Zimbabwe

[Pekka]

Tuome, Ok.. I haven't followed the situation in a long time so I am not up to date. I feel the same as you, it will only get worse with time. Anyway, his allies are not strong enough to impose great threat to western countries.

[Pekka]

Besides, if someone has something against killing people, it would be just as easy to kidnap him or something. Then trial him at Belgium, where everyone can sue everyone. Or he can just disappear... or send ultimatum that he has to step down. Something at least.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by elijah
"They were the one's throwing thier weight around in order to allow him to travel through the EU"

I think they allowed him to go to France in order to have a political conference. Paris is somewhat safer than Harare.

Your point is?

[Worthingtons]

That we should be nice to Mugabe and make sure he has a safe,comfortbale conference??

And Yes, I imagine Mugabe has a lot of support among anti US blacks, but sod that - this isnt IRAQ, there is detailed proof of a valid case for War out there, Amnesty International could provide all the proof needed to shock people into agreeance...

[Boris Godunov]

Zimbabwe doesn't occupy a strategically significant location, it does not boast a wealth of natural resources to make it economically worthwhile, and we've used up our "take over other nations" cards for the time being.

[GePap]

The violence in Zimbabwe is low (in fact, the counter argument is that people pay more attention to beatings and a few hundread imprisionments in Zimbabwe because the victims are sometimes white, while thousand upon thousands of deaths elsewhere in Africa don;t count cause the victims are black) compared to the rest of Africa. He is a dictator, but in the list of world hellholes, zimbabwe is not yet even top 10. Plus, as Boris said, nothing of interest for the West to get involved.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Tuomerehu

Ya, 'we' should... but there is no oil in Zimbabwe

Nail, head. Head, nail.


(For those for whom English is 2nd language, "to hit the nail on the head" is an expression meaning to do something with accuracy).

Anyway, Mugabe provides a convenient example of African leadership to laugh at without actually taking on the burden of African admin and screwing it up yet again.

In other words, who is to say we'd be any better?

[chequita guevara]

I find it odd that of all the world's dicators, Mugabe brings out so much venom in people. Let's face it, in the top one hundred most brutal dicators of the 20th Century, Mugabe wouldn't even make the list. He's a thug, but put things in some perpective. Our president has killed more people than Mugabe, and that not including Iraq.

On the very top of the list of worst dicatorships existing today I'd probably put SLORC, the dictatorship of Burma (Myanmar as SLORC calls it). There are many worse places than Zimbabwe. I think it has to do with the fact that Mugabe represses white folks, and that's just not right. It's not like I see much discussion of the Black people who get beat up and killed by Mugabe's followers.

[Dinner]

It's to bad it's illegal to assassinate foreign politicians. It seems like a bullet at midnight could solve the worst of Rhodesia's problems; if it goes through Mugabe's head.

[GePap]

Yup, like there are no more radical folks in his party that, given him out, would not mind doing abit more than moving white people forcibly....

Oh, and Zimbabwe, not Rhodesia. This is 2003, not 1980.

[Dinner]

Mugabe renamed it. The communists renamed St. Petersburg and a military junta renamed Burma. When they were gone the name was/will be changed back. Will the same happen to Rhodesia? We'll have to wait to find out but I suspect the people will be happy to shead any changes the dictator Mugabe made during his reign just as it is once again Congo and not Zaire.

[GePap]

Maybe the vast majority of the populationm preffered not to have their country named after a racist prigg.My guess, if Zimbabwe is a democracy..never.

[Giancarlo]

Zimbabwe has not once been a democracy has it?

BTW, internationally, it is recognized as Zimbabwe, not Rhodesia. Rhodesia was the name used by the white minority regime correct me if I am wrong.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Oerdin
It's to bad it's illegal to assassinate foreign politicians. It seems like a bullet at midnight could solve the worst of Rhodesia's problems; if it goes through Mugabe's head.

I cannot see that helping feed Eastern Africa, bring the rains, restore democracy (Mugabe doesn't do actual torturing) or in any way guarantee that his successor is more successful.

You think one bullet would end the problems of Zimbabwe? That's Mugabe's argument. He's just not sure which bullet it is, so he keeps firing them.

[Dinner]

Remember Zaire became Congo because Congo was a word invented by evil white Imperialists, but, once an evil black dictator sullied the name Zaire the people were very happy to return to the name of Congo.

It's kind of like an unpopularity contest where you win as long as the other guy is a bigger SOB.