Are We Passive?

[Warmoog]

I don't mean to generalize, but I'm starting to think Somalis (the majority of us) are too passive. Looking back on our history, I often wonder why people tolerated Siyaad Barre for over two decades. I know he wasn't so bad during the first few years of his reign, but when he revealed himself to be the true despot he was - why didn't people have a mass-reaction, an uprising, a revolution... or show some sign that they weren't passive participants in the workings of their demise? I'm not overlooking the fact that some resistance was demonstrated by political groups based in Ethiopia. But, within the country, artists (poets, singers, etc.) were the only ones who maintained some form of true patriotism by opposing (or at least criticizing) the regime. But why were they the only ones who saw the importance of resistance? Why did the 'silent majority' never feel the need to speak up? Why didn't the masses realize that history would never forgive them if they did not react? And sure they reacted, eventually, but by that time things were so far downhill it was too late. In other words, the mechanisms of self-destruction were so far in the works, their ill-timed reaction made no difference to the course of history. I mean look where we are now...

 

Even today, the silent majority is again being led from one empty watering-hole to the next like helpless cattle by the same losers who picked our nation to the bone. Again, I don't mean to generalize but upon pondering this issue I'm left with the same conclusion time and time again. So far, as a people, I think we have been too passive for our own good. And if we ever want to attain anything better, we have to change this (among many other things).

 

Salaama.

[Baashi]

Yasmine,

We were hostages to a small group of dictatorial, repressive government officials aka military junta. They employed espionage (dhar-cad/NSS), torture, intimidation, and other tactics (borrowed from the Warsaw pact) to subjugate the populace.

 

Simply put it was impractical to become active participant in the Somalia's political discourse. The ones who questioned the policies of the 'revolutionary' council were made examples for all to see. It was a treason (high crimes) to even speak of your mind as far as the politics is concerned. It was a suicidal to venture in realm of politics.

 

Lastly, contrary to the common believe, there is no such thing as sponteneous uprising. It takes a lot of effort and organizing skills to put one together. The ones who were at top had NSS working for them to prevent that from happening.

[Nasir]

Yasmine you really don't know much do you

 

There were people who who uprised and and fought against the regime, Then the whole nation turned against those people and mascared them by killing children women and elders and by renting airplanes from south africa and bombing down their houses, and by cuting down all the trees from the root so there won't be any plant food. Those people were chained up together and burried in massive graves. more than 50 thousand of those people died and million people were chased away from their cities. so plss don't say there were no uprising against the regime, because those people fought back and took out the regime that is why the regime no longer exists :eek:

 

 

peace out yall :rolleyes:

[Warmoog]

Nasir – No need to get sensitive bro, I wasn’t out to offend anyone.

 

You appear to have missed my point entirely. I clearly acknowledged the fact that certain parties (for example: the SNL) resisted the regime. They were those “political groups based in Ethiopia” to which I was referring. From the looks of what you wrote, it appears 'those people' you're referring to are members of a certain tribe (who I’d prefer not to mention by name). Let’s just say they predominately inhabit a place now known as Somaliland… I’m sure you know where that is, since you’ve posted all those nice pictures for us. There is no question that “the whole nation turned against those people", as you say, while others chose to look the other way. So believe me, I know very well who 'those people' are. But if you believe 'those people' were solely responsible of dismantling the regime and destroying its existence, then you’re simply wrong. 'Those people' who you’re aggressively making a case for had their hands full and never had a chance to "take out" the regime, like you claim. How could they? War was being waged against them in the North (by the government no less) and those of them living in the South were being persecuted. So when events turned from bad to worse, their concerns shifted from resistance to self-defense. Like it or not, it was the eventual unrest among people in the South that sent Siyaad Barre running out of the country.

 

So, without directly referring to this tribe or that (because people have a tendency to get sensitive about such issues), I was trying to ask the question – what took so long? In other words, why did people (i.e. those who looked the other way while others were persecuted) wait until the last minute to realize the regime was doing wrong? Why didn’t they act sooner? If they had, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today…

 

Salaama.

[military]

my dear sister yasmine u are also wrong let me tell u what happened without a long story.the first uprising was made by (without saying the tribe) the people who live in and control puntland but they were unfortunately demolished in a very brutal manner by siad barre who was evil and had no limits or mercy even for his own people.Then in the eighties a rebel movement which was known as the snm started in london and then also moved and made a base in ethiopia the snm who were a mix of former soldiers,generals politicians but mainly youths and ordinary people started to make raids against government posts and bases in order to aid them selves with weaponry to fight since they had very little financial aid indeed.When Siad Barre had found out about this and could no longer stand and ignore this he was so angry he unleashed a full scale war and hired south african pilots to bomb and raid northern cities such as hargeisa ,burco and berbera which were demolished to the ground.Siad Barre sent everything he had to fight the rebels but he did not succeed and the snm demolished and kicked out government troops.meanwhile aidid wanted to get rid of siad barre for good so he contacted the snm and made a deal with them.He had at first asked the snm for men to fight against the regime down in mogadishu but the snm refused and said we cannot do this but we can aid u with arms so they agreed.Aidid had caused a lot of civil unrest down south preparing for an overthrow of the regime.When Siad Barre had realised that his troops had been defeated by the snm he noticed the civil unrest starting in mogadishu and he immediately pulled out a certain amount of his troops to restore order in the capital and protect his leadership but the honourable aidid's forces were too strong for Siad Barre and he was defeated and eventually pursued out of Somalia, and this is what had happened sister.

[African]

Yasmin, you’ve asked very good questions.

 

what took so long? In other words, why did people (i.e. those who looked the other way while others were persecuted) wait until the last minute to realize the regime was doing wrong? Why didn’t they act sooner? If they had, maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today…

I think Mr. Oodweyne answered them very well, through the German Historians words.

 

"First the Nazis came for the jews,...and I did not protest,... for I was not a jewish by religion,....then they came for the all communist,.... here again I did not protest, because I wasn't a communist by convinction,...then they return and came for the socialist,...again I did do anything,... because I was not a socialist by temperament either,... and then finally they came looking for me,...so I look around to see anyone to protect me or perhaps valiantly protest on my behalf,...but there was no body left standing beside me, and I was alone,...and herein,..he concluded, with a painfully sober reflection,... lies the social tragedy of the German people and the history ofthe Nazi's Germany",..