Alemayehu G Mariam
At the “World Economic Forum Meeting” in Ethiopia last week, dictator Meles Zenawi lectured:
…. My view is that there is no direct relationship between economic growth and democracy historically or theoretically. But my view is that democracy is a good thing in and of itself irrespective of its impact on economic growth. And my view is that in Africa most of our countries are extremely diverse, that may be the only possibility, the only option of keeping relationships within nations sane. Democracy may be the only viable option for keeping these diverse nations together. Sowe need to democratize but not in order to grow. We need to democratize in order to survive as united sane nations. That’s my view. But I don’t believe in this nighttime, you know, bedtime stories and contrived arguments linking economic growth with democracy. There is no basis for it in history and in my view no basis for it it in economics. And there is no need to have this contrived argument because the case for democracy and can stand and shine on its own…
While visiting Ghana in 2009, President Obama told the following “contrived bedtime story linking economic growth with democracy” to Africans:
Development depends on good governance. History offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny. And now is the time for that style of governance to end…. In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges; an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people’s everyday lives…. History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity….
My Favorite Bedtime Stories
I enjoy bedtime stories as much as the next guy. My favorite is “Pinocchio in Africa”. The wooden puppet wanted to become a human boy but could not stop telling lies and tall tales. Whenever Pinocchio lied, his nose grew longer.
I like the story of “Puff the Magic Dragon and the Land of Living Lies”. Puff took a little girl called Sandy, who lies a lot, to the Land of the Living Lies where honesty and truthfulness are prosecuted. She meets the famous fibbers Pinocchio and the boy who cried wolf; and saw the famous purple cow that no one has ever seen and a pink elephant.
I also enjoy the morality tales of Aesop, the ancient Ethiopian storyteller. Once upon a time there was a wolf who schemed to snatch sheep grazing in the pasture, but could not because the shepherd was vigilant. One day the wolf found the shorn skin of a sheep and dressed himself in it and joined the flock. Soon he began dining on the sheep one by one until he was discovered by the shepherd. That was the end of the wolf; he could no longer steal, kill and eat the sheep.
George Orwell’s allegorical stories of doubletalk and doublespeak told in “political language” are rather delightful because they “make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” So, “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” George could have added, “dictatorship is democracy. Tyranny is liberty. Poverty is wealth. Famine is plenty. Censorship is press freedom. Brutality is civility. Mendacity is veracity. Opacity is clarity. Shadow is reality. Depravity is morality and greed is good.”
Oh, Yes! I like children’s rhymes too:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall….
Sane Nations, Insane Dictators and Democrazy
Zenawi said “democracy is the only option of keeping relationships within nations sane”. Here are some true stories of democrazy from the Land of Living Lies:
Freedom House/U.S. State Department (2010)
In April 2008 local elections were held throughout Ethiopia. Freedom House and USDoS report that opposition candidates were subjected to intimidation and arrest by the government prior to the elections making it difficult for them to compete, leading to the opposition boycotting the elections and resulting in a massive victory for government supporters. The ruling party won 99% of the more than three million seats contested.
The May 2010 parliamentary elections resulted in a 99.6 percent victory for the ruling EPRDF and its allies,reducing the opposition from 174 to only two seats in the 547 member lower house… Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Sub-Saharan… At US$390, Ethiopia’s per capita income is much lower than the Sub-Saharan African average of US$1,165 in FY 2010, ranking it as the sixth poorest country in the world.
The Ethiopian parliament has adopted a potentially repressive new law which could criminalise the human rights activities of both foreign and domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Charities and Societies Proclamation law (2009) is designed to strictly control and monitor civil society in an atmosphere of intolerance of the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations. The law’s repressive provisions are believed to be an attempt by the Ethiopian government to conceal human rights violations, stifle critics and prevent public protest of its actions ahead of expected elections in 2010.
Ethiopia’s citizens are unable to speak freely, organize political activities, and challenge their government’s policies—through peaceful protest, voting, or publishing their views—without fear of reprisal. Democracy’s technical framework will remain a deceptive and hollow façade so long as Ethiopia’s institutions lack independence from the ruling party and there is no accountability for abuses by state officials.
