Zimbabwe in meltdown

[Saras]

Ted Striker

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Mugabe is the kind of "leader" who should have been taken down before he became so firmly entrenched. I know, I know ... easier said than done. And he didn't start out as the monster he is now, either.

Gatekeeper

It's interesting that he was once thought of as a relatively good, enlightened leader. But for the past, oh, decade or so, he seems to have been seduced by power. This mess has been really brewing for about 5 years now - it started with him messing with the opposition party. Then the "land reforms." Then shredding the press... He's wrecked the country.

-Arrian

[Last Conformist]

From the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s , Zimbabwe was doing genuinely well by regional standards.

Then, however, it was hit by the curse of benevolent despotisms - it developed a well-to-do middle class demanding reforms that would erode the power of ZANU-PF, the government party. Faced with the choice between accepting genuine democratization and becoming a nasty despot, Mugabe chose the later.

[Dinner]

Under white minority rule the country had one of the best economies in Africa however the system was very racist against blacks. International sanctions succeeded in bringing an end to white minority rule and it was during this period that Mugabe made his name as a freedom fighter. Interestingly enough Rhodisia/Zimbabwe was one of the only countries in the world to petition for reannexation by the former colonial power and the British set up a fair & democratic system before once again leaving in the early 1980's.

It took 10 years for Mugabe to entrench himself enough to start eroding that system and just another five before his lust for looting the country and attacking all opposition destroyed its economy.

[Last Conformist]

Oerdin's account conveniently leaves out the Matabeleland massacres in the early '80s.

[Dinner]

Didn't conveniently leave out anything. Instead a one paragraph summary can only be filled with so much stuff. In any event they happened after the country once again became independent.

[VetLegion]

Ted Striker

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Thankfully, so far as I know, Zimbabwe does not have a nuclear reactor.

I don't think they could operate it if they did.

[Flip McWho]

Mugabe is the kind of "leader" who should have been taken down before he became so firmly entrenched. I know, I know ... easier said than done. And he didn't start out as the monster he is now, either.

Even though there's nothing stopping (ok there is) a certain country ringing up on the phone and saying:
"Yo, Mugabe, yeah, you know that country you're screwing up? Well yeah about that. We have a cruise missle aimed at your face (when they can find it). We'll press this shiny red button here unless you start implementing these better policies. Yeah, so how bout those policies?"

Think it'll work? Could do a cruise missle for ever nasty little despot, only take a few deaths before they all work out how serious it all is.

[Capt Dizle]

This is just Iraq all over again if you think about it. Best stay the heck out of it.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


I don't think they could operate it if they did.

Thankfully, so far as I know, Zimbabwe does not have a nuclear reactor.

[Kuciwalker]

Oh I understood and agree.

[KrazyHorse]

Just reiterating my gratefulness.