Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Where are the 40 years ...?
Optimism for a peaceful development of the Ethiopian Community seems to diminish. About 40 years have elapsed since the aspiration of "Social Justice" has taken over the mind of the community; a communal mind-set full of contradictions and antagonisms, which brought about some initials of transformations, albeit non-peaceful and full of blunders on all sides; thereby calling for the hope of transformation into a peaceful mind-set and a rule of law for the community at large.
This hope is losing substance and it seems we are still at the beginning or at the edge of collapse/chaos (unless one dares to tell that this is the rule - "primitive accumulation" in cultural affairs as well).
The following two points give more reason to believe that we seem to be politically a lost case for the near future! (Still in the Box+!?)
(Given such facts, public formats and beautifully polished facades of public presentations are meaningless ! A pity for the other Prof. too: Endrias Eshete. )
The 1st Point:
On the side of the State/ Regime: The Horror report from prison : http://www.ethiomedia.com/
All through the report, depiction of horror like the following:
"For six months his legs and feet were shackled in chains and he has repeatedly been exposed to electrocution (administration of electric current into his body by way of torture) which is now routinely carried out in TPLF controlled prisons. His left testicle has atrophied and disappeared altogether in consequence of the severe and repeated torture he sustained. In short he has been castrated like a bull (In the Ethiopian cultural context; a bull is castrated not by taking his testicles but by pounding on his testicles. It is in this context the word castration should be read in this report). Castrating a male person like a bull or animal is unheard of and did not take place even during the terrible days of the Dergue regime. Under the TPLF regime, this method of torture is widely practiced."
(Devastating our national pride, in the last decades, all over the world, as if the association of the name "Ethiopia" with "Hunger" is not enough, and now Ethiopia with "the Beast"- Hale Luya (from a none-priest) !!!)
Even if a percent of the report is true! Even if there be some other purpose of partially inventing a story (I want to hope it is invented to stick to my principle of optimism) ; even if the security officers of Mellese have purposely disclosed such material (to rule by means of mere intimidation and a specter of fear in the community); be it what or not; it is as a community, the same mind-set and the same understanding of the "rule of law". It is impoisoning to the community. The very mere fact (of depicting the story) or if it is true and authentic, the horror- is the most disturbing communal disaster (There is no reason not to believe that this may not be true too! There is enough testimony of the "beast in the man" in the global contemporary history of man); with all respect to the courageous people of such sublime character amidst the terrible stuff taking place in the dungeons - showing, that "we" are on the verge of collapse as a community, since there may even be some primordial stuff (cf.neuro-science has some new findings on perverted patterns of mind) playing a role in the psycho-stuff of the perpetrators sitting at the center of the state power...
AND
The 2nd. Point:
On "Pardonning Dergue officials"; as one of the "opinion makers" in the diaspora, " "one" professor`s ( a university philosophy professor in one of the "best" democratic nations of the globe ) plaidoyer, which reads as follows:
http://www.ethiomedia.com/
"I fully share in the pain of Mekonnen and support his demand for justice. In fact, I even go further demanding that the Ethiopian Government carry out its legal duty that those who had been sentenced to death be executed in public without further delay. However, some individuals such as Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, are living in exile, and such execution may not be carried out right away. There should be a way to carry out such justice not only to Mengistu but to all those hiding in foreign countries. In case of those brutal murderers who are under the control of the Ethiopian Government, individuals who had spilt so much innocent blood, execution should be carried out by hanging them from Bole Airport to Meskel Square and also in other Squares, on electric power poles. Some should also be sent to provincial cities and towns for such public execution." (Even not gacious enough to grant them the US "electric execution-chair")
*
After 40 years of "transformation"or (it seems more of) "none-transformation" , I have only "a smile" as an opinion on justice for such mind-sets.
An opinion on justice still calling for blood to flow, to bring about a community-“catharsis” :
" 'catharsis' that describes the psychological state of mind an individual undergoing such “catharsis.” The term can be roughly translated to mean “purification of” or “purging of” oneself from the pollution of the feeling of being a victim. In other words, it is not only “forgiveness” that allows the human inner self to clean itself of polluting feelings to move away from the confinement and negativity of victimhood, but properly conducted retaliation or “catharsis” would do as well. For the sake of our sanity and for the sake of the wellbeing of future generations we must punish criminals such as the brutal and violent convicted criminals of the Members of the Derg? " (cf. http://www.ethiomedia.com/
*
Is there any difference between the "three" forms of mind-sets: The crimes of Dergue, the horror in the dungeons of Melesse's Regime, and the execution-calls of the "professor"? (As the fourth mind-set, not to depict the cause of the tragedy - the social injustice/famine, destitution & poverty/ of the previous social order, which brought us in this mess, as a "crime of a different caliber"/1.)
I presume, this could be a case study- for a "ciminilogist"/or more -of a social psycho-drama, which may lead to reflections on our primordial source/ ; letting for the moment Rene Girard speak on the theme of "Violence and the Mimetic Desire":
http://www.cottet.org/girard/
1) cf. The notes of "Wai Wai Silu", Tilahun Gessesse(1974).
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