Blood is Thicker Than Water
One of the things that happens to you when you become a parent is this crazed visceral need to protect your kid from real and imagined enemies. All of a sudden you find yourself hating all electrical outlets. You get an inordinate amount of joy when you plug one of those bastards up with a plastic thingy, and are not even the least bit embarrassed by the gloriously triumphant feeling that washes over you at the sight of a disabled electrical outlet: one more for the good guys. Now on to those killer window blind strings which you know are lurking in the background looking for the first opportunity to strangle your kid to death. This is war.
But then…
How do mothers in
There was a compelling interview on VOA Amharic of a mother whose 18-year-old son was shot by government forces. There was a sense of dazed fury in her voice, an unsettling calmness of a woman who recounts her travails of searching Addis Abeba for her dead son’s body.
On Wednesday’s VOA program, a young girl whose father was an elected opposition MP, tries to keep her composure as she narrates how police broke into the family home to take her father into custody. Her mother protested, and was clubbed by the police. As the car holding her father drove away, the police shot the mother dead in front of her kids. The daughter was told that in order to collect her mother’s remains, she would have to sign a statement saying it was the CUD who killed her mother.
So, how do Ethiopian children protect their mothers from Prime Minister Meles?
Prime Minister Meles had famously told us that there was not going to be any color revolution in
The other thing that happens to you when you become a parent is that you feel obliged to be a better person. You figure just in case there is some asshole out there who is trying to hurt your kid, all the good things you’ve done in life will serve as a shield for your child. You start getting sentimental about karma and leaving a decent legacy, something your kids can point to and say, “My parent did that.”
About the only thing I have in common with Prime Minister Meles is that we are both parents. And as a parent, I’ve been wondering these days what kind of legacy he thinks he is leaving his children.
We never thought we’d see another day in
There are several crimes that Ato Meles will have to answer to eventually- murder, illegal arrests etc. But there is also the moral crime of robbing a new generation of Ethiopians from hope and attempting to break their little spirits. That is also a crime.
When this chapter of Ethiopian history is written, Ato Meles’ name will appear on a list of leaders who dipped another generation of Ethiopians in blood.
It is also the legacy he leaves his children. They, along with the dead, will carry the memory of his terror long after he flees Ethiopia and spends the rest of his life talking to the ghosts of the slaughtered and being haunted by the legacy he left his also- exiled children. Their
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Here is a partial list of emails of Senators who are running for re-election in 2008 (some on this list have presidential ambitions). Take a moment to write to them. I suppose it is the very least we in the Diaspora can do. (A complete list of Senators running for re-election can be found here.) Also, write your representative. You's be amazed at how much power you have.
Democrats:
Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii): senator@akaka.senate.gov
Hillary Clinton: (D-New York): http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html
John Corzine: (D-New Jersey): http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Kennedy, Edward - (D - Massachusetts): senator@kennedy.senate.gov
Diane Feinstein (D-California): feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Republicans:
Bill Frist (R-Tennessee): frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm
Orrin Hatch (R- Utah) http://www.senate.gov/~hatch/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Offices.Contact
Richard Lugar- (R-Indiana) senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Trent Lott- (R-Mississippi) senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
Rick Santorum (R- Pennsylvania) http://santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html
Moral Absolutists:
Graham Lindsey (R-SC): http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contact
Chuck Hagel - (R - NE): http://hagel.senate.gov/Email/contact.html
John McCain - (R - AZ)
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home
Arlen Specter - (R - PA): arlen_specter@specter.senate.gov
(Let's please also compile email lists of relevant media contacts and policy wonks.)
God help Ethiopia.
posted by ET Wonqette at Friday, November 04, 2005
23 Comments:
We do need to write/speak to our congress reps. I have done my share and I wish everyone else does as well. It is the least we can do.
Wonkette!,
A little correction. Senator Paul Sarbanne have announced months back that he will not seek another reelection. Maryland's current Lt. Governor Michael Steele from Republican Party and Kwesi Mfume, former NAACP Chair as well as other Democrats are jockeying to replace Sen. Paul Sarbannes in the coming election.
Otherwise, i hope there is well written petition so that we can ask our american friends and colleagues to show solidarity with Ethiopian's struggle against this brutal regime.
Mikre,
Thank you so much for the correction. I really appreciate it. I will ammend.
(such smart peeps out here. :))
BTW, can YOU draft a letter?
it is impossible for meles and the tplf to think about the legacies they will be leaving. why else would they shoot a 7 yr old? like you said a while ago, wonqi, to meles, ethiopia is an afterthought.
i've written to my senators.
