IS IT NOT FALLACIOUS?

July 26, 2019
Tegenaw Goshu

I am one of those genuinely concerned ordinary Ethiopians who closely follow any perspective that tries to deal with the very political challenges the people of Ethiopia continued to face. I have to say that intellectuals such as Professor Alemayehu G/Mariam who consistently and meaningfully have reflected their views and analyses for so many years deserve sincere acknowledgement and appreciation.

Well, as the majority of intellectuals, Professor A.G/Mariam has expressed his optimism and gratefulness when those EPRDF politicians assumed power or leadership for change by significantly undermining the hegemony of TPLF. I strongly believe this was the right way of thinking and moving forward.

However, as time went by, the very approach of Professor A.G/Mariam toward those politicians, particularly toward Prime Minister Dr. Abye Ahmed has become highly emotion -driven and uncritical and even kind of creating personality cult. He devoted most of his writings to this kind of very fallacious and unrealistic way of praising individuals and attacking those who are trying to be reasonably critical of the way those politicians have tried to handle the challenges as things moved forward . The critics argue that as the very expectation of the people was for the realization of genuine democracy, not the reformist agenda of EPRDF, it seems that those politicians seem vulnerable to failure.

I strongly believe that it is the right thing to mobilize Ethiopians wherever they may live to contribute any valuable contribution including money in order to support and strengthen the progress toward the realization genuine democracy. However, I strongly argue that any contribution should be with a real sense of critical way of thinking. It is wrong if not foolish to do so without holding those politicians responsible and accountable for what could go terribly wrong as we have witnessed within a couple of months of the spark of change. It goes without saying that the political reality in our country is unfortunately getting not only ugly but also horribly disturbing. The politics of hypocrisy, conspiracy, scandal, cynicism, narcissism or self-aggrandizement is becoming the dominant elements of our politics.

I strongly argue that the very essence and purpose of “Trust Fund” now is terribly compromised by the very ugly if not deeply disturbing political reality in the country.

I read a very long and jargonized piece about the necessity of the continuation of financial contribution through the Trust Fund under title of “WE MADE HISTORY WITH THE ETHIOPIAN DIASPORA TRUST FUND “

Here is my direct and straight-forward comment on this issue of Trust Fund that does not take any basic precondition that must hold those politicians responsible and accountable for their horrible failure.

This is a notoriously stupid way of insistence of begging for money in a situation where there are extremely critical and time sensitive issues to be dealt with.

You sound terribly disoriented and delusional as far as the very question of how to bring about the very essence of survival, safety and security of the people as it is absolutely impossible to think about without the existence of a legitimate government both politically and morally. Talking about development projects in a situation where the very survival of the country and her citizens is at a very high risk is terribly nonsensical, especially when it comes from intellectuals like yourself.

You seem terribly a person of delusion and illusion as you talk about collecting money without questioning the very elementary conducive political and security factors which are of course democratic values and practices. Talking and writing all kinds of highly jargonized and extremely mischievous talks and writings has nothing to do with what is happening on the ground. You are delusional in this respect as you totally try to ignore the very miserable situation people are facing because of those ethno-centric and hypocritical politicians of ODP/EPRDF.

You talk about doing this or that project in a situation where people are crying for their very survival as citizens. You talk about collecting money for those terribly and stupidly ruthless political groupings of EPRDF and its allies who are wasting peoples’ money in those areas of conflicts, displacement, killings, and all kinds of untold sufferings which are both late and ineffective. You are talking about this or that project in a situation where the people found themselves between life and death.

What kind of project you are talking about? To whom and for whom? Are you talking about schools for children? Don’t you know that millions are in a very horrible situation because their shelters (houses) have been bulldozed by those evil-minded and ill-guided ethno-centric politicians? Don’t you know that those kids are desperately begging for help just for mere survival, safety and security before anything else? Don’t you know that the very reasons for these miserable lives of children who were supposed to be at schools are those cynical, hypocritical, conspiratorial, disingenuous and ethno-centric politicians of OPD/EPRDF? Why you want to keep going with your very delusional and disordered way of political thinking?

Are you talking about road construction and development projects? Don’t you know that those roads and other infrastructures are becoming playgrounds for anarchism, robbery, and politically motivated crimes? How collecting money in the name of development projects makes sense in a society totally facing the question of to be or not to be (survival) because of the very nonsensical and deadly political behavior of ODP/EPRDF?

Are you talking about Health facilities? As a matter of fact, peoples’ health is getting worse and worse both physically and mentally because of the absence of a political system that governs with the very basic principles of “from the people, by the people and for the people”. Do you really believe that there is such a political body of responsibility and accountability as far the very essence of taking care of peoples’ health is concerned? From your highly jargonized and misleading writings, your answer for this question seems to be “yes’. But it is not only just wrong but stupidly ruthless!

Why you notoriously keep nagging Ethiopians in the diaspora to give money to those bunch of individuals who dance their tail wagging dances whenever and wherever they feel the emergence of some sort of change without taking time to digest basic elements of change and the very destination of change? How you see yourself as a genuine and reliable person whereas you miserably failed to see the reality on the ground and acknowledge the miserable failure of those politicians you keep praising and even worshiping? Don’t you feel that you are not only terribly disqualifying yourself but also insulting the very intelligence of the people? It is your right to worship the politicians who you fell in love with. But you definitely do not have the right to fool and mislead the people and make them the political slaves of those EPRDF politicians who horribly failed.

I have to tell you that genuinely concerned Ethiopians in the diaspora will make a miraculous socio-economic recovery and sustainable development within a very short period of time once the very ill-guided and evil-driven politicians of OPD/EPRDF are defeated and replaced with a genuinely democratic political system. And of course, there is a need to exert maximum effort to get this noble goal realized.

So, do not worry about the projects you are dishonestly talking about. Believe or not, it is the so-called intellectuals like yourself who contribute to the very prolonging of the sufferings of the people. I wish I could express my comment in a very diplomatic or in a very manner of political correctness. But I did not believe and I do not believe because not calling a spade a spade is wrong. If we have to make a real sense of difference and help the people to move forward and enjoy the very fruit of genuine democracy, we have to have an open and straight -forward minds and hearts. The people of Ethiopia cannot afford to lose the golden opportunity of bringing about a new and genuine democratic political system because of the horrible failure of intellectuals and the majority of educated citizens.

Intellect and intellectuality that do not serve the very objective of getting the people out of a politically motivated catastrophe and lead them toward a dignified and prosperous way of life is totally meaningless!

Fortunately, in every generation, there are few who are truly patriotic and capable of leading the people toward the making of history not only for the better but also for the best! I am reasonably optimistic that those few truly patriotic Ethiopians will prevail and help the people make a glorious history of a democratic system that should pave the way for sustainable peace and prosperity! To this end, there is an absolute need to clearly, openly, straight-forwardly and of course constructively challenge those intellectuals who behave and act contrary to the very essence and purpose of intellect and intellectuality. I also hope that those failed intellectuals will use their power of intellect for good and help the people shorten the untold suffering they have gone through and still are going through, not the other way round!