SEEING BEYOND THE EPIDERMIS

There is a lot of talk in the media nowadays that America’s image in the world has been tarnished by the way its foreign policy was handled. Now that a black man who is son of a Kenyan father and Kansan mother is vying for the Presidency, many want to know whether Americans have the moral fiber to see beyond the epidermis. There has been a lot of hubbub about Barack Obama’s ability to handle the highest office in the land. What these folks don’t understand is that graduating from Harvard, the most prestigious university in the world, is not peanuts. Furthermore women political aspirants have not been fortunate either. Geraldine Ferraro, Hilary Clinton, and McCain’s best pick, Sarah Palin, have seen the unbalanced taste of American politics. The only time humans will see each other as equals is when color and gender become things of the past.

AMERICA NEEDS MADAM PRESIDENT

To break the barrier to the racist sentiments, male chauvinism, misguided political phantasms, and macho that have been dragging on since 1776 when America declared independence from England, it is best we carryout a research into the world’s past and present historical perspectives to unravel the gigantic roles women painstakingly played to advance human civilization.

History is replete with awe-inspiring women leaders who left behind philosophical and immeasurable historical legacies and immense archeological treasures articulately illustrated in cuneiform, hieroglyphic, and scriptural writings and other ancient books and I wonder why the greatest democracy in the world, the United States of America, has never given contemporary American women the chance to hold the reins of power to exercise their inalienable rights as enshrined in the U.S. constitution.

The closest an American woman has been to the U.S. Presidency was in 1984 when Geraldine Ferraro, who represented New York’s 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by Democratic Party Presidential contender Walter Mondale as his running mate. Just recently, New York Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton, wife of former President Bill Clinton, conceded defeat in the 2008 Democratic Primaries in a tightly contested race that saw Barack Obama trounce her by a wide margin. The irony is that, Barack Obama chose Joe Biden, a man who has been in Washington politics for over three decades to fill the VP slot.

Whichever preceded the other, Mesopotamian, Persian, Yemeni, and Egyptian past antiquities highlight the existence of women queens who ruled with astuteness, uprightness, and fortitude better than their male partners of their time. Queen Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of noble ladies’, a Pharaonic queen of judicious willpower has been mentioned in the writings of Manetho, a historian who lived during the Ptolemaic era, as having ruled Egypt for 21 years and 9 months.

The Queen of Sheba, a wealthy woman who lived the time of Prophet/King Solomon has been called by a variety of names by different people at different times. Her historical accounts have been cited in Egyptian, Hebraic, Christian, Qur’anic, Ethiopic and Nubian, medieval and renaissance accounts and also in popular culture, academic and archeological discoveries. It is said that she ruled upon a people who worshipped the sun instead of the Lord of the Worlds. In Christianity, Sheba is mentioned in a passage from Isaiah 60:6 that states: “and they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring forth gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord.”[1] Likewise, the Qur’an mentions the Queen of Sheba in the 27th chapter when a Hoopoe bird at the time of Solomon pioneered to investigate her palace and mighty rule supposedly located in modern Yemen. Upon returning to her departure point, the Hoopoe presented herself before Solomon with the following announcement: “I found them reigned over by a Queen, and she has been given abundance of everything, and she has a magnificent throne.” [2]

The United Kingdom, a monarchy separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel has had Queen Elizabeth II on the throne since 2 June, 1953, when she was coroneted in a televised ceremony watched by over twenty million people held at Westminster Abbey, London, when her father, King George VI, died of lung cancer. News of her father’s death was relayed to her while vacationing at Sagana Lodge, Kenya, a colony of England by then. Queen Elizabeth II is head of the Commonwealth, “…a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, most of which are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies (the exception being the United Kingdom and Mozambique).” [3]

Prominent women leaders of this century include Indira Gandhi, a former Oxford University graduate and former Prime Minister of India who ruled for three consecutive terms between 1966 until 1984 when she was assassinated by her own bodyguards. She was reputed for having nationalized her nation’s banking industry and for overseeing India’s inclusion into the nuclear fraternity. In Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Hazina Wazed spearheaded democratic institutions while President Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka, a woman who escaped many attempts on her life in the pursuit of peaceful coexistence between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil, served multiple terms between 1999 and 2005 as Prime Minister and as President. Her mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was elected first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on July 1, 1960; the same day my Horn of Africa nation of Somalia proclaimed independence from Italy and England respectively.

The fabulous input of women in global organization does not end there. Benazir Bhutto, daughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan at the age of 35 in 1988. She became the first woman head of state in modern history to lead a Muslim nation of over 100 million inhabitants. A graduate of Radcliffe College at Harvard University, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with cum laude honors in comparative government in 1973. Pakistan’s 12th and 18th Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto became a victim of assassination on December 27, 2007 while leaving a political rally in the city of Rawalpindi, two weeks before the general election of 2008.

Chronology of World Women Leaders

• 1916: Jeanette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
• 1930: Alexandra Kollontai of the former Soviet Union appointed ambassador to Sweden becoming the first woman in modern history to hold such a position.
• 1933: Frances Perkins appointed Secretary of Labor becoming first female Cabinet member in U.S. history.
• 1960: Japan’s first female cabinet member, Nakayama Masa is appointed Minister of Health and Welfare.
• 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka becomes the world’s first female Prime Minister.
• 1966: Indira Gandhi elected first female Prime Minister of India.
• 1968: Soong Ching-ling named Co-Chairwoman of the People’s Republic of China.
• 1969: Golda Meir becomes first female Prime Minister of Israel.
• 1974: Maria Estela Martinez succeeded her husband to become the first female head of Argentina and the first female head of state in the Americas.
• 1977: Patricia Harris becomes the first African-American woman to join the U.S. Cabinet becoming Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
• 1979: Maria Lourdes Pintasilgo named first woman Prime Minister of Portugal.
• 1979: Lidia Geiler becomes first woman President of Bolivia.
• 1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1979: Simone Weil of France named first woman President of the European Parliament.
• 1980: Iceland’s Vigdis Finnbogadottir elected first woman President.
• 1980: Jeanne Sauve of Canada appointed first woman speaker of the House of Commons.
• 1981: Gro Harlem Brundtland becomes first woman Prime Minister of Norway.
• 1982: Agatha Barbara of Malta elected President.
• 1982: Milka Planinc becomes first woman Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.
• 1985: Maria Liberia-Peters becomes first woman Prime Minister of Netherlands-Antilles.
• 1986: Corazon Aquino elected first woman President of the Philippines.
• 1988: Benazir Bhutto elected first woman Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world.
• 1989: Violeta Barrios de Chamorro becomes President of Nicaragua.
• 1990: Mary Robinson elected first woman President of Ireland.
• 1990: Ertha Pascal-Trouillot elected first woman President of Haiti.
• 1990: Carmen Lawrence becomes first woman Premier of Australia.
• 1991: Edith Cresson elected first woman Prime Minister of France.
• 1991: Khaleda Zia Rahman elected first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• 1991: Rita Johnson of Canada elected first woman Premier.
• 1992: Hanna Suchocka becomes first woman Prime Minister of Poland.
• 1993: Tansu Ciller becomes first woman Prime Minister of Turkey.
• 1993: Sylvie Kinigi becomes Burundi’s first female Prime Minister. [4]

While the list could be endless, between 1993 and 2008; more than twenty nations have had women Heads of States while the strongest power in the world, the United States of America has had none. The U.S. has produced the likes of Condoleezza Rice who became the first black lady and the second female to head the Department of State after Madeleine Albright who served the Clinton administration.

Recently, Republican Party Presidential hopeful Senator John McCain picked Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his Vice President and running mate -a choice that caused consternation among opposition Democrats. Bill Burton, Barack Obama’s spokesman, in a strongly worded statement, was quoted by the press as saying: “Today John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the Presidency”. [5]

Elisabeth Bumiller sent the following to the New York Times after McCain announced his choice of Sarah Palin for the VP slot: “In 1982 she was given the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” for leading her high school basketball team to the state championship, and in 1984 she won the beauty pageant-as well as the title of miss congeniality-in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. She is also a hunter, fisher, and member of the National Rifle Association. ” [6]

Many leaders who jumped on the bandwagon with tons of experiences in foreign policy, strategic military planning, economic emancipation and displaying credentials from distinguished institutions of higher learning failed in their endeavors to lead effectively either because they were short of personality perspectives, lacking focus of group processes and acts or behaviors that were the main leadership embodiments expected of by their body of voters.

Ironically, I find it absurd for any party member to point fingers at Governor Sarah Palin since her own political background clearly indicate how she has been a dedicated supporter of the democracy American forefathers championed. Writing in the NPR’s all things considered, Elizabeth Arnold had this to share with her radio listeners and web readers: “At first glance, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin comes across as a tough, independent-minded budget cutter and ethics crusader, a whistle-blower who has not been afraid to take on her own party leaders and the oil industry.” [7]

The male-dominated political apparatchiks in Washington are fearful of the takeover of politics by our women and that is why there is an outcry in the male circles whenever a female is elevated to a position of power and prestige. What they need to know is that history has evidently shown that women are as successful as men in leadership and that it is enough to look around the country to make sense of the number of women who held or hold great positions like Army generals, air force marshals, navy admirals, ambassadors, state governors, house speaker, and secretary of states.

In conclusion, American male voters have been unfair to Geraldine Ferraro in 1984; again, forthright Hillary Rodham Clinton was left humiliated and brokenhearted as majority of male votes went to the sweet-talking Barack Obama; and now, McCain’s best pick, Sarah Palin, is facing tough scrutiny from the side of the Democratic Party. The truth of the matter is we’ll taste the true meaning of democracy when an honorable lady becomes the President of the United States of America most likely in 2012 and beyond.


CITED SOURCES

[1] Byrd, Vickie, editor; Queen of Sheba: Legend and Reality, (Santa Ana, California: The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2004), p. 17.
[2] The Glorious Qur’an (27:23): Translated by Dr. Ahmad Zidan and Mrs. Dina Zidan. Islamic Inc., Publishing and Distribution. 1993. Cairo, Egypt.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/commonwealth_of_nations
[4] http://www.iwdc.org/resources/timeline.htm
[6] http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes/2008/08/29/mccain_vice_president/
[7] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story/.php

UNDERSTANDING BUDDHISM

Buddhism, named after its founder Gautama Buddha, is an offshoot of Hinduism and a religion that sprung from the current modern nation of Nepal approximately 560 B.C. before spreading to Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia respectively. Buddhism became a religion after the death of Siddhartha Gautama in 480 B.C.
Siddhartha Gautama’s father was Suddhodana, chief of the Shakya nation, while his mother, Queen Maha Maya, was a Koliyan Princess. There were mixed reactions among the sages before his birth. Some thought he would become a great king while others foresaw in him as having the attributes of a great holy man. He was born in a place called Lumbini which was part of Ancient India under a Sal tree while his mother was on her way to her father’s Kapilvastu principality to conceive. His father, who chose for him a luxurious life as a Prince, protected him from being associated with spiritual wisdom and understanding of human affliction, though at a later age, Siddhartha felt material life was not his ultimate goal.

At the tender age of 16, young Siddhartha got married to Yasodhara, a cousin of the same age who gave birth to a son they named Rahula. When he was 29, Siddhartha began to visualize the material world after seeing an old man, a scene that disturbed him immensely. It was his charioteer, Channa, who broke the news that all people are destined to experience old age in later life-an alarming phenomenon that drove him to further explore the world until he saw a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. Embarking on a journey that became known as “The Great Departure”, Siddhartha escaped from his palace to become a mendicant. This is where he will discover what Buddhists refer to as the Middle Way-a path of self-control that dissuades the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi tree for 49 days until he experienced the Enlightenment while aged 35 years. From there on he was known as the Buddha or “The Awakened one” or “the Enlightened one”.

Unlike Hinduism with its millions of deities, Buddhism does not mention the existence of god; followers believe there is no life after death; no heaven, no hell, no paradise and that you are unto yourself. It has no central figure deserving direct worship. Set apart by the development of various movements and divisions within its adherents, Buddhism is today practiced as a central religion most notably in areas where a greater force of its devoted followers are concentrated including Nepal, Bhutan, China, Korea, Burma, Japan, and Vietnam. In Muslim Afghanistan, two great monumental statues of Buddha that towered above the cultural landscape in the sandstone cliffs of Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan northwest of Kabul were intentionally dynamited by the Taliban Mullahs in 2001, despite international outcry. It has since been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Buddhism is based on “Four Noble Truths” namely:
1. Life means suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

Suffering is the human condition; it is caused by possessiveness, greed, and self-centeredness caused by others’ selfishness. The origin of suffering is self-attachment; the cessation of suffering is attainable; and there is a path to the end of suffering-the first reserved communication after the great awakening that evolved as novel discoveries.

