Info

You are currently browsing the Assimba Blog weblog archives for March, 2011.

Calendar
March 2011
M T W T F S S
« Feb   Apr »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
Categories
Latest Postings
Links
Archives
Meta

Archive for March 2011

OF WESTERN HYPOCRISY, OBDURATE TYRANTS AND CHANGING TIMES

31. March 2011 by Assimba.

By Hama Tuma

 

As the Bob Dylan song put it the times they are “ achanging”. But, try to tell that to the tyrant and dictators of the world and to the Western powers who are bonded to their hypocrisy, double standards and greed. 

We can once again blame

Africa for the ongoing “return of the dictators” malady. Worse than Ebola and other viruses we are supposed to have given to the West (I still wonder why we did not give them the sleeping sickness).  The notable dictator to get back to power after being ousted was

Uganda’s Milton Obote. He ended up by killing more than the blood thirsty Idi Amin. And then came

Benin’s “call me Socialist” Kerekou. Weeping Kaunda and bloody Mengistu are still “awaiting”, thanks to the spirit of our ancestors as the late Chadian dictator Tombolbaye would have said. The Haitians have again proved that they are Africans to their core with their voodoo and penchant for disasters, tyrants and suffering. There is no other way of explaining why they allowed the return (with a hero’s welcome at that) of the bloody tyrant Baby Doc Duvalier and the priest dictator Aristide. Why do Haitians need these pests if not to put them on trial? Why were not these fellows arrested at the airport? Tyrants are obdurate and most of the time delusional. They imagine they are loved and missed by the very people they had tormented and killed. They think even the dead exhibit the Stockholm syndrome. How can anyone love his/her killer or tormentor? 

If tyrants stage a comeback (at least to return the country from exile) they are also showing a stubborn penchant for staying in power even when the majority of the population tells them to go away. Mubarak tried to linger on and his system is more or less still in place. Saleh of Yemen is finished but refusing to grasp his irrelevance and still posturing as a unifier and a bulwark against the Al Qaeda in the

Arabian Peninsula. Assad in

Syria is trying to weather the storm. Gelleh of Djibouti has arrested and tortured opposition leaders and sought help from fellow dictator Meles in

Ethiopia who is himself apprehensive of a mass uprising. Kaddafi is fighting on and forced to confront a destructive array of western powers whose alleged concern for Libyan civilian lives (in Benghazi) has not hampered them from bombarding Tripoli with the savagery we had witnessed some years ago in the former Yugoslavia. The same hype is activated, the media manipulates public opinion and Kaddafi, very much like Milosevic and Sadam, is an unsavory fellow for whom few have any serious sympathy and thus a proper scarecrow. 

And through it all we observe the ugly head of Western hypocrisy and double standards that had for long been a scourge on democracy at world wide level. Hilary Clinton criticized the UAE for sending soldiers into

Bahrain along with the Saudis but lamented against it for not joining the so called coalition against Khadafy. One wonders why the West, especially America, goes through this ridiculous charade of a coalition (even Ethiopia was part of the coalition against Iraq!) when the whole world knows the main protagonists are

America and its western allies. America refused to label the Saudi intervention into

Bahrain as an invasion without explaining how many foreign soldiers have to cross a border with tanks and armored cars for the action to be called an invasion. Are the Saudi soldiers in

Bahrain just visiting? It was interesting to hear Obama pronounce Libyan towns (Ajawiya etc..)  properly but his expressed concern for the safety of Libyans in these places sounded hollow. There is no doubt that the Libyan upsurge which started (and not by coincidence) in oil rich and often separatist Cyrenaica has been aided and abetted by foreign elements and then taken over by those who had for long sought the ouster of Khadafy to lay their hands on its oil riches. The captured Dutch mercenaries, the infiltrated American and British intelligence agents and special force elements prove the assertion. 

