By Mike LaBossiere
The revolutions in the Middle East have served to draw attention to the fact that many people live under the power of dictators and tyrants. This is, of course, not true merely of the Middle East. Many of the people in Africa live in {www:abject poverty} while their “leaders” enjoy lives of excess. In most cases, these tyrants are backed by outside states and receive support in return for access to natural resources or for how well they serve strategic interests. In many cases, Western powers have a hand in keeping these people in power. Given that we are supposed to be democratic states committed to justice for all, this sort of behavior seems especially wicked. After all, given our professed values we should be crushing tyrants or, at the very least, not lending them support and comfort.
It might, of course, be argued that we are acting in a realistic manner. In the global game of politics and power, we cannot afford be to impeded by such things as ethics or principles. We need to play to win and this means being willing to support tyrants who rob their people and control them with the tanks, tear gas and torture implements we fund or provide. This does have a certain appeal and has been argued for by folks such as Glaucon and Hobbes. Of course, taking this approach does rob us of any claim to moral goodness and empties our talk of justice and rights.
It might also be argued that people get the government they deserve. If, for example, the dictator of Equatorial Guinea and his family loot the government, it is only because the people (many of whom live on $2 a day) allow him to do so. They could, one might argue, rise up and provide a cure for their tyrant. That they elect not to do so shows that they have consented to this rule, however tyrannical it might seem.
Of course, there is the fact that this dictator, like so many others, is backed by outside powers (like us). As such, the people are at a terrible disadvantage-they are up against someone who has far more resources as well as outside backing. Hence, their alleged consent is the “consent” that an unarmed person gives to the robber who has a gun pressed to their head and another fellow backing him up with an even bigger gun–hardly consent at all.
There is also the argument that while tyrants are bad, they are (in a Hobbesian style argument)better than the alternatives. Better to have a single tyrant that maintains some degree of order rather than chaos or an even worse tyrant. Also, history seems to show that tyrants are often replaced by other tyrants–so why try to cure the problem of tyranny if the cure will not take? As such, the people should simply endure the tyranny to avoid something worse. Even if they try to rebel, the result will be death and destruction followed by a new tyrant.
At this point, some might point to Iraq: the United States and her allies removed a tyrant and poured billions into constructing something that is sort of nation like. Perhaps the United States or other countries could use that sort of cure: roll in, kill the tyrants and rebuild the nations.
While this has certain imperial appeal, the practical fact is that we cannot afford to do this to every dictator. There is also the concern that even if we do roll out one dictator, we cannot be even reasonably confident that the results will be better for the people.
One rather extreme option would be to simply assassinate tyrants. This would be far more cost effective than a war and would, on Lockean grounds, seem to be morally justified. Of course, there are the concerns that doing this would result in hostility towards the West and that killing one tyrant would merely pave the way for another (or chaos). However, there is a certain appeal in ridding the world of the wicked and it is easy enough to kill anyone. After all, tyrants are just humans and a single well placed shot or knife will kill them easily enough. If potential tyrants realized that the reward of their tyranny would be death, then they might be less inclined to become tyrants. This is, after all, the logic of deterrence that states employ in their justification of punishment. What is sauce for the goose should also be sauce for the gander.
There would also seem to be a certain rough justice in making tyrants live in the sort of fear that they inflict on their own people. To steal a bit from Hobbes, if the people need to be kept in line by fear of the sovereign, it would seem to make equal sense that the sovereigns should be kept in check by fear as well. Just as a citizen can expect to be harmed when they cross the line, so too should a sovereign expect the same justice. As such, perhaps the proper cure for tyrants is death.
43 thoughts on “The Cure for Tyrants – Assassination”
What an article.
I believe the cheapest and fastest way of changing a regime is to assassinate the head of a state. It also saves a lot of lives.
abera replies:
February 14th, 2012 at 1:00 AM
not only that these kind of idea and report will send chills to meles and his supporters, as it is they are paranoid, they trust no one, they think every ethiopian is against them..so a fabricated-assassination attempt-just a simple lie would have a bigger psychological effect on them and there bodygurad…
Well said, Mike LaBossiere, Amen to that! It is a no brainier!
If out of control mad-dog or some other kind of animal going around biting and hurting people, the police have the rights to shoot down that animal in order to protect the citizens from being harmed by the animal. The same action should be taken to the out of control mad dictators that give orders innocent people to be gunned down indiscriminately.
I have to be honest; assassination or any freedom that is based on anger will get anywhere. It is not that Meles Zenawi is ruling because he is powerful or tyrant only. It is not just Meles is the problem. We are the problem. We are not able to sit together as citizen respecting each other based on human value amd forge a national vision.
The Ethiopia politics a bloody one. The people backward which includes myself. The way we think is very backward. I have to admit we had a great nation with unparalled history and pride. At the same time, there are many countries with great history in the annals of human history. This icludes Persian, Chinese, Romans, the Hellenics. None of those great history of the past are irrelevant. We sing about them, but we never use them as inspiration. For this reason, we have become a useless and worthless generation who only talk but does not thing. This includes myself. I know why I have done anything so far. But in general, Ethiopians have become so weak, divided, … which has given individuals to ride on the close to 91 million people.
Assassination of Meles would not solve all the problem. Because the departure of Mengistu to Zimbabwe has not changed anything. Actually the departure of Mengistu has actually put the country into much worse situation now where Ethiopia is now owned by Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis and Chinese and Ethiopians treated as a second citizen.
According to me, we need a national unity is lead by inspired citizens who can speak the word Ethiopia instead of the word Oromo, tigrie, amhara, gurage,… I just do not get it why are Ethiopians so divided and allowed narrow individauls to immerse the country slavery.
