For these reasons, Yemen needs a new plan [Archives:2008/1130/Viewpoint]

Editor
These are bad times for press in Yemen. They are also bad times for businesses, tourists, and ambitious young Yemenis. The reasons being that there is a clamp down on freedom of press, the Ministry of Information does not understand the power of the Internet for example and does not realize it cannot control information any longer. It is a bad time for businesses because of the increase in prices and hence the deterioration of purchasing power among other instabilities that are hurting the national economy. It is also a bad time for tourists because of the continuing instability and violence in the country, and finally it is a bad time for ambitious Yemenis because of the lack of an encouraging environment for creation, whether from the point of education and skills development or the point of fair competition and care for talents.

For any country all of these elements which are struggling in Yemen are vital to its prosperity. A country needs its free press, it needs its economy movers and shakers, it needs its image and reputation worldwide, and it needs its youth. If all these factors are suffering how will Yemen overcome its challenges and catch up with the world? With the situation as is, there is no telling how we will be able to survive as a country any longer. It is like cutting off a bird's wings and telling it to fly. Worse, Yemen today is like cutting off a bird's wings, pushing it over a cliff and telling it to fly or die.

Although rather comical this is not an exaggerated metaphor. We need help in working out our problems, and we need it urgently. I believe that the current regime is not able to control the country or take it to the future. It can only save itself before angry masses and wicked retaliation and chaos starts flooding and overwhelming the feeble state institutions. We need help to strengthen our infrastructure, our communication and transportation systems, our education and health care services, our rule of law and governance. Instead of pushing every decent Yemeni out of the country and forbidding international intervention under the pretext of the state sovereignty, we need to be humble enough to reach out and accept help. There is no point in pretending we can take care of ourselves because with all that is going on Yemen cannot take care of itself on its own, Yemen needs a new plan, and definitely a new man.
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