Extreme partisanship and uncivil political discourse is not the best way to accomplish anything in the body politics of Ethiopians with in Ethiopia or among the diaspora community. Nor will it ever inspire the next generation of Ethiopians. Last month I was visiting my sister in Washington, DC. And I was doing the obligatory and compulsory of hanging out with my DC friend at the U street hot spots, as we settled to have a drink and dinner, when a man joined us at our table, after exchanging pleasantries the discussion delved full throttle into the Ethiopian Diaspora politics. Very quickly it was evident that I was with a minority opposing opinion, me and the two gentlemen were at the opposite end of political philosophical Ethiopian politics. The good Dr. PHD of social science started making far-fetched and outrageous claims of corruption and human right violation by the current and past government of EPDRF. I was a silent participant throughout the first phase of the conversation of exaggeration and out right lies, claims based on hate politics. The conversation headed south when the good professor made an allegation that Mr. Alamuhdi is trying to make Ethiopia an Islamic nation by building mosques and funding radical Muslim movements; to prove this I have documents that corroborate these allegations, from a former Manager of Midroc constructions, who is a good friend of mine who has moved to US.. At this point I pounced to grab the opportunity and suggested the good professor to bring these documents and hand it to Washington Post and will make a head line story. I told him he might even get paid for it. I suggested we meet the next day at the same spot and I told him I will delay my trip back to my four hour drive away home by another day. Next day came and the professor nowhere to be found nor did he return our phone calls. Such is our diaspora politics, where the truth is told as lies and the lies are told as truth. Believe it or not, nothing like this has ever really happened among Ethiopians before. Sure, there have been times when we all have been at rallies or speeches protesting during the emperors reign and the butcher Mengistu’s rule and people have had honest and intellectually verifiable philosophical disagreements—that comes from genuine love of country not driven by hate politics.—but this particular incident felt really shocking and disappointing. It was a direct slap in the face—a sign of how high the level of rancor has gotten that this man felt compelled to lie and makeup story. Lately I’ve felt that the anger in politics is spilling over from the expected places—protests, partisan websites, talk radio—into everyday lives. The lines of social acceptability and just plain courteous behavior are becoming harder to define when it comes to politics, and for the first time in a long time I am truly concerned about where this fear and frustration in politics is taking us. For the first time in my life, I find myself disillusioned with the political discourse especially among the so called diaspora elites —who have hijacked the very welfare and wellbeing of our country. Granted, we saw plenty of partisan anger during the first nationwide election when people were killed and jailed during and in the aftermath of the election, but that was a national election, with a lot at stake for the future of our nation. The thing I didn’t expect was that the high level of emotion would continue to rise—I expected it die down. I believed Ethiopia’s best days are ahead of us and that I believed we could bridge the divide in our country. Yet the hate group don’t accept any of the facts on the ground even if they come out from IMF and the world bank, they say these two world organizations are in cahoots with the regime, CRAZY. These guys like the US tea party version of Ethiopians. Like, they don’t believe in global warming. It’s just plain wrong. It’s time for Ethiopians to think of reconciliation and start thinking of our legacy for the next generation When I say let’s work together for the good of the country it makes me a zombie follower of the EPDRF. I understand a certain amount of partisan pettiness, but what I don’t understand is why Ethiopians and legitimate political parties are not more vested in the next generation, and the generation after and the cultural and political climate they are leaving behind. It’s almost as if to be taken seriously in politics, a certain level of anger and incivility is required. I am not saying I am not angry about many things that are going on in our country, but I do believe we can discuss our differences with respect and civility. And I don’t think I am the only one who feels this way. There is a vast majority of what I call the silent majority who believes in dialog while making differences in the lives of our citizens who are left behind in this breathtaking transformation of our country. Learn from People like Dr. Elleni Gebremedhin, my hero. I can’t help think about the toll it is taking on the next generation of Ethiopians who want to venture into politics and Civic service. Kennedy inspired an entire generation and if leaders and civic society in general and politicians in particular aren’t inspiring people when they are young, what hope is there that they will care when they are older? As Elie Wiesel once famously said, “The opposite of love is not hate. It’s indifference.”
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 18:28:47 +0000
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