Killing, murdering, terrorizing, imprisoning,… does not solve any problem. No matter who does it? it does not matter whether it is done by the oppressed or by the oppressor. Any immoral, unethical human act on any human is crime that recycles the same crime. Any good intention must be based on natural ethics and moral. I do not want anyone to tread on my natural rights. So I must not tread on the right of others too. Unethical humans who are selfish, corrupt, narrow must face the law. Which law? the Nation has to have a law. Law must not be imposed by one single person for 91 million people as in Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi is the lawyer, the economist, the engineer, the doctor, … such things are immoral and corrupt in nature.
Liberating ourselves must precede liberating others. It is the lack of this what is making us an object of derision of one Meles Zenawi.
eza replies:
February 11th, 2012 at 6:58 PM
please look around us!! the Bedelo killing , church burning , etc..who is doing all this??
melese is the one with the power ball now …he own tv..radio..internet.. we can’t be united because of him or it is very hard to be united…melese can make any story and divide us in a second because we DON’T have any media (power) in Ethiopia to reverse his fake (divisive)story.
long story short Melese should be assassinated! how u kill a snake is by hitting his head!!
wow replies:
February 12th, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Gezaee,
As usual, well said. As I have mentioned in the past, and will say it again and again. Such people like Gezaee, there is one person who gives enlightened comment in Nazret, I think, Omo was his nick name, such people with great ideas but not “ideology” , concerned Ethiopian citizens of all, need to gather such people and form a think tank, in order to genuninely bring solutions to Ethiopia’s problems. No, such think tanks don’t have to be clubs of groups with like minded, etc, no this is not eder. Why can’t people just be creative and do that why do we always have to be copy cats to West, or any other. Don’t get me wrong, great examples and ides adopting from good governence in the world is great. For example, Taiwan came up with a campaign how to bring about a great health care system to its citizens. They selected some countries of the world who had the best model, they also came up with their own but with the vote to ensure that is right and acceptable model. They fused both what they came up with and other country’s health care system (selecting what fits best with Taiwan that is, again not everything is one size fits all since every nation demographically, geographically, so on vary) came up with best health care system. So why can’t we do that? Gather people with wisdom, tolerant, knowledge of all ethnic groups, experience in governing not politics, such people we think that have good values, morals, virtues so on and create a think tank. Not a think tank to create bickering and we end up not getting things done, really genuine people, who are able to take constructive criticizm, understand past and present problems Ethiopia faced with, not people with identity crisis, hate because superior or inferiority complex.
Anonymous replies:
February 13th, 2012 at 3:31 PM
i totally agree with your comment. you put everything exactly the way i thought. First i don’t like meles but if he got assassination i don’t know the other EPRDF people have no clue what they do next so the might destroy the country in worst way. so we have to do smooth transition.
What Gezae has said is much reasonable than Mike LaBossiere´s article
(crocodile´s tears).I wished Meles would be eliminated today but it must be a real solution for the country. There must be new generation of paradigm shift who can think beyond today´s situation with a big picture in mind not only local concern but also encompassing regional and continental concerns. Whether we like it or not Meles will unfortunately stay longer as long as he pampers the west cleverly. This vicious cycle can be only broken down by inspiring leaders with vision who can bring people together and able to lead their comminities cohessively.
If one brave man had used a single bullet and gunned down one of the most hateful evil man that was born on this earth, that one bullet could have saved the lives of 6 t0 10 million Jews that were terrorized and massacred needlessly and the lives of up to 60 million people around the world could have been saved. Evil dictators must be assassinated, to stop the unnecessary of human sufferings and loss of lives of so many.
joro replies:
February 11th, 2012 at 6:36 PM
you got it right!!! nobody should let the evil live longer justice should serve!!
HI Elias – Now based on this article the regime would create one more court case “Elias et al” and you will be sentenced for a third time. What really makes me sad is – since Woyanne considers you as a serious politician without any credible investigation they will just punish any one who receive an email message or a telephone call from you. Please Elias – I beg you not to involve innocent individuals at home in your fake games like – Destroying resources, assassination, BEKA, and so on. Kewle
I hear what you say. But I do not think it was only one man who killed 6 million jews. He had supporters and strong followers. If you know the history. It was not the one woman who was killing every Jews, it was the entire Elite Araens who blues who were targetting the jew. It was not just one man. By the way, the Jews not only killed in Germany holocaust? They were hunt down every corner of western and eastern Europe. Close to million Jews have been killed in Russia by the Kossacks and the same number in Holands and in many others place.
It is was a general trend held by western elites at that time. By the way, that was not only the atrocity committed in Europe, 2 million women were executed for being accused of having sex with devil. Accused of allowing Satan to lick their vagina in the nights? kkk, women were hanged on a gallow upside down and tortured to confess for allowing Devil to lick their vagina. Women were admitting allowing devils to lick their vagina after hanged down. So false fabrication became truth by torture. This was because people were ignorant and backward at that time. The Araeans believed they were better people. It was a general trend.
By the way, there are still people with such mindset. This is because of ignorance and backwardness. I would say educating people is better than killing them. When you kill someone there is still someone who share the sorrow directly and indirectly.
Human strife can only be settled peacefully by respecting the sanctitity of life as human being, not by the use of force. I do believe every human being get into conflict for recognition and respect. If every human is treated with dignity and impartiality, there is no cause for conflict. George Hegel has put it clear that the source of all social conflict is oppression, marginalization and in human treatment among people in a society. He states that the level of level of society has laws in place where everyone is protected by one sovereign law. George Hegel does not define development in terms of money or material wealth, he defines civilization or development as the hightest state of human consciescouness based on pure reason.
If Meles was the only problem, why we do not use unite and say no? why are we leaving our country? We are departing from our country but the man is inviting Arabs? Why we allowed all these? If we were united with good faith and respect, Meles would not have choice but either to resign or to do what the people wanted. However, because we are divided and we only talk the politics of oromo, amhara, tigrie, gurage,… the man is going away with everything he does. There is no any one who can say to him, ” ere besmeab bel.” I sometimes wish I was born in Canda. I came late, kkk. I never think about any race or country or tribe when I work and interact with people of race. We have no wars here. Why? WhY we do not have tribal strife in canada? there is law that everyone is obliged to follow. Still human , not perfect.
One question? if Meles was the only problem? why we have 100 oppositions ? imagine if we had one unbrela civil movement that embraces every Ethiopian regardless ethnic, tribe, religion,… I do not believe Meles could stay 23 years. But Meles came with divisive ideology to weaken Ethiopia and to ensure his indepedent Eritrea? and we blame him for dividing us? but at the same time, everything we do is not different from what he does? when we do it, it is okay? but if others do it, it is not okay? how is that going to work?
According to me, we just need fresh people with fresh ideas. We do not want people who preach us murder, killing, assassination,…. anyone who believe in murder is not different from the dictator who hate or blame or condemn. If people are educated and informed, power belongs to the people. Our politics is intimidation, terror, insult, degrading human dignity? how is that going to help us to achieve our highest goal of equality and impartiality?
In conclusin, force in any form does not solve a problem. It is true force can serve for a limited period. We have seen it in our country. Mengistu survived for 17 years by mere force. Meles is staying for 25 years by force, but it will come to and end sooner or later. Reason, simple that is a natural process that neither or any other has control over it.
My solution, we better build a new generation than recycling bloodshed, murder, killing, assassination or …. it is jus waste of time. We have wasted now 20 years. If we were united, we could have used all resources we have wasted so far for one purpose. One purpose, an Ethiopia where Every Ethiopians lives with dignity under one overshadowing law. Not an Ethiopia owned by Arab, Indian, Chinese,… Tujars and an Ethiopian living as a second citizen his own country and working in sweatshop slavery of the 21 century.
It is better to think better now than later. As I said many times, the country is slipping away from the hands of our people. Imagine an Arab staying 20 years in Ethiopia? reproducing like rabbit? can you focust an Ethiopia after 90 years? after an Arab settled in Ethiopia farming for 90 years?
It is us who failed Ethiopia. It is not Meles. Meles has already signed he failed. After 20 years complete failure, Meles now decided to sell Ethiopia, its people, land, water, national asset. We have become so wicked and allowed him to do everything he wanted.
I used to live in South Africa. The city council where I used to live wanted to change the name of a street? But the community was pissed off and all went our and said no change. The city council had no choice, but to respect the people voice.
But in our case, we only talk online, talk, talk, the man keep on doing bad things to our country. He landlocked our country. We kept quiet. He betrayed our soldiers we kept quiet? He made our country signed un necessary deal in Algers we kept queit? he gave badme we kept quiet? he went to un-necessary war in Somalia making as their eternal enemy ? we kept quiet? He even refused to tell us how many soldiers we lost for his useless war? he wasted the lives of 100 000 souls by betraying in the war field? and that was not enough? he took our people to Somalia to fight shabia war? we kept queit? Now is selling the entire Ethiopia to unethical, uncivilized, backward arabs who does not respect their own muslisms leave alone others? I have a Somalian who lived for 35 years in Suadi Arabia, but he was not given even temporay residence? Giving land to such barbaric human race is the highest level of crime in the Ethiopian history.
We have many issues to revolt, but we have no time to use them. We spend our time chewing the Oromo, Tigrie, … are we not all mortal human on this planet who live very short lives? whh we waste our lives fighting on the names we have engineered. Tribal, ethnic name are human social engineerings that does not deserve war, division. An oromo wants breed, clean water, a house and a clinc. The same for an amhara or tigrie…. why we waste time fighting for recognition? are we not all human? why we do not respect and respect every human in our land? This is the core of our people. The only thing that must make different must be my merit, but not my blood.
Please think better than thinking bloody thinking.
Anonymous replies:
February 12th, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Influential powerful people can convince so many people to follow and do what they command them to do, regardless, it is evil or good. I remember by the name of Jim Jones who ordered and convinced his church followers to drink poisoned cool-aid that killed 900 of them. The people who died were convinced everything what that madman was saying was a message from God, instead of evil. Some people take ones heartlessness, cruelty, mercilessness, madness as bravery and admire and choose to follow, take orders, obey and do whatever the coldblooded dictator tells them to do. There is no denial that, the unstable behavior of a dictator and his incredible evil influence over his followers is the reasons why the evil dictator followers, gunned down innocent people, mistreated, tortured, loot and lockup innocent people. Thank God there are people who can differentiate between Evil and Good, and Ethiopians can find a great leader someday for the good of the country and people.
wow replies:
February 12th, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Gezaee,
“It is better to think better now than later. As I said many times, the country is slipping away from the hands of our people. Imagine an Arab staying 20 years in Ethiopia? reproducing like rabbit? can you focust an Ethiopia after 90 years? after an Arab settled in Ethiopia farming for 90 years?”
There you go. This is the most terrifying thing. Think about it, the original Berbers in North Africa, the original people pharoehs’ descendants were not Arabs. Arab spring fire spread. So that is why Ethiopia had heroes in the past, kings, to stop this spread. Heck North Sudanese these days believe they are Arabs too. Consider the true original people of Ethiopia also gone if Arabs settled in Ethiopia. Speaking of Pharoehs, I am wondering who these people were. What did they look like?
You did mention that Hitler had many accomplices, so becareful when you said Meles did this all this. As you mentioned he didn’t do all this by himself, let us be honest group of people who happen to be from Tigray and Eritrea formed TPLF and Shaebia and planned this agenda. In the end, TPLF became the owner while Shaebia lost the piece of pie. So, TPLF made sure it benefited certain group of people, Tigray, which they ensure the protection of Meles as well. Add to that, outsider’s help. Btw, TPLF will never have held power without outside help. The people of Ethiopia, those who were with derg, or Ethiopians did a big mistake and that is listening to outsider’s advice instead of our own people. Any power taken through the advice of outsiders is bound to fail. I doubt Mengistu came up by himself he had help in hand any may have turned to Soviets. The story of Soviet kingdom is very much similar to Ethiopia. The so called brutal communism and socialism, Marx, Lenin is scam not really a true ideologyu where people will live equally and harmony. It means a collective group of society, a country will be under one rule controlled by very few. This is the agenda by the creators or communism, socialism, and Mr. Marx. While it is very misleading, that the ideology seems to have emancipation for the poor and workers, it is amassing resources and power for the very few. This ideology also does not believe in kingdom. Why? while the kingdoms have their own oppression, kingdoms protect sovereignty and nationalism, as a result they prohibit the taking of resources as one pleases. As a result not one communist society had harmonious society. Over 20 million peaceful Russians and Czars were brutally murdererd. Mengistu did exactly that as well the brutally murdering of Haileselassie and the educated. So the anti nationalism did not start from TPLF/Meles, it started from Mengistu. The pounding of Tigray and Eritrea under Mengistu is exactly to drive these groups to extremism. Which it suceeded.
As I was saying, it will be great to have forum on Pal Talk to bring bright minded people such as Gezaee to form forums and cherry pick such visionist to from think tank.
Elias -the living Banda replies:
February 12th, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Gezaee AKA a man without a stand!
what a worthless dude!
sometimes you act as anseba and other times as Tigrean.
Some times you support peace and other times you spent hate mongering!
whoever you are and whatever you want achieve have a stand!!
qiletam!
Anonymous replies:
February 12th, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Who is more qiletam than a group of people like you who have been abusing Human Rights for the last twenty plus years in Ethiopia…Denied Ethiopians Freedom of Speech and Press…have been looting the country blind and made yourselves rotten rich…Throwing law-abiding Ethiopians in prison and torturing them…Torturing and killing unknown number of people in every province of Ethiopia…Literally, allowing Ethiopians in the hands of foreigners by selling the most fertile land of Ethiopia…etc. Ethiopians are aware that the crimes of Woyanes are endless! And you have a nerve to call Ethiopians who mentioned your crimes-QILETAM? How pathetic! If you want to see the real BANDA, QILETAM AND SHAMELESS individuals, I suggest you start with yourself and look in the mirror!
Unfortunately, our beloved country Ethiopia has been under the hands of lawless group of people called TPLF, that have no respect for human life and have been killing their own Tigrean men and women before they came to ADDIS ABABA, and still continue committing despicable crimes on Ethiopians. Ethiopians know who is the real molacha qiletam lebas.
Getting Meles out of power in any form including assassination is good for Ethiopia. Any citizen can do this but I strongly believe, members within the government will do it in the very near future.
Thomas Sankara was a man with very little personal wealth, so is Parice Lumumba, John Garang and many of the other leaders whose intention was to work for the benefit of their respective people. Today, such individuals are constantly attacked by the West and their local accomplices. As long as we expect the cure from the very criminals responsible for the state of affairs, the suffering of the masses will continue unabated.
እባካችሁ አትፍረ ዱ: ፈርቼ ነው: መኝታ ቤት ስቀያይር የሚነጋው::
የእኔን ስቃይ ያላዎቀ: ጀግና እያለ ተሳለቀ::
ጥይት አልወድም በቃ:እፈራለሁ ሲንቃቃ::
የልጆቼ ፈስ ቢንጋጋ : ቁጭ ያልኩበት መሽቶ ነጋ:
ፍር ሃቴ እያናድደኝ: እንደውሻ አደረገኝ::
ከሮጡለት ለ ውሻ : ይመስለዋል አጼ ባሻ::
ፓርላማውስጥ ብደነፋ: ፍርሃቴ ሰለከፋ::
አይመሰላችሁ ጭካኔ: ግራ ገብቶኝ ነው እኮ እኔ::
ቦዲ ጋርድ ቀይሬ አለሁ:ፍርሃቴ ግን አልተሻለው::
ሚስቲቷንም ፈርቻለሁ: ለመቀየር አሰቤአለሁ:
ምግብ ሳልበላ እንደሰው: በጫትብቻ ነው የምኖረው::
መርዝም እፈራለሁ: ለሰው ግን እፈቅዳለሁ::
በቃ በቃ እያላችሁ: ለምን ታስጨንቁኛላችሁ::
ብርቱካንን አባርሬ: እነ እስከንድርን አሰሬ:
ብዙም እረፍት ሳላገኝ: ኣኤልኤፍ ኢቶጲያዊ ነኝ ሲለኝ::
መንፈሴ ተረብሽዋል: ኑሮዬ ሁሉ ተቃውሷል::
ያዳመጠ ንግግሬን:ያየ ካለ ድንብርብሬን::
በጭንቀት ተወጣጥሬ:ሰወራጭ እንደ ዱር አውሬ:
ሞትን መፍራቴ ገብቶአችሁ:ሰለሞት አታውሩ እባካችሁ::
I must admit this is a well written article, persuasive and rational. One would hope such kind of golden opportunity comes to Ethiopians too. This is one easy way out from the current cycle. I am sure that with Meles Zenawi out of picture, there might be some sort resolution. I only wish If I were that person.
