𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝, 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐒𝐚𝐦?

First posted on X (Twitter) on September 6, 2024https://x.com/AlMariam1/status/1831898256491590108

China has long made its relations with Africa a bedrock of its foreign policy. China has strongly and consistently supported African liberations movements in their struggle against colonialism during the Cold War.

Over the past three decades, China has used various strategies to establish close economic ties and integration with Africa. In 1999, China implemented its ‘Going Out’ strategy encouraging and supporting Chinese companies to invest in Africa, and other countries. That strategy created huge economic opportunities for Chinese companies and workers in Africa.

In 2003, China established the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit to strengthen economic relations with Africa, demonstrating China’s growing strategic initiatives and commitments in Africa. In 2013, China launched its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and provided billions in loans to African countries resulting in massive infrastructure projects across of Africa. China has wisely used its loan program as a tool for mutual benefit and cooperation. China does not weaponize loans to sanction or punish African countries or as a tool for interference in the internal politics of recipient countries.

African countries have reciprocated by strongly supporting China to became a member of the UN Security Council. All African countries recognize the government of the People’s Republic of China 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐲-𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐲, 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐲-𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐲 𝐄𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢 , (previously Swaziland , population 1.2 million), which is ridiculously stuck on the government in the Chinese province of Taiwan as the legitimate representative of China. Western leaders and media have waged relentless campaigns of demonization and disinformation on China, especially on China’s economic role in Africa. The demonization has taken place in the context of alleged China -US rivalry.

It is said China, as an emerging superpower, is strategically building stronger economic relationships with African countries to diminish and undermine Western role and influence. Western leaders and media say China is practicing neocolonialism in Africa with intentions to plunder its natural resources, exploit its trade relations and ultimately establish military bases in Africa. They say China has snagged Africa in debt trap diplomacy, burying African countries under a mountain of unsustainable and unserviceable loans. (Talking about “debt trap” the World Bank and the IMF are second to none in creating unsustainable debt for Africa and then using that to sanction and re-engineer African economies.)

They say Chinese investment in Africa is predatory designed to make African countries China’s dependents and effectively facilitate the sinofication of African economies, societies and cultures. They say China will seize ports and others projects it has built if African countries default on their loans.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚. 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦.

This week some 50 African leaders are Beijing for the Ninth FOCAC summit. President Xi pledged more than $50 billion in financing for Africa over the next three years and that China is ready to “deepen cooperation with African countries.” Xi said China will shift its focus on financial and environmental sustainability and development of skilled work force, employment creation and increased investments in the agriculture and energy sectors of Africa.

Truth be told, China has much to show for its efforts in Africa. China has built roads, bridges, telecommunications systems, deep water ports, rail lines, oil pipelines, hydroelectric dams, solar farms, industrial zones, airports and many other infrastructure projects. China has a special relationship with Ethiopia. The two countries have an “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.”

They are both members of BRICS. President Xi at FOCAC 2024 said Ethiopia China relations are a model for the rest of Africa. (See video below.) Xi said there is a “solid foundation of political mutual trust in cooperation between the two countries in various fields.” He said the two countries firmly support each other in the pursuit of their mutual goals. They have an “unbreakable ironclad relationship.” There is mutual learning between the two civilizations.

China will support Ethiopia’s post war reconstruction, development and revitalization. China will support Ethiopia’s plans for new infrastructure projects not only in Ethiopia but in the Horn region as a whole. McKinsey & Company’s, the largest and oldest global and management consulting firm in its latest report, “Dance of the Lions and Dragons,” projects Chinese firms in Africa could reach revenues of $440 billion in 2025 by aggressively expanding in both existing and new sectors on the continent. The question is not what is China doing in/for Africa.

China’s massive and extensive infrastructure investments and economic ties provide irrefutable testament. (Listen to video of (below) Ex- Greek finance minister foreign minster Yanis Varufakis’ explanation of China’s economic investments in Africa. See video below.) The question is what has the West, and especially the US, has done and will do in Africa.

There is a clear, new reality manifesting itself in Africa. China’s popularity in Africa is growing; the popularity of the US and the West is continuing to wane and decline. Such is the finding of a recent Gallup Poll on most influential global powers in Africa. In the poll, “the US slipped from 59% in 2022 to 56% in 2023. Of the four global powers asked about, the U.S. was the only one not to see its image improve across Africa in 2023.

Meanwhile, China’s approval in the region rose six percentage points, from 52% in 2022 to 58% in 2023, two points ahead of the U.S. China recorded its highest leadership approval rating in Africa in a decade.” https://news.gallup.com/poll/644222/loses-soft-power-edge-africa.aspx…

That is not all. Last year, Niger kicked out France and the US creating a gap in the global counterterrorism fight. Mali also kicked out French troops. Burkina Faso followed suit. The fact is Western demonization of China is falling on deaf ears in Africa. China is winning not only hearts and minds of ordinary Africans but also strong friends. In December 2022,

President Joe Biden pledged to commit $55 billion to Africa over the next three years for health, climate change, new trade and investment and women’s partnership. It is now almost December 2024, and the evidence of the promised $36 billion (2/3 of 55 billion) is hard to come by. Where is the evidence of new US trade and investment in Africa?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 “𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐀𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟕 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐲𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 “𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐢𝐝” 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.

Aid is band aid for Africa. It merely perpetuates African panhandling. Above all, the US and the West must stop use of economic sanctions against African countries that do not tow the US line on human rights and democracy.

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 “𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬” 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭. African countries are sick and tired of being lectured and hectored on their human rights violations and democratic deficits.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬. 𝐌𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒. 𝐄𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐒.

The late South African Bishop Desmond Tutu said, “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”

𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲, “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 “𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰” 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, “𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬.” 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐬.

As George Ayittey once observed: “The Cheetah Generation refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective. “They are dynamic, intellectually agile, and pragmatic. They may be the ‘restless generation’ but they are Africa’s new hope. They brook no nonsense about corruption, inefficiency, ineptitude, incompetence, or buffoonery.”

𝐎𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐬.

As for Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Lion and Chinese Dragon and forging ahead come hell or high water. The US and the West have done incalculable damage to Ethiopia through their sanctions, media demonization, diplomatic pressure and support for terrorists that have cost a million Ethiopia lives.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, “𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭.” 𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚-𝐔𝐒 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

In the words of Alexader Pope: What future bliss, he gives not thee to know, But gives that hope to be thy blessing now. Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest…