Ken takes on politics from Ethiopia
Maybe some of you that have been reading this blog have wondered, "why doesn't he address real issues like politics and current events?" Not one to shy away from a challenge, I've decided that, after a six-month hiatus, time to reflect, etc., I will take on the subject of politics and current events from my seat in Ethiopia. It will not be easy, but we all must do as we are called to.
Frankly, George Bush is a disaster. I hear it a lot here that the U.S., despite how much U.S. citizens may bicker about their President and elected representatives, is really the best place in the world. Despite its problems, the U.S. government and systems are the most fair and worthy. That leaves people like me to be just complainers, grousers, etc. Not that we should be quiet - I don't think that's the message I'm receiving from people. Just that, things are pretty good in the U.S., despite some of the bad stuff.
I'm a little ambivalent about this. I think there's some truth in the above perspective. At the same time, some of the stuff the U.S. does just takes a little life out of my blood. For instance, sending a drone to bomb a place in Pakistan. Was I there? Did I see it? Of course not, so I have to assume that the newspaper accounts are at least relatively accurate. I think it's safe to say that a number of houses were blown up and that a number of people died and that the U.S. sent the plane that dropped the bomb. Even if not in this case, I'm sure there have been numerous instances, probably more so in the case of the current U.S. President, when people have been going about their business, attending weddings, doing their shopping, etc., when all the sudden the house next door blows up.
That's got to be a bit strange. It sickens me a bit. Just out of the blue. Boom. What did those Pakistanis that were killed have to do with anything? Maybe they were "harboring terrorists". I don't know. What if they weren't? What if the people that were the targets of the bombing weren't even there? What if those were all innocent people killed? I've read the rationale in the papers that, "3,000 American civilians were killed on September 11..." Does that make it right to turn around and kill other civilians?
These issues are probably too complex for my feeble mind. At the same time, when stuff happens like the bombing in Pakistan, or the torture at Abu Ghraib, it makes me a little sick to my stomach and, honestly, to feel a bit like my government and my people deserve some of what we get. I guess in these instances I become more of a "world citizen" who believes in inalienable human rights beyond the call of a nation rather than a "U.S. citizen".
Just my thoughts. Did I trick you into thinking I was going to write about Ethiopian politics? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot poll. I'll leave that to our friends at www.meskelsquare.com.
Peace.
Frankly, George Bush is a disaster. I hear it a lot here that the U.S., despite how much U.S. citizens may bicker about their President and elected representatives, is really the best place in the world. Despite its problems, the U.S. government and systems are the most fair and worthy. That leaves people like me to be just complainers, grousers, etc. Not that we should be quiet - I don't think that's the message I'm receiving from people. Just that, things are pretty good in the U.S., despite some of the bad stuff.
I'm a little ambivalent about this. I think there's some truth in the above perspective. At the same time, some of the stuff the U.S. does just takes a little life out of my blood. For instance, sending a drone to bomb a place in Pakistan. Was I there? Did I see it? Of course not, so I have to assume that the newspaper accounts are at least relatively accurate. I think it's safe to say that a number of houses were blown up and that a number of people died and that the U.S. sent the plane that dropped the bomb. Even if not in this case, I'm sure there have been numerous instances, probably more so in the case of the current U.S. President, when people have been going about their business, attending weddings, doing their shopping, etc., when all the sudden the house next door blows up.
That's got to be a bit strange. It sickens me a bit. Just out of the blue. Boom. What did those Pakistanis that were killed have to do with anything? Maybe they were "harboring terrorists". I don't know. What if they weren't? What if the people that were the targets of the bombing weren't even there? What if those were all innocent people killed? I've read the rationale in the papers that, "3,000 American civilians were killed on September 11..." Does that make it right to turn around and kill other civilians?
These issues are probably too complex for my feeble mind. At the same time, when stuff happens like the bombing in Pakistan, or the torture at Abu Ghraib, it makes me a little sick to my stomach and, honestly, to feel a bit like my government and my people deserve some of what we get. I guess in these instances I become more of a "world citizen" who believes in inalienable human rights beyond the call of a nation rather than a "U.S. citizen".
Just my thoughts. Did I trick you into thinking I was going to write about Ethiopian politics? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot poll. I'll leave that to our friends at www.meskelsquare.com.
Peace.
posted by AARFZ at 8:39 AM
2 Comments:
ARTIST OF THE DAY said...
Trickery !
I must say, brilliantly done.
You made me read all 6 paragraphs. Which I may not have done …had I known the whole thing was about U.S politics.
Anyways, at the moment it looks like the Bush administration is the only one from the entire western world still cozy with Mr. Zenawi.
Support for a dictator will never be in the best interest of the Unites States. This is the exact same policy terrorists are exploiting to help in their recruiting.
What say you? After all, this is U.S politics :)
:) "Did I trick you into thinking I was going to write about Ethiopian politics? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot poll."
That itself says a lot!
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