HERE AND THERE FROM THE FORUM
by Fetsum Abraham

Reflection: Failing to exchange knowledge or ideas after reading posts is not productive at all. The more ideas we exchange through this forum, the closer we approach our destination. We cannot read ideas and keep passive and expect solutions. We need to exhaust new ideas to the limit and get to the next step through active participation. Please honesty comment on the articles you read to generate new ideas, to encourage writers to continue writing and for new writers to come forward.
Narrative
Dawit Meconen is one of the gentlemen who often communicates in this forum. I found his remarks interesting for discussion. I am specially impressed by his concept of TYRANY and the so-called WEYANE CONSPIRACY against Eritrea because his vision seems to be focused on the two subjects for the most part, for valid reasons. This article will discuss my opinion on the first subject and a follow up will do the rest.
In the mean time, brother Petros Haile has come up with interesting and original questions for all of us to think about. I ask the readers to stay alert for my input so that we can get the chance to exchange ideas on it. Please do not miss this opportunity and hurt the resistance. You have to know that we are scavenging for anything that helps solve our problems because we have been sleeping for too long.
In response to one of my articles, Dawit Meconen on February 14, 2013 after few arguments states; “….Isaias Afewerqi should not be viewed as a tyrant because that is very superficial and misleading but as a die-hard Conspirator against the very existence of our country. His willful extermination of our Intellectuals throughout the Liberation War and post Independence; His invasion of Ethiopia in 1998 in breach of International Law; His step by step suspension of the Constitution, disbanding of the Baito and incarceration of Senior Officials to rot in prison in 2001 and many many others are the immutable testimonies of wickedness. Stop calling him “tyrant”; call him by his real name, ” Conspirator””
Comment
I think the universal (neutral) definition of the term TYRANT should settle the difference in my opinion.
SOURCE 1
“A   t y r a n t   ( G r e e k   ,   t y r a n n o s ) ,   i n   i t s   m o d e r n   E n g l i s h   u s a g e ,   i s   a   r u l e r   o f   a   c r u e l   a n d   o p p r e s s i v e   c h a r a c t e r w h o   i s   a n   a b s o l u t e   r u l e r   u n r e s t r a i n e d   b y   l a w   o r   c o n s t i t u t i o n ,   o r   o n e   w h o   h a s   u s u r p e d   s o v e r e i g n t y .”
SOURCE 2
”A t y r a n t  [is]
1 .  a   s o v e r e i g n   o r   o t h e r   r u l e r   w h o   u s e s   p o w e r   o p p r e s s i v e l y   o r   u n j u s t l y .
2 .  a n y   p e r s o n   i n   a   p o s i t i o n   o f   a u t h o r i t y   w h o   e x e r c i s e s   p o w e r   o p p r e s s i v e l y   o r   d e s p o t i c a l l y .
3 .  a   t y r a n n i c a l   o r   c o m p u l s o r y   i n f l u e n c e .
4 .  a n   a b s o l u t e   r u l e r”
Conclusion: Brother Dawit’s opinion is equally valid but his characterization of the president (see above in italics) directly over-qualifies Afwerki for a TYRANT according to the two independent impressions (Source 1 and 2) of the term. I cannot comment on his theory that the president was a conspirator of the ‘WEYANEs’ because I do not have material evidence.
Brother Dawit further states: “I admit all the above evidences are circumstantial, and ontop of that, all of them have overlaying reasons skillfully crafted and ornamented, geared for maximum deception of the naive and gullible. But again, you do not expect sloppy work from exceptionally intelligent but dishonest con artist like Isaias Afewerqi.”
Comment
Afwerki to me is a very sloppy individual who cannot manage a society fewer in number than the population of Addis. He failed to manage an average Mayor’s assignment in any society. Visionary intelligence cannot and does not destroy society and misunderstand the basic elements of freedom and coexistence necessary for life but Machiavellian intelligence does only when it is applicable (“the art of manipulation in which others are socially manipulated in a way that benefits the user, whether it is to the detriment of the people being used. The user[s] would feel little to no remorse or empathy when their actions harm others”).
Afwerki’s application of Machiavellian intelligence in a totally inappropriate situation by it self is a proof that he was not intelligent at all because such an intelligence was designed for unpopular dictators of the likes of Mengistu and Idi Amin not for unanimously accepted cults like Mandela and Afwerki. Mandela was intelligent to use his social status and political power to secure all South Africans justice, equality, peaceful coexistence, unity and democracy and defy mortality through his outstanding legacy.
