Time to Solve our National Challenges

Time to Solve our National Challenges

By Seyoum Tesfaye

As a first generation immigrant I take our national election religiously. I owe it to the previous American generations that have paid dearly to perfect our democratic system. I take my duty as a relatively informed citizen and exercise my one vote with respect and dignity to those who paid dearly for me to stand in line to cast my vote. But more importantly I know very well how millions of Africans have been struggling for centuries to get this basic privilege.  I consider it sacrilegious to throw away my right to vote because whatever the reason: political cynicism or an immigrant’s tendency to self-marginalize.  I did not only vote early but tried to the best of my ability to encourage others within the growing Horn of Africa immigrant community in Atlanta to do as well.

I have no shame in proclaiming that I voted for the democratic ticket top to bottom. I deeply felt President Obama deserved a well earned second term to lead us out of the economic purgatory in a steadily managed way. More importantly I felt that the President and the Democratic Party leadership has truly grasped the transformative reweaving of the ever dynamic American mosaic contrary to the wishful rehashing of the pre-civil right nostalgia that has become the philosophical and political underpinning of the present day Republican Party leadership.

The browning of America is the ever increasing reality. The Eurocentric political domination of American political system is in its waning days. For me the D in the Democratic Party represents diversity in all its beauty and challenges. The R in the Republican Party represents regression and re-entrenchment. The Republican leadership’s has become regressive and elitist to the point of morphing into political dinosaurs in a highly diversified 21 century America. Its agenda is drastically eschewed towards advancing the interest of very wealthy few. It is dominated by extremists who have worked hard to eliminate any flavor and legacy of Rockefeller Republicans who lead and governed from center.  In foreign policy sense the party leans more towards old fashion imperial articulation disregarding the fact that the bi-polar post-second world war structure has given way to newly evolving diversified actors with multitude of perspectives. The new global challenge demands new thinking. The Republican Party increasingly seems to be fight the last war but also looping back to discredited exclusionary old fashion ideas from which America had rinsed itself from about two generations ago.

The destraction of the Republic Party is not what I wish or advocating. I am only registering my serious reservation and deeply felt attitude towards the present party leadership. In a country basically structured under two main parties, we cannot afford the domination of the political system by one party even by the most compassionate and inclusive party. The party needs to do some deep self-examination to find its way back to the center and stop its drift to extremism.  If I have learned anything about America, as one of its new citizens, is this; America is more productive and stable when the center dominates the political process and pragmatic deliberation contains ideological posturing that caters to the base that tends to consider compromise and collaboration a luxury. The insurgents on both sides of the political equation can be appreciated as parts of the political landscape but their propensity for hyperbolic drama and tendency to monopolize the political discourse has to be mitigated by rational thinkers focused on finding solution than ideological brinkmanship at the time when the world economy is awaiting the American economic giant to start cranking up its engine.

The Democratic Party as the winner of the 2012 national election assumes the bigger responsibility of taking the lead to reach out to the Republican leadership and go the extra miles to jointly address the massive national challenge that is crying for practical solution. The twin pillars: miracle of the American economic engine and its foundation the expansive and individual liberty and political freedom are worth protecting, advancing and enhancing by the leadership of both political parties.

The highly contested polarizing election is over. Governance is not the exceptional gift of any political group. The winner did not “defeat” enemies form another country. It only exposed the bad agenda of the alternative national party. The “losing” party hopefully will review its agenda and prepare to assume its national duty to be part of the solution engine by putting America and the American people ahead of party interest. The whole world, with the use of the new media, was a real time observer of the transparent American political system. Compare this with the 10 year ceremonial crowning of the Communist Party of China or the authoritarian political gymnastics in Russia. Now you know why most immigrants hold America, in spite of its shortcomings, the beacon of liberty and Freedom. Sandy’s strong wind and water has not diminished the true meaning of the Statue of Liberty nor did it destroy the democratic responsibility of the people of the East Coast of America to cast their precious vote. Yes America’s future is ahead- the leaders must do the right thing and not spend too much time trying to be right.

The lopsided defeat of the Republican Party has also inflicted some ego bruising to the Eritrean government, its minuscule members of PFDJ in North America and the sorry excuse for an embassy in Washington DC. A semi –unofficial campaign was being orchestrated to vote against president Obama after he went public with his sanction against the Eritrean regime for “human trafficking”.  As usual the followers of Isaias are full of themselves. They overestimate their significance and more sadly their imaginary leverage against the American government. What will be their excuse and agenda moving forward? More lecture about America’s jealousy over the extraordinary economic development in Eritrea? Recommend to President Obama how to learn from the exemplary water and energy management strategy of their visionary leader? Twenty one year without single democratic or semi-democratic election in Eritrea yet Yemane’s puppies and their surrogate aunt-Sofia have the audacity to contemplate strategically altering America’s foreign policy. Your disillusions have no limitation. You got your answer –the American people have spoken. When will the people of Eritrea get their opportunity to elect their leaders? When they get rid of the suffocating tyranny you have pledge loyalty to and the rule of law prevails in Eritrea.

Declaimer:  opinions expressed in this article represent only and only my point of view.      

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