According to Buddhism, the main predicaments or root figments of the imaginations are: attachment, anger, and ignorance. On the other hand, Buddha summarized an eight-fold noble path that center on:
1. Correct thought: avoid covetousness.
2. Correct speech: avoid lying, harsh speech, and idle gossip.
3. Correct actions: avoid killing, sexual misconduct, and stealing.
4. Correct livelihood: make a living with thought, speech, and action.
5. Correct understanding: develop genuine wisdom.
6. Correct effort: continue with joyful perseverance
7. Correct mindfulness: Beware of “here and now.”
8. Correct concentration: have steady, calm, and attentive state of mind.

As is common with all humans, fragmentation in religious, philosophical, and idealistic thoughts have not been exempt from Buddhism as it broke ranks into what became known as Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism with Theravada becoming a so common in South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia while Mahayana Buddhism found a place among the nations of Korea, Japan, and Tibet. We will borrow a leaf from modern history to find out how the two sects differ in beliefs. In Theravada, the Buddha is regarded as a saint, supreme teacher, and inspirer while in Mahayana he is a simply a savior; Theravada’s key virtue is wisdom while in Mahayana the key virtue is compassion; Theravada minimizes metaphysics while Mahayana elaborates metaphysics. Theravada minimizes ritual while Mahayana emphasizes it; in Theravada practice centers on meditation while in Mahayana there is an inclusion of petitionary prayer.

A common form of Buddhism that has become widely accepted in the West is Tibetan Buddhism headed by its spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has become an admired figurehead for his unreserved struggle and fight against Chinese oppression of Tibetans and the forceful invasion and illegal annexation of Tibet by communist China in 1959 subsequently leading to his voluntary exile in Dharamsala, his current headquarter in India, with thousands of fellow Tibetan refugees. A Nobel laureate, the Dalai Lama has become a symbol of peace and a man who does not shy away from his pursuit of restraint and dialogue. The Dalai Lama is the Bodhisattva (“one whose essence is perfected wisdom”) known in India as Avalokiteshvara (“the Boddhisattva of compassion” or “the merciful lord of utter enlightenment’), Goddess of Mercy Kwan Yin in China (“Born of the Lotus” in Sanskrit), and Kannon in Japan. He has reincarnated himself for the last centuries to empower and regenerate Tibetan tradition.

What distinguishes Tibetan Buddhism from others is that it enables one to attain Nirvana in a single lifetime. Also, Tibetan Buddhism gave Tantra, derived from weaving, where strands warp and denoting interconnectedness, in its current pride and place.

UNDERSTANDING HINDUISM

Hinduism is a religion practiced in India, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Suriname, Canada, United States, and Trinidad and Tobago. Archaeologically, it is thought to be the oldest religion in the world as suggested by evidences of carbon dating experimented on artifacts unearthed in India and across the Indian Subcontinent(according to Archeologists). Also, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is a religion of many gods and complex religious practices, rituals, and traditions that is hard for a Westerner to comprehend.

From the daily reverent gesture of Namaste to the discipline known as yoga, Hinduism through its law, duty, and correct behavior of dharma unlike Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam has seen changing dimensional religious postulations and the creation of gods and goddesses reaching a staggering 33 million mark and increasing. In Hinduism, the mantra is the sacred word or formula while moksha denotes to mean liberation from cycle of rebirth. Wherever one belongs in Karma, the cause/effect criterion remains solely responsible for the reincarnation of the soul.

Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge while tantra implies visual focus. The pivotal sacred text of Hinduism written in Sanskrit, the language of the Hindu scriptures, is the Vedas, epitomizing knowledge. Brahmins, Hinduism’s doyens of religious propagation, are proficient at the dissemination of the sacred word for the varied temples dedicated to particular gods of one’s choosing. Thus, depending on one’s proclivity to a particular deity, the modus operandi of the congregation pinpoints to where one belongs in the caste system-a level in society as a result of Karma.

Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism

Hinduism’s three most revered gods include Brahma the creator god, Vishnu who is the preserver god with 10 avatars, and Siva or Shiva, the god of destruction. Brahma is often identified with Prajapati, a Vedic deity, while Saraswati, the goddess of learning, serves as his consort. Brahma is thought, according to myth, to have been self-born having sprung out of the lotus flower in Vishnu’s navel at the beginning of the universe while another legend says he was born in water. Despite being one of the major gods of Hinduism, few temples have been dedicated to Brahma in present-day India.

