House cleaning or window dressing? Are they playing us like a cheap fiddle again? For a while, it was all about the Meles Dam and how to collect nickels and…
Educorruption and the miseducation of Ethiopian youth “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. For the late Meles Zenawi and…
The sights and sounds of an African police state When Erin Burnett of CNN visited Ethiopia in July 2012, she came face-to-face with the ugly face of an African police state:…
2011: Dictatorship, corruption and the politics of fear and smear In December 2011, I wrote a commentary entitled, “Ethiopia: Land of Blood or Land of Corruption?” contrasting two portraits of…
The Sandcastles and Dams of African Dictators All dictators on the African continent have sought immortality by leaving a legacy that will outlive them and endure for the ages. But…
Alemayehu G. Mariam Ethio-Corruption, Inc. (Unlimited) “The people of Ethiopia are being bled dry. No matter how hard they try to fight their way out of absolute destitution and poverty,…
First, Why is Africa Poor? George Ayittey, the renowned Ghanaian economist and president of the Free Africa Foundation swears that “Africa is poor because she is not free”. Like Ayittey,…
By Alemayehu G. Mariam Life and Times of Democracy in Africa The long march of democracy in West Africa seems to be well underway. In July 2009, I wrote a weekly…
Originally appeared in the Huffington Post on 12/27/2010 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/ethiopian-groundhog-year_b_801384.html Groundhog Year in Prison Nation In December 2008, I wrote a weekly column entitled “Groundhog Year in Prison Nation” summarizing some…
By Alemayehu G. Mariam Note: This is the fourth installment in a series of commentaries I intend to offer on U.S. foreign policy (or lack thereof as some would argue)…