Those of you who happened to read through my comments on this esteemed website must have noticed how much I despised this goon from some joints up North. I wish he is deposed from his position once and for all. But I don’t concur with you on the method mentioned here by some of you folks. We have seen enough assassinations and extra-judicial killings in our country over the last 40 years. Enough is enough. Assassinations seldom lead to peace and stability at least in this day and age. What I think the best way of getting rid of him is through democratic process and peaceful means. He should never be given the benefit of a doubt by any historians or history itself that he was denied a due course in a court of law. Sooner or later there will be cracks in this airtight grouping he has assembled around him. Was Seye and several others like him not his unflinching hireling who nodded to all those jailing and also killings until their fallout? I don’t mean that Seye and the likes should not be forgiven and I am sure they have repented for what wrongs were done where they were in league with the goon. They should be forgiven and commended for their compunction. There will be another dissension sooner or in the near future. All that need to be done is unabated exposure of his ills and wrong doings to our people and the world at large. Assassinations will only pave the way for more of such violent ways as methods of transfer of power. That cannibal Mengistu killed 60 former government officials without an iota of due process in a court of law just weeks after assuming power. Did the assassinations stopped that November night? No it did not? It rather escalated into tens of thousands possibly millions right up to the day he cut loose and ran away like a surrounded monkey. Then comes this goon and he can never deny the blood of those 196 civilians gunned down by his troops in 2005. He came to the capital in a violent way and has continued to intimidate and terrify the population since then. I am sure he will be forced to answer for that in court of law where the law is above every one. I am sure the day of reckoning will be upon him just like Pinochet of Chile, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and many other dictators in Latin America. They were toppled from power by democratic means and have been answering for their crimes in courts of law since then. I like to see his ugly face and chickens legs behind bars for a long time. His seemingly airtight unity will start to crack sooner if not very late. That is my opinion.
I hope the ONLF and OLF will take a heed by taking example of Equatorial Guinnea dictator. Because his country is tiny, it was blessing for him and oil industry to just milk it because it is easy to control small nation. Therefor divided we fall, if ONLf and OLF wish to break Ethiopia, then very easy for any outsiders to exploit these broken nations. Pick, either you would rather be with the devil you know, which you would have a chance of getting rid of it or the devil you don’t know, which you will be easily manipulated by outsiders by installing dictators because the people have no power.
Anonymous replies:
February 14th, 2012 at 3:31 AM
Having smaller countries as supposed to larger as in the case for Ethiopia is easier for super powers. For example, look at the small countries such as Qatar, UAE, etc Saudi even though large land mass has smalle populations these Arab coutnries are easy to manipulate in every shape of way. Eritrea, although Issayas is bluffing completely serves the powers. Not to mention Meles/TPLF. So having smaller countries, smaller populations, weaker nations is easy to manipulate than bigger. Here is a bigger example, who would dare challenge India and china even if they weren’t emerging economies, no one dare challenge them. Again it s message sending for the so called ONLf and oLF who are inept for too long because of their secessionist agenda.
What if Meles suddenly becomes a victim? What if his inner circle and TPLF use him as a victim to gather more support around his death? What if the act is condemned by all oppositions groups in Ethiopia and TPLF/EPRDF is using it to strength its position and as a victim to justify any harsh measure against critics etc. We know by now, Meles is hated by many TPLF members and Tigreans in general. But what if the assassination make him a victim and all his opponents somehow turn supporting his cause etc. Assassination could be a cure but only if the targeted person does not end up being a victim and a national hero.
I am Ethiopian. You can cook your tribal or ethnic name and eat it. I do not need it. I can live without it. Even to be an Ethiopian is not a big deal for me. I know nothing than conflict, racism, tribalism, ethnicism, … backwardness and all sort of discrimination. I got nothing I can appreciate than discrimination. TPLF banda = shabia banda = evils who dwell in bloodshed and conflict.
Down to oppressors.
We must stop talking now. We must unite, act together before it is too late. It will be difficult to remove Arab, Indians, Chinese ,… from Ethiopia after 100 years. The Arabs will marry millions of Ethiopians poor girls and reproduce like cockroach and Ethiopia will be a history. The same for the Indians multinational coorporations which Indian scholars opposed handing land to them. Indians scholars are saying Ethiopia throwing away its land by snatching land from the Native Ethiopians giving it to the an ethical indian companies. The corrupt Indians companies are getting land which the Indian goverment can never give them. This is being said by Indian scholars themselves who are very honest and just. There is a saying in Tigrignea,” Kitbelie teblae.” malet ltbela tebelach malet new.” Meles Zenawi who has no clue about development, he wasted 20 years sitting in arat kilo, chasing , murdering, assassinating his comrades and making people die in prison like Prof. Asrat. After 20 years 100% failure, he decided to sale Ethiopia a garage sale? Meles Zenawi is honestly the most wicked man Ethiopia ever had so far. I am sorry, I vote for Mengistu now. If Meles and Mengistu were to vy for power, I would vote for Mengistu than for this bullshit denkoro.
He undermine, oppress, suppress, and marginalized his own citizen and he invite foreign citizen to take over the land of the people? This is madness at heart. Meles is a terminal ill person who can never get cured unless we do not remove him by civil disobdeince.
I call upon Ethiopian to dissolve all the factions and form an all inclusive civil movement now than later. There is no point crying online everyday. 24 years has passed by crying. We must act before it is too late.
In the developed world if people have no ability to lead people, they resign. They do not keep on messing up all along. This has been the trade mark of Meles. Meles has been gambling with our national interest from day one. The man has never done a single thing the people agreed upon. Everything he does is opposite the sentiment of every Ethiopia.
I am saying, let schism, division, tribal, ethnic politics come to an end and form a civil alliance that can overthrow the deadly disease in Ethiopia. TPLF bandas may tell us poverty is enemy number one? but they have become themselves an enemy of Ethiopia more than poverty. If they had love for their country, we could have done away poverty in the past 20 years.
I am ready to join a genuine civil alliance that is not based on ethnic or tribe. I can do mobilization from my jurisdiction from now on. This is a very serious issue. This is about the future of our people. We have had enough. We cannot allow our people to be slaves of Arab. This land grab has to be stopped now.
What we must do?