Global Financial Integrity/Wall Street Journal (2011)
Ethiopia lost $11.7 billion to outflows of ill-gotten gains between 2000 and 2009. That’s a lot of money to lose to corruption for a country that has a per-capita GDP of just $365. In 2009, illicit money leaving the country totaled $3.26 billion, double the amount in each of the two previous years. The capital flight is also disturbing because the country received $829 million in development aid in 2008. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries on earth as 38.9% of Ethiopians live in poverty, and life expectancy in 2009 was just 58 years. The people of Ethiopia are being bled dry. No matter how hard they try to fight their way out of absolute destitution and poverty, they will be swimming upstream against the current of illicit capital leakage.
Committee to Protect Journalist (2011)
Ethiopia trails only Eritrea as the foremost jailer of journalists in Africa. Ethiopia’s repression of the independent press has also driven into exile the largest number of journalists in the world. Yet Zenawi told Aftenposten [Norwegian paper] that ‘We have reached a very advanced stage of rule of law and respect for human rights. Fundamentally, this is a country where democratic rights of people are respected.’
The Ethiopian government is exploiting its vaguely worded anti-terror law to crush peaceful dissent. The anti-terror law itself is a huge problem. The international community, especially the European Union, United States, and United Kingdom, should ask the Ethiopian government hard questions about why it is using this law to crack down on peaceful independent voices.
Committee Statement of Congressman Donald Payne (2007)
H.R. 2003 (Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007, sponsored by Cong. Payne passed the U.S. House of Representatives on October 2, 2007) requires the secretary of state to support human rights by establishing a mechanism to provide funds to local human rights organizations. The bill supports democratization by directing assistance to strengthen democratic processes, prohibits non-humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia if the ruling party obstructs United States efforts to provide human rights, fosters accountability for the actions the Ethiopian Government has taken that undermine rule of law and fundamental political freedoms…. and holds security forces accountable for human rights abuses related to the demonstrations of 2005…
Statement of U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Patrick Leahy on Senate Bill 3457 (2008)
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2008. Senator LEAHY joins me as an original cosponsor. The purpose of this bill is to reaffirm policy objectives towards Ethiopia and encourage greater commitment to the underpinnings of a true democracy–an independent judiciary and the rule of law, respect for human and political rights, and an end to restrictions on the media and non-governmental organizations…. As we turn a blind eye to the escalating political tensions, people are being thrown in jail without justification and non-government organizations are being restricted, while civilians are dying unnecessarily in the Ogaden region–just like so many before them in Oromiya, Amhara, and Gambella….
2010 European Union Election Observer Commission Report on May 2010 Election
The separation between the ruling party and the public administration was blurred at the local level in many parts of the country. The EU EOM directly observed cases of misuse of state resources in the ruling party’s campaign activities. The ruling party and its partner parties won 544 of the 547 seats to the House of Peoples Representatives and all but four of the 1,904 seats in the State Councils…. As a result, the electoral process fell short of international commitments for elections, notably regarding the transparency of the process and the lack of a level playing field for all contesting parties.
Zenawi’s response to the 2010 European Union Election Observer Commission Report:
The EU report is trash that deserves to be thrown in the garbage. The report is not about our election. It is just the view of some Western neo-liberals who are unhappy about the strength of the ruling party. Anybody who has paper and ink can scribble whatever they want.
Such are the nightmarish bedtime stories of Meles Zenawi’s Democrazy in Ethiopia!
Amharic translations of recent commentaries by the author may be found at: http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic
Previous commentaries by the author are available at: http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/ and www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/
23 thoughts on “Ethiopia: The Bedtime Stories of Meles Zenawi”
I can’t continue reading this commentary of Professor Alemayehu G/Mariam because of the heavy voices that engulfing the cyber cafe where i am.
Enjoyed your bedtime story prof.
YES LET’S BACK IT UP WITH EVIDENCE.
I thank the author of this post.This is what we need to do. Coming to this blog and accusing all Amharas or Tigrayans is not the right way to go. Let’s back our words with evidences such as the one posted on this thread. That is the way to go…Good job!!
