The uncontrolled arrogance of The Washington Post

By Amare Lucus
Tigrai Online, July 2, 2015

Why The Washington Post chose to oppose the official visit of President Obama to Ethiopia?

Let it be clear from the outset that I’ve no qualm, what-so-ever, if and when the editors of the post raise, oppose, and expose all veritable issues that are happening in Ethiopia. The problem I have is why The Washington Post chose to oppose the official visit of President Obama to Ethiopia. Is the Post telling us that American presidents only and only go to countries where there is “full-fledged democracy and multi-party system”? That wasn’t the case thus far unless the Post thinks otherwise.

Not that the Post doesn’t know, but I like to remind its editors that America only and only cares about its interests. And, as such, its policies are crafted and driven by those interests. The end of the story! Of course, I don’t deny that “democracy & human-right” are included in the overall interest of America, but those two have never been the yard-stick in the formulation of American policy as we know it.

What bothers me more is the fact that America has an air-base in southern Ethiopia; America and Ethiopia have been exchanging security and intelligence information and successfully fighting terrorism jointly. Simply stated, Ethiopia has been on the top list of African allies to America when it comes to combating terror, which is the most dangerous subject of our time. Add to that the steady flow of corporate America to do business in Ethiopia. Therefore, is the Post opposing the president’s visit despite these facts and many more? How is it fair for corporate America to reap the fruits of doing business in Ethiopia, fighting terrorism from a base in Ethiopia, crushing & dismantling terror camps and cells in the volatile Horn with the full participation of the Ethiopian Defense Forces and yet stand in the way of the president’s decision to visit Ethiopia?

Has it ever crossed to the minds of these hypocrites of the Post that personal visits and face-to-face meetings and dialogues are the most effective and better way of succeeding than threats, boycotts, and jingoistic approaches. Suffice to say, that after more than three decades of enmity between the United States and Iran, it was the unprecedented phone call initiated by president Obama to his Iranian counterpart that did the trick, and so far seems to have changed the dynamics of the relation between the two. It is also relevant, and a lesson to be learned, how the stupid American policy for over six decades towards Cuba has suddenly been reversed through quite diplomacy, negotiation, and mutual respect. Thanks to the wise and farsighted current president of this great nation, America.

The Post editors have the audacity to tell the president to cancel his trip to Ethiopia and instead go to Nigeria. Mind you, the Nigerian government, unfortunately, has not been able to defend or liberate several hundreds of teens that are now being used as sex-slaves by the terrorist group, Boko-Haram. This terror group has also murdered about two thousand innocent civilians in a span of 24 hours as has been reported by several Medias. This is only the tip-of-the-ice-berg of the numerous evil & horrific deeds perpetuated by the terror group. By its own admission, the rank & file of the Nigerian forces have run away from their camps instead of fighting against the terror group. God forbid, if the editors of the Washington Post were members of the National Security Team, the safety of the commander-in-chief, president Obama would have been compromised.

I like to conclude, if I may, with a suggestion to the editors of the Post. Do yourselves a favor. First & foremost, try to look inwards. The American public would have been better served if a good part of your work is focused on exposing the systemic killings of black youth by out-of-control & racist elements of the police force throughout the country.