World Without Dictators – A New Paradigm Shift
Posted by Ethiodemocrat![desalegn](https://ethiodemocrat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/desalegn2.png)
Slaughtered by Dictator Zenawi soldiers while witnessing a massacre during 2005 peaceful protest in Ethiopia.
A new paradigm shift is taking place that may result in the demise of dictators. The world without dictator will be fantastic and now it’s possible. The Egyptian people besides giving one of the seven wonders of the world, the Pyramids, have also shown the oppressed masses of Africa and Asia how to conquer fear and earn their freedom in a non-violent way using discipline and organization.
The new world order through the UN should declare dictators an abomination and work towards their eradication like Polio or any other plagues because of their enormous power to kill and destroy.
The confluence of events led by social media, Aljazeera, CNN, a more sympathetic and enlightened administration in Washington, and the peoples believe in their inalienable right to be free are the driving force to end authoritarian regimes.
Events in North Africa, are shaking dictators around the world from their foundation. People in Africa and Asia are learning how to conquer fear and replace it with joy and happiness with the believe that freedom is not too far away. Dictatorship does not only saps people’s rights and freedom, but it also significantly reduces their creative spirit and economic well being. Most of the starvation, and civil strife happen in countries more often controlled by dictators. Oppressive regimes and systems are also a seeding ground for terrorism.
Unfortunately, the worst dictator in the world hail from Africa: Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe to name a few. One can deduce the primary reason for Africa’s poverty and under development could be attributed to the prevalence of these dictators who rule with the barrel of the gun instead of with reason, rule of law, and sound economic policy to grow their economy and to eradicate poverty.
Recent developments are encouraging. The world’s attention to the plight of the Libyan people against Kaddafi could not have happened a year ago and in the past. Historically, many countries looked the other way when dictators in Africa or anywhere mowed down their own people. For example hundreds of peaceful protestors were mowed down in Ethiopia in the aftermath of the 2005 election. Except a few congressmen such as Chris Smith of New Jersey (R), nobody bothered to protest such massacres in public. The State Department and the White House gave nonchalant response and business as usual continued. President Bush despite high and mighty rhetoric never took his vision seriously to challenge dictators who are in line with American foreign policy agenda.
President Obama’s administration has been a force for good in recent events. Restraining the Egyptian army, imposing sanction on Kaddafi are the right steps in the right direction. This new paradigm shift will be most helpful to the people of Africa. The world without dictators will save lives, eradicate famine, decrease the need for international aid to poor countries. President Obama has the chance to achieve this milestone if he dares.
Unlike dictators in S.Korea, Singapore, even in China, the African dictators did not grow their economy, besides acting as a parasite and siphoning resources to their bank account in Switzerland like Hosni Mubarak did by stashing an estimated $70 billion.
Slowly but surely that the world is notifying dictators around the world that they cannot shed innocent blood and get away with it. The presence of the media, the people’s ability to organize in mass using the social media has changed the equation in favor of peaceful protestors, as well as overcame the bias and outright disinformation of events by government controlled press. The confluence of events has shown the people’s power to bring down dictators. This paradigm shift by itself requires a great worldwide celebration like the defeat of the Hitler, Mussolini and other evils of the past. President Obama, and the EU should seize the moment and give unequivocal warning to all dictators to leave town so that democracy and respect for human dignity will blossom.
Dula Abdu, originally from Africa, writes on foreign policy. He can be contacted at dula06@gmail.com