Our guy in fact had every thing he needed to do the best for us even while still staying in power democratically more than what Mandela had on the ground. His despicable unintelligence stood in the way for this man to waste a very rare opportunity into trapping the society and himself in such a terrible cavity. Mandela harmonized his opponents but this guy restlessly damages his own backyard and comfort zone. Mandela used his intelligence to mold his spirituality and overcome his ego into delivering maximum contribution to society but Afwerki’s worthless intelligence put us all in this extremely intricate situation. The man if full of darkness to only out-radiate ignorance, misery, violence, deception and suffering to the human race at large.
I have done an intensive work on this topic in my book “The Curse of Being and Living it” for those interested in the subject matter. The book psychoanalyzed the mind of the dictator and the convergence and divergence points of his political performance vis-à-vis Machiavelli.
Coming back, hurting the poor and the needy people and lawlessly destroying lives without remorse or empathy is not intelligence my brother, but rather psychological sickness. Misplacing reality, compassion, reason, trust and love, and isolating the self in apprehension reflect futility rather than intelligence. It requires exceptional idiosyncrasy not exceptional intelligence to be the worst dictator since 2007 in the extremely obedient and welcoming socio-political scenario.
Afwerki’s con-artistry is not original but a duplicate of other oppressive societies in history. According to Yemane’s “THE YPFDJ CULT- part one – Insider’s Account
Posted on March 14, 2013 by assenna” on the social psychology of Afwerkism; “
It certainly didn’t take much for us to realize the course was not about how to help or serve people in a community the best way possible; no, it was teachings about the modern methods of mind control, meaning what techniques to employ to control the behaviors, feelings and thoughts of human beings. He was lecturing us in behavior modification techniques utilized by long-gone totalitarian states as the Soviet Union, Maoist China, Nazi Germany, Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, Libya, Chile, Iran, and former Yugoslavia and from few other similar regimes.”
The rest is all about extreme control, killing people or hurting them psychologically to remain useless. One needs to be a thug to start with to do what the president has been doing for years in this regard. Anyone can kill and hurt people should these acts require intelligence or “SIBENET” but only the most down-to-earth SEBUUT such as Mandela, and at a lower level such as Rawlings and Meles change societies through political power. Please do not see Meles in view of Eritrea but rather in view of Ethiopia; in terms of the interest of his people: what he did for them in terms of education, democracy, business economy, freedom of press and movement, and ethnic harmony!!
The brother further states; “However, Isaias Afewerqi is not working alone; woyane is his identical twin. Therefore, those of you who are floating with woyane believing you are struggling against Isaias Afewerqi, not only you have wasted your precious time, and probably your money too, but you have also been giving Isaias Afewerqi legitimacy to his perjury..”
In different response to my latest post, he respectfully articulated his statement on the question of WEYANE CONSPIRACY against our people stating; “F i s t u m   s h o u l d   b e   c o m m e n d e d   f o r   h i s   s e r v i c e   a g a i n s t   I s a i a s   A f e w e r q i .   U n f o r t u n a t e l y ,   b e c a u s e   h e   h a s   n e v e r ,   a s   f a r   a s   I   r e m e m b e r ,   v o i c e d   a n y   o b j e c t i o n   a g a i n s t   W o y a n e ,   t h o s e   o f   u s   w h o   a r e   e x t r e m e l y   c o n c e r n e d   w i t h   t h e   v i a b i l i t y   o f   o u r   S o v e r e i g n t y   m u s t   b e   c a r e f u l   e n d o r s i n g   h i s   o p i n i o n s   w i t h o u t   c r i t i c a l   l o o k   a t   h i s   d e f i c i e n c i e s .
In another statement on the relationship between the WEYANS AND THE OPPOSITION FORCES, he states; “F i s t u m   d o e s   n o t   e x p r e s s   a n y   r e s e r v a t i o n   o r   c o n c e r n   o n   t h o s e   s o   c a l l e d   E r i t r e a n   o p p o s i t i o n  ,   w h o   n o t   o n l y   h a v e   c l o s e   a s s o c i a t i o n   w i t h   w o y a n e   b u t   a l s o   d r a w   t h e   n e c e s s i t i e s   o f   t h e i r   e x i s t e n c e   f r o m   w o y a n e .   A s   a   m a t t e r   o f   f a c t ,   h e   w i s h e s   t h e m   s u c c e s s   o n   t h e i r   m e e t i n g s   i n   A d d i s   A b e b a . ”
Comment:
I respect my brother’s theory very much so and I honestly thank him for alerting my readers not to be taken for a ride by anyone who writes in this forum relevant to the subject matters of his concern including me. But I partially deviate from his state of mind on the two mutually inclusive topics. Let me stop here in respect of your time, however, promising to come back soon with my view on the WEYANE SYNDROME to complete my communication with brother Dawit and to provoke a stage for dialogue with the active participants of the forum and the special few that have been giving me so much love and strongly motivating me to work harder in this struggle for freedom in Eritrea.