Posted on 09/01/2007 6:57:10 AM PDT by Clive
China has joined the list of countries that have abandoned Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean tyrant whose kleptocracy transformed a once-flourishing African state into a pauper nation. On Thursday Beijing bowed to British pressure and pledged to drop all assistance to Zimbabwe except for the most basic humanitarian aid. We would hope this is so. For 30 years China has supported Mugabe and his thugs as they systematically plundered Zimbabwe's economy and dismantled its last vestiges of democracy and rule of law.
There is no way to list all that is wrong with Mugabe. It is probably enough to know Mugabe fashions himself after Kim Jongil, the delusional leader of North Korea. On these pages a few weeks ago, R.W. Johnson, Southern Africa correspondent for the Sunday Times, described what Mugabe learned from his North Korean friends, particularly in the area of political indoctrination. "The essential principle was that if, by physical torture, isolation and relentless humiliation, you could break down someone's personality, it was then possible to re-mould it along more 'acceptable' lines." When Mugabe put these techniques to work, it resulted in the murder of thousands of his own citizens.
The American group Freedom House, which monitors repressive states like Zimbabwe, has an online report about the African state. It outlines the litany of misdeeds that Mugabe and the goons who run his political party, the Zanu-PF, brought down on their own people. The only scope of optimism in Freedom's House report was that Mugabe is very old, and may soon leave this world.
"Zimbabwe's political isolation and economic decline will remain for the foreseeable future," the Freedom House report reads. "Given Mugabe's advanced age (approximately 80 years) the task of addressing the country's structural problems should come fairly soon. A post-Mugabe Zimbabwe will be a failed state marked by economic collapse, a population ravaged by HIV/AIDS ?"
Freedom House points to a sample period of just a few months in 2005 when Mugabe instituted programs to create his bizarre vision of paradise. There was Operation Clear the Filth that used intimidation and violence to destroy a number of urban townships, leaving 700,000 homeless. It instituted Operation No Going Back, which demolished thousands of private businesses. The government also withdrew citizenship from those of mixed heritage, a blatantly racist policy.
Although China now appears ready to step back from its support for Mugabe, African countries, such as South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, and Zambia, are unwilling to take the same step.
Freedom House notes that "Condemnation of Mugabe has not, however, been universal. South Africa, the state with the most leverage against Zimbabwe, is generally pro-Mugabe. South Africa's positive attitude is shared by many African states and organizations, which see Mugabe as a hero of Zimbabwe's war for independence, achieved in 1980. Furthermore, his land seizure policies targeting white-owned farms are viewed sympathetically by a number of other southern African states. This reservoir of goodwill has helped Mugabe weather domestic and international criticism."
If countries such as South Africa do not pull their support for Mugabe, the only hope the beleaguered people of Zimbabwe can cling to is that Mugabe has blown out the candles on his last birthday cake.
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So China is officially dropping aid to Mugabe’s regime. That could mean anything or next to nothing. No mention of them lessening their commercial involvement. In the wake of Mugabe’s trashing of small business, the Chinese have taken over every conceivable market. This, is of course, their M.O.. Instead of conquering and ruling turd world nations, a la the ancient imperial model that ended with the Soviet Union, they simply slip in to do business with and extract raw materials from, any nasty government that other nations won’t touch.
For my own part, I would like to see solid evidence of commercial disengagement before I take this to be anything but a PR exercise.
mugoooby is nothing more than a psychotic self-loathing communist/dictator that hates his fellow countrymen even MORE than he hates himself... it's the only thing that fits cause anybody with any sense would of loaded a couple dozen trucks full of gold and diamonds and got the hell out of Dodge YEARS ago.
Eat Chinese food or starve? Not good options.
It is lucky for him that he has an ally in Kim Jung Il. Kim can send Mugabe rice (which he doesn’t have), and Mugabe can send Kim corn (which he doesn’t have).
It is pitiful that so many people in southern Africa reportedly still admire Mugabe. It show the depth of ignorance in that part of the world.
How upside down can you be?
Mugabe is fairly small potatoes in the crime and atrocity department as African dictators go. His death toll is probably measured at most in the tens of thousands, not the millions. As far as I know, he hasn’t actually eaten any enemies.
The big difference, of course, is that essentially all other African dictators took over basket case countries and economies, and therefore couldn’t really do a great deal of damage, as the damage had already been done.
Mugabe took over a prosperous country under the rule of law, with excellent prospects for making things even better, and has brought it down almost to the level of the countries ruled by his fellow dictators.
excellent point that will probably not be discussed by journalists across the globe. did mugabe have the supprot of leaders in other countries? jimmy carter is probably a friend of his.
And twenty five years ago Mugabe was the liberal media darling.
I believe Mugabe came to power through democratic means in 1980 and ruled for at least 15 years in a more or less democratic way.
He didn’t start morphing into an evil dictator till he was faced with losing an election.
Until then, there was no particular reason leaders in other countries shouldn’t have supported him. He was certainly one of the better African leaders till then.
As we all know, just going through the magical election process prevents a bad leader from rising to power.
Bears repeating.
Fleas leave a dog they’ve killed.
I refute the thus:
The Gukurahundi, 1983
This conflict was at least arguably a continuation of the guerrilla warfare that led to the end of white rule in Rhodesia. A result of the victors falling out.
By the standards of Africa, a very low standard to be sure, Mugabe ruled with something resembling respect for law for over a decade. As can be seen by the continuation during this period of a more or less free press, independent judiciary and functioning political opposition.
Unless you care to argue that Mugabe’s rule in 1990 was “as bad” as that of Bokassa, Amin, Doe or right next door, the good Dr. Banda.
BUMP
China has joined the list of countries...On Thursday [thanks in part] to British pressure and pledged to drop all assistance to Zimbabwe except for the most basic humanitarian aid... For 30 years China has supported Mugabe and his thugs as they systematically plundered Zimbabwe's economy and dismantled its last vestiges of democracy and rule of law... Although China now appears ready to step back from its support for Mugabe, African countries, such as South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, and Zambia, are unwilling to take the same step... "South Africa, the state with the most leverage against Zimbabwe, is generally pro-Mugabe. South Africa's positive attitude is shared by many African states and organizations, which see Mugabe as a hero of Zimbabwe's war for independence, achieved in 1980. Furthermore, his land seizure policies targeting white-owned farms are viewed sympathetically by a number of other southern African states. This reservoir of goodwill has helped Mugabe weather domestic and international criticism."Big surprise.
And Shona Mugabe disclosed his contempt for the Ndebele by the name that he gave to the operation.
A gukurahundi is the spring rain that sweeps away the chaff. The Ndebele of Matabeleland and Masvingo being the chaff.
I thought it needed to be bigger.
Great metaphor!
Still, someone should kill him today.
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