The Tyranny of Oneness in Tigray: Emotion, Borrowed Truths, and the Digital Manufacture of Unity
In the midst of unprecedented crises, unity is often the only thing that feels like survival. In Tigray, in the midst of genocidal war, blockade, and unimaginable suffering, the imperative to become one, to think alike, feel alike, and speak with one voice, has undoubtedly been compelling. Unity has not been an ideology; it has been a shield. However, history, anthropology, and even technology tell us that the pursuit of oneness “at all costs” can subtly metamorphose from unity to tyranny. What starts out as unity can subtly become the stranglehold of thought, emotion, and possibilities. To grasp the dynamics of the tyranny of oneness in Tigray, it is imperative to consider the interplay of three key drivers: the construction of emotion, the ideology of unity, the digital manufacture of unity, while keeping in mind the borrowed truths that have driven the pursuit of freedom . The Social Life of Emotion in Times of Crisis The first insight comes from anthropology, specifically the res...