In Vaishnavite tradition, Vishnu is the supreme god who epitomizes the five primary forms of god. He is the master of the past, present, and future. He is the creator and destroyer of all beings. He supports, sustains, and governs the universe. He is the originator and developer of all elements within the universe.

Followers who focus worship upon Siva or Shiva, the god of destruction, and over and over again called Shaivites or Shaivas, worship him in the form of Shiva Linga having the attributes of being in deep meditation and refer to him as the lord of the dance. Besides the gods, Hinduism has many goddesses having female forms. One example is Ganesha, the elephant-headed goddess whose original human-head was severed by Shiva; Annapurna is the goddess of food and cooking; while Maya is another goddess whose literal meaning of the word is “illusion”.

The Caste System

Hinduism, according to one’s Karma, categorizes society into four distinct groups. This structure of organization or criterion has been in use for centuries, and is strongly held by its adherents without distortions serving as a decisive factor for the continuation of a historical and religious legacy the Buddha, Dayananda, Gandhi, and even the British colonial administration failed to obliterate. A traditionally held theory is that a group of immigrants known as Aryans possessing unusual culture, tradition, and physical features settled in India in the second millennium B.C. imposing the current caste system in place. A fifth group or untouchables emerged afterward to add up to the number. Despite the outlawing of the caste-based system by the Indian Constitution to keep in touch with the socialist, secular, and democratic principles of the world’s largest democracy, the order still stands tall among Hindus of contemporary India. Going by the old adage ‘old habits die hard’, critical politics and social perspicacity continues to degenerate the system into marvelous dimensions throughout India.

The caste system identifies superiority through behavioral observations, purity of character and traits, food consumption associated with caste, limpidness of body and clothing, polluting substances, and traditional observations. It is a hierarchical system based on quintessentially identifiable or relative ranking chiefly beginning with the visible priestly Brahmans who are knowledgeable in the propagation of the Holy Scriptures and are adept at serving the gods.

Thereafter, the level of human arrangement drops down to a degree of depreciation. The Kshatriyas who are warriors and landowners and typically known to be vegetarians fall second in rank only to the ceremonial Brahmins. Hinduism’s most venerated Lords Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Mahavira belonged to the Kshatriyas social order as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu. Classified as the elite military and ruling order, Kshatriyas symbolize fearlessness and vigor, forethought and formidability, and are empowered with absolute authority and reins of power to galvanize resources for the command of the armies, protection of territorial and national borders, overseeing social order, and offering top echelons with the necessary tools and means needed to govern the nation meticulously.

The third group is known as Vaishyas and they are the producers who are the skilled artisans and farmers competent at making material things. The fourth is the Shudras categorized as followers and servants. A fifth category known as untouchables or ‘Dalits’ (oppressed people), emerged a few centuries ago. Mahatma Gandhi, father of modern-day India who has been recorded in history as the first leader to usher a nation to independence without shedding a drop of blood through non-violence applications, named the Dalits ‘Harijans’, which stands for ‘god’s people’. Mahatma Gandhi went a step further raising the status quo of this oppressed people by founding the Harijan newspaper printed in English, Gujarati, and Hindi respectively.

Hinduism, known for its massive temples of awe-inspiring architectural designs, unlike Abrahamic Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that are known to be missionary, is a non-missionary religion. Surprisingly, a good number of the 33 million gods and goddesses of this faith have taken leaps and bounds breaking global barriers. It has millions of adherents in almost every continent of the world who have taken with them gods and goddesses, the dharma and mantra, gurus and Gandhis, Vedas and Upanishads; and the most important holidays of Diwali and Holi and the philanthropic occasion known among its devotees as Dasehra. With India expected to become the most populous country in the world any time soon, demographers aren’t sure where Hinduism will stand in the global religious setting in terms of size within the next half century.

From Machiavelli to Meles Zenawi, the Prince of Addis Ababa

Part I



Dear beloved disciple,

I have been observing your unseemly political career with fascination for the past three decades. Your astute political maneuvers have the hallmark of my half millennium old scriptures. Your capacity to outmaneuver your political peers and hoodwink the unsuspecting public; your rhetorical eloquence and the unsightly perversions of your regime had always captivated my attention. I am very grateful to know that you have been using as a reference manual, The Prince - one of my best writings on preserving and exercising brute power.

