Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe
POSTED BY: Geezer
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:22
VIEWED: 2147
PAGE 1 of 2
Quote:
There has been an unprecedented international reaction to the beatings inflicted by the Zimbabwe police on members of the opposition - including the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6451349.stm
Quote:
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has said Western critics of his rule can "go hang", in response to accusations of mistreatment of opposition leaders.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6454827.stm
Even South Africa, which has always shown tolerence for Pres. Mugabe's regime, is expressing concern. Inflation is up to 1700% and the population is surviving mostly on international adi, when the government lets them get it. This used to be the breadbasket of Africa. Not looking good at all.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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Thanks for bringing up Zimbabwe, Geezer. I actually wanted to do it a couple of days ago but thought that since it's not Iraq or Reps vs Dems in some form, people will say "Yeah, something should be done" and the thread will quickly be forgotten, so prevent that disappointment I decided not to start a thread in the first place.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks this should be discussed.
http://iafrica.com/news/specialreport/zimbabwe/690327.htm
http://iafrica.com/news/specialreport/zimbabwe/684007.htm
The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.
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Unfortunately, I don't think that there's much we (USA, western democracies) can do, aside from encouraging the African Union and Zimbabwe's neighbors to apply pressure. At least South Africa has finally broken down and offfically noticed that something is wrong.
As long as Mugabe is in power, I'm not sure gentle persuasion is going to work, but if he dies in office (He's getting pretty old) there'll probably be a messy fight for control.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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I found this, which details the current problem....
Quote:
Another country with significant Chinese involvement is Zimbabwe, the only African regime that has proved somewhat less amenable to Western free-market demands. But the actions of the regime of President Robert Mugabe also demonstrate the complete bankruptcy of nationalism. After following IMF directives and collaborating with the West since taking power in 1979, the Zimbabwe government faced a deepening economic crisis in the late 1990s. In order to out-manoeuvre the Western-backed opposition, Mugabe organised land seizures and drove out some of the white farmers. Tobacco production on these farms—Zimbabwe’s main export—has since virtually disintegrated.
Mugabe promised a national revival of the economy based on indigenous agriculture. But with Western banks and investors withdrawing support and run-away inflation there was no money to provide the seeds, fertilisers and expertise for the new farmers. As a result, more than half the population now face starvation and the economy is on the brink of collapse.
An article on the web site of the US-based Council on Foreign Relations, which publishes Foreign Affairs, outlines China’s close relationship with Zimbabwe:
“China is the principal supporter of the Mugabe regime, which is reviled in the international community for Mugabe’s ruthless crushing of the opposition and his most recent removal of hundreds of thousands of city residents to the rural areas, with no respect for life, health, or satisfactory alternative arrangements. China is investing in minerals, roads and farming, and supplying Mugabe with jets and other armaments. ‘Zimbabwe is all but owned by China,’ say some observers. ‘In return for a rare hand of friendship in an increasingly hostile world, Mugabe has offered Chinese companies almost anything they want, regardless of payback’”
www.cfr.org/publication/8436/chinas_rising_role_in_africa.html - _edn7).
www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/afr2-m27.shtml
As something of an aside, most people probably think that corruption stems from poverty. Personally I think it's the other way around. The breakdown of the "rule of law" leads to social and economic collapse.
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Thanks, Jkiddo. I'd forgotten about China's involvement. Interesting that a Socialist site would criticize China, as well as the IMF and Western governments, for their role in Zimbabwe's problems.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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"...Inflation is up to 1700%..."
No longer. Last week the Zimbabwe government "outlawed" inflation. So problem solved.
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China isn't socialist anymore than Singapore. They simply claim to be socailist. They're are just a repressive and increasingly corrupt government that's churning out cheap consumer goods hand over fist and the U.S.A. keeps buying them and now they have accumulated enough dollars that they can afford to exploit Zimbabwe. China is also lending their dollars back to the U.S.A. to make even more money. With all this extra capitol China can the buy US companies, real astate and anything else they care to buy. One day soon America will wake up and realise that they have mortgaged away the country to China all because they wanted a camera phone and a DVD player. Go into any 99 cent or big box store and look at the labels of their products and you will find that more and more of them are coming from China.
Meanwhile back in Zimbabwe, Mr Mugabe has discovered, like so many other African heads of state before him, he too can live like a king if he simply takes the money from a richer country and turns his back on his people.
Scorpion Regent
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Quote:
Originally posted by JKiddo:Quote:
“China is the principal supporter of the Mugabe regime, which is reviled in the international community for Mugabe’s ruthless crushing of the opposition and his most recent removal of hundreds of thousands of city residents to the rural areas, with no respect for life, health, or satisfactory alternative arrangements. ”
www.cfr.org/publication/8436/chinas_rising_role_in_africa.html - _edn7).
www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/afr2-m27.shtml
Could Zimbabwe be the next killing fields? Imagine if Pol Pot had had international backing.
Scorpion Regent
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Quote:
Originally posted by ScorpionRegent:
Could Zimbabwe be the next killing fields? Imagine if Pol Pot had had international backing.
Scorpion Regent
Already going on in Sudan, another of China's economic partners in Africa.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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