1. The easiest strategy is to sabotage the farm, this can be done by setting the farms on fire during the night before they harvest it. We have to unite and do these together. Asking Meles to stop is just going to work at all. Meles is dead man who has no ear. He cannot hear until he dies. He has no any idea. Meles is bankrupt like a bankrupt business man who liquidate his asset. Meles is a bankrupt leader who is liquidating the entire nation because Meles is devoid of ideas.
I earnestly call upon genuine citizens to act now and to do something before it is too late.
Hello Elias Kifle the GREAT(Keep it up),
I will repeat the same song which I use always to sing and that is: Meles and all the beggars mut be removed. It does not matter how. In this case, Tigrayans have relatively a good chance to be near Meles and co. and, if they want, they can end tyranny within seconds. Tigrayans must take this golden opportunity and remove Meles and Co. once and for all. Only then, they will be accepted by the other Ethiopians. Unless, the fate of Tigrayans in Ethiopia will not be good.
Currently, Tigaryans are marginalised and hated everwhere, be it in Ethiopia or in the diaspora.
A Peaceful Ethiopia will prevail
Gezaee H.,
Come on, brother! Don’t give in to TPLF bandas propaganda and insults. What else you expect from a group of hoodlums that hates everything about Ethiopia, commits unspeakable crimes, steal and sell their own mother land to foreigners for worthless pennies. TPLF agenda is for Ethiopians to give up on Ethiopia and claim it as theirs and their cousin Eritreans’. Don’t give up on Ethiopia, the very land our grandparents scarified their lives for. Thugs don’t know what it means to have respect for the rule of law, respect for humanity, for their motherland—For forty years, Issayas and Meles have taught and trained these thugs to be totally disrespectful and see Ethiopians as insects and squash them as such. How can we expect any good to come from a group of people who have been trained and brainwashed to hate and kill for 40 years?
Anonymous replies:
February 13th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Can you come up with solution?
why you don’t like Meles? because he is from Tigrai. What’s the use if you put same one from the central Ethiopia and useless like those before. don’t be narrow minded. It’s enaugh, he is doing extra-ordinary job and thaks for him we are heading the right way to grab that light inside the tanal.
God bless Ethiopia and Meles.
Sharew,
Don’t blame the race card, moron! His race has nothing to do with it, and you know it! Meles could have have been Ethiopia’s beloved and adored son, if Meles was found to be a great leader to all Ethiopians and do everything he could for the good of the country and to all Ethiopians. From the get go, Meles started by giving every inch of Ethiopia’s port to his cousin, with the gift of a billion dollar Ethiopians Tax Payers money, which left Ethiopia landlocked. As we speak, Meles hasn’t stopped giving hundreds and thousands of acres of Ethiopians land to foreigners. Meles has shown his hate towards Ethiopia and Ethiopians in many ways than we can count. Meles has shown his total disrespect by spitting on the flag of Ethiopia that millions of Ethiopians bled and died for. For the last 21 years, Ethiopians have been abused, beaten, locked up in prison, looted, tortured, killed, chased away from their homeland and their land is being given to foreigners.
People who lack conscience like you, no doubt are grateful to the most cruel dictator Meles, since they get benefit from the stolen Ethiopia’s Tax Payers money and from Ethiopia’s natural resources, regardless, the rest of Ethiopians get thrown in prison and killed all over Ethiopia.
Sharew,
It is not liking Meles. It is opposing an idiot who landlocked his country by lobbying against his country from day one. Meles is hated for his crime, has nothing his ethnic or tribe,… his supporters wanted to use his tribe or ethnic as camofluage. Meles is just a criminal, not a leader. Everything he does is Mafia work, worebela. Is there any country that sells its land for 100 years ? where on the planet? Meles is an idiot who has no brain at all. Leave alone to develop Ethiopian, he can not help himself. What Meles is doing to Ethiopian in the 21 first century has been done to Southern Africans 400 years ago. They removed the owner of the land and put them in refugee camps where the white south African throwing to them handouts and using their land and using their free labour?
The born banda Meles has to be opposed head on now than ever. This bullshit backward has no any moral to be a leader. He does not even qualify to be a district officer leave alone to lead 91 million people. He the most ioditic person I can say. He has neither the capacity nor the will to do good. He is hell bent to work against the national interest of Ethiopia from day one upto now. Meles has not done even a single good thing. Everything he does is agaisnt Ethiopia. What Amazes me, this idiot sacrificed tens of thousands of Tigreans to landlocke Ethiopian and to sell Ethiopian land. This is really an insult to the people of Tigray who gave their sons and duaghters. It is time we all unite and say enough is enough. Otherwise, the born banda will never change. Meles will change means a man can become pregnant which is impossible. The born banda,and sworn enemy of our land has to be told in an equivocal manner, we are tired of his high idiocity. We cannot take it anymore. We are tired of this idiot man. We have begged him for the 23 years. He never learn, never listen, and never change.
Ethiopians would not care who sits in Arat kilo if he was doing in the interest of the country. But his hell bent to to marginalize the citizen and sell national asset for money. He does not have the moral standard to do anything good.
I am tired of this idiot honestly.
wow replies:
February 16th, 2012 at 8:42 AM
Gezaee,
How come there are absolutely no Tigryans like you speaking out? If they ever did, it is with careful small voices which you can’t here properly. I am sure the Tigrayans/TPLF will say like someone is probably saying to you, you are a sell out or a Tigray who benefited by past leaders that is what they will say to you. Can you mobilize Tigrayans from your side?
Assassinating who, by whom and for what purpose?
Every country needs a good leader in order to be strong, and successful. The ideal head of a county should possess many good qualities. In my opinion the most important quality of a leader is a genuine concern and love for his country and the well being of its citizens.
He has to protect the resources of the country and work day and night to improve the lives of the ordinary citizens. he also Provides employment,prosperity, education, health, clean water, electric power etc to the population at large.
