The need for democracy in Ethiopia April 8, 2008
Posted by sumaletera in EThio politics.add a comment
Ethiopian State system is filled with inept personalities whose contemporary policy dilemma is comparable to not knowing whether earth is round or flat. At the heart of the destruction of the Ethiopian socio-cultural fabric, it is the long-term cultural implication EPRDF may be leaving behind that is worrisome. All voices of reason are squashed either are in prison or seeking refuge else where around the world. The very creative forces that could have redeemed the nation are fleeing leaving, such a wonderful historical country to the dictator and his cronies. Legitimate individual effort is plundered by corruption and the state institutions are used to amass personal wealth by those at close proximity to authority. The election itself can be sited as how EPRDF destroyed legitimate effort and competition in many sectors showing by example that day light robbery is the only means to success. Opportunism seems to be the only means to survive to the majority who are left to fend for themselves amidst the thrones of mafia state and subservient business forces, where in all other institutions of reason, peace and faith such as universities, religious establishments and the like are marginalized by tight surveillance and control by illiterate good for nothing Weyane cadres.
It should be noted that democracy is an ingrained need by complex adaptive human systems to ensure continued evolution and survival. It is not a luxurious enterprise for the rich or unaffordable luxury for the poor. It is a mechanism that allows for global search for an optimal solution to multitude of societal problems through the individual agent; in a way it’s our biological destiny in our obligation to endure as conscious beings. It is indeed unaffordable especially in modern times of great environmental, economic, social and political emergency to disregard the experience, the intelligence and the wish of the individual and to continue to pedal along the lines of collectivist authoritarian State dictatorship.
Ethiopia II April 5, 2008
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It is said certainly not without any justification, that the US and European governments prefer stability over any uncertain experiments with democracy. Here in the US it’s purported that it’s too early for a democratic transition in Ethiopia and that Ethiopians are not yet able to know what is right for them. This response of course is internalized in the whole western political establishment as a kind of knee jerk reaction. Western politicians are so obsessed with control and stability that they are willing to allot any dictator any ‘African country’ like Ethiopia so long as they believe they can use this dictator as a proxy to do their dirty laundry, an incredibly dumb political formula that has constantly failed the US in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world, where the US foreign policy had disastrous implications even for the US.
It is the very blockade and repression of democratic expression that promotes instability and complete collapse of the societal system, most often irreversibly. Western foreign policy is indeed mired with confusion and for the most part one of the most significant causes for Ethiopia’s problems.
We have all witnessed how almost all so called freedom resistance movements crown an Unrelenting Machiavellian as their guardian who immediately morphs in to uncontrollable psychotic monster as soon as he assumes power. Most of these freedom movements also coalesce to become ideological “mind camps” ready to destroy reason in self defense, from being exposed of their underlying destructive internal fallacies and inconsistencies. The survival of these feeble mind camps necessitates repression of civilized freedom of thought and all other manifestation of reason, both internally with in party platforms and thorough out the nation; and this is how such an offshoot, EPRDF ethnic mind camp, is trying to protect itself. Ironically though, the west is willing to superficially bandage its recurrent economic and political collapse via government aid packages, training programs and through various NGOs doing “grocery delivery” to the helpless and the needy, People who were made weak and helpless by being denied democratic expression, the very freedom and an institutional framework enabling them to control their destiny.
Its clear that a lot needs to be done in convincing the west that its in their best interest to promote democracy in ethiopia and else where around the world!
Ethiopia and the WEST April 3, 2008
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At the heart of Ethiopia’s contemporary political and socio-economic deadlock lies destruction of a social fabric, a social fabric that has over the years remained resilient to numerous internal and external socio-economic and political shock. The war with Eritrea, recurrent drought, poverty, malnutrition, the AIDS pandemic and most importantly the May 2004 election, economic recession and the most recent war with Somalia and the Ogaden were so vivid signals that they were detected even by indifferent Washington’s tentacles and the western media. Despite what goes on inside the country and the looming catastrophe at the background it is the attitude of the international community which is indeed perplexing. What’s incredibly is inept is also Washington’s continued misinterpretation of the resilience of Ethiopia’s social system, attributing this systemic strength as the strength of the ruling party EPRDF, as the strength of the incumbent dictator Meles Zenawi in particular.
