Madagascar: “History repeats itself…as a farce” in recent unrest · Global Voices
Mialy Andriamananjara

Members of a Yahoo! forum are wondering how the situation in Madagascar degenerated into looting, general anarchy and the current power vacuum; how the crisis and general mayhem could have been avoided; and how the situation is different or similar to 2002, when eight months of political turmoil and violence shook Madagascar.  Then, ironically, it was the currently embattled President, Marc Ravalomanana, who was demanding democracy and was heralded as the people's choice.
“Ny fanontaniana mipetraka sy tonga ho azy dia ny hoe inona moa no mahasamihafa ny zavatra potika amin'izao taona 2008 izao amin'izay zavatra potika tamin'ny taona 2002? … Ka inona ary no vaha-olana tsy hiverenan'ny fanapotehana
intsony?”
Rajiosy  titles in one of his posts that
“L'histoire se repete… en farce”
Rajiosy then retraces the history of Madagascar's political instability
.
Burzano 2000 thinks we need to educate the masses in order to avoid the repetition of violence:
“Mila tadiavina (ianarana) ny lalana sy rafitra ahazoan'ny vahoaka maneho hevitra amim-pahatoniana sy tsy arahin-kerisetra. Mila tadiavina koa ny lalana ahazoan'ny eo amin'ny familiana amin'ny ambaratongam-pahefana rehetra mihaino ny feon'ny vahoaka sy manova famindra tsy arahin-kerisetra rehefa misy ilana izany. Mazava be ilay zava-nisy sy toa mbola misy iny hoe “Émeutes de la faim”. Aza adino fa be dia be ny olona efa tsy nihinana sakafo afa-tsy indray mandeha sy tapany isan'andro na latsak'izay aza raha tsy hiresaka afa-tsy ny ao Tana sy ny manodidina fotsiny aza.”
This opinion is seconded by Nasolo Valiavo Andriamihaja , a well known columnist at the daily Express de Madagascar, who thinks the chaos was predictable based on Malagasy history. He makes a strong case for teaching people to think independently and resist being used for political purposes  :
“Inona no nitondra amin’izao tampin-dalana izao ka tsy efa nosoratana teto hatramin’ny 2002 ? Inona no mbola hitranga manaraka ka tsy efa hita soritra hatramin’ny 2002 ? Kitaontaona azo nihodivirana tsara mihitsy ny hitsin-dalana noraisin’ny fitondran-dRavalomanana. “
…
Tsy tojo izao fidinana an-dalambe izao sahady indray ny firenena raha nanana fanetren-tena ny fitondrana. Teny natao tamin-dRatsiraka izany tamin’ny 2001, teny naverina tamin-dRavalomanana hatramin’ izay fito taona izay. Ny anay, izay tsy  hikatsoan’ny fiainam-pirenena fotsiny ihany. Ny orinasa mamokatra soa aman-tsara, ny fivarotana mitady fivelomana, ny aina sy ny fananan’ny tsirairay tsy misy ahiana, ny mpiasa tsy lany andro mitokona, ny mpianatra tsy very taona, ny raharaha politika mizotra milamina amin’ny fifidianana voafetra mialoha. Fiainana tsy mila voatsiary fa moramora toa ny any Amerika : ny 4 novambra, isaky ny efa-taona ihany, no misy fifidianana Filoha.
Ny ahiahinay dia ny hiverenan’izao isan-taona, isam-bolana, raha isaky ny mahatsiaro dia hiantso korontana, hamory vahoaka. …
Raha mbola tsangan’olona hatrany no harahin’ny Malagasy dia tsy hisy fandrosoana eto na hanova Filoha isam-bolana aza isika. Tsy misy izany Mesia izany, tsy misy izany fahagagana izany, ary adala izay mino fotsiny ihany. Fitaizana voalohany tsy tanteraky ny antoko politika sy ny mpitaiza isan-tsokajiny (média, société civile, fiangonana, sekoly, raiamandreny) tao anatin’izay dimampolo taona naha Repoblika ny tany izay. Tsy ny fitaomana azy hidina an-dalambe, izay miafara amin’ny faty olona na fandravana fananana, no fitaizana tsara indrindra omena ny vahoaka. Hita izao fa izay mitaona azy hitokona androany, hifoterany hikomy rahampitso.
Ilay hoe demokrasia, tsy kabary fotsiny. Vahoaka ampy fahalalana no fototry ny demokrasia. Tsy mihinana amam-bolony, tsy mankatoa fahatany, tsy manaran-drian-drano. Vahoaka mifidy manavaka fa tsy mandatsa-bato fotsiny. Vahoaka mandinika fa tsy manao rebik’ondry (2). Tsy vita izany tamin’ny 1972, tsy vita tamin’ny 1991, tsy vita tamin’ny 2002, mbola tsy tanteraka ihany indray 2009. Tsy azo ataon’ny mpahalala ny milavo lefona fa fanabeazana tsy maintsy hirosoana io, satria tsy hisy fahagagana rahateo koa. Sanatria mantsy izany hoe ozona ho an’i Madagasikara ny toy izao.”
Meanwhile, others passionately regret that the Malagasy politicians, those in power and those in the opposition, will not be the ones suffering most from the crisis:
“Ny politika Malagasy moa izany dia efa mahazatra fa miala an`Ankatso dia Ambohidepona, ny mampalahelo dia na ny mpitondra amin`izao na ny mpanotra dia olona tsy tena mijaly na koa tsy tena nijaly tamin`ny 2002 na 1991. Mba tsinjonareo ireo ve ireny mpivarotra anana eny antsena sy mpianatra nandeha tongotra 30 km nandroso sy niverina nandeha nakao antananarivo, mba tsinjonareo ve ilay mpampianatra amin`ny EPP, mpampianatra iray mampianatra kilasy 5 no sady tale, mba tsijonareo ve ny olona voan`ny rivodoza mila fanampiana nefa tsy misy manampy, mba tsijonareo ve ny olona mitady ny hoaniny isanandrosanandro, mba tsinjonareo ve ny mpibata entana na reraka aza dia miasa hatrany….indrisy ny an`ny mpanao politika malagasy rehetra dia haka fitondrana mba hampiadanany ny tenany…
Izaho manokana dia “halako” izay olona mampijaly ny Malagasy na mpitondra io na mpanohitra, ireo mamitaka ny tsy mahalala sy manao tohatra iakarana ireo sahirana; na tsy afa miteny aza ireo dia ny tody tsy misy fa ny atao no miverina. Dia tena firenena voahozona ve i Madagasika, tsy misy afatsin`ny mifampidera hery ve ny ain`ny mpanao politika Malagasy.
TOkony mandeha mitazona angadin`omby kely aloha ireo mpitondra fanjakana sy mpanohitra ireo mba ahatsapana hoe mafy ny miasa mamelotena sy mitady ny ho anina isan`andro, ario ny akanjo mianjaika be ireny dia mba miloloava vary amin`ny gony hatero ho an`ny traboina.”
And Tomavana laments that in all this chaos, the victims of cyclones which have last week devastated entire cities have all but been forgotten.
“Inona moa izany fa andro iray fanampiny tsy ahafahan’ireo traboina miantehitra afatsy amin’ny tenany ihany indray iny andro iray iny. Inona intsony koa moa no ambarako eo afatsy ny hoe raha mbola zo atao … dia aza mba mipetraka any amin’ny faritany ihany zalahy e !”