Blog Archives

The Rise and Fall of the “Baksheesh State” in Ethiopia

baksheesh state The rise of the “baksheesh state” in Ethiopia

My long time readers by now know that I mint my own words and phrases whenever I find it necessary to convey my ideas and arguments with greater clarity, precision and …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Why is Ethiopia Poor?

First, Why is Africa Poor?

George Ayittey, the renowned Ghanaian economist and president of the Free Africa Foundation swears that “Africa is poor because she is not free”. Like Ayittey, Robert Guest, business editor for The Economist, in his book …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia’s regime and the weaponization of famine

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

Author’s Note:  On June 16, 2008, I published a special commentary (reproduced below in its original form) explaining the sysetmatic use of disinformation by Meles Zenawi, the dictator in Ethiopia for two decades, to deny …

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: Apocalypse Now or in 40 Years?

By Alemayehu G. Mariam

In October, 2009, I wrote a weekly commentary titled, “Famine and the Noisome Beast in Ethiopia”:

It is hard to talk about Ethiopia these days in non-apocalyptic terms. Millions of Ethiopians are facing their

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Posted in Ethiopia News

Ethiopia: The Voodoo Economics of Meles Zenawi

“There are lies, lies and implausible lies,” to quote Meles Zenawi, the dictator-cum-economic spinmeister of Ethiopia. Last week, Zenawi told a snickering Parliament a story that is the equivalent of the proverbial bull that gave birth to a calf (or …

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Posted in Ethiopia News