Ezana From Toronto
Anonymous replies:
May 21st, 2012 at 5:31 PM
Ezana
I will give you one replay that will not agree with you i will be hearing from you Amahara this,Amhara that and Nefteniga this or that.
I guarantee, it will not take you long before you tell us black KKK and Wat Else?oh,yes chauvinist Amharas.
I hope you prouve me wrong Ezana.
George Ayite
“There is no benevolent dictator. The only good dictator is a dead dictator”.
The Merriam dictionary defines a dictator as, “canny, manipulative, deceptive, looter, and killer who comities any crime to stay in power.” The dictionary further states a dictator as sadistic and narcissist who looks like a human being from outside but a devil from inside. Most of them look like human beings but some of them look like monkeys or even frogs. The examples given for dictators include Menegistu Hilemariam, Colonel Gadafi, and the self-appointed crime minister of Ethiopia Meles Setanawi. The end of dictators is almost always a tragedy. Some of them get killed by their own body guards. Some commit suicide. And some others are paraded by the people in the streets. And a few others ended up in Haige. And still a few get humiliated in front of the whole world before they are caught alive to face justice for their crimes against humanity. The common trait of all dictators is that they will never learn from others. They think they are untouchable but when the end comes they would be pulled out of the rat holes, dragged in the street, sodomized, and humiliated in front of the whole world. In his recent trip to US, the deceptive and manipulative Meles Setanawi met with a powerful blow in front of the leader of the free world by Abebe Gelawi. Abebe EXPOSED one of the worst mass murders Ethiopia ever seen to the entire world. Abebe told the naked truth to the whole world who Melese Setanwi is. The 96.6% election victory was nothing but a shame. Melese Setnawi does nor represent the people of Ethiopia, and he is at the meeting representing TPLF, one of the worst mafia organizations the world ever seen. The proof was the act of one of the body guards of the ‘belese’ infested mafia that threatened Abebe. TPLF as a mercenary organization does not know anything other than destroying bridges, looting, killing, intimidation, and mass murder. Thanks to the courage of Abebe the whole world knows, as given as a good example in the dictionary, who Melese Setanawi and his TPLF. Viva Abebe Gelawe.
THE END OF MELES AND TIGRE THUGS is in sight. Professor Al – Thank you for your continued expose of this criminal and pathological liar to the world. MELES has lied and deceived the world for far too long. Let’s keep the heat on until Meles and his Tigre thugs are brought to justice.
Professor Al – I suggest that you also use your incredible talent and research intellect to track down the money, fortune, wealth and resources being looted from the Ethiopian people. It is mainly laundered out of the country through the Child Molester Arab Tycoon (Al Amoudi) and the countless offsprings (children, family, wives and mistresses) of the Adwa (TIGRE) gangs in power.
Hope prof would be able to read this.
With all due respect, I have a question if you really respect your readers? In some kind of tortured logic, you have tried to confuse your audience by lumping completely irrelevant issues one after the other and saying utterly nothing.
What Meles asserted is that he sees no connection between growth and democracy. And never did he discount the intrinsic value of democracy in keeping countries sane within themselves. This is, if you know logic, is a proposition to be supported or refuted.
As I begun reading, in fact, for the first time to finish your article, I was so eager to see a well-defined and well-supported argument to refute it; as such gigantic statements and assertions need to be hammered down seriously. Nevertheless, of course, as always, it just useless and regret it I spent my precious time reading it.
What in the hell is, therefore, the use of writing on a weekly basis? God, It’s really bizarre.
Seyoum replies:
May 22nd, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Ato Haile,
that’s your perspective.
He will have his last bed time stories in his bunker as the clock is ticking for his arrest and face the justice of the Ethiopian people along his boss Mebrahtu G/hiwot.
Folks!!!
I won a wager with a friend today. I bet him that ‘The man who never makes mistakes’ Al Mariam would come up with his usual diatribe after every one of his entourage becomes exhausted after fruitless lambasting. Because he wants his meaningless diatribe to be read by fewer people as possible. I was right dead on!!!
