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This column has been the source of amusement,
irritation and even boredom over the years, but it
has always given me a certain masochistic pleasure
that there would be people out there giving my
personal opinions this much consideration. As I took
the time to mull over a number of subjects to write
about for this week, none of which stirred my
interest beyond the usual measure, it occurred to
me that there really was nothing to say that has
not been said.
That in itself led me to realise that I take pride
in the fact that, no matter what outlandish stance I
am taking, it is my craziness that only my logic can
relate to. I will applaud duly when something is
done right and may have a hissy-fit when it is done
wrong. Though flaws of all sizes should be
recognised, this is often not the road most
travelled by what many label the average Ethiopian.
This musing made me realise there is no culture of
dissidence in this country. At first glance, this
appears a false statement. The Derg was dissident;
they no longer wanted to be run by an imperial
government. The TPLF and the EPRF were dissident;
they went against what they felt to be oppression of
their people by their military overlords. Ethiopian
history offers a number of these examples.
Another revelation follows from this point. It is
not among the brave and annoyed few that such a
culture is lacking, because it is them that give the
people the other option.
This rather is lacking in the larger society. When
there is a cause or a new opinion, people follow it
to death, whatever it may be. Our people helped the
TPLF because they were tired of the Derg, if for no
other reason. Now those very same people follow
whatever flimsy opposition that is available because
they are tired of the EPRDF.
This is the political culture that exists and has
existed in the country. The power at the time is
either supported or not. When it is not, there may
be other options that can be taken, opposition
parties, revolutions, following a brave feud with
his own cause but against another, or starting a new
cause, but outside of that, then there really is
nothing.
It is not allowed to appreciate certain stances of
particular schools and disagree with all the views
on other things, this is unheard of. Sometimes I
think that it may even be blasphemy in Ethiopian
culture. Thinking for one's self and not subscribing
to some mass mentality is something that could very
well cause an individual to be shunned in the
political climate that exists in this very strange
nation of ours.
As proof positive, take the current political
climate that prevails today. You are either a
supporter of the government or you are not. If you
are not, then that by default makes you a supporter
of the opposition. And none of this rationality is
based on policy issues, in depth knowledge of the
workings of the government, ins and outs of
political life or whether or not the people that
they so blindly support or hate are really fit to
hold the offices that they have or are running for.
But most importantly, there are no loud members of
either camp, that would come out and say, 'what we
are doing is wrong, those guys have stronger
policies on these issues and we have better ones on
these, why not put those together and pool our
resources for the good of the country that we are
trying to govern?'
No compromises are made which means that, in
reality, that vicious cycle cannot be broken.
But this is not only true of the political life in
the country; it is also true of the social and
traditional aspects of Ethiopian-ness.
Take our religious inclinations. When a person is
born into a family of a certain religion, they are
expected to adhere to that religion. It is yet to
become the norm to hear of parents accepting gladly
their children abandoning their faith for another.
But even in those faiths, there is no questioning
and probing, people just fall into paths and rhythms
that they have been exposed to for all of their
lives, and they in time pass that on to their
children.
Where has our sense of thinking been misplaced? What
is the taboo in not following strict norms or trying
to come up with a lifestyle or system that is best
suited to your needs and those of the people around
you?
People are no longer allowed to be individuals or to
be thinking and knowing people. They have to be
faithful clones, following the same religions,
weddings, funerals, worship practices, education,
political and social norms. We are no longer allowed
to be people; we have been made into sheep.
What does that mean for those few that are not
willing to be a part of the flock and just want to
live? |
