Selam Dehai
Amanueel wrote
>
> Selamat Mulugheta,
> Your points on the need to make a poll are well-taken and sensible; yet,
> I fail to see the link with (a) supporting or failing to support the
> government and (b) one's views on democracy. Let us assume I'm a die-hard
> opponent of the present government. There're areas where I can
> potentially see eye to eye with the government. The other story would be
> one in which I can arrogantly consider myself a "dehai spokesperson" of
> the government. Yet, I may have differences in the way I understand
> democracy vis a ' vis the government.
Amanuel, we have seen in dehai that democracy has not only been
discussed as a theory but also related to its impact and implementation in
Eritrea. The latest point has even lead to accusations and criticism by some
dehaiers on the government's policy.
The following question might clarify what I see as a link between 1) one's
view on democracy and 2) support to the government:
Do you believe that the governement's appraoch to Democracy and its
imlementation in Eritrea is correct?
I think in order to answer this question you have to ask your self two things.
1) What are the government's view and actions in implementing democracy?
2) Does it comply with the "definition" of democracy and the way I want to see
it implemented in Eritrea?
So, the link is there.
>
> If the poll is to know where Dehai's heart is as far as support for the
> government is, then, this very question has to be divorced from the
> discussions on democracy and stated so unequivocally.
>
I would put it this way, "the poll would be to know where Dehai's heart is
as far as the governmant's policy in implementing democracy is."
> The way I grasp the gist of Dehai's essence is its free and unhibited
> exchange of ideas and views. It dismally fails to be thought of as a
> movement of educated people (the more you position yourself in the
> education ladder, the easier you adopt divergent ideas). As such, if you
> derive a conclusion from the polls, it may erraneously depict this free
> medium as either supporting or opposing the government. Whatever the
> government does is not 100% perfect and is not 100% wrong. Extremes are
> left for desert visionaries.
>
You are making a good point Amanuel. This is my concern, that if we, as it is
now the case, allow our mailbox be filled by postings that contain these
"divergent ideas" only, because they have the ability to write as much as they
can, we might loose the reallity. Not only that, dehai might even be seen as a
a medium that only opposes the government with its divergent ideas while these
ideas come only from a number of "active" dehaiers.
Do you remember a dehai member wrote a mail in dutch language last week. He was
asking people in Europe to put some counter balance on the ideas en postings that
always seem to come from the USA or Canada. Now I know there is some mentality
difference in dealing with the developments in Eritrea and my idea was not really
different than that though it was in a different way.
By the way, I am not insisting in polling any more, but what is wrong if we can
use this medium to have inquries on different issues that can serve as indicative
parameters with no further consequences? Isn't it a very common practice in the
western world, that we admire so much for its free press en what have you, to
conduct inquries?
A dehaier requested the silent dehaiers in his posting "to stay silent as dehai is
not a political party and should not be involved in politics", while at the same
time enjoying the postings that politically are "killers". I think it is not fair.
Anyway, I have at least attmpted to put some counter balance on the postings from
the USA/Canada:-). A friend of mine advised me to be silent as long as I reside in the
USA, because I have two daughters to raise too:-), just kidding.
Mulugheta
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