Sarkozy “the Libyan” also appears as ridiculous as the Westerners’ concern for the lives of Libyan civilians. The strutting of France as a big power, the delusion of grandeur (often exercised on small countries like Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti and

Mali) would have been amusing if it had not been destructive. Sarkozy, whose harsh and brutal action against Romas (Gypsies) is fresh in pour minds, is suffering from a low popularity rate in his own country, surpassed at the polls even by the right wing leader of the National Front. Moreover, he had to endure blunders in Tunisia where his foreign minister offered security help to dictator Ben Ali and so his sudden  posturing as the guardian of Libyans has little to do with concern and everything to do with cheap politics and an eye for the oil that France had not been getting unlike Italy for example. Franco Libyan relations, meaning ties with Khadafy were strong and financially beneficial to

France and the Western powers. Blair and Condoleezza Rice trekked to

Tripoli as did Berlusconi who publicly kissed the hands of the Libyan dictator and praised him for being a bulwark against African immigration.

Britain forgot shot to death police woman Yvonne Fletcher and Lockerbie and acquiesced to his whims and dealt with Khadafy as a clean and deserving partner. In other words, Khadafy was kosher, an ally, halal so to speak. And so when the recent events arose, the Western media had to do the “bedeviling” work fast and wide. Feudal despot King Idris’ flag was resurrected as poorly armed but heroic rebels appeared on our TV screens, and all of a sudden Khadafy “the butcher” revealed. Sadam Hussein had gone through the same road. The Western controlled mass media shamed itself once again. 

Why did not the West intervene in

Bahrain? In

Yemen? Let us take it further: what has the West done to stop the bloodshed in eastern Congo, a tragedy that has killed close to 6 million Congolese and is caused by the West’s own greed for Congo’s mineral wealth? Obama said it is

US policy that Khadafy needs to go. Good—but what about pro American tyrants like Kabila Jr, Meles, Nguema, the despots in the

Middle East? In 2005, Meles Zenawi stole an election and murdered more than 275 people in Addis Abeba alone (snipers on rooftops as in Sana’a) but he still enjoys massive US, British and EU financial and military help. There is much hue and cry as concerns Darfur and not a peep on the carnage in the

Congo. France did fine business with the dour and bloody generals in

Burma and still is the life support for many African dictators. Any claim by

Britain, in the past or now, to be concerned about the welfare of other peoples is not funny but still laughable. Hence, if Putin calls the campaign against

Libya something like the Crusades he does have a point. It alls smacks of an ill concealed colonialist arrogance and violence. Base and crude economic interest is at the bottom of it. Oil. The times they are achanging for sure and sometimes, alas, the more they change the more they stay the same. Mubarak and Ben Ali were allies of Washington but the popular revolt got rid of them much to the chagrin of

America. Khadafy and Saleh will go as it is the will of the people but the war of the West against

Libya has nothing to do with democracy or defending civilians. The AU has proved once again its relevance by failing to come to the rescue of its “king of all African Tribes” and the Arab League’s call for the bombardment of

Libya has not, alas, surprised anyone.  

It is evidend that  pro American dictators in Africa and the Middle East will also face popular uprising and if Bahrain is an indicator we can safely declare that the West will try to salvage them until it becomes impossible to do so and it is forced to sing another tune. Changing times but same despots, same double standards, same hypocrites.  

Posted in Articles | Print | 1 Comment »

The Causeless Nothingness

28. March 2011 by Assimba.


 

(A poem By Henoke Yeshetlla)


They said “fear is the power by which the human anger is preserved by”
but I said, “It is a service and an obedience to the causeless nothingness”
But they said, “it remains inward and mute”
and I said..- the whole reality of it has the loudest sound.
It is endured…and yet loved….
How slavery is thus graced.
Fear is when one diverts from seeing the power in him
and when one denies the truth in himself for a better pain.
It is when a tree gathers energy and sheds from its own falling leaves.
And it is when the sprit of the hero expands to powerlessness.
to the causeless nothingness.
Yet, little will remain known
fear is still the power….
an axis of rotation for the “voluntary beggars”….
And they said, “Is life so dear or peace so sweet?”
And my answer, “there is no peace without life, nor a life with out
the sweet peace”
So why is fear…
why is it the cause for our slavery?
I said, “as being nothing and subsets in it”
we loved to feel it….
the causeless nothingness….
casting its darkness,
and we said, “there is no peace” and yet hope and faith….
when there is nothing to hope
But hope is a spiritual fear in this case
It is a silent sorrow….
And faith is another instance of it….
when paganism is roving in our veins…..
It is all a causeless nothingness

Posted in Articles | Print | 2 Comments »

Three Model Countries for Transformation and Development in Africa

25. March 2011 by Assimba.

By Obo Arada Shawl

March 23, 2011

Introduction

Somalia-Eritrea-Libya had common colonial heritage, an Italian heritage at that. But after

Independence each country has passed through its unique transformation and development.

