By Geda Guda from Canada, gedaguda@yahoo.ca
June 06, 2012
Oh Ethiopia! why couldn't you face challenge, from all corners, when you become first on many wonderful things in the world? You are the first country who have shown the world the highest form of public governance and "near to absolute democracy" through the Geda System ... thousands of years ago, you are home to the first generation of human race, you are the first country who have introduced asylum for religious reasons, by reasonably accepting the Muslim refuge seekers, from the Arabia Land, when the majority of the world was way far behind.
Oh my beloved country! you invited envious enemies by having a written law, when the civilized people of our times were partially nomadic, you called for a problem by having kings and queens, by building monuments and obelisks, as the world was struggling to forge an iron hoe. You became center of attention for being the source of one of the surrounding rivers of the Eden Garden. You invited explorers by being unique and attractive. You disappointed Fascists and invaders, by resisting and breaking their bloody spirit, and by destructing their image of supremacy.
Oh Ethiopia! you hosted so many immigrants, including the mother , the Virgin Mary and her little baby Jesus, during their hard times. You make strangers raise a question on the uniqueness of the fabrics of your people's unity in diversity. The richest nations follow your path, in accommodating the underprivileged, using social assistance, which primarily was one of the articles of the Geda System. You created patriots, who do not hesitate to pay their lives for your integrity.
My country, nothing was unfortunate or spontaneous. Everything is and was based on natural process with clear cause and effect. Who is not impressed by the history of this land? What type of intrigue was not played to destroy your image?
Your brave hearted children stood up for liberty, with broken and outdated guns and complete dedication for their motto, and fought with Russian made sophisticated weaponry, until the death of dictatorship. Those young kids after complete assertion of victory over the previous regime, they called for all oppressed people out of the 85+ nations and nationalities to share power. I believe you are also the first country for showing such unbelievable fairness. You are the only state with brilliant kids who have interpreted and succeeded in implementing Agrarian Revolution. We remember the history of the long lived guerrilla fight to liberate Zaire (DR of Congo). We remember how the fight for freedom of Eritrean brothers and sisters was kidnapped, by dictator group of gangsters. We "Judged" the lack of clarity on principle, when John Garang of South Sudan accepted a seat in the government of the republic of Sudan, that did not acknowledge freedom of his people. So many wonderful things to brag, if we were people of that type.
At one time when the unseen hands were able to maneuver the steering wheel of your destiny, along with civil war and other related regional and global factors, your historical enemies pushed you towards the worst apex of image destruction. We know that. All your good children know that your enemies are still looking for loopholes to destroy your image and if possible to make your existence a history. They hire very few of your bad children as a means of inflicting agony. They wage mercenaries to destabilize you. Because you are unique. Because you don't buy the "my way or highway (no way)" theory of colonizers, nanny states, buy mine only states, IMF and the WORLD BANK.
I am proud to learn that your resistance is not limited to physical invasion only. You are on a position of teaching all oppressed people of the world to say NO to any idea that comes with an intension of taking advantage of your temporary challenges. That makes me feel proud.
I don't want to see the downsides of historical coincidences to toxic-ate myself with negative energy, when I have countless achievements and heritage, That could help me walk with my head up.
When I say this I may need thousands of pages to write what I know about our greatness. However, I prefer to limit the message of my writing towards " calling fellow citizens to differentiate their point of opposition, from the common, history and heritage of Ethiopians" when they want to oppose.
Principally I am pro opposition, who strictly support and encourage the existence of opposition, in any society. This is my run way to take off. When opposition is needed the subject matter should be based on clear position and principle. In all societies there are things literally untouchable or unquestionable, by any entity. For example in all advanced countries public supremacy, national defense, heritage and history, religion and belief, race and ethnic background, sexual orientation and state of being disabled (differently abled), etc are the untouchable or sensitive parts for any politician. Those are the fine lines any conscious politician should not try to cross. Playing with those cards lead to an immediate loss of acknowledgement and to a bitter societal anger.
In advanced societies any opposition can say what ever he/she think is right, as long as he/she does not draw the wrong card, and if that happened by mistake, either he/she should genuinely ask for apology or he/she should resign with his/her dirty thoughts. That is the right methodology to build a country, by correcting errors and revealing corruptions, with in the government or any related institution.
The biggest gap with some opposition groups of our country is lack of farsightedness, which is derived from unclear stand of opposition and unestablished fear of loss, in their political life. Before I say more about those misdirected and confused opposers, I LIKE TO PRAISE THOSE WHO ARE GENUINELY PLAYING THE ROLE OF OPPOSITION, in different corners of the country, and in the Diaspora.
Majority of the oppositions in the diaspora will never succeed, not because of my "prophecy" but because of lack of clear direction and principle. Some of them think they are knowledgeable, because they are sophists and are capable of grabbing temporary attention of the less informed citizens. Some are unaware of other internal and external factors, that play significant role in turning the wheel in to a speculated direction. Politics is not about being linguist and eloquent. Of course eloquence is a good to have talent, but always clearly stated objective that is genuinely written and played to benefit the mass wins.