science policy interfacing November 25, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in world view.add a comment
I am gripped by science and policy dynamics and how it can be enhanced and employed to objectively encrypt a just and sustainable social code of conduct. The wide belief that policy decisions can and should be made by ‘elected vegetables’ is repugnant to me. We all can testify how unfounded social philosophies and ideologies devastated and are still devastating the lives of millions around the globe. Emotional distortion of scientifically irrefutable facts is indeed a commonplace for fallible human beings, and it lies at the heart of our problems individual, national or global. Be they presidents, a king, philosophers, persists, parliamentarians or any cultural giants are not immune to cultural conditioning and are hence fallible. scientifically speaking, even though the Policy platform is infested by lumped abstractions and sweeping generalizations these are however computationally surmountable. History abounds with many examples why we cannot and should not continue to relay on conventional societal decision making apparatus.
Scientific methods of data collection and analysis have indeed proved superior and matured exponentially over last century. scientifically collected and engineered data has landed us on the moon. I believe we should also be able to extend this technique to socially gripping topics. So far however power and economic interests plague the policy platform and have proved adept in effectively using science to address their fragmented, narrow and often conflicting interests. Inherent uncertainties in science have also been irresponsibly exploited by the political elite to marginalize its effect on policy. What a reckless exercise at the time like the present where smart-algorithms and nanotechnology furnish us tools that can surmount mighty computational beasts such as policy. Science fanatics project probable trends in automation of decision making including generic government decisions.
Despite being a science enthusiast though I choose not to drown myself in the euphoria of artificial intelligence and what its societal implications maybe, however probable it’s too early to speculate! But for us Ethiopians we shall continue to gallop under Aboy Sibhat, Melese Zenawi and Doctor sheik Mohamed Al amodi.
Chear ensembet!
Evolution June 2, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in Philosophy, world view.add a comment
I have long been fascinated by the process and the need to interface new scientific findings in to day-to-day thinking. I am of course saying this at the oddest moment in human history where in, majority of men believe that coming down from the tress was a bad idea.
My belief is of course 21st century mainstream scientific paradigm. If however, we are to talk about the process of mankind’s intellectual evolution, we should recognize that it often takes 50 years or more for Nobel price theoretical ideas to become incorporated into the thinking of the greater intellectual community. The view point of quantum mechanics, for example, put forward in the late1920s, has still not had its full impact on humanistic thought. The material is that hard to digest. Yet there are few philosophers of science who doubt that. However I for my part, have no doubt that this theory in the long run will exert a deep effect on our views of man and nature and in essence affect our private and public policy. But for the time being saving the world shall be “a white man’s burden!”
I suppose 50 years knowledge conductance value is totally unacceptable, when much of humanity is in disarray and despair. I think somebody should do something about it, may be even tell it to the white man!
Albert Einstein unequivocally said it, “The whole of science is nothing but the refinement of every-day thinking.” Science should in effect refine our thinking, confront our beliefs, give us a clearer view and in essence uplift us from our intellectual ponds. Amen!
KING LEOPOLD’S GHOST May 28, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in Books.add a comment
Leopold II, king of the Belgians and monster par excellence, rivals Hitler and Stalin in the scale of villainy 10 million deaths, scorched African earth, and slavery. But Leopold carefully concealed his rape of the Congo by wearing the mask of altruism.
In 1890, when John Dunlop’s invention of the inflatable bicycle tire launched a worldwide rubber boom, Leopold found himself ruling one of the greatest stretches of wild rubber in the world. He immediately began to cash in, implementing a brutal system of forced labor to bring harvested rubber to Europe. Troops would enter a village, round up women and children and hold them hostage until the men brought back a quota of rubber. Torture, rape, murder, and widespread death from rubber harvesting halved the Congo’s population within two decades while bringing Leopold a fortune of more than $1 billion (in today’s terms).
These should be considered as the first major international atrocity scandal in the age of the telegraph and camera. In its mixture of bloodshed on industrial scale, royalty, sex, the power of celebrity, and the rival lobbying and media campaigns raging in half a dozen countries on both sides of the Atlantic, it seems strikingly close to our time. Furthermore, unlike many other predators of history from Genghis Khan to the Spanish conquistadors, king Leopold II of Belgium never saw a drop of blood spilled in anger. He never set foot in Congo. There is something modern about that too, as there is about the bomber pilot in the stratosphere, above the clouds, who never hears screams and sees shattered homes or torn flesh.
King Leopold’s Ghost, a story of greed, terror and heroism in colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild. A must read book for any African who wishes to have a vivid perception of colonialism.
