When Marxism causes famine in Africa, Tony Blair calls it a "natural disaster."

independent.co.uk ^ | 26 July 2002 | Nigel Morris

[grundle]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=318498

Charities warn of famine hitting 14 million Africans

By Nigel Morris

26 July 2002

More than 14 million people, half of them children, face a "catastrophic" famine across southern Africa that can only be averted by concerted international action, a coalition of charities said yesterday.

The Disasters Emergency Committee said that political instability and three years of drought, combined with flooding in some areas, had led to food shortages across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and Angola. An appeal is being launched to help buy food, medical supplies, seeds and tools for the stricken region.

Paul Anticoni, head of international operations for the British Red Cross, said he had just returned from Zimbabwe, where the food crisis was compounded by the soaring rates of HIV/Aids.

He said: "The situation in Zimbabwe is a complex food crisis: a combination of two years of poor rain, a very challenging political and economic environment, compounded by a catastrophic HIV/Aids crisis. Much of the urban and rural population are living off one meal a day. If food doesn't come in, in a very sizeable quantity, that will be going down to no meals at all."

Tony Blair pledged British backing for the international effort last night. The Prime Ministersaid: "It is a genuine tragedy this natural disaster has been visited upon the people of southern Africa. The consequences are potentially very serious and we have ordered action at every level we can."

[grundle]

Three years ago, Zimbabwe was the "breadbasket" of southern Africa. The private farmers were using modern farming methods to grow huge amounts of food.

But over the past two years, Mugabe has abolished private property rights. Mugabe has sezied the farms, and so the farms are now sitting idle, unplanted, with no crops being grown. In addition, Mugabe has set price caps on food, which further discourage farmers from growing food. In addiiton, Mugabe has used trade barriers to prevent food from being imported. Famine is the result of these policies.

I find it quite interesting that many people on the political left are blaming this famine on "drought" and "bad weather," and saying that it is a "natural disaster." This would be equivalent to saying that the Jews in Germany died from "natural causes."

Of course this is not surprising. People on the radical political left often claim that they want "human rights, not property rights." They often claim that property rights are "evil." They claim that "collective" ownership of land is preferable to "private" ownership. And they often favor government price caps on food, because food is an "essential" commodity, and they think it's wrong for "greedy" farmers to "exploit" poor people.

Well, Mugabe has done exactly what the radical left is in favor of. Mugabe has abolished private property rights. And he has set price caps on food. And now that the political left got what it wanted, and people are starving, instead of blaming the famine on bad economic polcies, the radical political left is blaiming the famine on "drought," and calling it a "natural disaster."

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It is not marxism that is causing the disaster.

[Commander8]

I've probably said this a million times before so at the risk of sounding like a broken record: I cannot wait until the Rhodesians take back their country.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

No! No! Look everyone, listen to me (wagging my finger - looking cross) don't you know all of this is Bush's fault!!

[Richard Kimball]

It is not marxism that is causing the disaster.

Put on your flame-proof suit. When someone makes a statement as stupid as that one, it seldom gets left alone.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Rhodesians have, for the most part, left the country. They're living in Australia, Canada, etc.

[Movemout]

I would ask you to explain that remark. If you believe that Mugabe is not a Marxist and is just your common garden variety despot then I can understand your point. If not, then your skull is full of mush.

[dirtboy]

It is not marxism that is causing the disaster.

Forty-nine of the fifty United States are in some kind of drought condition. Yet we still produce a surplus of food. Methinks the famine has a core cause other than the weather.

[Clive]

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[Clive]

It does not advance the discourse to simply make a bald denial without backing up your assertion.

Pray tell us what IS causing the disaster.

In doing so, please take into account that while there is a below average rainfall, this is a drought in which streams are flowing and dams are still full.

The impounded water is not being used because the crops that it would ordinarily have been used go irrigate had not been planted.

The bore holes are not dry. We have heard of several cases whereing squatters have burnt out the pumps on the bore holes through misuse while pumping water.

We have also heard of instances in which squatters have ignored drip irrigation systems already in place and have instead sent the wives and children over a kilometer to bring water back from a stream.

Please also take into account that there are pictures taken during this drought showing the green fields of commercial farmers right next to the brown fields of the land that had been confiscated.

Please explain why this drought is bringing massive famine, affecting half the population of Zimbabwe whhen a worse drought in 1992 did not result in famine.

Drought is a cyclical occurance which can be anticipated and hedged against.

Drought is climatological. Famine is political and geopolitical.

[jalisco555]

These same apologists blame the North Korean famine on drought or floods, while neglecting to wonder why South Koreans are well fed.

[Tacis]

If only the Arab and European slave trader of yessteryear had had the capacity, foresight and motivation to rescue the ancestors of these poor starving, tortured Africans and transport them to the relative wealth and safety of the New World. Sure their descendents in America had to harvest cotton and learn a trade, maybe be forced to go to school under an affirmative action plan or take a job for lack of further welfare money, but, you gotta believe that the descendents of slaves are much better off today in America than they would be had they been born in mother Africa.

[IronJack]

This hearkens to Stalin's rape of the Ukraine. A rich, lush region was reduced to starvation in a few short years because of communist overmanagement and official corruption. So Stalin had the peasant farmers of the region rounded up and shot.

Forward to the future, komrades!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Kind of like what the Clintons had in mind for the rest of us.

[backhoe]

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[faintpraise]

Most people, who get their news from tv and/or the daily rag, don't know about the attacks on white Zimbabwean farmers and the looting and destruction of their farms. They will believe the "natural disaster" story.

[yankeedame]

No! No! Look everyone, listen to me (wagging my finger - looking cross) don't you know all of this is Bush's fault!!

LOL! Well,heck, that goes without saying!