Eritrea: A Nation in Isolation Documentary
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Despite bad press, Eritrea continues to lead mainland sub-Sahara Africa in most of the important socioeconomic indicators. |
Eritrea: a nation in isolation is a documentary that probes into the country's numerous achievements made in the health, economic and infrastructure sectors. Hosted by award-winning journalist Afshin Rattansi, Press TV was given an exclusive interview with President Isaias Afwerki and an unsupervised tour of the country to base their own conclusions.
At 1:59 into the video, it shows footage of the Eritrean revolution (1961-1991), while a small caption wrongly describes it as being from the border war between 1998-2000.
At 2:20, Rattansi inaccurately states the border war claimed the lives of 70,000 Eritreans out of a population of 4 million. According to official figures, 19,000 Eritrean soldiers died during Ethiopia's invasion from 1998-2000.
At 8:34, the host misquotes the World Health Organization (WHO) when he says Ethiopia's life expectancy is at 59. According to the WHO, Ethiopia's life expectancy is at 54.
Memorable quotes in the documentary:
At 4:17, Rattansi asks students why does Eritrea receive such bad press in the media, to which one student replied, "Most countries hate Eritrea." Rattansi asks why, the smiling student responds with, "maybe because they are jealous."
At 7:20, PIA says: "Waiting for handouts for years cripples a community.Once communities are crippled, they are so dependent it becomes an addiction. Governments are subsidized because of these food aid and so-called humanitarian aid. They are not engaged in real productive activities. They don't mobilize their own population. It's slavery, it's poverty, it's famine. You're sometimes being used for their PR exercises."
At 10:20, PIA says: "Do we need aid? We can't live with aid. We don't need aid. So we have to have an alternative. We need to develop our own capabilities. We need to go through a phase where we have to invest in a sustainable economy. We have made our choice from day one."
Overall thoughts on the documentary:
Aside from the host's incorrect description of Eritrea as being in isolation, which was likely intended to grab the viewers attention more than anything, the documentary does give an insightful, balanced and entertaining perspective of a country that has been unfairly targeted for over a decade by successive U.S. administrations.
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Eritrea: A Nation in Isolation Documentary
Reviewed by Admin
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8:47 AM
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Reviewed by Admin
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8:47 AM
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Are you saying that the history of Eritrea is a myth???
ReplyDeleteNothing is embellished, Eritrea defeated Superpowers!!!
As far is UN votes, everyone followed the US even when they knew it was unjust. It did not serve the interest of the other nations at the Security Council to oppose the US.
But NOW the TRUTH is coming out slowly.
The stick of truth maybe thin, but it never breaks.
TGY
He's Ethiopian, don't even bother. Madote should clean up the comment systems from Ethiopian trolls like Dawit.
ReplyDeleteDear Stadium Noise
ReplyDeleteI really don’t want to argue back and forth on the history
of Eritrea, but to guard Eritrean true history from being a myth.. We have solid true history that we fought for our independence
defeating the largest army in Africa which was supported by many countries
including the Super Powers. That solid history does not need to be embellished
to become a myth. Vietnam can claim they fought against U.S. and defeated the
Supper Power. Afghanistan fought the Soviet Union and claims to defeat them.
Your information about Cubans fighting directly in Eritrea is wrong. They fought
in Ogaden against Somalia. It is true
there were Russians and East Germen Military advisors in Eritrean war and few
were taken prisoners of war, but that hardly enough fact to claim that we were
fighting the Soviet Union directly. Now on the isolation, Eritrea suspended
itself from IGAD, African Union, that where they brewed the accusation of
Eritrea supporting Al-Shaba, which was used to Sanction Eritrea by UNSC. The
first sanction passed 13 for, one abstention China, and opposed it Libya. The
second sanction passed again 13 votes Yes and 2 votes Russia and China
abstained. That tells a lot about an isolation of a country.
Peace
dawit