La Vie Dansante! May 23, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in Art.add a comment
La Vie Dansante
By: Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley, Will Jennings 1984
[The Dancing Life]
They can come take it all away
Break your heart by the light of day
Drown your love in a distant bay
So lonely
See the ships heading for the rocks
See the time melting off of the clocks
There’s a light shatters all the locks
And saves me
It saves me
That’s why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes me just where I want
That’s all I want La Vie Dansante
Why don’t you wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes you just where you want
That’s all you want La Vie Dansante
Miss the beat if you close your eyes
Every night wears a new disguise
And I live when a new surprise surrenders
Feel it all with a willing heart
Every stop is a place to start
If you know how to play the part with feeling
I play with feelings
That’s why I wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes me just where I want
That’s all I want La Vie Dansante
Why don’t you wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes you just where you want
That’s all you want La Vie Dansante
That’s why we wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes us just where we want
That’s all we want La Vie Dansante
Why don’t you wander and follow the dancing life
On the night wind that takes you just where you want
That’s all you want La Vie Dansante
That’s why we wander and follow La Vie Dansante
On the night wind that takes us just where we want
That’s all we want La Vie Dansante
La la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la
That’s all we want…
some music ah!
Poverty of Reason May 19, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in world view.add a comment
Know this EPRDFites what you are fighting is human evolution, the development of consciousness is purely evolutionary and on a cosmic time table and it’s not in the jurisdiction of earthly political establishments to stop it. Just like gravity it’s a force to be recognized and harnessed not retarded. The law of thermodynamics dictates that every bit of the senseless energy EPRDF is spending to stay in power shall be reciprocated. If your so called “genius” leader could follow the trend he would have packed up his quat and gone. Time is running, you guys should make up your mind. Since when did taking refuge in some idea you don’t understand guaranted existence?
I don’t know how many times it should be stated to herd mentalities at home that all proper associations should formed by individual choice and on conscious intellectual grounds philosophical, professional, political etc and not on physiological or geographical accident of birth, and surely not on the ground of tradition. There is a crucial difference between a legitimate association and a tribe. Just as laws, not men, rule a proper society, so as a proper association is united by ideas; not by men, and its members should be loyal to the ideas, not to the group. EPRDFites please get this through your head. This of course requires a high degree of conceptual development and independence, which many of you are desperately struggling to avoid. But I assure you that this is the only way men can work together justly, benevolently and safely.
One way or another, we are fast approaching the tipping point of the already gathered political storm and once again you are given the chance to elevate from poverty of reason.
The invisible elephant in the Room May 17, 2007
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The disenchantment of the modern world and the disappearance of spirits, as foretold by westerners, has not taken place, either at home or in other parts of the world. In Africa as well as in Europe, many spirits and their mediums are part of local as well as Transglobal cultures. Thus, we find Christian spirits named Hitler and Mussolini or King Bruce Lee, the kung-Fu actor, in a pantheon of new Christian holy spirits in Northern Uganda, who are waging war against the government (Behrend 1993). And, In central Africa, we find spirits of aero planes, engines, guitars and angels(see colson 1969,Luig 1993), while thunder, snakes and rain as well as playboys and prostitutes are in habiting the spirit world in west Africa(see Rouch1978:1010).
One intriguing experience of modernity is that spirit possession cults are proliferating the word over, not only in African, Asian and Caribbean countries (see kapferer 1991,Ong 1987, Little wood 1992) but also in the midst of New York (McCarthy Brown 1991), Toronto(Boody 1995) and various towns in Europe.
Perhaps we should wake up and smell the coffee ah?
In f.. credible!
On Ignorance and Poverty May 16, 2007
Posted by sumaletera in world view.1 comment so far
I think its necessary to understand the global situation we find ourselves, the way scientific progress is heading and in retrospect what we Ethiopians were and still are doing!
“Western nations have achieved in mere span of four hundred years what we have not been able to do in four thousand years. Because our planet has become too small for them they are now moving in to the wide world of outer space. While we were dragging ourselves behind our donkeys to cover a mere seven kilometers a day, they cruse comfortably through thousands of kilometers in matter of hours. Whereas we fail to observe what is obvious and tangible they persistently investigate and probe in to the microscopic. While we purchase arms and weapons manufactured by the west to wreak havoc amongst ourselves, as if in celebration of death, they are relishing every bit of joy that life provides” prof Mesfin Weldemariam, whither Ethiopia, Vision 2020.