Somalia’s aspiration is based on self-rule with limited national government of the day. For this reason, the EU label it as a “failed state”  in response to the self-rule concept and the USA is concerned of the concept of limited government for fear of a breeding space for terrorism.

Eritrea fought a dual struggle for Independence long overdue as well as democratization process from

Ethiopia. For strategic purpose, the United States remained unenthusiastic for

Eritrea’s independence whereas the EU is adamant of the democratization process in Eritrean societies.

Libya has installed “the Green Revolution” but because of its erratic leader has shifted sides numerous times the result of which is the abandonment of EU, the AU and possibly the

USA.

Libya is on the verge of losing its cash resources.

The Second wave of colonialism

What is happening now in this digital colonial age is nothing new to these three countries. Globalization is simply about trade and export for the

United States, for EU, it is also about trade but with emphasis on immigration. For the Arab world, it is about employment and corruption. For the United Nation and the African Union, globalization is just confusion, maybe it is about trade and people.

Trade and people is nothing new to Somalia, Eritrea and

Libya. The peoples of these three countries have been conducting trade and development with or without money. Their motivation and inspiration were based on trust with profit or no profit, it did not matter. The peoples of those countries used to enjoy free traveling if not within their own vast territories but around the globe.

Geographically, the Libyans are sandwiched by the Arabs of Egypt, Tunisia, and the

Sudan. Psychologically, the Eritreans are sandwiched by religious and cultural factors. Socially, the Somalis are sandwiched among themselves. It is no wonder that these populace are in trouble of no faults of theirs.

So what was wrong with these peoples way of life? It was being disrupted not by trade but by no trade. They want to show the world how to trade with people outside the WTO. If they are obstructed by free trade, their youth will live by other means necessary as pirating in Somalia, emigrating as in Eritrea and protesting as in Libya. These trends could not be stopped by the digital age, it could only be enhanced.

Conclusion

These days, the global world as led by knowledgeable but not wise young leaders of France, England, Russia, China and

America are striving hard how to trade and export. Their model of WTO may be of little help to the little world. It is time to incorporate the models of Somalia, Eritrea and

Libya. One has to look into their positive side not their negative aspect. The Libyans are circulating their cash via investment, the Eritreans are debt free through self-reliance and the Somalis are in for self-rule.

What is wrong with the underlined concepts?

We know that their respective leaders are dictators. But the question is dictators of what? For them, dictatorship is the same as authoritarian, democracy or rule of law. We are not communicating with them or with the people they rule. It is a futile attempt to change their way of life (culture) by force.

The leader as in Libya is full of threats, the leader of Eritrea has no language for diplomacy, and the leader of

Somalia has no spokesman. If the World takes the threats of Colonel Gaddaffi as real, if the West takes President Essayas’s silence as terrorism or

Somalia’s leader’s plea as helplessness, then we have problems with the peoples of that region not with their leaders.

Currently, the western world is engaged in

Libya to democratize or destabilize. Africans are regrouping to send troops to

Somalia. They seem to forget that

Libya is an African member state. We may see Western leaders supporting Melese’s regime to invade

Eritrea to submit to globalization. The question is who are the countries behind Melese’s regime? Will it be NATO, the Pentagon or the People’s army of

China? I hope it is not the UN or African Union. Who can forget what the League of Nations did to

Ethiopia in 1935?

Today’s problem are not leaders of

Africa, it is their untapped resources. In order to exploit their resources, we should give them the chance to be educated not in terms of value and belief but in terms of respect and interest. The West as well as the East is focused to gain an immediate gratification from the resources of

Africa.

In order to carry out the second wave of colonialism, let us take the following UN Survey conducted on a “joke” level

The survey was a huge failure: In

Africa they didn’t know what ‘**food**’ meant,

 In

India they didn’t know what ‘**honest**’ meant, In

Europe they didn’t know what ‘**shortage**’ meant,  In

China they didn’t know what ‘**opinion**’ meant, In the

Middle East they didn’t know what ‘**solution**’ meant,  In

South America they didn’t know what ‘**please**’ meant, And in the

USA they didn’t know what **’the rest of the world’** meant! * 

People of

Africa, just like the rest of us, have kept their resources for posterity not to be squandered by globalization phenomenon.

