There is a way out of all this mess

Do we need all this violence?


Yemen Times 1408
http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=34905
Published:18-10-2010

The situation in Yemen is in need of some thorough analysis and contemplation, because as it stands now, it is very difficult to determine in what direction the country is heading. Needless to say, Yemen is beset by an awesome assortment of challenges, none of which seem to have a beginning or an end all to themselves, and moreover none of them can be isolated and resolved without some parallel solutions at work in all the other challenges.

There are obvious political difficulties, some of which have taken on a color of violence that is not at all helpful towards meeting any of the challenges. But even this increasing violence has not awakened the Government and the general population of Yemeni to a harsh reality that Yemen is further sinking into an abysmal scenario of death, injury and destruction. It is not clear if this violence is pursued for want of political leverage, or for simply dragging the country further into a ripe venue for war lords, arms dealers and contractors of death, to harness their bloodsucking energies to find a niche to reap exorbitant profits. With minimal effort and – sadly – minimal risk, these vagrants will allow Yemeni blood to be spilled needlessly and mercilessly, wherever their greedy bloodletting enterprising minds take them. This violence will be cloaked in various facades from the religious to the political to the economic to the tribal and so on and so forth. The players in this seemingly fuzzy, open and undesirable free for all will certainly add misery and destitution to an already overtaxed Yemeni population. Never mind that the latter are broken by unbearable loads of social fragmentation (spiced with large population displacement, obstructed demographic configurations, behavioral and social depravation, and a deterioration of values).

The economic situation does not provide any aura of hope that the problems of high unemployment, inadequate or absent public services, poor access to natural, material and financial resources will be resolved - especially the ones most in need of these fundamental economic basics. It is safe to state that the latter could otherwise be highly productive elements of the society, in all sectors of the economy and more importantly in all the social strata that comprise Yemen’s diversified and colorful social mix. The issue in the economic sphere boils down to giving equitable access to the resources of the land and allowing the fruits of development to spew out to the outlying and remote areas of the country, some of which have never seen an electric light bulb, let alone a school or a health center.

As it stands now the natural and institutional resources of Yemen are clearly and easily working to make the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. This is compounded by the unhelpful rigid bureaucracy that has nurtured a corrupt network of unfaithful cadre of civil, military and security personnel (many of whom have actually forgotten that in the end they are public servants), sleazy merchants and exploitative social dignitaries, who cannot seem to come to the maximum marginal propensity to acquire wealth and bleed their constituents of all their belongings. One cannot fail to see that the latter only seek to disassociate the social fabric of the society from the binds, guarantees and obligations of the constitutional, institutional and regulatory framework that sound government must be based on and which would guarantee the equality of all citizens before the law.

The Yemeni people are famous for being industrious, for their loyalty to God, country and government. But then the Yemeni people are entitled to some returns for this loyalty. When talking to most Yemeni people from all the different geographical, social and economic backgrounds, one cannot help but note that now the only real faith they have rests with the Almighty, who they view as the only one who can lift them out of all the misery and despondency easy to observe wherever one finds a significant assembly of Yemenis.

With this kind of an aura hovering above the coasts, mountains and deserts of this great country, it is imperative to suggest that Yemen need not be turned into a country overtaken by chaos and mob rule. There is still a chance that the Yemeni people could find ways out of all the predicaments they are under now, including even this series of acts of increasing violence and lawlessness. There are many good people in Yemen; many are endowed with high intellect, sagacity and good will, not to mention a strong love for their country and people. If these people continue to be left on the sidelines, then Yemen will, day by day. become less capable of overcoming all its current problems, since many of these people are nearing the end of their destiny – while no replacements are forthcoming. Surely we have seen what the existing decision making machine has produced and to where it is driving the nation. The widespread violence being witnessed these days is more than a warning sign that the country better shape up or else fall into the merciless violence that characterizes all societies and countries that have thrown reason and good sense out of the window, just so a few could continue to bleed their society of all their resources, deprive them of all their rights and deny them all their dignity and honor.

