The Demagoguery of Spent and Negative Forces: Stop preaching water and drinking Wine

By Tesfa Alem
Tigrai Online, Ethiopian News, Sept. Oct. 31, 2016

Politics is an art and a science. It is assumed that politician make use of scientific analysis about the type of politics the wish to pursue and fight for a cause. Behind any political movement, there is a cause worth fighting and an ideology to promote it. Equally, a political entity should have a class to represent and a policy option to show what makes it better than and different from others. In other words, what makes it a better alternative than others?  That is the how any modern and civilized politics is meant to be organized.

Unfortunately, Politics in Ethiopia is based on hate and grievances. Hate cannot allow anyone to be an alternative. Nor can it allow rational and reasonable thinking which are the most important values of democracy. As politics in Ethiopia driven by politics of hate and zero sum games, the basic ethics and ethos are totally lacking. For any ambitious political party or group, there are fundamentals to reckon with. First and foremost, sovereignty and existential of the nation are sacrosanct. Second, peace, security and safety of the people are never for compromise. Without peace and security and stability nothing can be achieved in private or public lives of a nation.

Political struggle in Ethiopia is full of contradictions. Those who swear in the name of democracy and who roar to bring about democratic system in Ethiopia, do not have an iota of democratic principles and values. In any democracy, the basic element is to allow for free ideas and respect and tolerate different political opinions than yours as everybody is entitled to its opinion. That is the litmus test for any democratic force. What we observe in our so called armed groups and extremists diaspora, is that this simple and basic principle is totally absent. Who will take them in earnest seriously when they talk about democracy? How can we expect democracy from them who preach but do not practice? They preach water and drink wine. A recent narrative we observe astonishing to say the least. The former leader and member of EDP, in recent debate and dialogue organized by FBC, presented his views and opinions on the current situation in the country. By any account he was very critical and reasonable in his approach and tried to substantiate his arguments. He sensibly and based on concrete evidence, stated the achievements and strengths of EPRDF like he did the opposition camp. First the question is, are there facts in what he states? Second what is wrong about presenting his opinion? What is the crime there? If we cannot accommodate and tolerate each other's opinion, where is the value of democracy the extremists are talking about? How do they want the people to trust them or take them seriously? They cannot be trusted. 

Political forces outside the country are united in only one thing, their hate and distaste to EPRDF. EPRDF is an Ethiopian political organization like any one of them. It has every right to promote its ideals and policies and ask for the verdict of the electorate.  As EPRDF said time and again, it is not a perfect front but it has a vision and policy strategy that can lead to the renewal of Ethiopia. Its policies have been put into practice and yielded globally acknowledged and recognized results. It is delivered concrete results that changed the face of Ethiopia and transformed the lives of millions of Ethiopia. Now those who hate EPRDF, the onus is on you to show to the peoples of Ethiopia, what makes you better than EPRDF? If your alternative is hate and empty propaganda, that cannot be bread and butter for the peoples of Ethiopia. We know and the people know your desperate attempt for power but power cannot be earned by hating EPRDF. The judge for all the parties are peoples of Ethiopia.

In modern world, power is gained through competition. The problem is you have no agenda to compete than preaching destruction, vandalism and mayhem. How can you ever think of governing a diverse country like Ethiopia with this backward attitude?

That is how spent and negative forces demonstrate their naked and desperate hunger for power. The negative forces are blinded by hate, empty propaganda and conspire with any force they think will help them to power. They have no moral authority and patriotism and are used as Trojan horses to the enemies of Ethiopia. Spent force do not talk about how they can pursue peaceful struggle and build on what the country have achieved so far but talk about destruction. Negative forces do not think of unity and unashamedly talk about disintegration of Ethiopia like those in the recent London meeting. Because they have no slightest idea how building a nation is a serious business. It is not as easy as roaming between USA and Europe and drafting a constitution. For sure, the peoples of Ethiopia know very well you have several alternatives; they have another country, another passport and finance sources. They have the luxury to preach destruction. Because, the destruction does not affect their family, their children and their business. That is how all negatives Forces usually do. In that regard they are not different. For some of them this is business because, you mobilize resources for a seemingly cause and spent it lavishly without any accountability and transparency. As someone said the other time, they have the temerity to talk about total disintegration of Ethiopia and at the same time talk about the new constitution given to the people of Ethiopia by spent and negative from USA, like the colonial powers did draft constitution from the Lancaster house for their former colonies. This did not apply to Ethiopia then and now. The spent and negative forces do not determine the destiny of Ethiopia. Ethiopia's destiny is in the good hands of Ethiopians who are united and stood in solidarity through thin and thick. That is the Ethiopia we know. That is the Ethiopia we are proud of.