Wonkee, I bow to you as you have managed to avoid the claws of cynicism past the age of 19. I will still write to Ms Clinton because I can't seem to get my hands off the keyboard but I don't think petetions and letters make the slightest difference. The goal of all this is to put pressure on the powers that be so they act in concert with the interest of the people. When has this ever happended, especially involving a country like Ethiopia. America's interest, right now, in that region is only focused on stability or else the area becomes one more breeding ground for anti-American sentiments that they can barely control. In that context there is pressure on the western world to see this chaos in our country come to an end. If it so happens that their actions coincide with letters and petitions, then it will be used by their PR machinery to show how much the U.S listens the voices of people hungry for democracy. If Meles manages to bring this under control, rest assured nothing will be done. What do you think the U.S ambassador asks when he calls Meles? It has nothing to do with maximum restraint. It probably goes like this: "Mr PM, you promised us you will bring this under control in less than a week. Are we still operating under that time plan?" If I add any more than this, then I will soon be a consipiracy theorist, a guessing game I despise.
On the subject of political change occuring in our country, I am skeptical of the so called Gandhi-style non-violence approach to bringing a system to its knees. I am not advocating violence but pointing the fact that it is much easier to be non-violent when you have the capacity to retaliate if you need to. Let us for a minute assume EPRDF loses power (and it will) the opposition parties come to power. Still, there is no guarantee they will have total control over the military and they will be toppled down when some asshole from the military decides god has shown him a better way to govern. When was the last time a lasting peaceful change came to an African country. Perhaps the best example is Mali but when Konare came to power he too had to replace a thinking military personnel (once for change) who had taken power through traditional means (coup d'etat).
What really bothers me is that colonel Mengistu is laughing his heart out in Zimbabwe saying "I told you so!!!"
was i naive to think that one, just ONE member of the eprdf government would find his balls long enough to stand up against people being mowed down? just one?
i will also write to my representatives and senators, but i am inclined to agree with Wegesha. the west just wants to not see the violence, by whatever means necessary. it's dejavu all over again. we read about this in 1936.
ye ethiopiya amlak yiferdal.
I agree with Wegesha as well. But if we take his/her realpolitik thesis to its logical conclusion it would lead us to despair and apathy. I don’t believe none of us wish to lodge ourselves there.
It is clear that an abundance of intellect, compassion, and virtue haunts wonkette's sanctuary. I don't see why her visitors aren't able to speculate and fashion an alternative solution to the impasse. The cynic nestled within each one of us would murmur, "What's the use?" in our ears. But I think the attempt would have merit even as just a cathartic exercise.
And lest we forget: ideas have been know to sprout and blossom. I would like to challenge Wonketters to scatter and water the seeds on these pages.
Here goes: if Meles and cronies insist on hanging onto power till the bitter end and if the West is only interested in protecting its self-interest, how do we, peace-loving Ethiopians, find a way out without resorting to Meles and Mengistu’s tactics?
I guess I've become the rearguard for non-violence in Wonkette land!
I'll now put it a different way than I did in the last comment thread.
Armed revolution requires becoming the EPLF/TPLF/EPRP/OLF and the likes. Non-democratic, exclusive, radical, heavly parochial. Why? This is the only way armed revolution can work in an underdeveloped society like Ethiopia. By definition, people in an underdeveloped society find it difficult to participate in a social contract based on objective ideas, not ethnicity, kin, etc. Therefore the only way one can collect and synthesize the vast social resources required - high collective consciousness, unquestioned obedience, full participation - is through parochialism, radicalism, ...
The end game of such a movement will be a dictatorship and the breakup of Ethiopia into ethnic bantustans.
A peaceful revolution on the other hand requires society to shed intolerance, radicalism, and parochialism. It requires collective consciousness based on impersonal values. This is why CUD does not operate as a well oiled machine that an 'LF would. That's why there is massive infighting, jockeying for position, ...
Clearly, the results of a peaceful revolution are infinitely better. With one stone, we get democracy and a democratic society.
Now, is it possible. Sure. If, for example, a five day sit-at-home strike is successfully conducted, the government will come to its knees and even the American viewpoint will change. Will it happen, though? Well, it is up to the population to trust each other (terataray) and collectively sit at home. If they all do it, nothing will happen to them. See how peaceful change requires social evolution.
If it turns out the population is not ready, we will have to wait till it is.
