Zimbabwe -- 'We are being dragged back to the stone age'

Pretoria News via Independent Online | 2004-07-13 | By Basildon Peta

[Little Pig]

Hey, maybe in 50-60 years, there will be enough vacant land there to establish a new, constitutional Republic. Either that, or we can trick the Libs into all moving there to try to "save" Africa.

[headsonpikes]

"Genocide - the final stage of socialism!"

Power to the people!

[tacticalogic]

They've brought back steam engines that haven't run in decades. How many of those are going to have catastrophic boiler failures in the next year? You can be sure no one has been maintaining them.

And how many are left that know how to operate one properly? Even in top-notch condition, a steam engine boiler will explode if the water level isn't monitored and maintanined properly. This kind of failure is usually worse than a seam rupture, because it melts a hole in the bottom of the boiler, and the steam vents into the firebox, blowing the contents out the back, where the operator is standing.

[ikka]

Who is John Galt?

[dennisw]

Hmmm, looks like it could be a real Dar al Islam kind of paradise. How many mosques have the Saudis planted over there?

Racist Arabs are not going to spend dime number one there. Though they will fund black mosques here because our Blacks have greater wealth and influence compared to blacks in Africa.

[xp38]

hmm...wondering if the ox have flashing lights. Their lowing could work as a siren I suppose.

[AnAmericanMother]

And how many are left that know how to operate one properly? Even in top-notch condition, a steam engine boiler will explode if the water level isn't monitored and maintanined properly. This kind of failure is usually worse than a seam rupture, because it melts a hole in the bottom of the boiler, and the steam vents into the firebox, blowing the contents out the back, where the operator is standing.

You beat me to it, tacticalogic. I see low water explosions, crown sheet failures and other delights of poorly maintained steam boilers in the future of Zim. As if they needed any more troubles.

And a boiler explosion can wreak havoc all around. As a matter of coincidence, last night I was reading an old book by Robert Reed called "Train Wrecks - A Pictorial History of Accidents on the Main Line." Whole chapter on boiler explosions . . . lots of fatalities.

[MDspinboyredux]

'Such are the perils of democracy.'

Are you calling Mugabe's government a democracy???

[NC28203]

BTW, yes I am referring to it as a democracy.
From the CIA factbook:
Elections: election last held 9-11 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2008);
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%

[NC28203]

Actually I was referring to the South Africa comment.

"Next on the list, South Africa.
This is what happens when you let the lunatics run the asylum."

[Stag]

An intersting point somewhat related to the topic - - The biggest landowner in Zimbabwe is Libya's Qaddafi. Apparently he has been providing cash to the Zimbabwe government in exchange for land. That was what is behind the big governmental land grab going on over there. If I remember correctly, the good Colonel owns about 45% of Zimbabwe's land.

[MDspinboyredux]

The 2002 election was so rife with fraud so as to make any claim of 'democracy' meaningless.

[smonk]

Or like Afghanistan "Bombed" out of the Stone Age. Bingo.