The Dogs of Propaganda War Keep on Barking, the Ethiopian Camel Keeps on Walking…
Author’s Note: In the commentary below, I explain why every Ethiopian should rise up and defend Ethiopia’s name and honor against the well-planned and coordinated attack of the Axis Gang of Five who masquerade as human rights defenders and impartial media. I shall argue there is a well-coordinated global propaganda and psychological war being waged on Ethiopia and Ethiopians today. This is the time for all Ethiopian intellectuals in the country and in the diaspora to come to the aid of their country and repel the Axis Gang of Five foreign propaganda armies who have declared a war of smear and fear on Ethiopia’s good name and honor.
“Ask not what Ethiopia can do for you. Ask what you can do to vanquish Ethiopia’s enemies.”
The Axis Gang of Five ganging up on Ethiopia last week
In “Julius Caesar”, Shakespeare’s Mark Antony portends doom and gloom:
… And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,/ With Ate by his side come hot from hell,/ Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice/ Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war/ …/ That this foul deed shall smell above the earth…/
The inveterate Ethiopia Haters and Doomsayers, the AXIS GANG OF FIVE – Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, AmNasty International, Freedom House – last week joined forces, cried “Havoc” and unloaded a blitzkrieg of lies, fake news and disinformation on Ethiopia.
Al JAZEERA, or as I prefer to call it, “Ethiopia Hater, and proved it, once again unleashed its attack dogs of propaganda war on Ethiopia.
It has now become part of Al Jazeera’s weekly agenda to dog and hate on Ethiopia with its usual pack howling, “The sky is falling on Ethiopia.”
It is the usual sensational drivel which I will not dignify by repeating.
I recently asked, “Why Does Al Jazeera Hate Ethiopia?”
Now, I know.
Al Jazeera’s mission of hate on Ethiopia is part of Egypt’s not-so-secret agenda to destabilize and demonize Ethiopia.
I have analyzed Al Jazeera’s reporting in English on Ethiopia over the past couple of years.
There is no doubt in my mind the Al Jazeera’s systematic slant, bias and distortions on Ethiopia are calculated to blacken Ethiopia’s international image and vilify its people.
Then came a “report” from some imperious, self-important, hoity-toity outfit called “CRISIS GROUP”.
Truth be told, this outfit should call itself, “Wanna Start a Crisis Group”.
Their reason for existence is to imagine, fantasize, invent and cook up nonexistent crises in Ethiopia and Africa so they can pontificate.
This “Group” issued a report entitled, “Toward an End to Ethiopia’s Federal-Tigray Feud” masquerading as some sort of policy analysis.
These arrogant and pretentious pseudo-intellectuals smugly offer their elixir of peace and assure us that if we dutifully follow their instructions all our problems will be solved.
Their latest report is the same old crock of dog poop they have been peddling for years.
With one exception: These days, they are so desperate they have brought out their long knives to go after PM Abiy Ahmed.
(Truth be told, the Axis Gang of Five began their plot against Ethiopia the day PM Abiy Ahmed was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
If there is Peace and democracy in Ethiopia, there will be no money for them. They will be headed from moral bankruptcy to financial bankruptcy.)
The name Crisis Group is just right because it describes their business model to a T.
Crisis Group exists by manufacturing crisis.
They thrive by monetizing crisis.
They survive merchandizing crisis.
No crisis in Ethiopia, no donations, no money!
No money, BIG, BIG Crisis in Crisis Group.
Crisis Group has no interest in promoting peace and good governance in Ethiopia.
Peace in Ethiopia is against their self-interest.
Peace in Ethiopia is bad for the business of Crisis Group.
More crisis in Ethiopia, mo’ money, mo’ money for Crisis Group. That is just the way it is!
Crisis Group has no interest in the welfare of the Ethiopian people.
The Crisis Group crew thinks they can hoodwink the Ethiopian people with their half-baked report and ill-conceived “recommendations” about how the Federal government and the TPLF should resolve their disputes.
But these Crisis Group idiots have no clue (or are willfully ignorant of) about the repeated efforts made by highly respected Ethiopian elders and faith leaders to resolve the bogus crisis manufactured by the TPLF.
They have no idea how many times people of good will and good faith have labored to mediate and bring the TPLF to the table and reasonably address its issues with the federal government.
