Ethiopia: Autocratic with Western Silence

The recent trial of two Swedish journalists in Ethiopia has shed light on the countries increasingly autocratic practices. Though various human rights groups and international media have raised some concern over human rights and the treatment of the journalists, Western leaders have been largely silent on Ethiopia’s turn towards autocracy.

The Western silence may be explained through Ethiopia’s geographic positioning. They are viewed by many in the West as a important strategic partner in countering violent extremism in the Horn of Africa. Further, Ethiopia is a neighbor to North and South Sudan who could be headed for war. In addition, Ethiopia is a neighbor to Somalia where the al-Shabab terror network is based.

These geopolitical factors combine together to mute criticism of the regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who has used a vaguely worded, far reaching anti-terror law to imprison opposition leaders and journalists as threats to the state.

Nice to see that the Cold War model of diplomacy isn’t dead. The West is basically saying as long as your not an Islamic terrorist, you can abuse human rights at will. Enemies may change, but our policies don’t change with them.

I Want To Be Your God

I want to be your God. That revelation came to me yesterday as I was making my way to the car. In thinking about research paper topics for this term, I zoned in on two topics: human trafficking or ethnic conflict.

 I want both of those human cruelties ended, but a paper doesn’t seem nearly good enough. I’ll write this paper as thousands of people are enslaved or killed. Doesn’t seem anywhere near good enough L

I keep thinking that maybe I’ll develop the magic bullet that will stop all conflict in the world. Sadly, it hasn’t come to me, yet.

I would gladly lay down my life, if I knew that genocides, ethnic cleansings, and human slavery became relics of the past from some nightmarish world long gone.

That’s when I realized that I want to be your God because only divine intervention can put an end to this crap.