The real solution may come from our understanding of the fake “UN survey”. Let us change our attitude, as attitude is everything.

Dear readers,

Please”Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?”,

Use the above question in relation to the reading of article “role models for transformation and development in Africa.” that was missing in the article.

For comments, questions and concerns

woldetewolde@yahoo.com

Posted in Articles | Print | 1 Comment »

Ato Meles and his never-ending threats.

17. March 2011 by Assimba.

 By Yilma Bekele

 

The people’s uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East have been the talk of Ethiopians both at home and the Diaspora for the last month and half. We are surprised by the sudden fall of the tyrants of Tunisia and Egypt. We are watching with keen interest the volatile situation in Libya and Yemen.

 

You know the one thing in common these far away places have is the large number of displaced Africans caught in this wave. Most of our people are refugees from bad economy, civil war, lack of opportunity, tyranny and other curable ills. There are plenty of Ethiopians that are currently exposed to danger while searching for a meaningful life. It was sad to hear Meles Zenawi pretending about using air and sea to pluck our people from Libya. When you consider most of these people paid large sums of money to reach Libya escaping sadness and misery in their homeland it is inconceivable that they will return to hell willingly.  

 

Even though the world media was transfixed by the upheaval in the lands of the Arabs, the Government controlled media was going to great length to pretend nothing out of the ordinary was going on in the neighborhood. The Ethiopian peoples information regarding the tsunami in their vicinity came from a few brave Independent News Papers at home, ESAT (Ethiopian Satellite TV (http://www.ethsat.com/), Diaspora Web sites, VOA, Deutche Welle, and Al Jazeera. The regime was also investing large amounts of money and labor to jam and interfere with ESAT and Diaspora based independent Web sites.

 

Denial of independent news is the hallmark of a dictatorial regime. Creating confusion, misinforming and revising the news is also a prefered and a known modus operandi of a closed system. It is with this in mind the Ethiopian Prime Minster called his government certified reporters for press conference after a month long hiatus from public view to tell us his version of the story. He wanted to bully, threaten, scold and warn eighty million people against an attempt to remove him, his family and friends from power. As you know his lieutenant Berket offered some bogus explanation a la Seif Gaddafi to show why an uprising is not possible in a 12% growing economy. Needless to say he was laughed out of town.

 

Ato Meles decided to approach the situation from a different angle. It looks like Ato Melese’s strategy is to stick to the good old method of belligerency as the best way out of this mess he finds himself in. We the rest of ordinary Ethiopians have been looking at the unfolding situation and learning a valuable lesson in overcoming our fear and devising low cost methods of removing this TPLF tumor from our home land. It looks like Ato Meles sitting in his guarded bunker has been pouring over documents to draw a lesson on how to avert being Mubaraked by the people.

 

The so-called press conference was to unfurl his ‘doctrine’ regarding the hard lessons of the last few weeks. The usual suspects from Walta, Aiga Forum, The Reporter, Ben’s page etc. were summoned and given the prepared question to ask. It is always perplexing to see six microphones on the podium when one should be more than enough considering they all go to the same news editor.

 

Ato Meles was exhibiting a brand new haircut, a five thousand dollar Savile Row suit and a better makeup than the last time we saw him. You can tell that he has been under tremendous stress by looking at the bags under his eyes and the violent way he was pounding the table to make his point. When it came to answering the question regarding the ‘uprising’ the pounding got louder, the head scratching and fidgeting got intense and the internal fury was producing lots of heat like the crippled Japanese Nuclear plants and needed venting to avert explosion.

 

I want to concentrate on his response regarding the chances of an uprising in Ethiopia, but I would like to comment on a few of the points raised by the TPLF leader before he got to his main talking point.

 

Ato Meles seems to have a very strange understanding of the office he occupies. He said that ‘his contract with the Ethiopian people is for an eight hour a day labor’ and he does not feel it is important for him to be ‘a role model’ for anybody. That is a disturbing statement coming from a person entrusted for the welfare of eighty million souls. One would think being a leader of such a poor country with over eight million citizens suffering the scourge of hunger, double-digit inflation, high rate of unemployment etc. is more than a 24/7 responsibility. As for the issue of being a ‘role model’ who better than the head of the government and guardian of what is good and noble in all of us for the people to follow.