For the past three decades, I assigned Prince Enver Hoxa, one of my beloved surrogates, to enlighten and groom you as you keep climbing up the ladder. However, as you are approaching the end of your two decades term in office, I felt the need to become your minder for the way forward. On the eve of your re-election as the chairperson of the EPRDF party for the seventh time in a row, I wanted to provide you some guidance in executing and maintaining your power.

Throughout the annals of world history, greed and self-indulgence had been the cornerstone of political ambitions and policies of self-centered absolute rulers – the high and mighty who keenly adhere to my ideology. Greed is what prompted Prince Blair and Prince Bush to conquer Iraq. Greed is what impelled you to invade Somalia. In politics, greed and autocracy are intertwined and no tough and self-regarding leader can afford to forgo the expedient tools for self-enhancement. That's why I am so enthralled with your self-absorbing, condescending and patronizing style.

I dealt with ruthless and power-crazed monsters of every epoch. But my fascination with you is indeed unequaled. Remember the Commission for Africa? That was my Idea. I was the one who convinced Prince Blair to invite you to that short-lived Commission and to the influence-wielding Plutocratic Club – the G8. From a firebrand radical guerrilla fighter with no political credence, I leaped you into the limelight. Now you are a flamboyant aristocrat - a member of the glitterati, the well-heeled filthy-rich.

Your track record is somewhat extraordinary. You will go down in history as the first Ethiopian ruler to conquer the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. You have realized dreams that evaded your equally ambitious predecessors; Menelik, Haile Selassie, and Mengistu Haile Mariam. You will also go down in history as a ruler who unraveled the archaic medieval nation into fragmented and ill-governed, ethnic-based satellite regions. Your archenemies are envious of your impressive feat in vanquishing the irredentist Somalis while keeping Eritrea and the internal opposition at bay. Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam, one of your worst nemesis and author of Somalia: The problem Child of Africa is full of admiration for you these days. Thanks to the eminent professor, the Amnesty International – the renowned human rights watch-dog, is presently on your side, keeping lip-sealed silence on the appalling human rights records of your regime.

I understand that you are preoccupied with and haunted by feelings of guilty of the thousands of innocent persons murdered, incarcerated, maltreated and molested in your notorious torture chambers which are now widely known as “Africa’s Guantanamo”. I am aware that the boomerang of your profound and prolonged mission to silence dissent has had adverse effect on your rickety, paranoid throne. Reports of summary executions, electroshocks, grisly torture and terror in your detention camps and institutionalized brutality against your political opponents may ultimately effect spontaneous universal condemnations. But that is not something to be worried about. Your benefactor Prince Bush who committed similar crimes in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib is on your side and shall forestall any attempt aimed at putting you on trial for crimes committed against humanity.

To my delight, you have snatched the spotlight from other autocratic rulers, including your political ally - Omer El Bashir, who was found guilty of genocide by the International Criminal Court. Some in the West are already calling you the “world’s worst dictator” an accolade befitting to your narcissistic, egotistical disposition and ruthless temperament. Some in the West are also becoming acquainted for the first time with your primordial machinations, curmudgeon character and deeply ingrained genocidal passion.

High-placed officials of your key Western allies are quietly accusing you of committing war crimes and collective punishment in your “dirty secret war” in the restive Somali region. Your ethnic cleansing, scorched earth programs and shockingly heavy-handed tactics in that beleaguered region had alarmed the international court of public opinion. International aid agencies and key Western donors are accusing you of showing lack of concern in respect of the unfolding famine in the Somali region where your “troops are destroying villages and property, confiscating and forcing civilians to relocate”, according to Human Rights Watch. Your inhumane and brutal collective punishment against your own Somali population has been described by New York Times as “a starve-out-the-population strategy. If something isn’t done on the diplomatic front soon, we’re going to have a government-caused famine on our hands.”

Well, your honeymoon with the West seems over. At this point in time, do not try to play hardball to secure concessions from Washington or London. You have to look to the East for a new saviour – China. You need to backtrack on promises you made to the West in ensuring transparency, human rights observance, freer and fairer democratic practice, decentralization of governance and economic reform.

Unleash your propaganda machine! You need to revamp your political formula for manipulation of quasi-autonomous regional states in Ethiopia which has already served you well for most of your 18 years in office. Your life time acolytes, Addisu Legesse, Abadula Gemeda, Shiferaw Shigute, Abbay Sehai and Bereket Simon are already experts in the fine arts of the EPRDF’s monkey business – the expedient strategies of manipulation, divide and conquest and gerrymandering of regional elections. Remember that the end justifies the means. You have to do everything possible to get “re-elected” for another term of premiership.

