I hear that one out of six Ethiopians in the US are either naturalized or born Americans. This means we have about 100,000 Ethio American in the US. The fact that we are concentrated in Atlanta, Washington Area, California, Chicago makes us a very potent voting block, if we use it as a political capital.

Can you imagine what 10,000 Americans in Washington Area can do if they approach the Republican Party Operatives? 5,000 votes in Maryland and or 5,000 vote in Virginia can do wonders beyond your imagination? You will have the ears, hearts and minds of the state senators. All you need to do is tell the Republican Party Operatives they have lifelong loyal socially conservative Ethiopian-Americans and their off springs if their party help you get rid of the buchers of Addis. Remember what Cubans have managed to do in Florida. Yes, their number is larger, but the fact that they vote in blocks for the republican party has paid even before their number was as huge as it is now. A voting block in the US is political capital.

Recommendation. Let us start a petition drive signed by voting age Ethiopian Americans, including those who would be old enough to vote in the next election (so 14 years and up can sign). Let us organize this by states we live in.

Let Radio stations mobilize this asking ech Ethio-American to mobilize at least 10 ethio-Americans

Let Ethiopian Review lead this effort by providing people space to put their names by the states they live in

Let us do all available venues to mobilize this drive.

Please forget the democratic party. They are impotent and lack backbone, yes I am a social conservative Ethiopian and like Republicans. The republican partyis the one that is ikely to deliver and remember it is a party that needs black votes more than the democratic party. In other words your vote counts more with the republican party than it would with a democratic party.

Ten voting Ethio-Americans have more power than 100 non-voting Ethiopian residents. It will be worth the effort.

Mamo Qilo

Email: mamoqilo@yahoo.com

Sorry guys, I forgot to add one line. As soon as you have two hundred Ethio-Americans signed the petition in a given locality, send a letter to the respective Republican senator and congress man asking for separate meetig with each, You can take my wordes on it you will be granted a meeting. How do I know, I am married to a Republican Operative. If you want I can ask my beloved wife to prepare a package. She knows the language to get to the hear and minds of Repubican. She has been a republican all her life.

Mamo Qilo

Email: mamoqilo@yahoo.com

Mamo
i buy your idea.
Let your beloved do it. Then...
I think this is cleaver approach.

Mamo-

I appreciate what you're saying; however, as a lifelong Democrat, I find it VERY difficult to put my trust in the Republican party.

Mamo Qilo,

You seem to be a wonderful, good hearted Ethiopian. You have a gift of expressing yourself eloquently in English. I slightly disgree with you about Almoudi, other than that You echo most of my views.

However,we can discuss our views and feelings till the cows come home on the interent(which is great)but, has anyone or group like yourself and other highly educated Ethiopians present our case in advance to any member of the senate or the house, including the Black Caucus, before their mind is poisned by the ambasder.

My concern about Almoudi centers on the fact that money buys influence. We know too well the corrupting influence that lobbyists have on politics. Aren't you somewhat concerened that Almoudi will use his extensive financial reserve to garner support for Meles? Unfortunately, many world leaders do not base their decision by moral or humanitarian grounds. Too many of them have turned their decision-making power into a commodity.

Eleni,

I understand and respect your liflong affiliation with the Democratic Party. First, a from a pragmatic point of view (to help Ethiopia at this stage) you must find it possible to work with the party in office. You have nothing to lose. If you are happy with their support, you will vote for them. Trust me you may even end up changing your affiliation. More importantly, from a a strategic and tactical point of view it makes sense to work with Republicans. They are less tolerant with armed looters and tropical gangesters.

