President Robert Mugabe, 91, has long been one of the world’s most heartless and merciless dictators, but he seems also on a quest to show that he is also the most clueless. This week Mugabe expressed utter surprise that his people were starving as he and his notorious and corrupt family live like emperors. He assured that there is “no suffering” in Zimbabwe.
Most people have been reduced to selling things along the roadside. However, Mugabe expressed utter surprise by the notion of poverty in his country: “But what is it that the people are suffering from? Didn’t we give them land?”
Zimbabwe is a low-income, food-deficit country, ranked 156 out of 187 countries according to the 2013 UNDP Human Development Index. Currently, 72 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line (less than US$ 1.25 per day). Some 30 percent of the rural poor are considered to be ‘food poor’ or ‘extremely poor’. Although the prevalence of HIV has been reduced, it still remains high with nearly 15 percent of adults living with HIV – many of whom also suffer from malnutrition due to food insecurity.
Source: News24
Mugabe is not a socialist. ISIS is not Islam. These thugs attach themselves to something reputable to some degree as a matter of course. Korea is not a communist or any other sort of philosophical regime. It is a dictatorship run by thugs through force and intimidation. Zimbabwe is run by similar thugs that took power through force during the chaos following the fall of another sort of dictatorship, colonialism. That one sort of dictatorship-colonialism may seem less inhumane it is regardless a dictatorship.
The European powers that colonized Africa are, ultimately, to blame for the majority of the chaos in Africa. Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, etc partitioned the country and enslaved the population. Belgium slaughtered 15 million who did not work hard enough during their tenure and created countries with colonial supported minority dominance over majority populations that resulted in the genocides of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
During the inevitable genocide that cost 900,000 lives in Rwanda the Belgians were part of the UN police force sent to protect the people but instead turned their backs and left. Tens of thousands were slaughtered in the very camps they were protecting but conveniently vacated at the bequest of stupid but supposedly learned men at UN headquarters. The premise is, I suppose, not to interfere with the chaos one created. The UN, Belgium, and the rest of the European colonial powers are primarily to blame for creating the problem. This should never be forgotten.
What is done about it is the responsibility of the previous colonial powers and the UN. This sort of ship jumping is the shame of the colonial world.
Isaac is right that much brutality in Africa has its roots in European colonialist powers. But there are also origins in the Church and it’s “civilisation” of Native peoples.
Belgian King Leoplod was assisted by Sir Henry Stanley (“Dr Livingstone I presume”) to massacre 15 million Africans in their ruthless exploitation of the Congo for Leopold’s personal wealth enhancement.
If there had been a global police force at the time, this sort of crime against humanity could have been prevented. Stanley never even lost his knighthood.
Most countries have these cupboard skeletons and this includes the United States whose history is also stained with internal genocide.
Those countries under British Rule fared better than most. They were left a legacy of government, a civil service administration, a legal system and financial system. Countries once part of the British Empire have done well in comparison with others. The British were no angels, but treated subjects generally better than other Empirical Powers. Genocide was not practiced although bloody and imoral wars were fought. Whilst this notion will infuriate some, especially those who are anti British it is true.
Robert Mugabe has abandoned these standards and has become the Leopold of Zimbabwe. Another British system coming under threat is now being witnessed in Malaysia with a departure from the probity of government originally introduced by the British.
I agree the UN would be a good vehicle to address these problems but in order to do this effectively it needs Real Power. And to acquire this, it needs widespread support from the World’s Nations.
ninian – the probably number of deaths was really about 10 million. 15 million is too high Smallpox was rampant and was killing half the villages it hit.
Mugabe is the only person I am aware of that had a knighthood revoked!…Ian Smith was right…and the proof is in the proverbial pudding, as they say
Revoked Knighthoods
There is a link here which lists revoked honours:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_revocations_of_appointments_to_orders_and_awarded_decorations_and_medals_of_the_United_Kingdom
There are some surprises.
● Most of the German Aristocracy during WW I
● Benito Mussolini
● Nicolae Ceauşescu
● Anthony Blunt (traitor – Russian Spy)
● Sir Jimmy Savile (Paedophile BBC Disc Jockey)
I haven’t found any Americans honoured by the UK who have had their honours revoked. I checked to see if Richard Nixon was honoured by the UK but can’t find any record of this.
This says a lot for American integrity…..
Mugabe is an ambulatory pile of human sh**, and I’m being charitable! This egocentric sadist, ruined a magnificent nation RHODESIA…now called Zimbabwe, which is a cesspool of graft, fear, murder and despair…Mugabe, the poisoned gift, that keep’s on giving
The best way to police the world is to drop, and I am going to use a scientific term here, a f*ckton of AR22’s and ammunition on the freedom loving Christians of *pick a country*. Tell them that if they value their freedom, they may fight for it like Americans once did. They will know the US totally backs them in the human quest for freedom. It is not our responsibility to fight their battles. Yet we can acknowledge that everyone deserves freedom if they are willing to risk their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to achieve that. This we can understand, and wholeheartedly facilitate.