They have no clue how many times the TPLF has been given the opportunity to resolve issues in a peaceful manner.
They completely ignore the fact that their TPLF client has an obligation to live by and resolve issues under the very Constitution the TPLF wrote to protect its own interests in Ethiopia for over a quarter of a century!
But Crisis Group has the audacity to issue their bull_ _ _t report on how the Ethiopian federal government should resolve its differences with a bunch of thugs calling themselves the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front.
Talk about the height of ignorant arrogance!
For years, Crisis Group has been predicting Armageddon and Apocalypse in Ethiopia.
I know the Crisis Group crew ragging on Ethiopia today is crooked as a dog’s hind legs.
I know for a fact that during the thug days of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front, they kept their mouths shut.
Those who are today speaking as experts and authorities and making grand recommendations to solve Ethiopia problems used to cower, grovel and hide as the TPLF kicked their asses. I have the goods on them!
Now that there is freedom of speech and of press in Ethiopia, they yap, groan and growl like hungry kennel dogs.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL or as I prefer to call it AmNasty International joined the assault with its statement.
It is the same old crap dumped on a different day.
Recently, I exposed the AmNasty International frauds.
The AmNasty hypocrites trash the human rights of their employees and without blinking an eye lecture Ethiopians on human rights.
Read my article and judge for yourself.
They are rotten to the core!
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH opened up its propaganda shelling of Ethiopia in a hyped headline, “Opposition Figures Held Without Charge”.
The “opposition figures” Human Rights Watch is howling about are murderers, genociders, terrorists and corpse snatchers.
The “opposition figures” Human Rights Watch is crying about “smiled as they murdered innocent Ethiopians and burned down their houses as they smiled”.
Human Rights Watch does not have a doggone thing to say about the pregnant Ethiopian woman who was decapitated in front of her husband and children under the command and control of the “opposition figures.”
Human Rights Watch does not have a doggone thing to say about the thousands who were burned out of their houses and rendered homeless and are hiding out in church yards under the command and control of the “opposition figures.”
Human Rights Watch does not have a doggone thing to say about the criminals who murdered and maimed innocent people because of their ethnicity and religion under the command and control of the “opposition figures.”
Human Rights Watch watches with indifference the tragic plight of innocent Ethiopians who were murdered and champions the cause of those “opposition figures” who engineered, planned and coordinated the killings, plunder and destruction.
Let me tell you something Human Rights Watch: ETHIOPIAN LIVES MATTER!
I know Human Rights Watch makes its money trafficking in the misery of Africans and others.
I know the stories they tell the Hollywood glitterati to make them open their wallets.
I know how they demonize us and monetize our misery.
I was there watching them like the fly on the wall!
Lo and behold, FREEDOM HOUSE came out of the woodwork and sermonized, “The government, citizens, and the international community should act now to prevent the promise of a new Ethiopia from slipping away.”
Really! “Freedom House, Savior of the New Ethiopia!”
The hubris of white privilege!
Freedom House usually stays on the sidelines but in the coordinated blitzkrieg offensive last week, they were called up to man the rearguard.
One truth all Ethiopians must understand it this: Our “human rights saviors” are actually HUMAN RIGHTS PIMPS!
They generate hundreds of millions of dollars for themselves commodifying our pain, chattelizing our suffering, merchandizing our miseries and trading on our misfortunes on the global human rights market.
They pimp us like street whores to their donors telling them we are hopeless basket cases, charity cases.
They tell their donors, just like their colonial forebears, the African savages must be saved from themselves. Their ancestors called it, the “civilizing mission”. Today, these pimps call it, “the human rights mission”.
Truth be told, it is Human Rights Watch, AmNasty International, Crisis Group, Freedom House and their ilk that are the true charity cases.
They collect donations grating on the consciences of their bleeding heart liberal donors of their divine mandate to save the lawless, brainless and hopeless Africans.
But who the hell are these PIMPS to tell us what is good and bad for us? What we should do and do not. How we should handle our business.
I say to the Axis Gang of Five, “GO TO HELL! HELL! HELL!”
Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and the rest love to hate on Ethiopia just like a dog loves to chew on a bone.
No matter the barking dogs.
All of these pretentious and self-important human rights pimps think they can somehow change or control Ethiopia’s fate by issuing their silly ass dictats, edicts and recommendations.
I can tell them all with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY no self-respecting, patriotic Ethiopian gives a rat’s ass about their reports, dictats, pronouncements, declarations, pseudo-injunctions and decrees.
An old African proverb teaches, “When the dogs bark, the camels just keeps walking.” More importantly, “The barking of dogs does not disturb the man on the camel”.
Let me make it crystal clear.
Truth be told, I don’t give a rat’s ass about what Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and their ilk say or do not say about Ethiopia.
The reason is simple:
They have no skin in the Ethiopian game!
If Ethiopia goes to hell in a hand basket, so much the better for them.
Ethiopia in tatters is the best thing that can happen to their business and will help them generate more donations and expand their audiences as they save the savage Africans from themselves.
If large scale ethnic conflict occurs in Ethiopia, Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, AmNasty International, Freedom House and the rest will be happier than a dog with two tails.
They have no interest in the well-being of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian people or Ethiopia’s future.
They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They preach democracy, human rights, good governance because they believe we are too dumb and stupid to figure it out ourselves.
Make no mistake about who they are and their true intentions.
In Shakespeare’s words:
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. / An evil soul producing holy witness/
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, / A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”
These villains will preach the religion of human rights and produce holy witness to convict Ethiopia in the court of world public opinion.
These villains will smile and smirk as they hate on Ethiopia and scandalize her name.
These pompous asses will pontificate about what needs to be done in Ethiopia and hector PM Abiy Ahmed what he should and should not do.
Frankly, they can criticize all they want. It does not bother me. I believe in free speech.
But what I will not put up with the imperious commands, dictats and pronouncements.
To me, Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, AmNasty International, Freedom House and their ilk masquerading as human rights organizations are nothing more than the modern-day reincarnations in Africa of Rudyard Kipling who waxed poetic about the “White Man’s burden”.
These self-appointed White Knight messiahs have the gall and audacity to tell the “half-devil, half child” Ethiopians how to run their politics and societies and save them from themselves.
I am not just offended. I am outraged and insulted.
Truth be told, I am madder than a three-legged dog trying to bury turd on an icy pond.
The Truth if you can handle it…
Crisis Group is emboldened to preach and teach crisis in Ethiopia because Ethiopian intellectuals do not have the courage to tackle and take them down.
Human Rights Watch is dragging Ethiopia’s name in the gutter because Ethiopian intellectuals do not have the guts to smack them down.
Al Jazeera trots out its lapdogs to churn out lies, fake news and disinformation because Ethiopian intellectuals are not willing to do what it takes to hold them accountable and to defend the honor and dignity of the Ethiopian people.
Unfortunately, Ethiopian “intellectuals” are no where to be found to take down these self-righteous, arrogant and sanctimonious hypocrites.
Ten years ago, I wrote a commentary entitled, “Where Have the Ethiopian Intellectuals Gone?”
My question today remains unanswered.
An old Jewish saying teaches, “A nation’s treasure is its scholars (intellectuals).”
I guess the Ethiopian treasury is bone dry in more than one way.
Because Ethiopian intellectuals have gone AWOL, Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch and rest of them continue to put on their old and tired dog and pony Ethiopia Hate Show.
Because Ethiopian intellectuals have fled the intellectual battlefield, Ethiopia’s name is dragged in the mud in the international media like wild dogs dragging carrion in the bush.
Shame on Ethiopian intellectuals for allowing these intellectual charlatans and imposters to dictate to us.
Shame on us for not standing up for Ethiopia’s honor.
Shame on us for letting them indoctrinate us into believing we are dumb and stupid to stand up for our rights and we can be saved only by the grace of their benevolence.
Let me make it crystal clear!
Nobody ever won a war on land, air, sea, or in propaganda by running away or fighting defensively.
Let there be no doubt!
The Axis of the Gang of Five has declared an all out propaganda war on Ethiopia today.
They are on the warpath!
It is a relentless psychological war.
It is a pernicious propaganda war of words.
It is a war calculated to annihilate our self-confidence.
It is a war on our hopes.
It is a war calculated to instigate fear and despair in our minds and hearts.
