He has killed scores of his own citizens and political opponents. He has devastated a nation, reducing it to unspeakable poverty while he and his family live in unrivaled luxury. He has denied everyone in his country every basic right and liberty. He has turned Zimbabwe into a pariah nation. And now Robert Mugabe is the newest ambassador for tourism for the United Nations. He will now work with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which appears interested in enlisting the help of dictators on vacation.
The United Nations is infamous for its absurd contradictions like Libya using the Human Rights Council to denounce homosexuals or Iran put on the United Nation’s Women Rights Commission. However, the selection of Mugabe is an affront to humanity since he should have been arrested and tried for human rights violations years ago.
We have long discussed the disgusting Mugabe and his wife. Their level of corruption and cruelty in the country is unspeakable.
Mugabe will join Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, and Ricky Martin as the ambassadors for the United Nations. I cannot understand why those celebrities have not refused the ambassadorships rather than be associated with one of humanity’s greater war criminals.
Ironically, Mugabe, 88, is under a travel ban. However, if he cannot visit other countries, he still wants people to come and visit Zimbabwe with its killing fields and abject poverty.
UNWTO is trying to fend off the international outrage over the selection. Despite the selection of the other celebrities and common use of the term ambassador, UNWTO is trying to downplay the significance of the letter sent to Mugabe by insisting that it is not an official title. Sandra Carvao, its co-ordinator of communications, said: “Correct would be to say UNWTO has presented both presidents with an open letter which calls for them to support tourism as a means to foster sustainable development in their countries to the benefit of their people and consequently ask them to support the sector in this respect.”
Really? Mugabe was included with a small number of celebrities to help support tourism around the world. The UNWTO should not be enlisting the help of war criminals for any purpose. The only letter to Mugabe should be the announcement of a war crimes tribunal and an invitation to be an honored guest behind the defense table.
Source: Guardian
Sorry to ruin a good story but it looks like a media beat up.
The Presidents of Zimbabwe and Zambia signed a joint letter as they were the hosts of the conference.
I loathe the UN as much as the next person but it looks like they’re in the clear this time.
It is also important, in this context, to note that UNWTO does not have an Ambassadors Programme and that the receiving of the Open Letter implies no legal commitment or official title attribution to the country or the recipient.
http://media.unwto.org/en/news/2012-05-30/information-note-recent-press-coverage-related-hosting-20th-unwto-general-assembly-v
I reckon you should check your facts! I really don’t think Mugabe is the ambassador for ANYTHING! Irresponsible journalism? I think so…
A friend of mine taught in Zimbabwe for 2 years. WHile she was there, if Mugabe’s entourage came into the streets, everyone fled and hid and people in cars stayed in their cars because opening the door and emerging could get you shot dead with a machine gun, no questions asked.
When she left she sent me a present: A banknote (real) for 500,000,000 Z, which were previously the “dollars” of Zimbabwe. (I have forgotten the real name of that unit of currency.) I asked her the value of it: about a nickel.
WHO are the tourists going to be? Can we send Zimmerman and Taafe?
Yes indeed, Mike. And also when they do things such as hold a moment of silence for Kim Jong-Il, or accept a prize named after Equatorial Guinea dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Whose idea was the United Nations anyway? What role did that bigot from New Jersey by way of his home state Virginia have in promoting the League of Nations? You know who I mean, that President who held the Gettysburg Address anniversary reunion and sanctified it by barring African Americans from attending, even if they had fought for the North at Gettysburg. You know who I mean, the guy who took us into World War I, which he declared the War to End All Wars. And now, all these years later, the dream of a League of Nations a/k/a United Nations, honors an African. And the biggest criminal against humanity since Hitler. Old Woodrow is rolling over in his grave. For which reason I dont know.
This is precisely the sort of appointment that provides the right with United Nations cannon fodder for months.
Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, and Ricky Martin should resign. If this becomes widely known, they’re going to have a bit of a problem with their celebrity status.
While they were at it, why didn’t they appoint Reinhardt Heydrich as Ambassador for Technological Improvement? Oh yeah! Because Reinhardt and his backing band the Original Brown Shirts are dead.
Seriously, U.N.
WTF.
Is Rush Limbaugh planning your PR now or what?
Only an idiot would think Mugabe is an appropriate person to have associated with their organization.
Why is this surprising? The U.N. itself is an organization very much interested in eugenics and population reduction. Mugabe was accomodating to the U.N. in that regard. Scores of ruthless dictators have been given jobs at the U.N. after leaving office. Mugabe won’t be the last.
Ian Smith must be rolling in his grave now. How complete a situation. Rhodesia was the breadbasket of Africa and now decimated under this dog what better way to honor Mugabe for his legacy than to make him the Tourism Ambassador. To me the UN is proof of what can happen when bureaucrats are given the ability to create laws / rules without being answerable to the electorate.
Maybe he’ll get promoted to UN Ambassador for Agriculture next.
Tourism?
Sounds like tour of duty ism if Mug boy is in the mix.
“Mugabe will join Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, and Ricky Martin as the ambassadors for the United Nations. I cannot understand why those celebrities have not refused the ambassadorships rather than be associated with one of humanity’s greater war criminals.”
Good point.
Let’s spread the word.
War is peace. Powerful people define reality as they please.
Yesterday we were treated to an insane vision of “reality” in the NYT and NPR for two. We were introduced to our Aquinas scholar president and his priestly adviser, John Brennan. On “Terror Tuesdays” these moral men sit around and discuss who they will kill next! The fact that this utterly mendacious and truly insane piece of propaganda is presented in one of the US “best” newspapers says something horrifying about the state of this nation. (See G. Greenwald for an excellent discussion of this article.)
However, war criminals aren’t just glorified in the US. They are venerated by most powerful groups/national “leaders” as they are integral to these groups. Now the real necessity arises for ordinary people to utterly reject the acceptance and glorification of war criminals. We can do this.
Powerful people do own the mechanisms for spreading their desired version of reality. We do not have to follow orders and believe it.
Frankly,
I was thinking that boy president should be at least given a nod as well…..
If he’s spent time in exile, he probably knows quite a bit about tourism.
Meh, he has not been dragged before the World Court and this is simply a ceremonial position. Not unlike former President, Boy George, without a conviction his rap sheet looks clean & he will be allowed to inhabit the Earth to provide proof of the absence of a caring and just deity.
The UN; only slightly more absurd than the US Senate (or Supreme Court).