A prelude of a quantum leap in Eritrean politics

A prelude of a quantum leap in Eritrean politics

By Dr. Tadios Tesfu

dedicated to Ahmed M. Nasser, April-1-2014

By now, maybe you are expecting to read an April fool. Not at all, the Eritrean politics and quantum mechanics have common denominator. In both cases, the problems to be treated are very small but the frameworks of their solutions are sophisticated mathematics, due to their incompatible property concerning the classical natural law. Sometimes they function, but for sure, nobody understands why and how they function. The last but not the least, they function by chance. Naturally, in classical physics transformation of state is a continuously process (natura non-facit saltus), on the contrary in quantum mechanics and Eritrean politics the transformation of a state occurs suddenly (a quantum leap). One should treat the Eritrean politics similar to lottery with the theory of probability.

In 1905, one of the main phenomenon that induced the origination of quantum mechanics by Max Planck and Niels Bohr was the dual property of light (the particle or/and wave characteristics of light). Albert Einstein refused to accept the result of quantum mechanics that the nature of light can not be entirely explained by the classical laws of physics (Newtonian Mechanics). Einstein said, “God does not play dice”. This means God has always a plan, whenever and whatever God does. He was unsatisfied with the idea of infeasibility in quantum mechanics to make predictions by knowing the initial values (position and momentum) of a body in experiment, because of the Heisenberg “uncertainty principle”.

As previously explained things happened by chance in quantum mechanics. The thought experiment (Gedankenversuch) of the Austrian mathematician called the Erwin Schrödinger’s cat (die Schrödinger Katze) illustrates the paradox and complexion of quantum mechanics at its best. Hereby Schrödinger's cat experiment: a cat, a flask of poison, and a radioactive source are placed in a sealed massive box. If an internal monitor detects radioactivity, the flask will be broken, releasing the poison that kills the cat. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that after a while, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. Yet, when one looks in the box, one sees the cat either alive or dead, not at the same time both as alive and dead. This poses the question of when exactly quantum superposition (both the state of dead and alive) ends and reality collapses into one possibility or the other (the state of dead or alive). Nevertheless, we are aware of the achieved scientific and technological development in our modern world due to the unconventional mindset of a few European physicists of the time. We can learn four points from quantum mechanics:

1.      Almost nature functions by chance.

2.      In reality, things are not as they seem to be.

3.      To obtain a good solution, sometimes it is important to take unconventional routes.

4.      The interaction of experimenter has an impact on the outcome of the experiment.

Now let us search for the Schrödinger’s cat (the key solution of our problems) in the box and figure out, if the cat is alive or dead. Well, the probability to find the magical key by searching the key in the destination (in a space and time dimensions) where we have lost it, this will limit the energy expenditure by confining the framework of search, in a given Cartesian coordinates. Please note, in this case your intervention affects the outcome of your investigation. If so, what are our political key solutions to make a quantum leap out of our desolated state of mind?

The affirmation of point one 1

First, there is a story I heard from many ELF fighters especially from those who were students in Addis Ababa in the sixties about the highly respected intellectual historian Mr. Michael Gaber, who was my admirable teacher at UNSCO in Kassala Sudan. In the sixties, Gaber was one of the main Eritrean national activists in Addis Ababa. In Addis Ababa, Gaber and the leader of the regime were used to be rivals, due to bossiness of the later. Michael Gaber had the best grade and level of intellectuality that might enable him to be someday the president of Eritrea. By then, the leader of the regime was suffering of paranoia caused by strong feelings of jealousy and inferiority that he hated so‘s guts Michael Gaber. As reported, Michael Gaber has written a letter from Addis Ababa to the ELF leadership in Eritrea in the sixties. To my opinion, the objectives of that letter might have played a decisive role in changing the history of the Eritrean struggle. To be specific, Michael Gaber requested the ELF leadership to be very cautious with the prominent new comer due to his separatistic attitude and destructive intensions. Well, the rest is history. The ELF leadership was not clever enough to catch the point. Instead, they promoted the leader of the regime to be elected in the revolutionary upper central leaderships of ELF (ቅያደል-ዓማ) for unreasonably purpose of personnel assessment (by chance), after they sent him to china to learn and improve the art of war and political soft skills of diplomacy. That was the alpha of the vicious circle and the omega of Eritrean revolutionary spirit.

