What do you think about what's happening in Zimbabwe?

[TCO]

The Hot Zone by Richarde Preston describes an incident of airborne Ebola Zaire transmission. There are probably different strains of Ebola Zaire. And we are still learning about garden variety EZ...

[Guardian]

Re: What do you think about what's happening in Zimbabwe?

Originally posted by Lung

(...) Mugabe won their national election (...)

Did he?

In my opinion, he couldn't possibly have won the election because there never was one!

Any election so blatantly and obviously screwed up shouldn't be recognized as an election at all. Don't give him that kind of legitimacy when he didn't even manage to act like he was giving it a decent shot.

Mugabe is not a leader, he's just another pathetic dictator the world would be better off without.

[Hydey]

Originally posted by Lung


Hydey, if you don't have anything sensible to say, please keep your delusions to yourself

There are many homosidal manics running countries on this little planet of ours, unfortuanately people like you only seem to care when it is white people having there arses kicked.

I personally deplore all acts of insane violence against anyone and my reference to the Australian Government is based on the hypocracy of how the aboriginals are treaty here while our government says nothing and how our government locks refugees up in the desert saying its ok but when some white farmers in Zimbabwe are treaty discusting and killed in bloody racist murders the Australian government jumps up and down demanding action.


Now if it makes you better to slag me off , then feel free as I can always find comfort from the indian family on my left or the greek family over the road or the intellectually handicapped white guy to my right. You see I get on well with all of them.

[Ecowiz Returns]

Originally posted by faded glory
... Angola...

Sorry, but Angola is hardly a stable nation. Since their independence and up until the recent death(assassination) of the guerrilla leader, they've been in a almost permanent state of Civil War (most convenient to the rulling party, I might add). There isn't yet clear the Civil War is over, because the rulling party keeps emprisoning the same representatives they say are negociating peace with (talk about coherence ).

But, among the past Portuguese Colonies one can find some pretty stable regimes, like Mozambique (since they reached internal peace, after the first free elections, they've been showing a remarkably stable high growth rate, athough their initial level in awfully low) or Cabo Verde (stable almost since their Independence).

Turns out most of African leaders are corrupt, which isn't but the keeping of colonial tradition (usually the representatives of the Colonial Ruler were also pretty much corrupt). The former colonial nations cannot forget the terrible legacy they left. However, the time should be to look forward and not backward, and the rights of every human being in Africa (as everywhere else) should be accounted for. The World has changed and now we can know better what is going on in every part of it. It would be nice if we were also able to do more about it.

[Lars-E]

Originally posted by Adam Smith
Half the friggin' continent of Africa is dying of Aids, Ebola, and God knows what else, yet it looks like the only way to get rid of this petty tyrant is to have him die peacefully of old age? There's a boatload of irony in that, not that the same could not be said of people like Mobutu.

Some exceptions: Uganda is doing very well - AIDS# down to 10% - used to be in the 30s.. This was a muslim-dominated nation before - Christians had to go out in the bush to pray. So much for tolerance

Idi Amin was a good muslim or a bad one... depending on which side u take.

Today Uganda is thoroughly christianized, thru prayers it's claimed, and the whole nation is doing much better. Even the president turned Christian and this caused big headlines - he dedicated the nation to Christianity.

I suspect North Africa has less AIDS-problems due to strict islamic/sharia laws. Especially Mauretania where even showing interest in the Christian message can result in torture. Yes islamic tolerance could improve in many places..

It's easy to just write off a continent or smaller area of the world, but deep down we know that vast numbers of innocents suffer unjustly. It's anger that makes us think that "they all deserve each other" in places like the middle east and Northern Ireland, but deep down we know it isn't true. If you know your history, you know you must accept that these things have been done, but we do not have to accept those things that haven't yet been done

Like he said

[faded glory]

Originally posted by Ecowiz Returns

Sorry, but Angola is hardly a stable nation. Since their independence and up until the recent death(assassination) of the guerrilla leader,

Re-Read my post. Angola was one of the bad nations. I only listed Keyna anD Tanzania as stable.

[Arrian]

My two and a half cents...

Sanctions/embargoes do not work. Castro, Saddam, Khadafi (sp?)... no external economic pressure got rid of those guys. Sanctions end up hurting the average Joe, and even give the targeted dictator a propoganda tool. Look at how the USA is villified for sanctions vs. Iraq. Not only have the sanctions failed to remove Saddam, or force him to allow the arms inspectors to return, but Saddam has been able to point the figure at the U.S. government for the suffering of his people (who he could care less about, and could feed/cloth/care for if he didn't want so many tanks). Sanctions, in my opinion, are counterproductive.

The land issue in Zimbabwe is problematic, as the white farmers control nearly all of the arable land, which dates back to colonial times. Of course, they also were the only thing holding the economy together. That the government of Zimbabwe might want to tackle the issue of land distribution is understandable, but the way Mugabe went about it was horrible. I think it's pretty clear that Mugabe doesn't really give a damn about the land issue. All he cares about is staying in power. The land issue was merely a tool. The white farmers are, as I understand it, mostly supporters of the MDC, the only credible threat to Mugabe. Hence, two birds with one stone.

The situation sucks, and I feel bad for the farmers. As I understand it, Britain pledged quite a bit of money toward a lawful, staged land redistribution program the Mugabe discarded. Perhaps that money could be used differently: offer aid and assistance to farmers who wish to flee. Sure, it's not a solution to the problem, but it would at least help some innocent people.

-Arrian

[faded glory]

Lars the president of Uganda........tho it is true, AIDS are way down. Its is rumoured that he had killed and tortured tens of thousands of homosexuals.

Not really someone I would praise.


But your right. AIDS are down in that country.

As for N.Africa. AIDS your right...strict laws are proably responsible.

[Lars-E]

Originally posted by faded glory
Lars the president of Uganda........tho it is true, AIDS are way down. Its is rumoured that he had killed and tortured tens of thousands of homosexuals.

Not really someone I would praise.

Well, he has in fact backslidden since then. I was speaking of when he became a Christian. Not now he being backslidden and all... But his wife is still doing ok..

Idi Amin, the muslim was not any better...

The sexual orientation repression you'll find in Nigeria too. There's a sultan there, although not head of state, that has a lot of power. And it's rumored that he's responsible of killing off homos. Heard this from a missionary who cut contact when he found out. This sultan is muslim.

But your right. AIDS are down in that country.

Crediting me, huh

As for N.Africa. AIDS your right...strict laws are proably responsible.

Another one!

[faded glory]

Well.....in Saudi arabia or Eygpt if you commit adultery repeatedly. Your genitals are lopped off. I guess that keeps STD's from traveling around alot. So AIDS would stay between couples..and not tend to be as much of a menace.

The sexual orientation repression you'll find in Nigeria too

Its all over africa I know.