Now he is talking about money being smuggled out of the country in billions. Who counted them for him? He is just making up numbers because he is sick to death with the hatred he harbors for me and my people from Tigray. What a loser!!! I wish he is bold enough to debate me at a conference hall with every one of you invited. I am Abraham Lincoln and he is Senator Stephen Douglas. I can beat the tar of him in a debate about any topic concerning the affairs at any arena of his choice. I even let him pick a topic and a place. But he is not man enough to take up this challenge from me.
In the meantime, I have informed you that I am planning to go back home for a visit. Well that is what exactly I am doing this Friday. While my stay there I will do the following:
1) I will check if I can access this website from there. If I can, then all of you are liars, liars and your pants are on fire!!!
2) I will send a letter to our Benevolent PM and members of the parliament with the following very polite demands:
a) Change the name of the country to Axumite Federal Republic.
b) Move the capital to Axum.
c) Start the deployment of those settlers from Menz, Minjar, Bulga,
Tegulet, Yifat and Merha Betie back to their homeland of Amhara
Sayint.
d) Begin the construction of a defensive wall around the Glorious
Republic of Tigray based on the design similar to the one that
was erected around Israel.
e) Remove all documents of history that does not involve any
personalities from Tigray from any archives in Addis or
religious institutions around the country to warehouses in
Tigray.
f) Increase the budget outlaid for lobbyists outside the country.
I am telling you loafers what I will be doing during my state because I am not that secretive as you might have been thinking.
And last, I want you all to keep your mouths shut during my absence. And this is the Deputy of all of you in the Diaspora giving you the order. Shut up!!!! Do you hear me? Shut up!!!!
damo replies:
May 21st, 2012 at 8:43 PM
Are you taking cocaine? The number of TPLF rats who are suffering from amensia is increasing as the demise of the mafia is approaching.
Jegnaw replies:
May 22nd, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Tekle
people like you have this 3 destination in life.
1-institutionalized(crazy house for life like most animal in a zoo) like AMANUEL.
2-incarcerations for life.(prison for life)
3-the ultimate destination for you death by stoning.
that is the only choice you will have my little termites Tekle.
Terrorist Meles is back to his fiefdom, Ethiopia, to continue terrorizing the Ethiopian people and to keep plotting against them and their interests. Tyrant Meles went back with his head down and with a slow-acting (silent) fatal stroke he sustained from the lightning blow delivered by our gallant award winning world class journalist Abebe Gellaw last week in Washington, D.C. It does not require to be a prophet to say that this heroic act of our hero Abebe Gellaw on that fateful day of the 18th of May of the year 2012 has a far reaching cascading effect and is no doubt a turning point in the struggle of the Ethiopian people for freedom, dignity and democracy. The terrorist mafia camp run by the ringleader Meles is already in more crises and visibly in disarray after the incident. Terrorist Meles is wounded irredeemably and broken beyond repair by this spectacular attack. The Meles terrorist camp is burning and raging like the wildfire in the deserts of California in the middle of the peak of hot summer. The wildfire is all out there for all to see it through the screens of computers. The thunderous bell of ‘FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM’ that rang and echoed in the halls of the Reagan Building in Wash., D.C. last week, through the impeccable and succinct voice of our gallant journalist Abebe Gellaw, will continue to reverberate and resonate throughout Ethiopia until freedom day comes. I would like to assure you that that day is not far off. I would say that this is just the beginning and portends what is in store for terrorist Meles and his gullible hodam henchmen, sycophants, ass-kissers and hirelings. We will liberate you minions of terrorist Meles from the slavery you are in. Our struggle for freedom and liberty will free you up from worshipping the terrorist ringleader Meles. We will make you regain your dignity if there is any left in you. Finally, I can’t thank you enough Abe for rekindling the fire that is engulfing and destroying the Meles terrorist camp. I would like also to thank Mr. Obama from the bottom of my heart for bringing in terrorist Meles to this stinging humiliation. Obama has not even greeted terrorist Meles. Mr. Obama is no where to be seen in the vicinity of terrorist Meles. Even Meles’s lie factory, a.k.a. ETV, has been unable to come up with a single shot in the whole shenanigan to show terrorist Meles being any close to President Obama. The Secret Service did a superb job in keeping Mr. Obama at bay from terrorist Meles. This clearly shows that President Obama has shunned terrorist Meles. Thank you Obama and I have your back.
