Pragmatism versus Idealism

When the Italian Fascists were on the verge of invading Ethiopia some seventy years ago, Emperor Haile Selassie the 1st was greatly hopping that the League of Nations would save his country from the barbaric invasion as per the charter signed by member nations that forbids the invasion of a weak nation by a strong nation. He in vain sought the support of great powers in particular and the International System in general for his just appeal. It was all in vain. The great powers and the International System instead were trading Ethiopia to satisfy Italy’s greed for a colony in return for the safety of their colonies in Africa surrounding Ethiopia. The mechanism they used to sabotage Ethiopia’s independence was the imposition of sanction on supplies of armaments on both Ethiopia and Italy. Italy manufactured armaments and hardly depended on imported weapons. Ethiopia fully depended on foreign made weapons to protect its sovereignty. When Italy defied their offer soon to join Nazi Germany, thereby threatening to swallow the French and British Colonies bordering Ethiopia these colonial powers needed Ethiopia’s partnership more than ever. By then Ethiopia had already lost a large part of its territory (especially the urban areas) to the invading force. How anarchic was the International System in the mid 1930s!

But how better is the International System from the conditions it was seventy years ago? Many Political Scientists agree that it is even worse than it was in the mid 1930s. Kenneth N. Waltz a pioneering realist theoretician for example insists that the International system is unchanged since the cold war and remains anarchic. Because the International System is anarchic with no body to execute its decisions states tend to remain uncontrollable. Hence, totalitarian personalities in many countries of the world continue suppressing their own people and violating human rights.

Some totalitarian personalities like Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia make good use of the anarchic system of the International Order to boost their evil agendas. Through the diplomatic structure they spread their traps that would enable them maintain the favor of foreign powers that care little for others except the interest of their countries. Such totalitarian personalities unashamedly sale the interest of their countries to foreign powers to satisfy their selfish desires and such foreign powers as the great once unashamedly justify and consistently offer their support to dictatorship on the pretext of preserving the interest of their countries. Such is the relations between Bush and Melese and Blaire and Melese, a relationship based on shame, fraud and suppression.

It is evident that the opposition first of all is intending to terminate dictatorial rule by means of the ballot instead of the bullet. It also expects that the tyrant, EPRDF will rig the election but determines to go ahead in spite of the odd. In doing all these it is relying to a certain extent on the International System not to mention its strong reliance on the people of Ethiopia. It is assumed that the opposition fully understands the characteristics of the International system. One may wonder why the wound that the International system inflicted on our country prior to World War II could not be enough lesson to learn in considering the International observers that are largely composed of the great powers and that are a part of the International system? Well, this is a serious question to deal with but I know that it is not because there has been a change in the International System in the aftermath of the WW II. What I understand is that the opposition was just taking a chance. It is like the Ethiopian saying that runs as “a person with a stress of a great deal of problems marries a pregnant woman.” There is no doubt that this may end in adding more problems but the spouse may hope to benefit from the sharing of ideas between the two. Some well wishers argue that boycotting the EPRDF system has been proven a failure; that, it is therefore essential to confront the dictators in their own field and show the world that the people of Ethiopia do not want the “EPRDF.” Hence, the presence of International observers is essential to witness the wish of the people. This makes sense and has been done. But is the world fair enough to consider the wishes of the people of Ethiopia? If not, what next?

Knowing the fact that the International System is anarchic and has no body to execute its orders the opposition ideally has relied on the law of election and the International observers to bring about democracy in our society and thereby satisfy the wishes of the people of Ethiopia. This has failed albeit the opposition won the election. By intentionally failing this effort EPRDF is thinking that it is playing smart. The supporters of the fraud that the EPRDF is committing also think that their interest shall be promoted at the expense of the people of Ethiopia. They say that both the opposition and the Government should refrain from acts of violence but they know that the opposition has no power to commit violent acts.

The Government is armed with tanks. The opposition is empty handed. The government violently killed party members and other 36 innocent Ethiopians using guns, machineguns and riding tanks in the middle of the city threatening citizens and imprisoning opposition party members in thousands. Yet, the great powers consider both the attacker and the attacked accountable for the crime. The International System is truly unchanged from its situation in the 1930s.

It is now clear that both the EPRDF and the great powers are in the same wrong boat. EPRDF may rule by the muzzle of the gun only for a few times until its burial hole is dug. The demise of the EPRDF is fast approaching. The people of Ethiopia have demonstrated their anger with the EPRDF and called upon the peaceful termination of its rule by casting the ballot in favor of the opposition. EPRDF will die for sure .At the demise of the EPRDF its International supporters may desperately need the people of Ethiopia as the allied powers did in World War II. This time, it is going to be in vain. The great powers had better chosen the living Ethiopia than the dying EPRDF. Time to shift for the opposition from idealism to pragmatism.