 

When asked about inflation the price of fuel and general failure of the economy, again I find his response very illiterate and far from the truth. His take on basic economics 101 is a little confusing to say the least. He said ‘ why would the price of potatoes go up due to the increase in gasoline?’ Let us see. Potatoes are generally grown in the countryside and require trucks to transport them to the market. In some instances fertilizers are applied for good harvest, tractors are used to dig out the bounty and the warehouse they are stored require electricity. What is common here is the importance of oil in this chain of economic activity. Why wouldn’t the hike in the price of fuel affect potatoes my dear Meles?

 

So much for economics, now to the important issue at hand, the current trend of peaceful peoples uprising to bring democracy and the rule of law. This press conference was to deal with the problem before it rears its ugly head in Ethiopia. It was Ato Melese’s response to the Ethiopian people on how he was going to handle the situation. It was his way of putting lipstick on a pig in a futile attempt to stop the impending implosion. It was a nice try. Unfortunately like everything else he tries it was an abject failure.   

 

What Ato Meles learned from the uprisings became clear from his response to his own questions as read by his staff. From Tunisia he learnt quick exit is not the answer since Ben Ali’s exile did not save his family’s fortune from being under consideration for confiscation or stop the demand by the people to haul his criminal ass back to Tunisia for trial, Mubarak’s futile attempt to hang on only postponed the inevitable for a few days and resulted in his being a virtual prisoner in his home land, Saleh’s attempt both to offer concessions and kill at the same time has only resulted in his hanging on to power by his fingernails while Gaddafi and sons are in a do or die situation with no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Ato Meles decided to attack before the idea of uprising took roots. The pres conference was to bully his people and at the same time show his followers that he is still in charge; he is not afraid and give them a nudge to intensify the offense. In a nutshell the main speaking points could be summarized as follows. ‘There is no chance of uprising here because we carried an election about ten months ago and EPDRF won overwhelmingly, we have in place a constitutional method of changing leaders unlike Egypt and Tunisia and all our problems can be traced to Shabia and Al Qaeda Islamists blah blah.’

 

What is revealing is the charge he leveled against his ‘enemies’ regarding the crimes they are supposedly hatching against his regime. According to him Shabia in cooperation with rogue Ethiopians and some of the legal opposition is planning to turn ‘Addis into Baghdad.’ That is his story and he is sticking to it. If you notice this madness has similarity to the charges leveled against Kinijit leaders and Civic organization heads in the aftermath of the 2005 elections where they were accused of planning a ‘genocide.’ You see even before the civil disobedience starts Ato Meles is accusing all those that oppose him of planning violence to justify his gangster type response. Not a bad tactic if you ask me. Hijacking the cry of the victim is nothing new. What is sad is the idea of a ‘government’ spending so much time and energy to sabotage and suppress the dreams and aspirations of its own population for the benefit of a few individual’s thirst for power and money.

 

So what do you think of Ato Meles’s take on the situation? Is he correct in his assessment of the situation both at home and the neighborhood? Is he telling the truth when he says ‘we do not consider it (the question of civil disobedience) as an immediate and relevant issue…and it is not discussed by his Politburo?’ In other words as they say here in the US ‘would you buy a used car’ from this salesman?

 

If you have your doubts, I understand. I concur that It is very difficult to accept Meles’s analysis as correct and based on facts. He does not seem to have a good track record when it comes to having a clear understanding of the situations in the neighborhood and his assessment of the moods and wants of the Ethiopian people. In other words the individual is clueless when it comes to relating to the people he is supposed to lead. We don’t have to go far to prove our point.

 

Do you remember his conclusion that Shabia is not going to attack? Shabia did and we paid the price with over eighty thousand dead and millions of dollars wasted on weapons from Korea and East Europe. We are also aware of Siyoum Mesfin’s lying declaration that the International Court have agreed with Ethiopia regarding Badme and four years later it is still unresolved issue. How could we forget the so-called ‘cake walk’ into Somalia and the ensuing humiliation? Do I need to remind you of the 2005 election and EPDRF’s loss of Addis and most of the country? There is no need to mention the utterly weird situation of 12% growth to go with hyperinflation, famine and the dwindling foreign reserve? As you can see the palace folks are poster children for miscalculation and fiction rather than a sober and realistic assessment of any situation. It is my firm belief that TPLF folks are not capable of finding the exit door in a studio apartment.

