Posted on 06/11/2007 1:19:30 PM PDT by Squidpup
June 11, 2007
An Unsustainable Development
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If there's a hell on earth, it's probably Zimbabwe. Life expectancies in the landlocked nation in the South of Africa are the world's lowest. Reports say women live an average of 35 years; men a bit longer. Four in five people are unemployed. Government printing presses run day and night to produce enough money to keep the military from rebelling, so inflation is at an annual rate of 3,700 percent and rising. Cash loses over ten percent of its value everyday.
It wasn't always that way. Before Robert Mugabe's government took power a quarter of a century ago, this land was one of the most prosperous in Africa. Known as the breadbasket of south Africa, it exported food to the rest of the continent. Then Mugabe was elected. He used his office to destroy his own market economy, silence the press, murder his opposition and persecute minority ethnic groups, black and white alike. Zimbabwe was, by any account, the most disastrously managed economy on the planet.
Two United Nations agencies have just released a report saying that 4 million people in Zimbabwe are in danger of starving. That's a third of the entire country's population. Take note that I said "two United Nations agencies" are predicting the mass starvation.
The reason I want you to take note of that is that, last month, the same United Nations elected Mugabe's Zimbabwe to lead the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. That's the organization charged with promoting sound long-term economies.
Now you might ask why a country in economic freefall would be chosen by the UN to advise the rest of the world about economic growth. But you might also ask why Iran was made vice-chair of the UN Disarmament Commission last year -- even as it ramped up its nuclear weapons program and threatened to destroy Israel. Or, for that matter, you might wonder why Libya was made chair of the Commission on Human Rights -- as Libyans don't even have basic democratic rights.
The UN never seems to have good answers, but I'll offer one. Robert Mugabe was given chairmanship of the commission because his view on sustainable development fits right in with much of the UN's.
He claims that third-world poverty is caused by free market economies like Americans’ -- and like the one that once made his country the envy of his region. He blames free and prosperous countries for the suffering that comes with tyranny and corruption. The sad thing is; Mugabe gets away with it, in part, because he has the glamour and prestige of the UN behind him.
Now we have to keep in mind that while the UN is hopeless in some respects, a Security Council vote provides political cover for some timid nations to do the right thing -- like help us in Iraq. Also, UN humanitarian assistance, like the World Food Program’s, run by Americans, do much good. But it’s a constant challenge at the UN, and the reason we must always have a strong ambassador there willing to blow the whistle when they do outrageous things.
I took exception to his statement regarding Sustainable Development/Agenda21 "promoting sound long-term economies".
Whew! Insults right off the bat?
Read the links I posted. That is not what they are charged with, unless you think that the communistic Agenda21 is a "sound long-term economic" model.
I can’t believe someone could read that article and think Fred was somehow endorsing what the UN is doing.
You do realize that this article was a hit piece on the UN and all its policies?
I can’t wait for the reaction from Fred when he replies to their outrageous insults. If he is anything like Reagan, (and I think he is), his responses will be something from which we can take great cheer. Reagan could not only defend himself but conservative values as well. I can hardly wait for someone on the scene who can actually engage the leftist enemies and win over the American people in the process.
He was critical of some and laudatory of some.
And naive, at best, on the item I commented on.
It was this crappola and Hitlery trying to nationalize my life and health insurance industry that caused me to waste 5 of the best years of my life. (1 year running and 1 four year term as a citizen politician)
The thread about Tom McClintock bichin out the CA State Senator Steinberg for usurping the land-use authority that's supposed to remain with the local governments closest to the people REALLY UPSETS ME!!!
Local control in local hands is precisely what the founders of this nation relied upon to keep land-use and schools in proper order, with states having 10th Amendment rights in perpetuity!!!
This UN-American, One Whirled government, New Whirled Odor is enough to gag a maggot!!! It's all very Bush I and Bush II and Schwartzeneggeresque and sickening!!! I hate that Republicans are in ANY WAY involved in ANY of these post scum ideology and is yet another reason I've left the GOP in disgust!
If we could ever get a religion, or a political party that didn't develop power mad people in positions of leadership that constantly keep trying to compell fellow members into this asinine, bogus, unconstitutional crappola... I might finally be induced to join up and giddy up and work out with 'em. But as it is... fergedaboutit!!!
It was one of the scathing and spot on hit pieces I have seen on the UN. He wasn't praising the UN at any point, he was poking fun at it. You seem to have completely misunderstood his points.
What article did you folks read? It certainly wasn’t the one on the top of this page.
I guess they’ve got their undies in a bunch because he gave them some faint praise for some things they do in the last sentence. That’s kind of funny, because Mitt or Rudy would be deathly afraid of saying anything like this. Any of the other candidates except maybe Tom Tancredo would come out as strongly against the UN as Fred did here.
I’m trying to de-code your screen name... What Would “T” Do... Tiberius??? Tamuz??? Trini Lopez??? Terique Aziz??? I give up...
The only praise he gave the UN was the stuff America does.
Thanks, SW. Tom did good stickin’ it to Steinberg.
He definitely sees beyond the horizon.
We need more like him. Lots more.
Always Right—SW is referring to a statement made in the California legislature.
We’ve been fighting the Agenda21 animals for a long time now.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1847154/posts
I won't speak for ccg, but that's what bunched my panties in a really big wad and I explained that pretty concisely if you'll go back and read it instead of getting so defensive of laid-back Senator Freddie's lack of clarity!!!
Again, you seem to have completely misunderstood mine.
“What Would Truman Do?”
I came up with it right after 9/11.
Is this a deal breaker for you re Thompson?
I'd say you're pretty much right on. There are a few lefties who are beginning to sense that Fred is a real threat(eg. Bob Beckel), but I think most of them are still assuming it'll be Rudy McRomney. Letterman, for example, is still picking on Romney.
It is amazing to observe the pathological hatred of the left for the very moderate and the very "lame-duckian" George Bush. It makes one wonder what they would do in the face of a true Conservative.
Absolutely not. I just made a comment.
Until Fred declares his positions, how can anybody make a decision?
Just curious. It seemed rather non sequitur.
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