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As Ethiopian, we take pride that we are the only people who have never been colonized in Africa in particular and in the world in general. However, in reality so subtle it is, we have not escaped colonization. And we are still colonized. There are two types of colonization, one is physical occupation of the land and total manipulation of the people who owns the land by zeroing the peoples indigenous languages, customs, cultures, beliefs,… and injecting the colonial languages, customs, cultures, beliefs,…. The second type of colonization is very subtle and covert one, very sophisticated, mental or psychological colonization. Except Ethiopia, all African countries were physically colonized. Ethiopia falls squarely on psychological colonization.
When the British helped Haileslassie, they just did not help and get out without leaving something behind which screws Ethiopia forever without occupation. They convinced Haileslassie that instead of using his own language, he will be better of using the English language in his education system. They told him the Ethiopian language cannot serve for scientific purposes. He accepted and interrupted a team of Ethiopians who were busy developing the Ethiopian language at scientific level. And imported British advisers who did not have clue about Ethiopia. Hailelsassie screwed Ethiopia forever with his British advisers.
Ethiopia with a population of about 80 million now is under the custody of the English language. 100 % Ethiopians use their language in their daily life. We never use English domestically. All the higher educations are in English. Ethiopians study books written in Europe. We do not understand those books and we never apply them.
Education was free in Ethiopia. Those who call themselves scholars now who live in North America, and Europe were educated free education from taxes collected from the poor Ethiopians. The only advantage to have an Ethiopian degree, either it serves to escape from the country or allows to claim power in Ethiopia or a nominal government post in Addis Ababa, there is no innovation, invention nor creation. The education system in Ethiopia is a means of self destruction. Why we Ethiopians force ourselves to englishization while we have a full fledged language is a myth for me.
Very recently, I was watching an Ethiopian TV, while I was watching, one TV man was talking about Addis Ababa’s fire stations and pharmacies. He was saying West district, East District, North District, and South District, the west, East, North, and South were in Amharic, but the district was district. I was asking myself why is the English district mixed with Amharic while there are many Amharic words which can replace the district. During Mengistu there was no such thing. In the Era of EPRDF every thing Ethiopian is not cool. Civilization is measured by mixing English with Amharic. I have listened to many government officials who mix English with Amharic arbitrarily while they are addressing the public. Why? It is a sign of civilization or a higher status. In Ethiopia if you speak English you have a better status. Why? This is what I call the invisible colonization which stills exist in Ethiopia.
Because of the English education system, Ethiopia is insulated from Technology. Those who go to University are probably 100,000 students from 8 million people. Those 100,000 university students leave alone to help the 8 million to access to technology, they themselves have no access to technology due to the education system. These means going to an Ethiopian education system is pointless unless one plans to leave the country like the diaspora scholars.
Two or more years ago, I read an article which said that there was a milling electric machine in Ethiopia which was brand new but kept in store because no one knew how to use it. It was kept for many years. If the manuals of the machines were in Amharic, any Ethiopia who read Amharic could have tried to apply his mind to use it. But the manual was written in English, Arabic, and Spanish…. This is really what happens in Ethiopia, if one imports modern gadgets it will be hard to know how to use them and no one knows how to repair them. This is because Ethiopian language is buried alive for the sake of English. One of my friend quipped to me that that must be the reason Ethiopia slow in development.
The diaspora scholars are the by product of these subtle colonization. They escaped from Ethiopia. They work full time for their own lives. The English education system in the Ethiopian free education system paved away for them to escape from Ethiopia during Haileslassie or during Mengistu. Instead of serving their people and their country, they are serving the USA and the American people. They have forgotten the poor people who have paid their educational needs. If they forget the poor people who educated them, and at least it could be better if they could keep quiet. However, they sold themselves to the United States. And that is not enough for them, they also want to sell Ethiopia to the United States. About 80 million Ethiopians live in Ethiopia. They have their own land’s laws whether it is bad or good one. It is like the United State. The United States has its own laws for its own people. The United States is not governed by laws from somewhere else. It is a free country. It is not colonized by any country. The same applies to Ethiopia. Ethiopia has its own values. The USA has its own values. Ethiopia has it own problems; The USA has its own problems. In my mind’s eye, Ethiopia is not less than the United States. I cannot use money to measure the standard of my country. Money is nothing for me. I cannot value people by money because I believe I can make money like the other people.
I therefore conclude that the Ethiopian scholars who campaign against Ethiopia from USA vying to have law to rule Ethiopia from the white house are not only despicable, but also repugnant. I say if you are true Ethiopian, leave your full time work and go home and do real works in real time. It is not acceptable you work full time for your comfortable lives, but you work part time to harm your country. About 80 million people in Ethiopia must be ruled by 10,000 fugitive in the United States. This is an insult to the country. You are a burden to Ethiopia than a part of a solution.
Though I oppose Ato Meles Zenawi’s policies, I do not believe Ethiopia and Ethiopians have to be sold to any country for that sake. I believe Ato Meles must be removed peacefully by people better than him, not by people who are worse than him. If one cannot liberate oneself, how can liberate 80 million people? One cannot liberate a country by selling his or her country. There is no any country liberated by such traitorous endeavors. We have already enough traitors who work full time at least from home. We do not need part time traitors who work to sell Ethiopia from their comfort.
We must liberate Ethiopia from those who have betrayed her and from those who are still trying to sell out our country.
Divine freedom to Ethiopia and Ethiopians
Gezaee Hailemichael
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