Second, at the beginning of the eighties there is an interview of the regime leader in a video telling the reasons, why the socialistic Ethiopian regime of Mengistu Hailemariam (መንግስቱ ኃይለ ማርያም, Dergi (ደርጊ)) is going to collapse one day.  His explanations were as follows, because

1.      Dergi is not democratic

2.      Dergi is not legitimated and prevailed by the rule of law

3.      Dergi is injustice

To my mind, these are exactly the reasons why the PFDJ will collapse someday. Somehow amazing is that what he added afterwards in that historical interview. He said for sure, by now we are not able to tell, whether the Dergi-regime is going to collapse by our military power or by other external factors that might help us to achieve our goals (the question of probability). Recall, this was in the midst of the cold war. Meantime the satellites of the socialistic part of the world started to collapse one after the other. It was the question of time for the unrivaled single super power in the world to impose a new world order. Back then, the most of African countries were forced to profess their political and ideological affiliation clearly to get economical and military assistance. Unfortunately, the ELF leadership has professed their political principles as the friends of the Soviet Union too early that they were forced to withdraw from Eritrea. On the contrary, the regime leader was preaching self-reliance and political independence throughout the eighties. Although leader of the regime was a loyal student of Mao Zedong, he has never stopped to nurse his relationship to the USA, to get their economical assistance and political mercy indirectly. These are some of the intuitive political calculi added with big portion of fortune (opportunism by chance). I believe his capability and area of political influence were at that time grossly confined to compass the new emerging international policy with the wind of change.

The affirmation of point 2

Nowadays we are the witness of many political events that even our so-called professional politicians are not able to explain to us why things are running out of their hands and things happen the way they happen. Many of the leadership of the opposition groups are not picked and groomed carefully to carry the responsibility of the Eritrean people (not action-oriented). Contrariwise, I assume many of the recent leadership have landed by parachute in the Eritrean political arena from a destination unknown (probabilities of quantum leap). This is exactly parallel to the history of the leader of the regime. Many of these young and old leaderships with a forged scholar degrees are sophomorically preaching to act in the name of the people by using new-fashioned terms like democracy, justice, human rights, gender equity and the old exhausted term of the Eritrean history, the so-called UNITY. If we try to investigate their political ideals narrowly using their imposed political mechanism and actions, we just find how visionless, complacent and empty-minded small crooks they are. The hidden driving force of these new political elite, which is a disguised dark matter behind their colossal ambitions, makes difficult to predict the implication of their fuzzy political agenda (like the state of the cat in quantum mechanics). Therefore, my folks: in reality and especially in our politics, things are not as they seem to be. De facto, there is no a political enemy or friend forever, because in politics within a short time, things can change dramatically. Hereby cautiousness is recommended!

The affirmation of point 3

To obtain a good solution, sometimes it is important to take unconventional routes. This a tough job for every human beings on earth. The godfather of psychoanalytic, Sigmund Freud, has said “mankind desire things which they use to see in their surroundings everyday”, because we are the creature of habit. To change your habits, you should be mentally ready to change your attitude and beliefs by making new willful intents that you have to follow-up consequently (how high the dues to pay and how painful the scarification to make, might be). The initiation of taking such decisions is a rocky road for creature of habit. Look how tough it is for millions of people to stop smoking cigarettes, although the consecution of smoking is a lung cancer disease. As many of us know, smoking has only disadvantages; this is true, if we only exclude the recent idea of the founder of birth control pill, the chemist Carl Djerassi, using nitrosyloxid due to its property to narrow the blood vessels. Please note, nitrosyloxid is one of the many toxic byproducts of smoking.

A VISION to change the paradigm & beyond it, accompanied by a steadfast belief (principles) to convert the status quo, is the way out.

