The 21st century is the century of tribes. Nation states crumble into tribal entities. Armed conflicts practically always have a tribal or ethnic component. Governments recognize minorities within their borders and give them forms of autonomy or cultural rights. Around the world people are proud of their ethnic identity. There is one tribe that supersedes geographical boundaries; one tribe is truly cosmopolitan. It’s the Wabenzi.
The Wabenzi got their name in Kenya. It used to be reserved for the corrupt elite that could afford to buy an armored black Mercedes Benz with tinted glass all around. It is Swahili for the tribe of Benz. I got acquainted with the term when I was stranded with my Vito 4x4 in a Samburu village close to the Ethiopian border. Later, at the Mercedes dealership of D.T. Dobie in Nairobi I saw the Wabenzi coming and going. They are now the successful middle class that drive all classes from Mercedes A to V. And the same is happening in China, in India, in Russia and Brazil. It’s a worldwide cosmopolitan class that enjoys the comfort they have worked so hard for and are not afraid to show it. As cosmopolitans they are not locked up in a tribe, but as Mercedes owners they do not realize that they really do belong to the tribe of the free people: the Wabenzi.
You qualify as a Wabenzi if you are a cosmopolitan and own a Mercedes Benz. If you are a Wabenzi, you are invited to join this group. Share your experience with your vehicle in a free world with other Wabenzi around the globe in the Wabenzi group on LinkedIn
