Fetchew, duqueitun amtchiw, survival of the fittest, enei kebelahu…, meshewod naw enji… seem to dominate our thought process.
Your comment was simple, profound and to the point but thought-provocative. Regretably though, we took it too far; We split hair where and when we need not to.
My fellew Ethiopians,
In my ministry with Ethiopians and other Africans, such is one of the most common things I encounter. It puts me in a dilemma as a minister. I frequently ask myself, which problem should I treat frist, the ethical or the physical? The good thing is that we have a compassionate and merciful God, whose mercy preceeds His justice. However, we cannot abuse His mercy and keep on sinning lest we become addicted to it, our heart hardened and be given up to our own desire
short-sighted desire.
Telling the truth at all times provokes God’s justice for He will stand for you (as/if you tell the truth). Remember, honesty is the best policy anyway. No lying is jusfiable before good people, let alone the Almighty, All-knowing, Omini-present God.
Fearing God, respecting people and standing for the truth were the hall mark of Ethiopians who stood as a beacon of light for the masses of the world who languishing in slavery, depravation, colonialism, apartheid and all sorts of social injustices. Our fortitude came from our fear of God. I am Protestant but of course I take pride in fore-father’s Orthodox religion as well. We all have our weaknesses but we have no reason to live a legacy of deception. Let us repent our sins of meslo-menor to God, respect one another and work for unity. Let us not tear down each other, rather build us up, not only for our own good but also for the good our neighbor, brother or sister.
Let us not hate (HATE should not apply for a person at all, anyway, according to the Lord Jesus) someone because of his/her thoughts. The person sees differently what you and I see. We have to give him/her the benfit of a doubt. Let us go beyond mere tolerance and love the person for who he/she is. Let us first listen and listen well.
May God bless Ethiopia and Ethiopians everywhere.
I can be reached at [email protected].
http://www.ethiofact.com/index.php?/Articles/Get-Your-Facts-Right.html#comments
Get Your Facts Right
Tamrat Hailu
Thursday, 17 April 2008 01:40
Reply to Mulumebet Asfaw, author of “dechasa addiction”
I was recently referred by a friend to an article published on Ethiopian Review which portrays Ethiopians living in the UK as dependant on the Welfare system. In fact, the article made a headline by using sensational words like “addiction” and street language like “Dechasa”.
First of all, my reply is to highlight the achievement of Ethiopian communities in the United Kingdom and put to the test Mulumebet’s “comparative research”, but not to defend those who may abuse the welfare system.
As far as I am concerned, there is no subject that should be left as a taboo and beyond criticism. However, when we talk about large size of population, we should get our facts right first. Taking small minorities to extrapolate it to larger population using sensational headline such as “addiction” is a sign of ignorance and lack of depth, to say the least. As my favourite humorist, Mark Twain, said: “get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please”
Therefore, in my humble opinion, Mulumebet, in her pursuit of sensational presentation, made a big mistake by not getting her facts right first before pompously preaching to others.
To start with, we need to critically question whether what she has written is a true reflection of the life of Ethiopians in the UK. Are they living on welfare handout? How many of them really are abusing the system? How many percentages of the estimated 15-20,000 Ethiopians are dependent on “Dechasa”? Two percent or twenty percent?
Of course, Mulumebet claims to have come to the “United Kingdom to do a comparative research on welfare benefits, its advantages and its adverse effects”. That is a noble undertaking. But if indeed she was here to do a comparative study, we could also fairly assume that she has some basic education to understand what “comparative study” means.
To read full article
http://www.ethiofact.com/index.php?/Articles/Get-Your-Facts-Right.html#comments
Well done Dr.Tamerat! You brought this self congratulating pomposity to an end. It is a very good narration of Ethiopian immigrants in Britain. The evidence speaks for itself. Thanks
I think that the “BUM” has been sent to the UK for the sheer purpose of constructing propaganda instruments by labeling poor Eethiopians as welfare benefit cheaters and slowly work underground with racist elememnts of the local authorities in the area of immigration and social work to arrange deportations,jailings,etc.
This and similar activities are what the TPLF is activily doing among the diaspora in order to disperse and and weaken the growing Ethiopian communities and their increasing opposition to the dictatorship.
The ultimate strategy is just the well known wayane strategy of battling Ethiopian immigrants and the diaspora community and get them back in to that dictator Wayane jails just like unfortunate Ethiopian refugees in Djibouti, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, etc.
Why not going to study about the story of all those Ethiopian continuosely perishing on a single high sea between Djibouti and Yemen while running away from the genocidal human rights violator dictatorship? Which one is acute?
londener
This is our Ethiopian problem, we talking about nonses issue and fight each other with no agrement, why we don’t concenrn in to the important issue,we don’t have to wast our time for someone unmatured article,
plz come on let us use our mind!