It is a war calculated to demoralize the Ethiopian people, demonize Ethiopian leaders and scandalize the glorious name of Ethiopia.
Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and the rest have weaponized information.
Every day, they bombard us with their lies.
Every day, they shell us with their fake reports.
Every day, they attack us with a barrage of unsubstantiated allegations and innuendoes.
Every week, they coordinate and unload a blitzkrieg of disinformation to destroy our will to fight, to resist, to take charge of our destiny.
What is their strategic objective?
Their grand strategic objective is to knock out the ONE BRIGHT STAR in the African constellation: ETHIOPIA!
Make sure there is no PEACE in Ethiopia because Peace in Ethiopia means PEACE in all of Africa.
PEACE in Africa means total bankruptcy for Axis Gang of Five!
So their strategic aim is:
1) Capture and control our hearts and minds.
2) Demonize Ethiopia and turn world public opinion against her.
3) Dominate the national dialogue and discussion on our politics and society with their agenda.
4) Dictate terms on how we should manage our affairs and
5) Line their pockets on our misery.
We, all Ethiopians and especially Ethiopian intellectuals, are at the crossroads.
We can choose to become “bandas” (collaborators, puppets) and stand with Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and their ilk and serve as mercenaries in their propaganda wars against Ethiopia, or
We can choose to stand up for Ethiopia like our forefathers and foremothers and be on the right side of history.
We can watch and bellyache as Ethiopia comes under attack by its propaganda enemies day and night or
Stand up and defend her honor and dignity.
We can wait for our enemies try to dismantle Ethiopia with their poisonous propaganda day by day and piece by piece or
We can stand up to them and tell them to mind their own businesses and to leave us the hell alone.
We can let the neocolonial pseudo-intellectuals tell us what to think, what to believe in and what to do or
We can tell them to go to hell, hell, hell!!!
Call to action to Ethiopian intellectuals wherever they are…
Ethiopia is under a relentless and devastating global propaganda attack.
Ethiopian intellectuals and scholars must be the tip of the spear in fighting the propaganda war online, in cyberspace, in the halls of government, in the professional forums and wherever else the enemy attacks.
We can no longer stand on sidelines as spectators as the Ethiopia’s enemies rain their propaganda venom on our people.
I will say it plainly. You cannot afford to be “summer soldiers, sunshine patriots” and fair-weathered friends of your country.
You must be actively engaged in combating those who use propaganda, disinformation, lies and fake news to vilify Ethiopia.
Diaspora Ethiopian intellectuals have a special duty and responsibility.
Nearly two decades ago, the late Prof. Edward Said of Columbia University in one of his serialized lectures offered counsel to exiled intellectuals.
Said urged exiled scholars to aspire to become public intellectuals connecting their scholarship to issues and policies that impact the lives of ordinary people.
Said argued exiled intellectuals have special responsibilities to advocate and work for progressive change while remaining vigilant over those who abuse and misuse their power. Above all, they have an obligation to always speak truth to power and stand for and with the voiceless, the powerless and the defenseless.
We Ethiopian intellectuals should be the bulwarks of liberty and human rights in Ethiopia, NOT Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House.
We Ethiopian intellectuals should investigate and issue reports on human rights violations NOT Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House.
All Ethiopians should look to build homegrown human rights organizations who know the real deal on what is happening NOT Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House who sit in air conditioned offices in Doha, London, Paris, New York and wherever else they hang out churning out their half-truths, lies, fake news and disinformation on Ethiopia.
We have our own human rights monitoring group led by an individual with integrity.
I will listen to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission before I pay any attention to the hectoring of deluded white radicals and liberals sitting in their air conditioned offices in London, New York, etc., trying to save the “African savages.”
The Axis Gang of Five are captives of the lunatic fringe in Ethiopia – terrorists and their sympathizers, murderers and genociders. If you don’t believe me look up the names of their local snitches, excuse me “informants”. Indeed, they make a special effort to hide the names of their informants!
The fact of the matter is that the Axis Gang of Five have been willingly infiltrated by terrorist sympathizers who serve as their local representatives.
These local representatives have their own agenda promoting terrorists and criminals masquerading as “freedom fighters”. and “opposition figures”.
The Axis Gang of Five are merely the all-too-willing tools promoting the “Hate Ethiopia” agenda because that is the once credo that united them all.