 

If we are permitted we can actually give our friends some advice on avoiding the fate of Ben Ali, Mubarak or Gaddafi. There is a cheaper solution that does not require spending time and energy on exotic and expensive scenarios to fight what is inevitable. History is full of examples where in the end no matter how much one tries victory of good over evil is as sure as the sun rising from the East tomorrow morning. Here is a short list of responses by Meles and company that will assure them keeping their head intact with the rest of their body and avoiding humiliation in front of the people of Ethiopia and humanity in general.

 

The simple and more direct solution will be to resign. The TPLF boss can say he wants to spend more time with his family and we will understand. If that is too radical then there are other options. Let us start by abandoning this self-serving Constitution and starting fresh. We can undo the illegal act of the Derge that made land property of the government instead of the people. All land and property should be returned to the rightful owners with no ifs or buts. The concept of Kilil and formation of Ethnic based party and organization should have no place in our new Ethiopia. The internal security will be dismantled never to show its ugly and brutal face ever again. The new Ethiopia will allocate large portion of its budget on education instead of Arms and repressive organs. The emerging free and democratic Ethiopia will sit down with our Eritrean cousins and resolve the issue of security and use of port facilities in amicable ways. Ethiopia will sign a non aggression pact with all is neighbors including Somalia and work towards cultural, educational and sports exchange to turn East Africa in to a zone of peace and tranquility.

 

Tell you what if you take our advice we will even convince Judge Wolde Michael Meshesha not to press on this issue of criminal act committed way back in October 2005. It is not easy but we will do our best in lieu of the benefits to our poor and tired country and people. We might even go as far as looking the other way regarding the loot some of you have stashed in foreign banks but it all depends on your cooperation and your solemn oath that you will refrain from denying your guilt and will ask the Ethiopian people for forgiveness and show real remorse. I believe our way is a lot better than a protracted and ugly struggle you might wage for a few days before the inevitable collapse of your ponzi scheme.

 

You know it, we know it and everybody and his dog knows it that there is no easy way out. The bullying and repression have bought you a measly ten years or so. It is not effective anymore because of the new international situation being allergic towards despots and finally to the current deteriorating economic situation where gas costs 18.50/liter, Oil costs 36 or more, teff costs thousands, chicken costs triple digits etc. etc. You see what I mean, people are coming to the realization that there is nothing to loose anymore. That is scary and that is what is keeping you awake at night. That is what makes you come up with scenarios like ‘Addis into Baghdad’ and the specter of all those unemployed youth breaching the palace walls with Meles and company running around in their pajamas pursued by an angry mob! It gives me shivers just to think about it. Let us agree to nip this horrible situation in the bud before it gets traction. Good luck my friend, please don’t make me say ‘I told you so!’              

Posted in Articles | Print | 1 Comment »

The following was published on TPLF’s IAGA Forum - Any messages to TPLF gangesters - Can you assure TPLF gangsters that their days are numbered too! N. African dictators never ever dreamed they can be ousted just like that!

1. March 2011 by Assimba.

 

“Fair and Balance Reporting”

 

Berhanu Nega group wants to know about the Army Generals ethnic background while its supporters want to play no part in ethnic politics (check current affair group stand of late!)! EPRP with its 40 years of experience of pamphlet distribution wants to lead the Tahrir (actually Tahdid) revolution while UDJ wants to start its revolution from city to countryside! Our own extremists in Diaspora want everyone to smile and talk kind to any one thus why they called a friendship rally in DC for (2/27/11). In other words the Tahdid revolution is in full swing and in a very short time we should know if EPRP or Ginbot 7 or UDJ or pal talk extremists have the upper hand to land at Tahdid palace (Betemengist). Last but not least EPRDF would be supporters are also dishing it out with the extremists arguing that there will not be a revolution because the country had one already! This in a nut shell is the news from Diaspora we did not cover over the last week! [Aigaforum 2/27/11]

Posted in Articles | Print | 3 Comments »

|