Though Ethiopia’s Moslem population accounts to more than half of the population, you have successfully held them at bay throughout your reign. You have done well in making the EPRDF - your ruling party, an exclusive Christian Club. Prince Bush and I are thrilled to see that there are no Moslem names in the central committees of the TPLF and the ruling EPRDF party. As long as you continue treating your Moslem population as second citizens, the West will look the other way. You will not be made accountable to your war crimes and crimes against humanity.

And what is all this ridiculous babble about famine? You have better things to worry about than the dying of the impoverished, poverty-stricken, deprived, disenfranchised, systematically neglected poor peasants and nomads. Ethiopia was already synonymous with famine even before you took the reins. At Arat Kilo you are already far away to notice the lean, emaciated and starving fellow countrymen who are distressed by the sheer weight of the ongoing enormous natural calamities in Ethiopia. Honestly the only thing that I would like to caution you is the handling of the dead bodies. Avoid organizing mass graves for the deceased. Intrusive Satellites with powerful and penetrating lenses are hovering over Ethiopia ever since you started burning villages in the Somali region.

Beloved disciple, keep reading The Prince.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Dean, Machiavelli School of Leadership

E-mail: followmetohell.tohell3@gmail.com

More African Union Troops for Somalia

Whenever the African Union sneezes, it is either Burundians or Ugandans who flock to Somalia as peacekeepers though for the many splinter groups fighting in Somalia, their presence ignite more violence, bloodshed, refugees, internally displaced, and political instability. Just yesterday, 400 well-armed and well-trained troops meant to boost Somali peace efforts arrived the city of Mogadishu in high spirits from the tiny landlocked central African nation of Burundi. The good thing is that, the international airport in Mogadishu that had been nonoperational for 20 days because of a decree by the fundamentalist religious group Al-Shabab opened doors a day earler allowing even deported Somalis from Saudi Arabia land safely, according to local Somali media reports.

For the past few months, armed resistance groups in Mogadishu and troops from Uganda had been engaged in bitter firefight after contingents from the Ethiopian army paved way for what is thought to be preparations for a complete withdrawal from Somalia of Ethiopian forces pursuant to agreement reached in neighboring Djibouti between the Asmara group and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) that calls for the complete withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia within 120 days.

However, many Somalis are pessimistic and an equal number remain optimistic about the change of affairs in this volatile region. For some, the arrival of Burundians means the world has at last heeded to calls by concerned groups for the pacification of Somalia and the complete withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. For others, the departure of Ethiopian forces from the Somali political spectrum will lead to further divisions and protracted enmity among tribal groups.

An-all out War Against Piracy in the Horn

Since her capture by a dozen well-armed pirates a few weeks ago off the coast of Somalia, the Ukrainian cargo ship MV Faina remains guarded on all fronts by a squadron of foreign navies each there to safeguard the dangerous cargo of ex-Soviet era T-72 tanks, rocket launchers, and thousands of ammunition whose destination remain a mystery. Because Somalia is perceived by the West as a haven for terrorists and their sympathizers, caution is being taken to ensure these dangerous cargo falls not onto the hands of terrorists.

The man who blew the whistle as far away as Kilindini in Mombasa, Andrew Mwangura, has been released on bail by a Kenyan judge a few days ago. Mwanguara's only crime is that he let the worms out of the can and revealed to the world what was expected to have been probably a top state secret. As head of the Sea farers Association, Mwangura carved out for himself a world grounded in secrecy. He has been a well known negotiator and well informed about the underworld of piracy in this part of the world. The claim by the Kenya Police that he was in possession of four rolls of Marijuana at the time of his arrest, has left many Kenyans laughing for weeks. It is common for the Kenya Police to frame whoever is in their list for eradication. One of the most corrupt nations in the world, Kenya's image in the world continues to dwindle drastically. What they want to tell you is that, Mwangura did not speak his mind freely, but was made loquacious by the puff of Cannabis sativa retrieved from his pockets.

Right now, Somalia's Red Sea coast has become a trouble spot where friends and foes feel it is time they join hands and rub bows so as to defend the world's oil energy passageway at a time when every nation is experiencing the worst economic gloom. Despite demanding $35 million at the initial hijack of the ship, the pirates have softened their stance and now demand a staggering $8 million ransom. Even as the world's most sophisticated navies gather in this dangerous waters of the Horn to deter further oil spill and energy hijack, what is being relayed by the media is nerve cracking: a couple ships have become victims while all eyes were turned on MV Faina.