Wegesha,
I am hoping that since you did take the time to write H. Clinton that there is left in you some hope someone will listen to your/our UUta. I am guessing that once the frustration and agony of seeing pictues of the dead from Ethiopia wears off, we will go back to our sane side. Anonymous, between you and ET Wonkette, Wonqville is in no danger of disintegrating into chaos. Add to that Buqaya's sage words. We have a moral responsibility here. Despair and hopelessness will kill us.
ET Wonkette, thank you for your pragmatism. Writing to our Senators IS the very least we can do. I loved your latest blog. You so clearly illustrated what is fundementally wrong with Meles.
Ke adnaqot gar,
Mehari Simegn
Wonqitteye,
I am an admitted occasional traipser-on to your sites, but I think this is the best piece you have written.
Let me be metaphysical and say that this is actually a spiritual thing. What Roosevelt said - "We should only fear fear itself" or somesuch? Meles practices it. He dispenses fear because he knows it can be such a debilitating spiritual force. Fear kills hope, kills joy, kills imagination.
I think getting thoroughly pissed off is a good beginning, but killing the fear should be paramount.
I just wanted to add that the best thing we in the diaspora can do is get involved. You know how it is here in North America especially, where Ethiopian civic associations and political associations are utterly dysfunctional. No self-respecting, or rather, non-yulignta-bis Ethiopian 'YUPPIE' would be caught dead at an Ethiopian political gathering!
Well, hopefully we are now aware that it is not THEM, whoever they are, that is the problem, but us, each and everyone of us, who have been unable to shed the cultural characteristics that shackle our ability to cooperate.
This has to change. We have to transform ourselves, to raise aware awareness and get rid of the shackles of suspicion, parochialism, personalisation of issues, etc. in our everyday lives.
We have to involve ourselves. We have to be visible, and if we don't like something, rather than turn and run as we used to, we have to stay and work to make it work. We have to take ownership.
It's not so hard in practice. Next time the local CUD support group or whatever you prefer holds a meeting, just show up. You don't have to spend much time. Sign up, make a contribution. Become a stakeholder. Don't worry about the disorganization, the infighting, outrageous conspiracy theories. Take them in stride and know just by becoming a stakeholder, your image will now be reflected in some small part in the organization. And if enough people like you participate, well, you get the drift.
Wonkette,
This is Mikre. My English is not that good to write the draft. To me, when it comes to the command of and writing in English language, you are the best and the one i enjoy the most . Here is what i have found though, from the Ethio blog world. I know some others are working on more letters and i will try to send it to you as soon as they are available.
Aleqa Mikre
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Letter to Send to Your Representatives
United States House of Represetatives
United States Senate
Dear x x,
What started out as a wonderful and exciting exercise in democracy on May 15, 2005, when Ethiopia held its first contested multi-party election, has turned into a nightmare. Tensions between the ruling party and the main opposition party, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, have now taken a turn for the worse this week.
On Tuesday, November 1st, the special security forces surrounded a high school in Addis Ababa. A skirmish ensued between the security forces and the high school students, and later between their panicking parents and the security forces. Up to eight people were reported killed in the mayhem that followed.
Yesterday, the trouble spread to other parts of the capital city. Initial reports indicate that over thirty people have been killed and many have been gravely wounded. Tensions are running very high between residents and the security forces. The situation is very precarious.
Most of the leaders of the main opposition party were rounded up on Tuesday. And most of the leaders of the two main civic organizations, the Ethiopian Teachers Association and The Association of Ethiopian Journalists, have also been detained. A number of editors and publishers have been thrown into jails, as a result, most independent dailies of the city were not in circulation yesterday.
The government banned demonstrations on May 16th for a month, right after the election, citing security concerns. Then it extended it for another month as it released election results piecemeal. On June 8th, some frustrated residents of Addis Ababa tried to demonstrate, but were met with lethal force. Thirty-seven people were shot dead by security forces, which were placed under the direct command of the Prime Minister when the ban on demonstrations was declared.
The government kept on dribbling the election results intentionally. A substantial percentage of the results was challenged by the opposition. Three months after the elections were over and after tampering with the vote counts, the ruling party finally declared itself a winner. The opposition balked at the outcome and asked for recounts in many precincts. Under the supervision of the European Union, the Carter Center and the African Union observers, the recounts took place. The European Union and Carter Center observers concluded that the recounts fall short of international standards and expressed their dissatisfaction. The Prime Minister refereed to the European Union report as “some lumps of truth covered with garbage” and the Head of the Delegation as a “colonial viceroy”.
