WHAT’S PATRIOTISM MEASURED BY?

By Tearz Ayuen, Nairobi

It seems that we South Sudanese can at times be peculiarly patriotic. When one’s uncle or auntie or in-law is appointed minister by President Kiir, he and his community turn into patriots so fast. They run around with the national flag. They defend the government even when it’s wrong. Like dogs, they sniff the air in an attempt to locate where dissenting voices are coming from.

They even learn how to sing that hymnal national anthem. And during state functions, they crock like frogs as they sing along.

Musicians compose platitudinal songs about the President, songs with which traditional dancers dance to. Other ‘patriots’ pray for the cowboy; not only on Sundays, at church, but also during social communal events.

“Nhiali’ny Aberem ku Ithak ku Jocop, yi awundun col Kiir Mayardit tiit ne jaa ka dhuoom.” (God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, please always protect your servant Kiir Mayardit from satanic forces)

And imagine such a prayer is said in a wedding!

They literally punch, in the nose, those who criticize Kiir and his arrogant, thieving, lying juniors. They expect everyone to swallow everything that comes from Kiir, including urine and spittle. They want everyone to talk sweet of him. Anyone who talks negative of the heavily bearded man is considered unpatriotic and deserves to be fed to the national security human dogs.

In March this year, I went to this new joint opposite Oasis, along the Nile. I sat on a stool at the counter, next to a table of drinking fellows. It was on a blazing Sunday afternoon. The young men were keeping it all grown-up over cold beer – talking about women, girls and so on. At some point, their conversation shifted to politics, particularly on the current crisis. And this old dude – probably in his late 40s or early 50s, parachuted from nowhere and asked what the youth mentioned the president’s name for. This drew my attention.

“You can’t talk about Kiir like that, ya shabab. This is his country. He runs it. He ‘worek’d’ hard to be where he is right now,” the man lectured them. I noticed that he had strong Arabic accent, the kind that looks for letter R in a word. His grammar was good, though. The visibly scared youth remained tight-lipped.

“Say one more time that Kiir has a hand in this crisis and I’ll call SPLA ‘Comondo’ on you right now. Just drink your beer ‘beraha’ and in case you run out of cash, let me know; I could buy you some.” I also saw he had gold-plated teeth, lower and upper canines. He got up, pulled his pants up to the level of navel (Congolese style) and meandered his way to the gents.

Such is a man who, when his auntie or in-law or himself, is kicked out through a presidential decree, quickly turns into a foul-mouthed rebel and begin to run black PR against the president.

Even those who were sucking the nation’s cow dry, in the name of making business before falling out with the administration, have now turned against Kiir. They’re now all over the social media where they launch anti-Kiir textual missiles.

So, what is patriotism measured by in South Sudan? First of all, what’s patriotism? American Philosophy Professor Stephen Nathanson defines patriotism as a ‘special concern for the well-being of the country’ or ‘special affection for one’s own country’.

So, when is one supposed to love South Sudan? Is patriotism measured by the amount of crumbs one picks from under the high tables? Is it by the number of uncles and aunts one has in the cabinet? Or is it by the position one holds in the government?

Famous English writer Julian Barnes in his novel Flaubert’s Parrot, for which he won Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1985, writes: “The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.”

Do we first help President Kiir’s government spifflicate the country through ineptitude, corruption, nepotism, totemism, and then when dismissed, we begin to tell him that he ‘is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously’?
What patriotism is that?

And this goes to the self-made cherubs, the alleged potential saviors of the falling, failing nation – Pagan Amum, Majak de Agoot, John Luk, Dr. Riek, Rebecca Nyandeng and other self-deceiving SPLM-this-and-that seniors.

They now speak of Kiir having built no roads, no schools, no health facilities; they say the cowboy is mismanaging public funds. That he’s further plunging the young nation into political and economic abyss.

Well, when did Salva Kiir turn unintelligent, inept, weak and tyrannical? Obviously after he left them out in the political cold, isn’t it?

Yes President Kiir’s leadership is wanting. He deserves the most severe rebuke there is, but not from any SPLM renegade. Kiir should be criticized and mauled politically by South Sudanese without ‘blemish’ – those who never partook in the looting of the countries riches.

Anyway, we must be the most stupid people on earth. How do we worship the same people who co-engineered the downfall of the baby country? Why are we this cheap?

Tearz © 2014