The rise and fall of politicians: from grace to grass
(By Jemal Ebrahim)
30/12/2025)
Many political leaders think that, people are committed to them, when they are praised too much.
They forget that people are committted to the cause, not to them.
Thus, when the leader(s) change their stand in relation to the cause, many followers start to desert them.
When many followers abandon them, the leaders get confused; - not by the very confusion they themselves have caused - but by the isolation (abandonment) they are facing, increasingly,
As a result, they start suspecting everybody and everything around them.
Following their suspicions, lack of trust, inconfidence and fear of their unknown future causes them taking wrong actions : - insulting, harrassing, intimidating, terrorizing everyone around them.
Filled with fear, anger, disappointment… etc. they fail to realize that, they caused the whole trouble to themselves - due to changing their stand - in relation to the cause - for which they were supported and praised.
They forget that people are committed to the cause, not to them.
Overwhelmed by fear of the unknown, they lose self control.
And, the more they lose self control, the more they engage in destructive behaviours (demolishing their own image). This in turn causes more and more abandonment (isolation) by followers, supporters, sympathizers. After losing a lot of supporeters, followers and sympathizers (instead of correcting the wrong path), they start using slogans like “quality is more important than quantity”. They forget that, there is power in number. Thus, they mislead themselves, and continue the path to complete down fall - from grace to grass. From praise, to abuse. From spreading love to spreading falsehood. From sawing trust, to sawing mistrust. From defending the cause, to defending oneself. When they fail defending oneself, they may not only betray, but may also conspire (in secrete) against their former followers, supporters, sympathizers - with their very enemy.
Just look around the whole world, and observe the trajectory of many politicians in Oromo struggle.