Despite an overwhelming evidence of fraud by the ruling party and its killings of unarmed civilians, the United States government has been very reluctant to pressure the Ethiopian government into negotiations with the opposition. In fact, most Ethiopians now think the US prefers the present ruling party to stay in power because of stability concerns in the region. The policy makers in the State department seem to value empty pledges of stability by an Ethiopian dictator over democratic aspirations of the Ethiopian people.
The double standard towards Ethiopia is very baffling in light of recent US reactions towards other troubled regions with contested election results. The US government was openly supportive of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and was on the side of Georgian people in Eastern Europe. Ethiopians have been screaming in all major cities, in front of the white house and congress, but to no avail. It is very disheartening to hear very cold diplomatic words of insensitivity from the State Department, if there are any in the first place.
I am pleading again for a second time in three months to you to voice my concerns to the State Department. As it stands, Ethiopia is on the brink of civil strife. In order to pacify the tension, the ruling party must desist from massacring innocent lives, release leaders of the opposition parties and civic organizations and enter into negotiation for the good of all Ethiopians.
Sincerely,
x x
# posted by enset @ 2:16 PM
Bingo Anonymous!
We really have to get involved. Most of us fled the political arena when a new breed of Red Terror hardened, slogan-spitting, character-assassinating and convention-raking closely neat individuals took over. They were all byproducts of the Marxist Leninist world outlook and with that having been stripped out of their grip, the group suffers from a sever shortage of political ideology to carry it through. It is refreshing to see new and sober minded individuals surfacing in the arena.
Without taking credit away from the group that kept the fire burning, it is not difficult to identify the utter lack of dynamic organization infrastructure capable of serving the challenges of our time. Here is what a few friends and I did. We approached one of the parties nd proposed to study organization and operations streamlining project, of course for free. Obviously we expected them to be defensive and suspicious and they were. After all, they know us as sympathizers at best.
We will be patient with them and while we await their go ahead the project study has ensued guided by some basic assumptions. Unless the opposition parties take capacity building as the most urgent task, they will not be in a position to meet and exceed EPRDF's well oiled machine. Events of the lat few days and the ones to unfold will prove that we are totally lacking in this respect.
I dared to share this in the hope it will encourage others to give their 2-cent worth and to second anonymous timely call.
Moq yale misgana to Anonymous, negerNa and kuchiye for securing the canvas, the paint and the brushes. We can now begin the creation and construction of the Yichalal mural on Wonkette Square.
Anonymous (11/4/05 - 6:16 pm): How do we form a collective consciousness based on impersonal values? How would a five-day sit-at-home strike bring a government to its knees?
NegereNa: FDR made that memorable quote about fear in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression. It struck a nerve at the time because millions of his compatriots were suffering firsthand from the consequences of the economic slump. Most of us living in the Diaspora do not personally fear Meles & Co. because we are not scurrying under the shadow of his combat boot. But once their anger and wrath has subsided, how does a population that has witnessed unbridled violence not fear? What do you think are the steps that one can take to overcome the terror?
Anonymous (11/4/05 - 10:50 pm): I agree that it’s important to get involved. But do you think one should join and participate in existing organizations or should one form a new organization with likeminded compatriots? It’s clear that both have their advantages and disadvantages but I’m curious as to what you think.
And once ownership does take place, in what ways would “we” be different? What is “our” vision?
Kuchiye: You came up with a brilliant example of something practical that one can do to assist the fledgling organizations. Now, one thing that I’ve noticed is the dearth of solid, useful, timely and practical information posted on the sites of the political organizations. In light of what has happened back home in the last few months, what ought these organizations do the make their websites more effective?
buqaya, good questions!
I guess a five-day sit-at-home-strike would have an impact on two fronts:
Tangible - It would shut down government and private business for five days, loosening the party's grip on government affairs, and affecting the bottom line of many EPRDF corporations.
Perceptual - It would show the world, importantly the EPRDF, donors, and the people themselves, that the pro-democracy movement is strong and has the ability to shut down Ethiopia when it pleases.
I think the latter is what will force donors to demand that the EPRDF accept CUD'S benign eight points.
By 'them' and 'we', I meant to figuratively distinguish between those who participate and those who don't. How would 'we' be different? We might be no better in vision, ideas, approach, but for me, that's not the point. My point is more in the abstract, that the _very decision_ to participate means that we will have dealt with some of those cultural demons that have kept us back. After that, no matter what vision the new participants bring to the table, the ability of the collective to produce more bang for its collective efforts will increase. Do you see what I mean?
In the more concrete realm, I think the diaspora can do three things: Give money (without TereTaray!) to parties like CUD, lobby our local politicians, and engage in more elaborate civil society activities.
BTW, I'm just back from one of those meetings, whose conveners unfortunately have no idea of Robert's Rules of Order! But the teleconference I participated in a few days ago was brilliantly conducted. Take the good with the bad, I suppose.
Note to Aleqa: Georgia is in the Caucasus, next to Armenia. But you are right -- we must never cease to call attention to the double standard.
This is my first time here and I am gratified to find this blog. Wonkette, your sentiments are noble and practical. In addition to the congressmen, let's not forget the State Dept., which continues to articulate an equivocal message several days into the situation. Finally, we shall all have to get off of our "duffs" and engage in protests wherever we are.
Wonkette,
What do you think of allegations claiming that the Eritrean Goverment is backing the CUD?
Regards
Geja,
My motifs to ask such questions are based on a number of current situation.
If we look at the current state of affair it looks more or less as follows:
1 - Eritrea in known for supporting opposition parties and neighboring countries.(i.e OLF, Darfur rebellion..)
2 - According to ex-vice Chairman of the CUD, he described the leadership as power hungry.
3 - OLF a separatist political movement, which is also backed by the Eritrean government has kept silent since the CUD movement has intensified. This is knowing very well that it has a lot to lose if a regime led by the CUD is unfavorable to article 39 of the current Ethiopian constitution.
4 - Eritrea has control over the remittance that is pouring into the country from the Diaspora which amounts to millions every month.
5 - Last month an attempt to assassinate was made on the President of Eritrea. Which shows growing dissent from within the army
6 - Opposition websites claim the current threat of war is a diversion method used by the TPLF regime. In other words when Kofi Anan and the International community made an appeal last week to both countries to apply maximum restraint from provoking each other is just another technique used by the TPLF government to divert attention from the current internal crisis.
7 - The CUD is the people's party. Why is it they never made a statement with regards to the "war". Their people in the North of the country are affected by this "threat". Whether this is a real war brewing or just hoax don't you think they should make an official statement explaining their position or even just calm the nerves of Ethiopians.
Considering the facts above, it has been difficult for me to rule out affiliation of CUD with the Eritrean regime. What do you make of these facts yourself?
Regards
geja, I think what anonymous is asking you is to prove that CUD is not getting funds from Eritrea. While you're at it, can you also prove that Meles is not actually Mengistu in disguise? I've never seen them together...
Shut it down, Wonkette, the faras have found their way here.
eeew. seriously? ertrans supporting cud? actually, here is the real list for anonymous of who is supporting meles (wonq, you still so politely call him prime minister meles and ato meles even through your fury. chewa.)
supporters of eprdf:
- NAMBLA
- kkk- michigan branch
- sociopaths 'R us
- all LF's except the bole peoples liberation front (they are CUD all the way.)
- Scooter
and
- Ertra- its providing meles with anger management skills.
okay, anonymous? that way to faradise. ==>
molqaqa,
I promsise not bother your discussion group again. After reading some of your intelligent activities I was under the impression I mighit get some intelligent answers. I didn't mean to cause any offence. My apologies.
what keeps looping in my mind is the ease with which Meles and cohorts are "robbing a new generation of Ethiopians from hope and attempting to break their little spirits" -wonqueye (btw let me point out with love that i am bewildered at the use of the word "little" here). what i would love to see is a mass consorted effort on the diaspora's side to aid the Ethiopians back home who are at the forefront of this battle. ya we could sit around here and brainstorm on what SHOULD be done (one of my favorite passtimes). the hard fact is that there IS SOMETHING POWERFUL being done. and as usual it is the doers who have to deal with the consequences of "finding their balls" - dawit k. i would love to mobilize and strategize towards giving the warriors (disappeared memebers of the election commitee, those thirty someodd taxi drivers, the mother of the dead ten year old who said, "i will turn to the Ethiopian people for justice", the elected opposition MP who upon being whisked away had his wife shot in front of his children, ETC, ETC, ETC) a fighting chance. any room for this on the mural?
SPEAKING OF LEGACY,WHAT IS HAILESELLASIE'(RAS TAFERI MAKONNEN'S)LEGACY? WHY DO I SEE HIS PICTURE IN EVRY ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT EXCEPT THE ONES OWNED BY TIGREANS OR OROMO FOLKS?ISN'T HE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS OF ETHIOPIANS?
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