Also He should have a great respect of the history of the country he is leading. A true leader becomes a good example by being at the forefront fighting for the rights of his country and its people.
Since a leader is the head of the political, economic and military apparatus of the country he or she has the country’s future and security in his or her hands.So he has to be intelligent, alert and responsible at all times.
Also a leader of a country needs to be honest. A dishonest leader is the worst kind of leader because he not only hurts his country but destroys the peoples’ trust.If an election was to be held it is important for the leader to promise to his people that he will step aside if his party is defeated. And he makes sure the transition will be peaceful and smooth.
It is not impossible but some will see that assassination is a desperate game of hazard or a sort of courage on the part of the conspirators. But the courage of desperation is not always genuine, and least of all where the desperation itself was uncalled for. Assassinations have taken place in many countries including ours. Some of them were simply a power struggle between members of the ruling class to replace one individual by another.They were simply palace coups.They did not have any effect on the lives of the regular citizens. Some assassinations like the Kennedy brothers were outrageously criminal with no end result.
Dictators, totalitarians and communists also assassinate individuals. But their victims are usually opposition figures, democracy and human right activists. It happened in Russia, Ethiopia and other countries. These kinds of killings are intended to prolong the lives of the dictators and the system they are leading.
I am not sure if some of the writers on this site know each other because they are calling names for things that are not worth arguing for. Nevertheless, one of them mentioned the killing of 60 Emperor Haile Selassie’s officials and Derg members as assassination. I am not sure about that although there were assassinations that were carried out later on by Mengistu. I mean the killings of Teferi Banti and his friends.
However, one should ask the question that if the attempt on Mengistu’s life was carried out successfully, would it be possible so many lives of so many young Ethiopia’s children saved? About 42 people tried to kill Hitler. If one of them succeeded would all the lives of 6 million Jews and millions of others be saved? Don’t you think the course of history would have been completely different? would there be any communist block countries if Hitler was killed and there was no Second World war?If there was a leader like Hitler now, do you think Israel would be silent?
As far as the present rulers of Ethiopia there is a lot of mistrust and dislike by the people towards them. Because they used force to come to power, they are using force to rule, they used force to silence opposition, they used donated money to buy arms, they have a lot of blood in their hands, they used force to reverse elections. Most of all since they did not grew up calling Ethiopia as their country they openly showed the hate towards the land and its people. They see it as a business entity that generates income to them and their followers. They act as leaders but they are not. Now you see them as leaders and now you don’t.They act like children with a game that starts and ends suddenly, a game like all children they want to win all the time. But they are grown up children who play with deadly weapons. The weapons that will be used against their own playmates, bystanders and spectators.
It is ok to argue that a peaceful transition of power is better. But how do you bring about change in countries like Iraq during Sadam, Egypt during Mubarak, Libya during Gadafi, Ethiopia during Mengistu and now when the governments say they won 99 percent of the vote. And when you don’t agree with the results they will kill you.
We should also remember that the changes that just happened in the Middle East were by no means peaceful. Many people were killed and died for freedom. On the other hand even that change is not without problems either. Egypt is still struggling to bring about the real change the people were asking for. It is a classic example of a lack of organized leadership in Egypt that the struggle for freedom has not reached the end.
I agree with most of the writers that there is a lack of action among those who want to see change in Ethiopia. There is a lack of an organization that can lead the people during and after their struggle for change.There should be an organized response to the government’s actions, to coordinate support by foreign governments and their opposition parties. Writers and journalists should be brought together, the youth, the teachers, the workers, the farmers, women and the soldiers should all be organized and all should have a common goal based on justice, democracy, unity, respect of all, the rule of law and a country where we will all live in peace and a place we will all say my beloved home.
wow replies:
February 16th, 2012 at 9:01 AM
I agree everything you said. If there is a continuous crime being committed by leadrship, then crimes must be stopped so he won’t leave in peace also. The only option is therefore to get rid of him by any means necessary in order to save lives and to stop the crime. The leader has option to leave the power for good legacy, but I don’t think Meles knows what respect means. There is a reason and this is the reason why he is in power by outsiders.
However I disagreee when you said,
“to coordinate support by foreign governments and their opposition parties.” any advise coming from outside is not genuine and is bound to create another dictatorship. Meles/TPLF although they have their own self interest policy, they have been adviced to do neoliberalim. TPLF/Meles were appointed by West and look at where we are today. Again during 2005 election, the people listened to foreigners, not to go out and protest for the second day which would have made Meles leave the leadership, But Hailu Shawel listened the advice of outsiders and look where we are today. Outsiders are doing the advice for their own self interest and not the interest of the country. Heck, I don’t know why we don’t get this over and over again, how can you leave the country’s fate in some foreigner’s advice? Eventually also they will force you to implement neolibaralism so that corporations can go in and exploit because they did you a favor advice. Let us wake up stop relying year after year by outsiders. If they are helping it should be only based on equal benefit and deal. For example, Of course most likely we rely on West because we need arms, then they won’t sell it to us unless we implement neoliberalism. But as long as we pay with our money and they sell it to us willingly then they should have no say in how to implement our policy.
Anonymous replies:
February 16th, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Hi there, thanks for your comment. I completely understand what you are saying.And i agree we should not rely on them. I am also aware of the fact that the same countries that put them in power will bring them down depending on how strong the people and their organizations are. I am sure you know that too. It happened in many countries around the world.In order to fight this government the people have to wage a relentless diplomatic war against it. so what I meant was as you said the government relies on foreign aid and support. It needs them to survive. In order to kill the support it is getting, you need to establish a relationship, in other words you need to do a good diplomatic work.A good diplomatic work cuts their throat that feeds them.
