Kiflu Hussain
24 February 2008
opinion
As it so happened with most so-called developing African countries during the Cold War period, it was Ethiopia's terrible fate to switch sides to the Soviet camp in the 1970s. Consequently, anything western was condemned as imperialistic invasion of culture. Particularly, for those of us who were in our teens from the "petit bourgeoisie" family, it was unbearable to part company with Hollywood movies only to be fed up with propaganda that glorified the fatherland.
Thankfully, the total reduction of the media into a propaganda machine for the state forced us to seek other forms of food-for-thought. And, so we turned to books mostly written by American and British writers.
Although, I realised long ago that these writers were part of the ploy to win the minds and hearts of poor souls like me, I admit grudgingly that they accomplished their task with style. Whatever the outcome of the psychological warfare, I would like to cite an example for the purpose of this article.
Among the many characters portrayed by the prolific writer Irving Wallace (RIP), I remember one in "The Almighty." That fictional character was a journalist who became disillusioned and never failed to be cynical about it. So, another rookie asked him: "If you dislike journalism so much, how come you're in it?" to which he replied: "How come a whore is a whore?"
The reason I brought this up is to show that I mean no disrespect to our sisters who have been forced into the oldest profession by necessity. In fact, as no one is immune from necessity, I am also dictated by it to draw a parallel between dictators and call girls.
Again what prompted me to draw this parallel is George W. Bush's recent tour of Africa. Despite his claim of having a commitment to Africa, many doubted his sincerity due to Washington's long history of double standards and hypocrisy.
Many columnists, including a Ugandan who contributes to the New Vision from Toronto, expressed their opinion to this effect. Although, I didn't read his article regarding Bush's imminent departure from the White House and how Africa would be relieved, I came across an American who got incensed by the article.
This American earlier told me that because he's a Christian who is against abortion and gay marriage, he opposes the Democrats who are fairly liberal. By contrast, he supports the Republicans, because they uphold his 'Christian values'.
We had a bit of an argument whereupon he said: "Why does everybody expect America to liberate him?" to which I countered: "Nobody, certainly no African asked for America to be his liberator. Rather, everybody criticises America for invariably getting in the way of the struggle for liberation by siding with dictators on the grounds of short sighted "strategic reasons."
I told him how top American officials are preparing to kill a bill known as H.R 2003, Ethiopia; Democracy and Accountability Act 2007 which has already been passed unanimously by his country's House of Representative. I explained to him how this "Secretaries and their assistants" for Africa are colluding with lobbying firms to have it vetoed by President Bush.
I told him too how the Ethiopian regime, apart form gagging free speech went to the extent of jailing and expelling journalists from The New York Times in May 2007. I also told him how an American law professor named Abigail Salisbury was recently sacked from an Ethiopian university because of an article she published about the absence of academic freedom.
The reason I didn't tell him about the plight of local journalists and human rights advocates is because he claimed that they are biased and their assessments are exaggerated - a claim which, in fact, sparked off our argument. The sad part is, despite his claim of extensive travelling, he hasn't even heard of the most talked-about and controversial author and filmmaker of his own country, Michael Moore, thus proving to me what I heard about the proverbial ignorance of Americans.
Before we wound up our argument, he asked me: "If Bush supports dictators like you said, why didn't he pay a visit to Museveni or Meles Zenawi?" Though had talked about that, I felt the need to elaborate.
You see, since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the fad is democracy, market economy and globalisation. Therefore, whether genuine or sham, you need to have an election and give it an appearance of a democracy. The trouble is in this age of information technology, no one succeeds hiding anything for long.
Hence, when it becomes untenable to be seen with those tyrants whose cruelty has become gruesome and glaring, you summon them to your place like one does a call girl for his perverse need.
Remember; though all condemn the oldest profession, almost all interacts with it surreptitiously. Realpolitik too requires "Statesmen" like Mr Bush to keep at arms length "important strategic allies" like Mr Zenawi.
Mr Hussain is an Ethiopian refugee living in Uganda
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What a pity Africa dose not produce what it consume and consume what it does not produce, Africa will not benefit from people whom it educate at an immense expense too. I am sure the writer would have made a very good professor at the university in Ethiopia or a minster vice minister a diplomat which is filled with either incompetent people or foreigners. However he is a refuge and we all know what a refugee is especially in one of these places like Uganda, Sudan or else where in Africa and the Arab world. Being a refugee is like being born again, you have to establish yourself you may have to learn another language, you may have to take a new way of life you may need to adjust to cultural, religious or any other shock you may be exposed to. What is the solution to all these, you might ask, well first thing first we all need to be selfless and try to make it easier to some one that may come behind us by standing our ground and fight for what is right. We should stop fleeing any time we feel that we are being wronged. We should find a way to tell our dictators that they are just one of us and need to work for us, not expect us to work for them. We should tell them that there are people who are as good as they are, if not better, to take of business and after a certain period of time they should hang their shingles and allow another fresh set of eyes to look through the vernaculars. And if they think otherwise they are the once that need to pack and go like Mobutu se sesko, Ideamin, and Mengistu not us. I think this thing that they call refugee should be looked at seriously, the so called industrialized countries are getting a free ride by allowing the most educated cream of the crop of the developing countries to fill their labor shortage. Last but least I wish the writer and all my compatriots who languish in a foreign country to be in their country and work towards the prosperity of their mother Land.