The source of Zimbabwe's woes, Robert Mugabe.
Posted on 07/25/2006 6:38:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
HARARE, Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe opened a new legislative year Tuesday with a speech to Parliament blaming economic problems on the U.S., Britain and other Western critics of his human rights record.
Zimbabwe is in a state of economic collapse, suffering from the world's highest inflation rate — more than 1,000 percent — and shortages of all basic goods. A quarter of its 16 million people has emigrated since 2000 and millions more are dependent on aid.
"My tribute goes to the gallant people of Zimbabwe for continuing to exhibit great fortitude despite the prevailing economic challenges which are orchestrated by the country's detractors," the 82-year-old president told legislators.
The meltdown is widely blamed on the seizure of white-owned farms which began in 2000 and has been accompanied by a clampdown on the independent press, human rights groups and political opponents.
Mugabe said a national regulating authority would be established in the coming year to monitor electronic communications. Critics say the move will give the secret police extraordinary powers to intercept mail, e-mail, telephone or cell phone communications.
Mugabe said recent rains have raised hope for an "economic turnaround" and a revival of agriculture under new, black holders of land grants. A recent government report said only 40 percent had occupied their farms or small-scale plots, leaving millions of acres derelict and unproductive.
In what has become a ritual, Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, blamed the country's woes on his foreign critics.
"We note with concern the continued imposition of illegal sanctions by the European Union and the United States of America at the behest of our erstwhile colonizers," Mugabe said, in reference to Britain.
"We feel proud that we have defeated that strategy that was aimed at the collapse of our economy and the happening of regime change."
The United States and the European Union have imposed travel bans and other targeted sanctions against Mugabe and members of his government.
Hey, he might as well blame the west. All the cool butchering dictators are doing it.
It is our fault we didn't shoot the thieves and butchers every time they cropped up.
typically tactic - blame someone else for your failures while you try to change the subject
Maybe if he hadn't killed or chased away the productive farmers and put his non-farming cronies on the land things might be better.
Yet another UN success story!
Old story...
3 envelopes....
First envelope, blame predicessor
Second envelope, blame economy
Third envelope, prepare 3 envelopes for the next guy...
Or for failing dictators...
Blame the USA
Blame Israel
Find a country that will let you live in exile....
This man, assuming he is human, has some sort of severe mental defect.
U.S. should have given the farmers aslyum. But then again, it would have been politically incorrect and the race-baiters would have had a fit.
After confiscating the profitable white farms to give to his cronies who know nothing about farming, he blames the west. Mugabe, you're a total and complete disaster ever since you took office. You had no experience running country and you refused to learn, idiot. So while you're going down the tubes you have no one to blame except your incompetence.
Rain will only allow weeds to grow between his toes. His "drought" will mysteriously end when he's overthrown and hanged.
The guy's economic moves are a complete failure, and he blames the West. He's upset because he can't achieve what the West has achieved. If he'd take economic policy back to where it was when he took over, in a few years the country could undo the damage.
I think you're on to something.
ping
I can't believe it hasn't been said.
Zimbabwee's problems are Bush'e fault.
There.
If Kerry were president, this wouldn't have happened.
One more example why the entire world should grieve for Africa. Not one sub-Saharan nation that is not corrupt and morally bankrupt. And, in the past 15 years, two of the strongest have now fallen into the gutter like the rest -- Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Of course I grieve for Africa.
All of its problems result from its population of....Africans. It isn't like over 75% of the Continent hasn't had sixty years or so to "work out from under the boot of colonialism.".
The real trouble a pair of facts. Number one is "All politics are local.". Number two is "All African politics are tribal.", which due to the tribal system's collective disposition and generally weak matriarchal structure, leads to a predisposition to communism.
It sort of reminds me of what has happened to the Democrat Party here in the USA, but I digress......
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