Amazing. Paltalk is another medium functioning in a parallel universe and getting Eritreans together for debates on national issues and other interests.

When you are immersed in a certain medium, it is so easy to forget that other parallel mediums are developing out of your sight. I am too much into the Internet that Paltak outgrew my knowledge of its effectiveness and efficiency. When I was invited to an Eritrean room # 13 a few weeks ago, I discovered I was way behind everybody else and probably the most ignorant user among those who were logged in. I learned a few things. It was quite an experience.

I came to know of the Paltalk "phenomena" a few years ago when I eavesdropped for a few minutes. Back then the quality of sound, lack of moderation and a few other things were terrible; I never went back and almost forgot the Paltalk phenomena. I rediscovered it again; I even have the latest version of the software, 8.2 - that is quite an achievement considering that the Eritrean Paltak Kentiba, Sha-feg himself, uses 8.1. Does that make me versed? Not really. Even uploading my system required the help of my friend Tes Maharenna.

Paltak is the perfect medium for Eritreans because, probably, the average Eritrean talks forty-times as much as he reads. Very few Eritreans read general books; fewer read off the Internet. Some even boast of their ignorance of what is published on the Internet: ane� Internet zey r�eyo! Then they start to debate current events authoritatively and make fools of themselves. How can one who doesn�t follow current events pretend to be well informed to the extent of arguing like a zealot? And these are people who don�t even have a library card; and the last thing they read was either a PFDJ magazine or their college textbook years ago. Of course, I don�t expect people to be like a friend in Texas who buys four books every weekend for breakfast and finishes The �Da Vinci Code� in one weekend� and he doesn�t use eyeglasses! But Texas is one of those places that enjoy liberty.

Since knowledge comes piggybacked on liberties, the PFDJ is certainly opposed to it for fear that the people would indulge themselves in free thoughts and free pursuit of knowledge. Oppression causes ignorance; and the worst assault on our collective intellectual well-being has been the government�s control of the national media outlets and the jailing of journalists. Hence, our knowledge and information organs are suffocating. But where there is conscience, there is defiance to injustice. That is why Eritreans have managed to take advantage of the technological advancement of humanity (honestly of the West) and are breaking the PFDJ information and knowledge cordon by utilizing the Internet, other related technologies, social gatherings, and Paltalk. Power to the Living Voice. But unfortunately, the free medium is abused by the �

Senior Elfgn Ashker of the PFDJ toured the globe in their yearly pilgrimage to collect tithe from their members. This time, it seems they have became aware of the mayhem that some of their unrestricted members have been creating within the Eritrean Diaspora. Their vulgarity and savagery has divided communities to the extent that most decent ex-supporters of the oppressive regime chose to disassociate themselves from the PFDJ bands. That came at a cost to the regime that saw its tithe collecting, its illegal tax revenues and its proceeds from illicit trade dwindle. In several places, including Sweden, Oakland and Washington DC, the Elfgn Ashker called a PFDJ-members only meetings. In those meetings, the members were told that their behavior has alienated many Eritreans and that they have become a liability to the regime. In short, they were told to behave and act civil � never mind the fact that they don�t know how. Do I expect the brigands to behave as a result of those closed-door meetings and late-reprimands? No.

There is an Arabic saying: men shebba ala shei-in, Shaba aliehi- if you grow up on something, you certainly keep it until you turn gray. Practically it means, old habits die-hard. An orchestra directed by an intoxicated Maestro cannot be expected to play harmonious notes and melodies. It is the PFDJ Capo who is perpetuating the gutter language and behavior. When Isaias starts to speak decently, and starts respecting the people, his parrot-hears-parrot-mimics lots will learn some decency- what they have been doing so far is mimicking "Morto-Morto". But expecting the capo to be decent is to expect an Egyptian mummy to sing. Nothing can save the �QnTuTat Haya� and the �tekal tsogrom� from feeling insecure; they have abused Eritrea and Eritreans for far too long. Now that the numbers of the PFDJ horde is dwindling, the glittering beam of liberty has started to break the darkness- it is getting brighter by the day.

We need not forget that there are abundant mediums, dens populated by ignorant bigots and racists. One such den could not come up with an original idea of divisive mobilization. Therefore, they are recycling the decades-old document, the destructive Nehnan Elamanan of Isaias.

The seed of the present dictatorship was sawn in the late sixties and early seventies. Back then, the author of Nehnan Elamanan composed his messages based on scare tactics and exploited the worst in us: sectarian sentiments. The second phase of Nehnan Elamanan is being orchestrated along the same lines- the reincarnation of that philosophy is appalling.

Eritrean politics is never going to be free of spoiler-rascals who hinder the quest for justice and equality; and they come in different faces: apologists, racists and archaic nativists. The Political Bastards. Some are even shamelessly telling us that the ELF of 1961 was in essence a sectarian Jihadist organization. Another mental handicap is writing analysis of Eritrean social groups based on his centuries-old prejudice. A friend commented: Tebibsi bfetawi-ou yjmr. Another commented: zeHmqo�leni betrey habuni. They are strange lots- every time one thinks they have stripped themselves naked, they peel yet another layer off their body to reveal more of their ugly nudity. Now guess if Eritrea�s problems are genealogical or mental - a result of the evil perpetrators of chaos. These are the Political Bastards.

First the Nativists: In the beginning, naively I though the individuals of certain dens were frustrated patriots airing their views- which is tolerable. But slowly, they couldn�t resist the temptation of appearing like saviors of a segment of our society, namely, the Highlands. And surely, we were exposed to their mental diarrhea. Sick. These are individuals masquerading as caring gentlemen; and their recipe for solving Eritrea�s social problems is a lazy recipe of harping on raw emotional nerves. Worst, they think of themselves as firefighter, when in reality they are arsons. Sick. Medieval. Sectarian. Chauvinistic and fascist lots. If you want to see drunkards, go to a bar in a bad neighborhood; if you want to learn about the arsonists, visit their website.

Second, the zbaznki: These are small-time agitators, attention seekers, complex-ridden warms (who accuse others of inferiority-complex) unprincipled and dishonest elements whose background is a story from the gutters. These are what one writer called, "nay zeytefelTe shnti neged", products of an unidentifiable semen specimen with a doubtful source; people who challenge citizens to prove their roots when they can�t prove that those they claim to be their fathers are actually their real fathers!

Third, the Machiavellis who know they are playing with fire, who know they are doing something wrong, yet, they believe the only tool they have to stay in power is to ignite sectarian and regional sensitivities. These are led by the grand Capo of the PFDJ and his disciples- opportunists who want to be able to travel to Eritrea with loads of condoms to indulge in pedophilia; buy other peoples� property that the PFDJ confiscated; and share the spoils of the country that the PFDJ has robbed in broad daylight.

I declare the above clans of the Negede Shefatu, the tribe of bandits my enemies and the enemies of Eritrean unity. A decent person cannot belong to such a tribe; a tribe presided by the head of the Negede Shefatu, the capo of the PFDJ.

I have a different view- very opposite to the PFDJ and the nativists and those who orbit around them. Put a big smile on your face and mock them for they are worth nothing more than mocking.

Eritrea is the land of brave patriots, tolerant and patient citizens, and assertive individuals who do not blink when claiming their rights. Eritrea has true sons and daughters who aspire to see it prosper and be at peace within itself and at peace with its neighbors. Eritrea has children who struggle to see it become a land for the living and not a military camp celebrating death. A land of entrepreneurship and creativity and not a land of stolen youth, a land of suffering parents, a land of disrespected elders and land of camouflaged slavery�and Eritreans have a major issue: lack of justice.

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