We are becoming a country of Marie Antoinettes, most Ethiopians yell on Facebook to let them eat injera while they eat the finest kitfo.

by Teddy Fikre  written:  Monday, January 23rd, 2012

There is a great debate going on back home in Ethiopia and in the Diaspora about the pace of progress and the significance that this pace has when placed in context of the overall governance of the Meles cabal.  To be honest, this topic is a toxic landmine, no matter what position you take on this topic, you are sure to get your legs blown off by the enmity of pro or anti-government lynch mobs. To be honest, there not too much room for nuance or honest discussion on this issue.  But you know me, I like to tap dance in landmines and pop my collars in hurricanes, so let me go meto gena in on this topic.

Yeah I know, I always like to introduce an opening paragraph by cracking a joke or two, but to be honest, this is a dead serious conversation, so time for sober assessment on this issue.  It is true that Ethiopia’s pace of development in the past 20 years has been astronomical by any standard.  We have gone from one of poorest nations in the world to cusp of escaping the clutches of destitute countries.  Our year over year economic growth has been a jaw dropping 10%—which actually outpaces China.  Visiting Addis Ababa, one will be hard pressed to believe they are in an African country and would not be blamed to think they were in London or Hong Kong.  It is truly amazing, the number of hotels like the Sheraton and sky scrapers everywhere is enough to tickle the mind with heavenly bliss.  Addis Abeba is becoming the Dubai of Africa, the sheer level of development going on back home is hard to phantom.

I won’t lie, I am not going to sit up here and discredit the woyane government their due credit for the astonishing pace of development and their economic stewardship of Ethiopia throughout their reign.  However, I have to wonder if this is phyric victory?  I mean, what good is development if that comes with Meles Zenawi selling his soul and praying at the knees of Western powers in order to deliver economic progress to Ethiopia.  The truth is, Ethiopia is colonized by America and China.  We are bastard children of foreign occupiers and Meles is a puppet tyrant who rules by decree and AK47s.  I can’t sit up here and salute Meles when I see in the shadows of the very Sheraton hotel children begging for food and birrs in dark lit corners.  Am I supposed to be happy about the inflow of capital when I see nothing but brain drain flowing out of Ethiopia by the minute?

And how am I supposed to be happy about the explosion in capital and wealth when almost all of the wealth is concentrated in the top one tenth of one percent while the majority of the masses struggles to eat on a daily basis.  The gap in wealth is astonishing, you have a few fat cats in Ethiopia who literally have gold faucets while my Ethiopian brothers and sisters drink water from dirty pool of waters in the streets of Bole.  Yeah, I know, the Diaspora community who return to Ethiopia occasionally to reside in Sheraton rooms are very happy with the status quo, they don’t see dirt, they only see gold paved streets from Bole to Kuriftu resort to eat 100% teff injera while the masses eat burnt out kolo.

We are becoming a country of Marie Antoinettes, most Ethiopians yell on Facebook to let them eat injera while they eat the finest kitfo.  This is my tire tsega beef with the indifferent masses, these very same elitist Ethiopians who fly in 747s and think they are giving back to Ethiopia by driving Mercedes Benzos through arat kilo are the same ones disregarding the 13 year old prostitute selling her body and soul for one square meal. In fact, some of these same Ethiopians are the very ones who are the customers of these teenage prostitutes and then turn around and brag that they are developing Ethiopia.  Nah, most are just prostituting Ethiopia in order to gain material wealth, they are some of the biggest whores of Africa.

I can hear it now.  No really, you hear that, here comes the collective anger of the lynch mob and then the question arrives at my door steps. “Teddy, when was the last time you went to Ethiopia?”  “How can you pass judgement about Ethiopia when your ass has been in the United States for the past 30 years sipping buna at Starbucks?”  My answer to these inane questions is simple:  I have never been in Alaska yet I know there is beredo there and I have not been in Iowa in 4 year yet last I checked, they still grow corn there.  The fact is, in the age of Google, I am privy to just as much info about Addis as some Woyane cadre in Addis Ababa.  I don’t have to be there to know about the plight of my masses, I don’t have to be in Wollo to know that the majority live in despair.

So while the land grab continues and Meles continuously sells millions of acres to China and America while lining up his Armani pockets, I know the rest of my people continue to live in misery.  This is why the development in Ethiopia is nothing but developefail, until the time comes where kids in Bole don’t have to drink from murky waters flowing from the sewage of the sparking Sheraton, I refuse to salute Meles and his would be enablers.  Until the day arrives where 13 year old girls don’t have to sell their bodies to Westernized Ethiopians in order to sustain themselves for a day, I will forever believe that the only development in Ethiopia is a colonial one—except we are the ones colonizing ourselves  There is no collective development there, all I see is a collective failure.

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” ~Mother Theresa

[Development in Addis]

[DevelopeFail in Ethiopia]

Author

Teddy Fikre

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