Haile & Tekle
I can see your nauseating comments but understandably due to many years of eating ANBETA (Grasshopper). You will soon be served from the Gadaffi menu – although I am not for burying you alive – Hope that is the verdict of freedom loving Ethiopians!!!
Go back to your Dedebit hole – and wait for the US wheat – a substitute for your ANBETA delicacy!!!
Tekle replies:
May 22nd, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Yinegal,
What did you just call me? I bet you 10,000 US Dollars you will not say that to my face or in my presence. I know you are one of those who have no balls to stand up to Axumite people like me. If you are an EPLF messenger boy, we kicked they ass in 2000. If you are an EPRP, EDU, OLF, ONLF, CUD, COEDF in all losers we kicked they ass in 1978, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2005 and finally in 2010. If you are a Shewan Amhara, Mengistu kicked they ass in 1974 and we finished them off in 1994. How do you like that? But on the reverse side, I like your guts and I like to have gutsy guy like you in my team. Would you like to join me? You will be awarded amicably. What do you say? If not, shut up and that is an order.
Tekle,
I don’t think you are sincere about your comments and I’m sure you give those kinds of comments to create more animosity between people. I even doubt you are Ethiopian, may be you are from Eretria or some crazy group. As much as I have issue with people who just blatantly hate EPRDF, I despise people like you too. Anyways, I will give my opinion as follows.
It is indubitable fact that in recent years the image of Ethiopia has been in a more positive tone than it has ever been in many years. Ethiopia is scoring a high rate of Economic growth from time and again and the country is getting a much needed attention from the world body. I know, some of you mainly in the diaspora are very skeptical or in denial of the facts and just like to criticize the government of Ethiopia for what hasn’t been fully accomplished, like the uncontrolled rate of inflation, income inequality and some freedom issues. However, I don’t think it is wise and fair to look only the negatives aspects and give a blind eye for many of the positive things achieved, because things aren’t that black and white. May be if it helps I will try to give my perspective of Economics in general and relate the situation in Ethiopia and explain why I think everything isn’t doom and gloom in that country.
Economics by its basic nature is a give and take phenomenon and usually when you fix one problem you might create another one. A good example can be, the actions taken after 2008 worldwide recession, as we been observing many western countries have to spend a lot of many in order to foster grow while piling up a lot of debt. What is happening in Ethiopia in recent years is not any different, as we know there is a massive investment on infrastructures, housing projects, agriculture, industry, education and other by the government to lay a fundamental foundation for the economy. It is a no brainer that for growth and transformation of one country a well-developed infrastructure is very crucial. To move goods around, there need to be a sufficient road networks and other means of transportations like a train. To grow the industry sector there have to be an abundant energy supply, raw material and skilled personals. To have a very productive agriculture, there have to be advance farming system.
So the question is, how does the government of Ethiopia fund all this investment? The answer is mainly by borrowing from the banks and other countries and some of it from donation and other is by printing more money, and rest is by raising revenue through taxation and other ways. When the government borrows excessively and prints lots of money without balancing, it leads to a high circulation of money in the system and that lower the value of the currency and leads to inflation, noting that there are also a number of other factors which create inflation, domestic and global, energy crisis is one it. So, even if I believe the government should try hard to ease the out of control inflation, a continuous effort of more investment on infrastructure in Ethiopia is a very good idea. Ethiopia is a very poor country and there are not many choices other than taking strategic risks to grow the economy and there isn’t a magic bullet to solve the many problems we have. I believe give and take the country is heading the right direction. I think ones we have many roads, when there is sufficient energy source, when there is a good network system, and when more people educated, more opportunities will be created and more people will have higher income and life will get better. It is not gone be easy, there will be many bumps on the way, but I’m sure with courage and perseverance we can get ourselves out of the ditch we been buried for many years .
I consider myself an independent person not a diehard supporter of EPRDF or a hater. Hating each other or hating the government with a blind eye, because the government is not doing everything what we want, or by seeing everything from only ethnic point of view is not a good idea. I don’t consider EPRDF leadership as the ideal one I envision for my country, but I don’t want hold them accountable for every wrong in that country too.
