Psychologists say that human emotions can be reduced to only four: sorrow, happiness, fear and anger. And of the four, the only one that is socially acceptable for men (in most societies) is anger. A man will brag about his capacity for anger (“dont make me angry; you would like me when I am angry”, in the famous words of the Incredible Hulk) but is very uncomfortable expressing sorrow, happiness or, God forbid, fear.
Notwithstanding all its pretenses to being a “progressive” organization, Eritrea’s ruling party is essentially a men’s club. Even its women’s franchise, the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) is essentially a man’s idea of how women should act. That’s why the organization has never advocated for women’s rights but has been conditioning women on what the acceptable behavior is from the ruling party’s male perspective: never inquire about human rights, never speak about gender gaps in employment or in positions of power or women’s health priorities.
Over the last twenty years, when Eritrea was either in a state of war or under sanctions, the Isaias government was very comfortable expressing its fear or sadness by its anger at the world: angry at the UN, angry at the US world order, angry at Ethiopia, angry about the world order. It conducted endless “seminars” where its officials gave seminars–marathon monologues about unfairness of the world.
Then Abiy happened. A post-modern man, he talked of love, reconciliation and forgiveness and how he will not only reverse everything but he will express–publicly–his affection for the colony of political lepers. And these same people that had talked and talked and talked (to themselves, mostly) for twenty years, had nothing to say: they just shifted from very angry to very happy.
Meanwhile, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed kept articulating its vision and naked ambition. And all the while, the officials of the government of Isaias Afwerki just “aw-shucked” their way. Shell-shocked, no footing: all we have is platitudes. Compare: