- The complete manuscript of Messay Kebede’s new book
The desire to allow open access to a large number of Ethiopian readers explains the reason why this manuscript was not submitted to a normal academic publisher. At first, an academic institute in Addis Ababa agreed to meet the condition by publishing a limited number of hard copies while also posting an open-access electronic version on its website. Unfortunately, the agreement fell apart following my resolution to include a chapter critical of Abiy Ahmed’s policy, the current prime minister of Ethiopia. In light of the drastic political shift that carried Abiy from the promise of democratic changes to the too-familiar resort to dictatorial methods, a scholarly investigation could not leave out this turn of events without compromising its standing. All the more reason for including the shift is that it provides a decisive argument to the main thesis of the manuscript, namely, the active presence of faulty dynamics within the Ethiopian state structure derailing the implementation of positive reforms since Ethiopia’s encounter with the modern world. Aware of the closure of any possibility for open access posting in Ethiopia so long as the present government is in place, I decided to send out the manuscript to some of the websites stationed outside Ethiopia and regularly visited by Ethiopian intellectuals and a wide Ethiopian readership. I hereby extend my gratitude to the editors and webmasters of the websites I contacted for agreeing to post the manuscript in its entirety.
CHAPTER 1 ON THEORIES OF MODERNIZATION
Chapter II
Survey of Ethiopia’s Survival: Definition and Controversies
Chapter III
The Ethiopian Forces of Survival
Chapter V
Derailed Modernization: The Imperial Phase
Chapter VI
The Radicalization of Ethiopian Students
Chapter VII
The Overthrow of the Imperial Regime
Chapter VIII
Derailed Modernization: The Derg’s Phase
Chapter IX
Derailed Modernization: The Ethnonationalist Phase
“Modernization” is something I saw taking root in Ethiopia 1958 – 1961. I saw it through a child’s eyes, I had been to France, Rome and Cairo. And Washington DC and Boston. When Haile Selassie visited New York in 1963 he said he wanted the benefits of “modernization” but not the evils that go along with it. Selassie understood Ethiopian history and he knew Ethiopia’s place at the time of his visit in 1963. I grew up in the 1960’s, at he peak of modernization in America. America actively promoted themselves as the “modernization” experts. The Ethiopia I understood with a 7 year old mind agreed Ethiopia needed some of these gadgets. I knew at the time that guns, tanks, helicopters and jets came along too. My father had been in the Army and I was an Army man too. I didn’t know then that this was meant to make Ethiopia warlike and a player in a very strange world where treaties are continually broken. A lot by America. Haile Selassie chose America as an ally because after the Italians left the British wanted to stay. But America is Britain’s cousin. And America was not good for Ethiopia. They bailed out and may have been responsible for what happened with the Derg.
Who knows? We’re America and Russia really enemies, in the back room. Addis Ababa was second to none as a mixed nationality and ethnicity city. Italians were more than welcome! My father was Italian and I understood what Mussolini had done. Italians did that! I came back to America and saw “black” people here, it was difficult to understand. Ethiopia has too much going for it to keep fighting among themselves. And now a big new dam for electricity! I think that is good. I think Haile Selassie would think that is good. Ethiopia needs to realize they are an important nation. They don’t fit in the mold of whatever is going on at the time.
Ethiopia has really suffered. That is what really amazes me. I’m glad I didn’t see it.
A “star” replaced the Lion of Judah. Very strange. The lion of Judah is so cool. And the colors of the Ethiopian flag. When ever I see someone in America that I think might be Ethiopian I approach and say Tenastelin. I’m never wrong but the people are from Eritrea or Somalia or somewhere else in ETHIOPIA. That are always friendly. Now many Ethiopian’s live around Washington DC. Many have restaurants, a few store front markets. Washington has a lot of people from all around the world. In and out, in and out. Most don’t have a real clue what Ethiopia is. Maybe it’s better that way.