Never have so many ships from an amalgamation of nations with differing ideologies and philosophical foundations gathered at a single spot since the end of the Cold War. While the nations of NATO have just announced that they will be sending a flotilla, the Russians, Kenyans, Malaysians, South African, and the Spanish have also embarked on the same efforts and level. Thus, the Horn of Africa will undoubtedly experience the greatest naval concentration of the century. Aircraft Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers, Frigates, Submarines, Auxiliaries, Mine Sweepers, Mine Layers, and Corvettes of all makes will perhaps converge sooner or later to clean the Red Sea of the most monotonous pirates of the 21st century.

For Ali Sugule, the pirates' spokesman and his henchmen, there is a shadow of doubt whether the allies of the French commandos who wrecked havoc on your pirate cousins a few months ago, will ever fulfill any promise and deliver a suitcase containing $8 million without a thorough fight. Finally, after the dust settles, navies from all walks of life will eventually regroup to have naval exercises of the century where pirates once ruled undisturbed.

My best bet is that these navies will turn their radars on to the west coast of Africa where Africa's giant, Nigeria, remains a victim of piracy that has failed to grab international attention after Somalia is cleaned of piracy. A nation that has been at the mercy of dreaded generals since independence, Nigeria, a nation of over 100 million people, should not be left to suffer the pains that had Somalia capture international media the past few years.

Horn of Africa Weekly Review

A Ukrainian cargo ship laden with 33 Russian built T-72 tanks destined for the port of Kilindini in Mombasa, Kenya, is the latest victim highlighting the enormity of piracy in the beautiful Horn of Africa. Earlier, as reported by the Egyptian news agency, Mena, an Egyptian ship and its crew hijacked off the coast of Somalia has been released without mentioning whether ransom demands have been met.

According to the New York Times, the ship that has attracted international media attention, MV Faina, is owned by an Israeli, operated by a Ukrainian, registered in Belize, has 17 Ukrainian sailors, 2 Russians (one died of hypertension), and a Latvian. It is laden with 33 Soviet-era T-72 Tanks, 150 grenade launchers, 6 anti-aircraft guns, and lots of ammunition. The ship was hijacked off the coast of Somalia on the 25th of September, 200 miles off the coast of Somalia. The international maritime agency reports the hijack of 18 ships in Nigeria and 26 in Somalia this year alone. Piracy has become a lucrative business especially in Somalia where it is managed by a well organized syndicate traversing a 200-mile deep sea territory.

Meanwhile, the Russian Navy has sent a Frigate to secure the release of the ship carrying the Kenya-destined tanks. Also, San Diego-based destroyer U.S.S Howard is within watching distance of Faina-the Ukrainian cargo ship under Somali pirate control. Besides, a man claiming to be the spokesman for the piracy group that is holding MV Faina, Ali Sugule, has issued a stern warning to any power that may attempt to use force to release the said cargo liner.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s out spokesman representative for seafarers union, Andrew Mwangura, has been placed in custody by a judge in Mombasa for sounding the alarm about the ship’s cargo and destination. The government of Kenya earlier claimed ownership of the consignment though western intelligence sources have highlighted to that effect that the arms were destined for southern Sudan. On the other hand, Kenya police claim to have arrested Mwangura while in possession of four rolls of marijuana, a claim refuted by Mwangura.

Earlier this year, French commandos raided a luxury yacht to free 30 crew held hostage by Somali pirates. French commandos captured half-dozen hard-core criminals who terrorized the luxury yacht off the Red Sea coast sending them to France for prosecution.

Whether the rest of the world will mobilize to fight a few hungry Somalis to safeguard international trade in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean is now a burning desire for many affected shipping magnates.

For a long time pirates in this part of the world played into the lives of Somalia’s hungry population by disrupting food supplies and killing dedicated aid workers struggling to make changes to the starving millions. Right now it is the Canadian Navy that is responsible for escorting bulk carriers transporting food for the World Food Program (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies working in Somalia. But still, the waters off Somalia is a risky adventure even for the most advanced navy.

Somalia’s coastline may invite a new Cold War phenomenon as old rivals gather in these untested waters to deter belligerent pirates who claim to be responding to overfishing and damping of nuclear wastes along their coastlines by callous outsiders.