With increased internationalism and globalization, it is very difficult to live without being part of it. So for us it is essential to communicate with governments, political parties and non-governmental organizations on regional and multi-national levels.And hopefully we do not need arms from them in future but science and technology, tourism, trade etc would be a few of them.
I have no doubt that we will have our country back and her people will enjoy peace, democracy and justice.
Have a nice day.
Anonymous replies:
February 19th, 2012 at 1:33 AM
Anonymous,
Again, we are being too naive here because we know we are struggling with the most powerful. Who is better historical ally to the West than Ethiopia? The brief interrupted moment was during Mengistu. So what would they gain by weakening Ethiopia? Of course as the people of the West, they are good people but their foreign policy and corporations does not discriminate from one ally to another. However, as we are poor perhaps we are useless ally who do nothing for them therfore we are part of the globalization trend. Of course I understand that since they are involved in Ethiopia, we must engage over and over again with them, participate in campaign for Ethiopa, lobby in congress because as long as Meles/TPLF are useful to them they don’t care what happens to Ethiopa. They are not only to blame also, it is those of Ethiopians the diaspora who go back there and perpetuate the plight of Ethiopia. The goal here is to destroy nationalism promote individualism so that outsiders can come in exploit the country which is happening. While Ethiopians are fleeing the country and dying on sea, more foreigners are flocking in taking businesses, etc. of course with the exception of most Tigrayans, Eritreans and few greedy Ethiopians. While in the West today they are promoting anti-immigrant and nationalism, they are promoting anti nationalism and more foreingers to Ethiopia, why is that?
Another thing, the concerned Ethiopians are mobilizing and campaigning against land grab in the South. So they were claiming past leaders oppress them and yet, the so called OLF I would like to see campaigning about this, are they? Are they sitting in idle as usual collecting money from foreigners and waiting for the foreingers one day to allow them to have Oromoia? So they have been blaming Ethiopians that they are Amara dominated and follow Amara system and yet, it is all Ethiopoians participating against this crime of land grab and therefore, OLf has become the right hand for outsiders and TPLF/Meles.
I gave up on the men of today.
Shintam HULU tesebsibo binchacha
Woyane ENDEHONE yibelal eske mecheresha!!
WENDE YELEMA!!
No matter what a man With-out hope is as goo as Dede so brothers and sisters don’t give up.it take a lots of axe to cut this Band Woyane out of our country.straggle never easy it is long arduous.
In my humble opinion and disappointments, whoever the opposition leaders are, they have failed to inform the non-tplf Ethiopian army, city polices and other security men and women and non-woyane Ethiopians take orders from the most hateful, heartless, bloodthirsty tyrant, that hates Ethiopia and Ethiopians with all his being. The dictator has been in the process dismantling Ethiopia right after he took power by leaving Ethiopia landlocked and giving billions of dollars to his cousin Essayas, that hated Ethiopia and Ethiopians all his life fighting Ethiopia for generation killing so many Ethiopian soldiers and who finally separated from Ethiopia. Meles hasn’t stopped giving Ethiopia’s land to his cousin Essayas, but also to foreign billionaires. Everything what Meles does and says is not a secret that his lifetime goal is to build Greater Tigrea by stealing from Ethiopia and in the end desmantle Ethiopia. Why in the world he built up to date International Airport in one of the smallest province Tigrea and ignore the starving Ethiopian children? WHY ARE THE ETHIOPIANS SOLDIERS WHO SIGNED UP TO PROTECT ETHIOPIANS FROM FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC ENEMY STILL TAKE ORDERS FROM A DICTATOR WHO HAS BEEN ABUSING HIS POWER BY MISTREATING AND ROBBING ETHIOPIA? WHERE ARE THE OPPOSITION LEADERS? IS ETHIOPIA LACKING STRONG AND DETERMINED UNSELFISH OPPOSITION LEADER THAT CARES FOR HIS/HER COUNTRY BEFORE THIS HEARTLESS TYRANT TOTALLY DESTROY THE LAND OUR GRANDPARENTS DIED FOR? HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER? HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE TO BE ROBBED? HOW MANY ACRES OF LAND HAVE TO BE OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY ETHIOPIANS WHO DO NOT CARE FOR THE LAND?
wow replies:
February 16th, 2012 at 9:09 AM
The goal is how to reach the army that their job is to protect Ethiopians and the sovereignty of Ethiopia not a tyrant. But there is no guarnatee who is who in the army, what if they are ethnically divided and while killing eachother Ethiopians Meles will call Shaebia who has become a number one strong army in Horn region will take over Ethiopia and once again we will be under TPLF and Shaebia. If we couldn’t get rid of TPLF for 20 years, imagine how we can get rid of the two TPLF and Shaebia? We better shut up and rot under them for 50 years. That will soon happen I bet. By then they will completely destory the Amaras because the Amaras are the one they are afraid of and in addition, OLF likes to be under TPLF and Shaebia and will shut up be their servants still barking Amara even after Amaras are destroyed.
Yes we have all types of problems including our inabilities to communicate, unite, and decide to get ride off the worst type of criminal enterprising presenting itself as a government terrorising Ethiopians. How ever big our problems are, nothing compares to the magnitude of threats presented by Melese & his Woyane/TPLF thugs. Melese & his Woyane/TPLF thugs fought Ethiopians for the succesion of Eriteria. These Enemies of ours campaigned for the separation of Eriteria. Mellesse divided Ethiopians into ethnic groups and setup Ethnic bantustans. He instituded state sponsored terror, torture chambers, serial murders, and treachery unparalleled in history. For all these crimes of treasons, murders, and genocides Mellesse have to be imprisoned or eliminated. For continuing to be extential threats to Ethiopia and Ethiopians Mellesse have to be dealth with or good. He must have to go by all means neccessary. Ethiopia and Ethiopians can not afford to continue to live with him. Every day he lives presents more and catastropic threats to the securirty and survival of the people and the country.