What are the barriers to be challenged to convert the status quo?

Are they maybe our past and recent routes of our political engagement and social interaction or the international and regional interventions due to our geographical and historical uniqueness? I think it is the sum of all. Let us analyze the demons we have summoned in the past in order to challenge the barriers in the future to achieve our goals (peace, democracy and justice).

A) On the political barriers

1)  The formation and presences of the political organizations like the ELF, EPLF EDA and some others, especially their experiences of struggle and way of conflict management are still prevailing in the mindset of our society that we are incapable to start a new mechanism of profound scientific conflict management to solve our rustic troubles. Additionally, the political organizations were not lining-up the mass. This means they have never tried seriously to consult their grassroots and execute the trials and tribulations of their grassroots in real politics. To my opinion, time after time, they should set smart goals to line up their grassroots by specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely suitable political survey. Social engaged politicians rely on compiled information by their constituents to make the right decisions. Such an inevitable action manages trust. This political barometer of success will accomplish to bridge the gap between policymakers and people by dynamic structures of bottom up approaching. Nonetheless, I like to proclaim my respect to all our political organizations and our fighters for their life-achievement regarding freedom, independence and martyrdom. Nevertheless, new conflicts demand adequate timely solutions.

2)  Maybe still, as a fact, we did not have accepted some of the religious and ethnic motivated political movements in our society belong to our reality. I believe our diversity could reinforce our national unity and not vice versa. The religious and ethnic motivated political movements do not represent the majority opinion of the nation. Certainly, they might cause a barrier in achieving our goals of peace, democracy and justice, if the aspirations of the minority in our society are suppressed. A democratic system implies soft commodities of minority rights. The rights of minority in democratic system presume the rights of individuals in a society. If you are incapable defending and securing your own rights in a society, you will be unable to protect the rights of your society/nation. Therefore, my folks: constancy might be intended, but for all of that tolerance and acceptance should be appropriated!

3)  We should redefine the role of civic society in the Eritrean community and especially in the Diaspora, because nowadays we are living in a box of confusion. In our case, we have to create a democratic society by transforming the ultra nationalistic society to a civic society. The formation of a democratic society postulates to some extents illuminated and educated citizens. Otherwise, due to the defaults of the policymakers and cluelessness of the mass, the state will end at dictatorship and tyranny of the majority, respectively. Exactly, this is the role of civic society to play, namely to defend and to conserve the democratic conventions or principles of a nation by educating, illuminating and sharpening the political awareness of the population to originate civic democratic institutions like students, labors and women’s union. They should organize for their communities like language schools, cultural centers (music, dancing and sports contest) to create the notion of togetherness and develop a democratic and tolerant society. Civic societies that educate and consult policymakers on the views of the voter about a specific issue can be regarded as a credible and useful source of information. More than these, civic society stakeholders should not compete for a vacancies in political power, otherwise the vice versa of their objectives will flourish.

B) On the social barriers

1)  I have explained some of the social barriers to our democracy extravagantly at my first publication of September 2013 at Assenna.com (A Knight fencing against backwardness and injustice). For example, like the issue of gender equity by occupying political key positions by women to end up the paternalistic and patriarchal orientation of our society. This is a main issue that implies political awareness of a society in transformation. The female political stakeholders in this case should be aware of their impact to change the society by participating and engaging in all political elections and national proclamation actively. It is not enough celebrating the international women’s day once a year by giving speeches and reading poems of female heroism. I still believe the key to reeducate our society lies in the hands of our mothers. The mindset on the future efforts of our mothers matter: It depends on their initiation to make out of their sons civilized citizens or savage poachers.

Einstein said, common senses are the sum of all prejudices that one acquires until the age of 18. Thus, think new and think different!