Here are some of the credits I think the government deserve, the building of the Abay dam and other dam, the incredible progress of the Ethiopian Airlines, the development in the education and health sector, the effort of the government to attract more foreign investment and other. It is very surprising and even shocking when I see people criticize the building of Abay and also want to boycott one of our much respected Airlines, it is very crazy. Anyways, there is no government in the world who will able to satisfy 100% of its society. Melse is by no means comparable to Hitler, and I don’t think he is working day night for the destruction of Ethiopia, given some of the problems in his leadership and the system as a whole. I also don’t think everything what he say is a lie. I’m sure history will judge him better.
I was an enthusiastic supporter of Kinjet 5 years ago and support them financially when they came to USA, but I have evolved since then and become more independent. I am not happy with everything what I’m seeing in Ethiopia and it hurts me a lot to see the suffering of the people, but I just have a feeling things will get better sooner than later with all the problems. I love my country to death, and pray every day and try hard to contribute my share to see shiny days ahead. You guys my call me naïve or other, but I am somehow different than majority of you guys who comment in this website is not because hoping to get any special deal from the government or other, It is maybe I see things differently. Peace and prosperity for our country.
Tekle replies:
May 22nd, 2012 at 8:43 PM
You sami:
You seem to have an identity crisis about and in yourself. I know who I am never flinched from my support for our gifted Prime Minister and the ruling team he leads. I have served my people in blood and sweat and have lost dear friends and blood relatives in the fight to free the people from centuries old yoke. The bloody struggle I participated has helped grow from a down-trodden beginning to where I was able to graduate with honors from Ivy League Schools. I did or will never betray my people. I will continue to stand for them till the day I die. I can tell from your comment that you are really confused and I feel sorry for you. In the affairs of our country there is no such thing as independent if you speak criticizing it. If you want to be independent, then you have to keep your mouth shut. We are dealing with an opposition who plan to use or dream to use WMD which is weapons of mass destruction on people like me. They threaten me that I will be fumigated (put to death in a gas chamber) when they overthrow the current government. They are now trying to incite our Muslim brothers and sisters into terrorist attacks similar to ones we all witnessed or are witnessing in Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria. Rise up they are shouting; ‘Rise and kill all Tigrayans’, they are shouting ‘kill all!’. It is disturbing and also disgusting. The hatred they have toward me and my people is so extreme that it will be very hard or even impossible to change. They have gone mad from it. The good news is that they are very few in numbers and ever year they are losing ranks because we kicked they ass in every aspect of the struggle. Our size in the Diaspora is growing and you can tell from the sizes of the crowds who came out for and against our Prime Minister last week. They were about 25-28 of them and our side had at least 2,000 participants. They were chauvinist Shewan Amharas and very few nationalists from Oromo and Somali background. The Muslims among them were sworn terrorists. But our crowd is comprised of people almost from every ethnic group of our country. How do you like that? I am not a man of violence but rather a staunch proponent of peaceful coexistence. In the meantime, our people including myself are mandated by fate and history to play a leadership role for many centuries to come. Because others don’t know how.
sami replies:
May 23rd, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Tekle,
I can tell you are a well informed and educated person, but your extreme view doesn’t seem to fit you at all. There always will be two sides of a story, but extremism never and will not be a good idea to bring the two sides together. Responding to a bad behavior by doing bad is not going to do it. The only way we can solve our problems is by compromising, discussing and listening each other. There is no easy solution for all our problems, and there is no way that the government can satisfy all its citizens, but at least there should be an effort. We all should lift ourselves form tribal thinking and hating each other, instead work together in a genuine and intelligent way. The government has the ball in its side, but it should let to be a fair game for all. I give the government credit when credit deserve, but will also criticize when there is a problem, and there are many problems.
Tekle replies:
May 23rd, 2012 at 6:23 PM
Sami,
First of all I am not an extremist as you may have been led to believe by some of these loafers around U and 9th Streets. I love my people to death. I don’t think that is extremism.
