Zenebe G Tamirat
When I was in school several years ago, my country Ethiopia depended on European teachers, particularly the British to educate its youth. To add insult to injury, it also depended on textbooks originated in Europe. Consequently, I was taught that” Africa was a “Dark Continent." I did not exactly know why the Europeans adamantly called Africa the “Dark Continent" and yet scramble to live in it. As a child, however, I had to accept this derogative branding of my beautiful continent but always with doubt and illusion.
Here, I may be encountered as to what I had done
about the illusion in my mind. I didn't dare to ask an explanation; for, I knew had
I asked, I wouldn't go to the next class. So, I
forgot about it choosing to remain in solipsism but always certain that my country,
Ethiopia, a proud African nation, had never been in the dark. Later when I grew up, I learnt it has been
one of the cradles of civilizations ushering light to the darkness in Europe as
illustrated in the book of Enoch. (Ethiopian
name Henoch. See the Book of Henoch, in the 81 Book of the Bible, Amharic
Version). Enoch was an Ethiopian
Evangelical revelationist who wrote spiritual revelations in the Old Testament similar to that of the revelation of John in the New Testament. His line of
birth is accredited to be in the the seventh generation of Adam (Genesis
18)*.
The cause that inspired me to recap this falsified branding of my continent as dark after I evacuated it from my memory for over half a century was an incredible story by itself. It was not until a few days ago, when President Obama’s trip to Africa was disclosed that this thought of my childhood had to haunt me once again. It wasn't for bad. It was solely to enable me discover a new political terminology, that I later called “Political darkness." Let me explain. Political darkness is a situation that occurs when political leaders, be they, in the power of leading nations, or party officials struggling for power, make horrendous decisions engulfed in their fantasy.
Under such circumstances, leaders think adamantly that they were right to take that particular decision and never listen to dissenting' opinions. What is worse is that there exist a bunch of their advisory teams standing by their sides and urging them to hastily exercise the wrong decision. (A good example is the role of the neo-conservatives in the Junior Bush Administration in the decision of the War in Iraq in 2001). In effect, no power of knowledge will reverse their decision. Napoleon has done this, sitting in the dark. So did, Hitler, declaring war against full world nations and Saddam Hussein did the same thing, invading the UAE, (Kuwait) and claiming it was originally a part of Iraq. And, of course, Bush, swarmed in the fantasy of the non-existing WMD in Iraq. I am not saying that these are the only leaders sitting in the dark passing horehounds and destructive political decisions. I am just mentioning a few among many. One common thing is true among these leaders. In reaching politically dark decisions they all indulge in the dark and swarm in fantasy and assume that the other side was dark, and they have to usher light.
Obama’s decision
to visit Ethiopia was like the fantasy described here. In fact,
it is the latest "Political darkness" to take place in the history of
the United States created by the fantasy of "US-Ethiopia Anti-Terrorist Partnership.”
Infatuated by the success of crippling the Al-Shabab in Somalia at the expense
of the lives of Ethiopian soldiers the president overlooks Ethiopia’s position
as a prison land where democracy is handcuffed and locked behind the bar. President Obama and his team of advisers know this
from the very backyard of the White House that disclosed Ethiopia's gravely
poor human rights performance in 2014. And yet their fantasy covers their thoughts
and place them in "politica darkness." Obama and his team of advisers
know that the ruling party in Ethiopia is a collection of tyrants who dominate
political power by force. However, their greed surpasses their vows to stay in
the parameter of the American Constitution. Hence, hang on in a honeymoon with
dictators violating the American Constitution and undermining the dignity of
the people of the United States.
Of course, there exists a solid friendship of over one hundred and ten years between Ethiopia and the United States. But this friendship should be based on the peoples of the two nations and not between parties and individuals. The role of parties and individuals is to contribute to the strength of this friendship towards the creation of mutual benefit between the two nations. In lieu with this, former presidents of the United States, particularly, President Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson have done a lot to keep the Ethio-US relationship in line with best foreign policy the Constitution provides. Similarly, on the part of Ethiopia, Emperor Minilik II, and Emperor Haile Selassie have contributed to the formation and strength of the friendship of the the peoples of the two nations. As the United States continues to become the more hegmonic power of the world, however, presidents like that of President Carter failed to keep the friendship intact. That is when the Soviet Communists came to intercept the Ethio-US friendship; by the failure of Carter’s foreign policy. Consequently, the people of both nations suffered. From this experience, we can learn that the role of an American president in the relationship between the two countries is paramount.
Now, we do not want that kind of failure to take place again and destruct the Ethiopian- American friendship. In realization of this unfortunate consequences, the Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States has been doing its best to keep, Ethiopian-American relationship intact. The US congress ruling on Democracy in Ethiopia (Congressional Record –Senate Vol 153, August 3, 2007), for example, is the common effort of the the US Republic Party and the Ethiopian Diaspora to sustain democracy in Ethiopia.
I appreciate President Obama’s effort to
solidify the Afro-American relationship, in which Ethiopia is a core nation. I,
however, doubt his invitation to some African countries in Washington DC, last
year in an attempt to form a mini OAU in North America was perfect. My doubt is mainly
about the insufficiency if not the lack of the participation of the Diaspora.
I believe, the president would be better off with views and ideas of divert
communities. I also did not like his lack of guts and stamina to tell Desalegn
that his human right performance was insufficient during their meeting last year.
Obama’s visit to Ethiopia at
a time in which critical political crime is being committed by the ruling party is
considered not only as approving the transgressions but also as an insult to
the nearly one hundred million Ethiopians. It is a political suicide committed hanging
on political darkness. In fact, President Obama is not the first president to
consider visiting Ethiopia. President Clinton had thought about it, so
had President George Bush. They did not
do it because visiting tyrant Ethiopia was below the dignity of democratic
America and its presidents.
President Obama has to choose
between his dignity and his relationship with tyranny in Ethiopia. President
Obama has to choose between friendship to the people of Ethiopia and his friendliness to the tyrants at home. He should also consider his loyalty particularly to the friendly Ethiopian-Americans in the Diaspora who voted to his
presidency and who are also the interest of the United States of America. This will allow
retain the friendly relations between Ethiopians and Americans. My best advise
to President Obama is to cancel his trip to Ethiopia.
*For those who may be interested in the Book of Enoch I recommend to read chapter 2, in the 81 books of the Holy Bible.
The writer Zenebe Tamirat is
available at ztamira@yahoo.com
follow @ZenebeTamirat,
Negoudguadzeneb@twitter.com
Happy Connecting. Sent from my
Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® 5
No comments:
Post a Comment