Ethiopia's regime

What a nerve the Marxist rulers of Ethiopia have to rebuke the Western nations for not responding soon enough to their famine and for not supplying long-term development aid. The Ethiopian government itself took away the savings and food stocks of the farmers, created in the good years as an insurance against the years of drought, because these were considered to be capitalist hoards. This policy provoked rebellion and then the government cut off food supplies to the rebels as punishment. Hence the famine in the north of the country; when the West rushed in food and transport to help the starving, the Ethiopian government was spending its cash to commemorate its revolution. There were also many reports of diversion of food aid to government troops. Long-term development aid was reduced by Western countries because of the Mengistu regime's disgraceful record on human rights. There is no reason to believe that the regime has changed its spots. Any financial or technical assistance the West gives in the future should be on one condition -- that its distribution be meticulously supervised by inspectors whom the West can trust.