The past regimes did not fail due to lack of good speakers. They got collapsed for lack of clear direction and for running policies that were good reasons to categorize them as public enemies. They were thrown down by internal and external forces.
Those oppositions were also part of this game directly or indirectly. The wise politicians took a lesson from the past and the "fools" are dancing on the same rhythm that led others to annihilation.
At the end of its era the past military government was drawing the card of ethnicity, which was fiercely rejected by the majority of Ethiopians, and I believe that it contributed to the acceleration of its death. The biggest of all ignorances with some of the opposition is that they do not have any clue about the level of consciousness of the people they think are going to "liberate". There is a huge aberration between the image of the public with in their perception and the the existing fact. With such enormous discrepancy, no one can cut a clear deal that brings change in the country. I still encourage them to oppose, by revising and rewriting their programs.
The opposition in the diaspora have also another unclear stand. Some of them believe that the whole idea of their fight is to get power, at the end of their "success". I have a good reason to believe so. During the 2005 national election the whole country was mobilized by the opposition. Before the election took place, the opposition had meeting in Washington DC, to share power, with in the federal government of Ethiopia, assuming that a 100% win will be achieved. At this time despite the importance of people with in ETHIOPIA their executive members and some of their close comrades were named as cabinet ministers, commissioner, ambassadors, special delegates to the UN, and so many. After vigorous discussion and argument the meeting ended up with chaos. The main phenomenon did not rise from asserting the presence of public interest. It was an egocentric disagreement on the "unfairness" of the political appointment or share of power. The most funny part was the anger of one singer for not being named as a Minister of Defense. Because at one time he was sent by the opposition to Eritrea, in rangers uniform to kiss president Isayas's hand, and to receive instruction on how to destabilize Ethiopia. When he returned he was flattered by a man from an audience, by being named as a General. He was the beginner of the conflict, during the discussion for political appointment, then all others who were not named as a minister or a commissioner erupted, like a volcano and was concluded by a physical violence, that led to a split of the party's leadership. The other funny part was the cheap method of externalization used by those people to justify, their internal crises. They said "we were infiltrated by the woyanes". To justify that they should have counted the genetic root of all their comrades, to forcefully relate them to the ethnic origin of the woyanes or the other tribes, who did not care about what the opposition said. That was simply a garbage.
The reason why I am not that much attracted to their politics is their game of play by drawing an ethnic card. I just raised this simple example to show a drop from an ocean. Those people have many dangerous strategies of opposing the Ethiopian government.
Mainly if I am to oppose, and if an armed struggle is essential or a final option to "fix Ethiopia's problem", I would confer with all beneficiaries, or the public at large, before taking any action. Because, when the right time comes the public is provider of information, hiding places, man power, logistics etc. But, completely contrary to the logic, those people sent their delegates to get advice and support from the historical and strategic enemies of our common country.
It is undeniable fact to seek help even from wrong places, during war, and challenge, but it should be executed under clearly stated principles and deals, not in a sense of reporting to serve the needs of enemy. I wouldn't ask help from a regime that wants to permanently disintegrate the unity of my people, even if I am cornered, by two negative choices. Historically, it is shame to go and bow down in front of dictators who are working day and night to see the end of our kingdom. I wouldn't present myself in a manner that compromises the national pride of my people.
That is the difficult point. Being power mongered is a characteristics of those people. When I say this I am not trying to undermine the effort of some less informed good people who are supporting the move having good faith of helping and supporting their country. Having this in mind, I would say let you continue opposing the current or the coming Ethiopian government, on a clear principles of honestly helping your country. Governments will pass and our heritage remains intact.
It is a matter of time my country. Time the master messenger is showing us all the prophecies happening. At least I am hearing and watching to news of my country's greatness. I had been asked by many Canadians about the actual image of my country, as they started to get confused, when they hear or read different stories about Ethiopia.U
ntil the past seven eight years the name Ethiopia was 100% associated to a news of starvation and conflict. Recently, they started questioning, about my country. Because what they were told about my country and the reality are not the same, at this time. The other issue is many people from the north American and European regions have visited Ethiopia recently, and they don't buy the extremely exaggerated allegations of the opposition against the Ethiopian government.
Such a decision of people who weigh evidences than facts and facts than narratives based on unestablished fear, or fear of the unknown is destroying the credibility and acceptance of the opposition in the diaspora. This does not make me happy as genuine opposition is still important for my country.
Please you oppositions, take a breath and try to revise your stories, in relevance to the facts on the ground and adjust your strategies, accordingly. To be in that position you have to discuss with yourselves first, that's where a healing process begins from.
When you do that I will join you and we will criticize our government, we will create public awareness, we will work together on common grounds, and keep differences for discussion. When we do that Ethiopia will maintain its greatness and being first.
Until that at least stay away from crossing the fine line that leads you to get toasted, in the red zone, which is public anger.
