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Internet A Tool Of British Imperialism, Says Mugabe
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 12-11-2003 | Fiona Fleck/Anton La Guardia

Posted on 12/10/2003 6:25:23 PM PST by blam

Internet a tool of British imperialism, says Mugabe

By Fiona Fleck and Anton La Guardia
(Filed: 11/12/2003)

President Robert Mugabe's anti-British diatribes rose to new extremes yesterday when he declared that Britain was using the internet to destroy Zimbabwe and recolonise the Third World.

Making his first public appearance since withdrawing from the Commonwealth three days ago, Mr Mugabe used a United Nations conference on information technology to deliver his attack.

Mugabe addresses the UN information summit

Many delegates at the summit in Geneva hailed a new era of free access to information. But Mr Mugabe saw the internet as pernicious.

"Beneath the rhetoric of free press and transparency is the iniquity of hegemony," he said.

He controls all broadcasting in his country and in September closed the Daily News, the only independent daily newspaper.

He said information technology was dominated "by a few countries in the selfish interests of those countries which are in quest of global dominance and hegemony".

He singled out Britain, the United States and Australia for using their information technology superiority to "challenge our sovereignty through hostile and malicious broadcasts calculated to foment instability and destroy the state through divisions".

Mr Mugabe told the conference that the internet and computer revolution were "spin-offs of the same industry that allows once again for the conquest of our societies . . . the same platforms used for high-tech espionage".

New technology provides one of the few channels of information still open to his opponents.

During the failed referendum campaign to approve a new constitution enlarging his powers in February 2000, critics distributed a highly effective mobile phone text message declaring: "No Fuel. No Jobs. Vote No."

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Zimbabwean human rights groups have made extensive use of e-mail.

Zimbabwe's withdrawal from the Commonwealth provoked a bitter session in the Harare parliament yesterday.

The foreign minister, Stan Mudenge, said the Commonwealth was dominated by white "racist bullies" and the ruling party whip, Rabson Gumbo, called on Zimbabwe to sever diplomatic relations with Britain.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: africa; africawatch; british; imperialism; internet; mugabe; tool; zimbabwe
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1 posted on 12/10/2003 6:25:24 PM PST by blam
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To: Clive
Ping.
2 posted on 12/10/2003 6:26:52 PM PST by blam
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To: blam
Well that settles it we're just going to have to call in Al Gore for this one now won't we?
3 posted on 12/10/2003 6:28:16 PM PST by areafiftyone (Democrats = the hamster is dead but the wheel is still spinning)
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To: blam
How can the "internet be a tool of British imperialism" didn't Al Gore invent it?
4 posted on 12/10/2003 6:28:36 PM PST by John Beresford Tipton
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To: blam
Nope! Wrong answer! The Internet is the tool of US imperialism, thank you very much!
5 posted on 12/10/2003 6:31:35 PM PST by thoughtomator (The U.N. is a terrorist organization)
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To: nuconvert
More and more Mugabe resembles the Mad Hatter.
6 posted on 12/10/2003 6:32:11 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife ("Your joy is your sorrow unmasked." --- GIBRAN)
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To: blam
Mugabe, Kim Il-Jong, what other despots do we have that have this kind of disconnect from the real world? Nominations?
7 posted on 12/10/2003 6:32:17 PM PST by Riley
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To: Riley
Oops, that ought to be 'Kim Jong-il'.
8 posted on 12/10/2003 6:34:23 PM PST by Riley
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To: blam
The Internet is not destroying Zimbabwe, Mr. Mugabe. You are doing it all by yourself.
9 posted on 12/10/2003 6:36:16 PM PST by exit82 (Sound off to your elected reps in DC: Capitol switchboard toll free number 1-800-648-3516.)
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To: blam
Oppression: a tool of Communism.
10 posted on 12/10/2003 6:37:05 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Clive; JanL
ping
11 posted on 12/10/2003 6:38:02 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Riley
Castro.
12 posted on 12/10/2003 6:38:29 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife ("Your joy is your sorrow unmasked." --- GIBRAN)
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To: blam
Was he fed paint chips as a young lad?

It seems his comments get crazier every time.
13 posted on 12/10/2003 6:39:10 PM PST by GiveEmDubya
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To: blam
The foreign minister, Stan Mudenge, said the Commonwealth was dominated by white "racist bullies"

,,, yeah, they're starving Zimbabwe's people, aren't they Stan? The digital divide is really the cause of all your problems, isn't it?

14 posted on 12/10/2003 6:42:11 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: blam
Dictators and despots always hate it when their iron-fisted control of their people is challenged in any way. Mugabe hates the fact that he can't control the information flow to the people of Zimbabwe. Too bad! The world has changed. Information can not be stopped.
15 posted on 12/10/2003 6:44:44 PM PST by saquin
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To: blam
>recolonise the Third World.

They would be so lucky
16 posted on 12/10/2003 6:48:40 PM PST by Norse
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To: saquin
Knowledge is power, bump!
17 posted on 12/10/2003 6:48:53 PM PST by Pan_Yans Wife ("Your joy is your sorrow unmasked." --- GIBRAN)
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To: Pan_Yans Wife
.

More and more Mugabe resembles the Mad Hatter.

Close, but no cigar. Mugabe IS the Mad Hatter !!! ;-))

.

18 posted on 12/10/2003 6:54:00 PM PST by GeekDejure ( LOL = Liberals Obey Lucifer !!!)
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To: saquin
Information can not be stopped.

,,, it has been in China and North Korea. Mugabe will use his thugs and the Public Order and Security Act to wipe access to the internet out when it gets to him bad enough. He virtually controls who eats and who doesn't.

19 posted on 12/10/2003 6:54:27 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Clive; Sabertooth
I thought it was American Imperialism??!! Now I'm upset!!
20 posted on 12/10/2003 7:00:14 PM PST by GeronL (My tagline for rent..... $5 per month or 550 posts/replies, whichever comes first... its a bargain!!)
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