2)  Nowadays, the people of Eritrea can be divided regionally in two categories (Inlanders and Diaspora) and politically in three categories (supporter of the regime, opposition and the silent majority), while the supporter of the regime and the opposition groups are in the minority and to some extent with differentiated political interest/attitudes. The silent majority per se is not silent; it is just undetermined and apathetic. I believe the critical point or pain threshold of the silent majority is not surpassed. Otherwise this is like a dormant volcanic that can be active any time to erupt. Many individuals and very few intellectuals are doing a good job to activate the silent majority. Well, to end up with the cross sectioning of the silent majority; a transparent communication with clearly defined massage of a visionary charismatic leadership is the last offer that the opposition has to make, to convince the silent majority to get out of their caves. Nonetheless, the silent majority should be aware of their responsibility towards the futurity of their people and grandchildren. Hence, civil-courage is the merest hint they have to show, if they want to washout their hands clean like Pilatus from the blood of innocent Eritreans shaded by the regime. Here is an urgent call and encouragement from my side to the silent majority to make up their minds and expose their boiling hidden rage versus the regime by organizing themselves in the readily existing political umbrella. Together we can make it; yes, we can!

3)  Creating sustainable national assets of Eritrea by cultivating its human resources should be the future-project of Eritreans, which should have started yesterday. Well, in the past and especially in the times of struggle for independence, as usually in almost many countries with background of revolution, the revolution eats its children. Therefore, our handful intellectuals and many of our scholars became deliberately the victims of marginalization, assassination and humiliation. This criminal intent to clean systemically the rare and valuable species of our society was planned and hired by the regime to secure his power. Well, the spirit of time changes everything and little things bring a change. But a change is not a little thing! Now the Eritrean people are seeking for change. Eritrean young professionals, intellectuals and especially the weak-gender are asked to make their contributions. I am aware of how difficult for an educated person might be to coach and to lead the people of a country that has 90% level of illiteracy. Nevertheless, it is time to show inner morality and to fulfill your commitment to get your people out of the darkness. Wherever you are and whatever you do, as an intellectual, you can compass your desperate people who are trampling in the valley of ignorance, because your pen can be mightier than a nuclear weapon and your words sharper than a Carbon, Silicon and Titanium doped Katana-Sword of a Samurai. It is time to navigate the ship in the direction of peace, democracy and justice. Inshallah!

C) On the regional and international intervention barriers

Respectively, we should take the international and regional intervention in our struggle for democracy as a given due to strategical and historical backgrounds of our country. Therefore, it is reasonable to draft a future roadmap that depends on complimentary globally thinking and a conceptual locally acting philosophy, to transform the nation from its present state. A sustainable peaceful coexistence with our neighbouring countries and the international community could only be based on a diplomatic mutual support and respect. Nevertheless, in the context of international policies, we should be aware that a political and economical stability only could be achieved by picking smart goals within the bargaining agreements in the framework of negotiations. The last but not the least, we should be aware of how many (political stability and economical commodities) we can offer in our region for the international community. We must bring under our control our already internationalized problems. I am sure, by doing so, our country will be the shooting star of the international media outlets and the world will stop breathing until our problems are solved. Therefore, “We ought not to be afraid of death while we are dying”.

The affirmation of point 4

The interaction of experimenter has an impact on the outcome of the experiment. This fact is not only a quantum mechanical construction. Exactly, this affects our daily life. This ensures the existence of the second law of thermodynamics (the Entropy = degree of disarrangement or the loss of information in a transmitted signal) that the nil point in the Kelvin temperature scale is unachievable.

Back to politics, yes of course; the interaction of experimenter has an impact on the outcome of the experiment. Imagine, if the leader of the regime did not participate in the struggle of independence and if things did not happen by chance as they did in our history, the outcome of our struggle will be different from its present form. The exceptionally gifted jazz musician George Benson said if you want to start learning to play the guitar, do not think by playing the guitar you will change the basics of music, the only difference is you! You can play the same music differently than other musicians do that the music can be more emotional and vivid.

We are the product of our infantile education and adult experience; therefore, we have to change our mindset to handle the future and acute challenges. On the upcoming elections (congress), we should select our leadership locally action oriented and via parallel vote.

ሰላምኩም ዝምነ ዶር. ታዲዮስ ተስፉ