Posted on 11/30/2002 6:20:22 AM PST by Clive
The United Nations' famine relief agency warned today that it did not have the food to feed nearly seven million famine-stricken Zimbabweans, and "millions" were in imminent risk of starving.
By early next year the number the UN has planned to feed is expected to reach 5,8 million. However, the agency is short of 200 000 tons of food, and the imports of food by both the World Food Programme (WFP) and President Robert Mugabe's government were "falling far short" of what was needed. The UN agency was "struggling to access sufficient resources for the critical months ahead", the WFP said.
The warning is the latest of what is expected to be the worst famine in the country's history. Last week, a local food security monitoring organisation warned that half of all Zimbabwean households had run out of all food stocks, while the rest had less than one month's supply left.
At the same time, the Zimbabwe Food Security Network, a coalition of 24 non- governmental organisations, said last week, political interference with food supplies by the government was increasing. A report by a Danish human rights organisation said last week there was ample evidence that Mugabe was deliberately withholding food from opposition supporters, and using food as "a political weapon".
The government claims that the shortages of food are the result of a drought last year, but the UN and other famine relief organisations say food supplies have collapsed because of Mugabe's expulsion of thousands of highly productive farmers from their land and disastrous economic policies, including comprehensive price controls. The government has also ignored UN appeals to increase the flow of grain into the country by allowing private companies to import it.
The WFP has received only 59% of its appeal for finance to buy food aid. Western donor governments cite reluctance to provide food to a country where they fear it will be abused by the government. - Sapa
Well, let's just send them Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Jimmy Carter. They know all the buzz words.
Are we all going to stand by and do nothing because this is mass murder by socialism?
Socialism is a crime against humanity and, as we can see here, can rise to the level of mass murder. This is not a new invention. Mass murder of targeted populations by starvation has happened before.
Talk about the plantation mind-set. In Africa, there are no "house slaves".
"Help us. We can learn how to get better," Makosana said in a tired voice dulled by months of hunger and dashed expectations. "The white farmers are necessary. They've got the expertise."
In their glee to get rid of the whites, they forgot about learning farming. No doubt Kofi will feel their pain.
Of course, starvation is a much better alternative. It is an excuse to starve out his enemies. This brings to mind all the politicians that resisted arming pilots because of the potential danger knowing that the alternative is shooting the whole plane out of the sky.
Do we conclude from this that a single digit IQ is required to become a politician or that they are truly evil.
Evil, stupid or insane are the only options when hearing these type of actions.
Actually, I think it's also about avoiding accountability. The media don't want people to remember the howl they made about Ian Smith's Rhodesia, their call for Carter's sanctions, and the resulting destruction of pluralism via Mr. Mugabe's treatment of Joshua Nkomo.
At this point - yes!
We - the US - have shipped tons of grain that has been turned down by Zim and others in Africa in response (for what reason I cannot imagine) to politically correct anti-progress, anti-American, anti-science, ideology.
We handed them a rope and they refused it because it suited their purposes to rebut us and to eliminate their internal opposition. (A twofer)
So, let them go about destroying themselves, let the rest of Africa and the world mull the logic of that action, let them take sides.
Oh, and since that evil GM grain does in fact belong to us, and since no one in Africa wants it - I'd burn it on site and let them figure out that a non-socialist society can produce a surplus and waste in any way it wants. (Meaning we don't have to rely on their assistance if all we want to do is waste food or fortune.)
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