Hassan Al-Haifi has been a Yemeni political economist and journalist for more than 20 years. His blog may be read at: http://com-senfromyem.blogspot.com



Published:18-10-2010

The situation in Yemen is in need of some thorough analysis and contemplation, because as it stands now, it is very difficult to determine in what direction the country is heading. Needless to say, Yemen is beset by an awesome assortment of challenges, none of which seem to have a beginning or an end all to themselves, and moreover none of them can be isolated and resolved without some parallel solutions at work in all the other challenges.

There are obvious political difficulties, some of which have taken on a color of violence that is not at all helpful towards meeting any of the challenges. But even this increasing violence has not awakened the Government and the general population of Yemeni to a harsh reality that Yemen is further sinking into an abysmal scenario of death, injury and destruction. It is not clear if this violence is pursued for want of political leverage, or for simply dragging the country further into a ripe venue for war lords, arms dealers and contractors of death, to harness their bloodsucking energies to find a niche to reap exorbitant profits. With minimal effort and – sadly – minimal risk, these vagrants will allow Yemeni blood to be spilled needlessly and mercilessly, wherever their greedy bloodletting enterprising minds take them. This violence will be cloaked in various facades from the religious to the political to the economic to the tribal and so on and so forth. The players in this seemingly fuzzy, open and undesirable free for all will certainly add misery and destitution to an already overtaxed Yemeni population. Never mind that the latter are broken by unbearable loads of social fragmentation (spiced with large population displacement, obstructed demographic configurations, behavioral and social depravation, and a deterioration of values).

The economic situation does not provide any aura of hope that the problems of high unemployment, inadequate or absent public services, poor access to natural, material and financial resources will be resolved - especially the ones most in need of these fundamental economic basics. It is safe to state that the latter could otherwise be highly productive elements of the society, in all sectors of the economy and more importantly in all the social strata that comprise Yemen’s diversified and colorful social mix. The issue in the economic sphere boils down to giving equitable access to the resources of the land and allowing the fruits of development to spew out to the outlying and remote areas of the country, some of which have never seen an electric light bulb, let alone a school or a health center.

As it stands now the natural and institutional resources of Yemen are clearly and easily working to make the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. This is compounded by the unhelpful rigid bureaucracy that has nurtured a corrupt network of unfaithful cadre of civil, military and security personnel (many of whom have actually forgotten that in the end they are public servants), sleazy merchants and exploitative social dignitaries, who cannot seem to come to the maximum marginal propensity to acquire wealth and bleed their constituents of all their belongings. One cannot fail to see that the latter only seek to disassociate the social fabric of the society from the binds, guarantees and obligations of the constitutional, institutional and regulatory framework that sound government must be based on and which would guarantee the equality of all citizens before the law.

The Yemeni people are famous for being industrious, for their loyalty to God, country and government. But then the Yemeni people are entitled to some returns for this loyalty. When talking to most Yemeni people from all the different geographical, social and economic backgrounds, one cannot help but note that now the only real faith they have rests with the Almighty, who they view as the only one who can lift them out of all the misery and despondency easy to observe wherever one finds a significant assembly of Yemenis.

With this kind of an aura hovering above the coasts, mountains and deserts of this great country, it is imperative to suggest that Yemen need not be turned into a country overtaken by chaos and mob rule. There is still a chance that the Yemeni people could find ways out of all the predicaments they are under now, including even this series of acts of increasing violence and lawlessness. There are many good people in Yemen; many are endowed with high intellect, sagacity and good will, not to mention a strong love for their country and people. If these people continue to be left on the sidelines, then Yemen will, day by day. become less capable of overcoming all its current problems, since many of these people are nearing the end of their destiny – while no replacements are forthcoming. Surely we have seen what the existing decision making machine has produced and to where it is driving the nation. The widespread violence being witnessed these days is more than a warning sign that the country better shape up or else fall into the merciless violence that characterizes all societies and countries that have thrown reason and good sense out of the window, just so a few could continue to bleed their society of all their resources, deprive them of all their rights and deny them all their dignity and honor.