Also, you mentioned that the current government is not trying to meet the needs of our people at a minimum. That is not true. Just ask Mr. Gates and his wife Melinda. They have seen on site the positive results done for the benefits of the people. What these cry babies in the Diaspora are complaining is the absence of some lee ways that our people can not use or need. Rights be it human or democratic comes with accountability and responsibility. In a society with no history of democracy, you can not print a widely circulating journal personally insulting public figures. They call democratically elected leaders morons and utterly stupid. They claim an existence of physical torture with out any verifiable evidence. They incite violence forgetting the fact that violence begets violence. Especially in our society where ‘blood’ vengeance is regarded as the best way to get justice, it is equally more dangerous than and is utterly irresponsible to call for such vile act. Let’s take the election result of 2005. The opposition lead by CUD then had won several seats in the parliament and should have taken those seats. But what they did was reject the results and in stead tried to incite the people against the minority ethnic people of Tigray. And you know what they did during the demonstration. Some of their extremists joined the crowd and started firing in all directions. They killed several policemen and many among the crowd. I was here then and went back to investigate the incidence myself. I was told about it by a Gondarie member of the ruling party and not by a Tigrayan. Then the leaders of the opposition were rounded to face justice. They immediately admitted the crime they committed and asked the people of Ethiopia to forgive them. They were not as organized as they seemed to be. It did not take more than 2 months before they began squabbling among themselves. And when they stood for the next election in 2010 they could only muster one seat. The people of Ethiopia saw them as unreliable and just ignored them. That is the true story.
And the rest of you lazy bums out there!!! Stop threatening me with gas chambers and weapons of mass destruction. You have to understand that there are quite a few individuals out there who are are not able to see through what you are saying or the terminology you are using in threatening me and my people. Stop it!!!
I am going back home this weekend and I will verify myself if this website is inaccessible there. If it is, then all of you who claim it is not, you will be deemed liars, liars your pants are on fire!!!! I have no problem with this website. It should not be held responsible for what others comment on it. I don’t think they are in the business of looking for gratitude from me. I hope they know they are doing their job. In fact, I have watched some of the interviews the editor of this website gave on other websites and TV/Radio stations. He is one of those very very few in the Diaspora who is somewhat eloquent. If he does not like me and my people that is his problem because I don’t hate people but rather differ in my opinion about our country’s leaders and the regime they dominate. You see this shows you how I am more civilized than a lot of you downtown loafers. So shut up!!! I told you to shut up I until I come back next month!!! Life is so good!!!!
Yinegal,
What did you just call me? I bet you 10,000 US Dollars you will not say that to my face or in my presence. I know you are one of those who have no balls to stand up to Axumite people like me. If you are an EPLF messenger boy, we kicked they ass in 2000. If you are an EPRP, EDU, OLF, ONLF, CUD, COEDF in all losers we kicked they ass in 1978, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2005 and finally in 2010. If you are a Shewan Amhara, Mengistu kicked they ass in 1974 and we finished them off in 1994. How do you like that? But on the reverse side, I like your guts and I like to have gutsy guy like you in my team. Would you like to join me? You will be awarded amicably. What do you say? If not, shut up and that is an order.
Jegnaw replies:
May 22nd, 2012 at 12:30 PM
Tekle
you little termite money is not everything there is a thing call principle,standing on truth,loving truth,keeping your conscience clean.which you know nothing about.
and i know few great warriors from Welkait,Tegede would like to fumigate Termite people like you. and you don’t need to wait long. they are coming for you and your frog leader Melesse soon.
Tekle replies:
May 24th, 2012 at 12:58 AM
You loser Jegnaw,
I bet you would not say that in my face in instead you would not wait to lick my boots!!! You need to get your loose lips pinched very hard so you can be a good citizen. My Gojjame friend used to call people like you ባለጌ ያልተቀጣ አግድሞ አደግ የሴት ልጅ!!! You cannot call human beings like me who The Holy Trinity created in their image a termite. You are a heathen!!! Shut up!!!! I say shut up!!!
Jegnaw replies:
May 24th, 2012 at 10:02 AM
Tekle
Give me your address i will show you who i am little termite.if you have the gut.and i guarantee you, you will not have a face left to look on a mirror.