Mogegnet,

Thanks for your complements. You asked an interesting question. And you concern about "Almoudi centers on the fact that money buys influence. We know too well the corrupting influence that lobbyists have on politics. Aren't you somewhat concerened that Almoudi will use his extensive financial reserve to garner support for Meles? Unfortunately, many world leaders do not base their decision by moral or humanitarian grounds. Too many of them have turned their decision-making power into a commodity." Two issues. First, Al Amoudi is rich beyond belief. Second he supported EPRDF in public during the election. There is not much you can do. It is his money and it is his vote. It is also both his democratic and human right to spemd his money the way he wishes, without breaking any law. The best policy is to appeal to him to support the opposition. The second choice is to appeal to him not to support the buchers of Addis Ababa. If we succeed we should be happy. If we fail, we should accept it without resorting to personal vendetta and venomus personal attack.

Mamo Qilo

Email: mamoqilo@yahoo.com

Hey guys, beware of Mamo Qilo. I suspect he is an agent provocateur of the TPLF fascists. I will discuss this matter tomorrow

Email: hagere_ethiopia

City: Addis Ababa

My best guess is that Mamo Qilo is one Woyane agent. But, guess what? He has raised a very important question. First, Ethiopian-Americans all over the US need to get organized and play active role in the American political process - both Democratic and republican. Second, Ethiopian-Americans must vote in Ethiopian elections back in the old country. Third, Ethiopian-Americans must put all of their resources together and support their country of origin - the beloved Ethiopia. YICHALAL!

Hagere Ethiopia,

We hope you would come back tomorrow and share with us your views. Let us also hope that this time around, your message would be heavy on analysis and light on personal attacks. But I doubt that would happen. The last time you said you are coming back with substantial argument you came with a whimsical (fickle) piece that was decorated with personal vendetta and came dismally short on substance.

Let me say this in public. If you wish to argue on substance, I will take you on. But if you end up saying Mamo is an Agent of TPLF, with out substantiating your accusation, I would add you to my “to be ignored.” You would enjoy your status in the party of morons like Arat Kilo and Rahel.

The last piece I have written provides my views and my thinking on how to move forward. I challenge you to do two things. First show your reader where you think it is wrong. Second, after you are done with that show your readers why you think it serves the interest of TPLF. This is a challenge that you cannot rise up to. Granted!

You keep saying that you would like to discuss issues if Mamo does not engage in his usual personal attacks. You told your readers that you are well educated professional. I said I am only a cab driver with not much of formal education to brag about. Yet in our argument I am the one who is writing analysis. You may agree or disagree with the analysis and the conclusions that I make, but you would be hard pressed to say that I am not writing analysis. You have consistently come with innuendo, diatribe and personal attacks. I challenge you to direct me to any analysis you have written on this forum. Let us hope you can say here it is tomorrow. I doubt.

Mamo Qilo aka
Bula Geberdin aka
Cyber Bully

PS: It seems that you are reading all the messages that I have posted in the past. This was a thread I initiated long ago.

I usually read Mamo Qilo's comments which I find most to be very measured and persuasive. The only exception is his stance on Moudi and his belief that there should always be an evidence (proof) for everything reported.

In light of this, can anyone enlighten me why you think Mamo Qilo is an agent of EPRDF?

Mamo,

On the question of Moudi, your opinion seems to emanate from the point of view of the right of the individual. However, Mamo, your oulook on this one is perhaps uni-dimensional. While this is a correct approach, public and influential figures like Moudi have more to weigh before they take a position on controversial issues. His decisions needed to be looked at from ethical, moral, legal and socio-economic point of view as well. He can vote for any party (if he is eligible to vote), but publicly supporting EPRDF is naive on his part. I agree with you though that all we can do is to persuade him to correct his position.

On the question of evidence, it is practically impossible to provide evidence for every arrest or murder that is committed in Ethiopia. EPRDF cadres and their state media will always make sure that such evidence never comes out. Even some family members of the brave citizens who were cowardly murdered on June 8 were afraid to tell their story to the media for fear of safety for their remaining family. It is just like asking for a proof that EPRDF stole ballots.

Other than that, I think Mamo is a very intelligent person with some outstanding ideas. His latest proposal is a testament.

Getahun

Email: samuel_van@hotmail.com

City: Vancouver, canada