It is not possible to heal from a sickness unless one knows the disease. Considering that Ethiopia is currently under assault from a virulent strain of tribalism that is tearing at the seams of the nation, it is important to take a step back and assess how we got here in the first place so that we can move forward. It is easy to place all the blame on the past 27 or 44 years, but the truth is that the germs of ethnocentrism, greed and indifference have been festering for more than a century and only manifested itself in 1974.
Though I advocate the return of the Ethiopian monarchy, I am by no means blind to the excesses of the past and the suffering that was caused by the negligence of the ruling class prior to 1974. Peak arrogance occurred during the age that is now called Zemene Mesafint, the age of princes, where regional despots made it their purpose to fleece the people and live like Jeff Bezos while the vast majority of Ethiopians were being ground into dust.
As abhorrent as Zemene Mesafint was, there were other periods prior to the overthrow of Haile Selassie that witnessed a disconnect between the nobility and the rest of society. My own ancestor, Atse Tewodros II, upon assuming the throne and especially after the death of his wife Tewabech, dealt harshly with anyone who questioned his authority. Menelik likewise had a propensity to turn to brute force in order to quell a restive population. During the reign of Haile Selassie, the upper echelon had a way of...continued...
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teodroseIII
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