How long are we willing to be the patsies and dupes of Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House?
How long are we willing to allow Al Jazeera, Crisis Group, AmNasty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House to trash Ethiopia’s sovereignty?
How long?
My answer: Not anymore!
My call to (young) Ethiopian intellectuals
Lead and I will follow you to hell and back in fighting Ethiopia’s enemies in the global propaganda war.
Or let me lead you in fighting Ethiopia’s enemies wherever they rear their ugly heads.
It is your choice!
Postscript: On a personal note
I realize that there may be some who will dismiss the Axis Gang of Five as a bunch of crybabies. They tell me, “Their bark is worse than their toothless bite.”
I am tempted to feel the same way paraphrasing the lyrics of Elvis Presley:
“The Axis Gang of Five ain’t nothin’ but hound dogs
Cryin’ all the time
Well, they ain’t never caught a human rights violator and they ain’t no friend of mine.
But I never underestimate the enemy.
There comes a time when a (wo)man must stand for one’s country or watch it fall into pieces, dismantled piece by piece by its enemies.
That is the grand strategy of the Gang of Five, the slow, persistent and methodical dismantlement of Ethiopia by infecting the minds of Ethiopians with self-doubt, distrust, confusion and fear and loathing.
Like a dog returns to its vomit, I expect the Axis Gang of Five to return and vomit their venom on Ethiopia day after day, week after year, month after month.
I harbor no illusions.
What I aim is to do everything in my power to make them eat their own vomit each time.
It is said, “One cannot teach an old dog new tricks.”
The Axis Gang of Five will never learn or accept the fact WE Ethiopians, and WE alone, are masters of our fate and captains of our destiny!
The era of colonialism where white masters dictated to savage Africans is over.
The white European colonists who tried to break Ethiopia’s back and bring her to her knees were kicked out of Ethiopia on their knees because my forefathers, our forefather, taught them a lesson they will never forget.
That’s what Ethiopia’s patriots must rise up and do today. Kick the Axis Gang of Five in the rear end anytime, any place.
Let me put it with brutal honesty: Let’s tell these cloaked neocolonial white supremacists, using their black lackeys in Africa, stay the hell out of our business.
I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of white radicals and liberals sitting on their asses in their London, New York and whatever offices they have telling us what to do and not do.
Let this be timeless truth be a lesson to all of us.
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in his “Letter to Birmingham Jail” wrote:
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White citizens’ “Councilor” or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace… Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will…
Let me make my honest confession too.
I have reached the regrettable conclusion that the great stumbling block in Africa’s stride towards human rights are hypocrites that run the Axis Gang of Five.
They have a shallow understanding of our history, our people, our hopes, dreams and aspirations.
They don’t give a rat’s ass about us.
In the grand scheme of things, I know the Gang of Five will never defeat Ethiopians UNITED!
That is because we are ETHIOPIA INVICTUS. ETHIOPIA THE UNCONQERABLE!
But I want the Gang of Five to know NEVER to tread on the green, yellow and red.
So, paraphrasing Shakespeare, the Axis Gang of Five will
Strut and fret their hours upon the international stage, /And then are heard no more. Theirs is a tale told by arrogant idiots, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.
But I never underestimate the enemy because the enemy is smart, resourceful and always ready to use his ultimate weapon: Divide and conquer.
I will need the help of every Ethiopian, especially young Ethiopians who can use a pen, paper or computer keyboard to help me fight the enemies of Ethiopia in the global propaganda war.
Let there be no mistake.
Even if no one comes to my side, I will fight the Axis Gang of Five alone with my pen and keyboard, tooth and nail, until hell freezes over the and the devil goes ice skating.
Then I will fight the Axis Gang of Five devils on the ice mano a mano!
I NEED YOUR help in fighting the Axis Gang of Five. YOU who are reading this piece!
My offer to the Axis Gang of Five they can’t refuse
IF YOU STOP LYING ABOUT ETHIOPIA, I WILL STOP TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU!!!
Deal?
The Ethiopian camel will just keep on walking…slowly, patiently, unstoppably. Indeed, the barking of the dogs does not disturb the man driving the camel.
TO BE CONTINUED AND NEVER END… BECAUSE THE ENEMY NEVER SLEEPS!