Why does Steg assume that this is America’s problem to police the world? It isn’t and it never has been. Whilst it is true that American foreign policy has been one disaster after another and has caused many of these problems? Zimbabwe isn’t one of them. The responsibility of this failed State lies squarely with its dictator.
America’s consistent failure of foreign policy doesn’t really indicate an ability to solve the issues it helps to create. Whilst America should play a role in policing the world, the tail must not wag the dog.
Americans are right to point out that Zimbabwe is not their problem and that America should not get involved. We need a global response to end these crimes against mankind.
A failure to act collectively only makes another Twin Towers more likely.
This is an African problem, not ours.
ninian – ready for your civics test? You have been dodging your duties, old man.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11737095/Zimbabwe-to-hand-back-land-to-some-white-farmers.html Good idea for Mugabe, bad idea for the farmers who would dare to trust him again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LktedHyuYY0
Mugabe has presided over the murders of many white farmers and looting of thousands of white farms. Some “liberator” he has turned out to be. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-23/15-years-after-land-grabs-mugabe-invites-white-farmers-back-zimbabwe
What Chief and DavidM said.
There is no suitable way to police the world. No single nation state should take this on. Organizations like NATO are incompetent. The UN is the essence of incompetence. Yet all the world is a stage. We are in Act II right now and ISIS is killing women and children. When that does not get our attention they destroy old monuments and artifacts. Those who intervene will pay with loss of life and treasure. We have the means to solve some of these issues. The muddle east is not all that big. One nuke in Syria or Iran might give some folks there pause for thought. We have these nukes for some god awful reason and it is time to use them. So what if we kill innocents abroad. It is written in the Bible that he who walks a crooked path is destined to fall off the cliff. If it was Sunday I would give you a direct chapter and verse. There was a song sung on Saturday Night Live some thirty years ago. The first verse is: Bomb, bomb bomb. Bomb bomb Iran!
Bitchin Dog is wrong again.
There are loads of examples of policing the world. From global conflict to War Crime Trials.
Zero tolerance works. Look at what happened in New York with a policy of zero tolerance to crime.
Bitchin Dog needs to stop bitching and to learn how to spell and to learn how to debate an issue from a position of logic rather than lunacy
When the wicked rule, the people perish.
It is a violation of Socialist Principles to doubt the supremacy of world socialism.
In the next Brave New US World, thankfully, you will not be permitted to say such things.
Heresy!
Freedom speech will mean the freedom to agree!
VICTROY!
Mugabe is yet another Splendid Victory for the Great Advance of world socialism.
Just look at the Wonders of the Venezuelan economy for further proof!
Hence my support for Bernie Sanders or Hillary, both committed socialists, hoping to make us into Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Cuba, or the (sigh) former Soviet Union!
FROWARD!
Chief Consort to the Progressive Grand Inquisitor
To Paraphrase Brigadier General Anthony Clement “Nuts” McAuliffe of the US Army:
“Nuts”
You are living with the same delusion of your Title
Ninianpickett, every time western countries step into Africa, we spend the time getting lectured on our racism, Islamophobia etc. additionally we have made some massive mistakes which have left our own country financially exhausted. Additionally, our leaders have become enamored with the ways of the dictatorships we are allegedly opposing, that is, the use “security” as a basis for stripping us of our civil rights and subjecting us to constant surveillance has been adopted by leaders of both parties to the glee of our enemies and the military-security- industrial complex. Our involvement with many nations like Saudi Arabia and others who are funders of terrorism and theocracies that perpetrate atrocities on their own people make it clear that we are ill equipped to wade into the tribal and sectarian battles now raging in Africa. Our best defense and the best thing for the world is for the US is to redouble our efforts to strengthen our democracy and the economic stability of our own people.
Justice Holmes:
I have few problems with your arguments. It is not up to America to police the World and I have not suggested that it should. I thought I was suggesting the opposite.
But the World must be policed. This includes UK and USA.
A failure to make criminal politicians accountable for crimes against humanity in unacceptable in civilisation.
A failure to do this will affect the probity of all countries.
Sticking our National Heads in the Sand only makes these thugs stronger and will confound the problems America and other countries have to face in the end
Why hasn’t the African Union done anything about this cruel and brutual dictator? Why is it always the responsibility of western states to set things right? Aren’t they clueless and arrogant?
Western states should focus on the people in their own country and insist that people fix their own countries. It is time we held people respsonbile for the mayhem they allow in their own countries.
Justice Holmes is right of course. But history shows this doesn’t happen.
WW1, WW2, Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Gulf War I and II Balkans/ Yugoslavian Conflict just to name a few of recent times.
Crimes against humanity will only stop when there is zero tolerance. In a global world human rights abuses lead to Global Problems 9/11 7/7 Charlie Hebro etc.
Splendid Isolation is a concept of the Past.
An interesting post
The science geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
There is no evidence that Marie Antoinette said these words.
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/did-marie-antoinette-really-say-let-them-eat-cake
As far as Robert Mugabe is concerned, he has exploited the country for his own self gratification. The man is a psycho-socio path and has created a wilderness from the Breadbasket of Africa. Robert Mugabe says these things – because he can – and will not be challenged back home – at least not successfully.
But the most shocking thing of all is that the World has stood by and done nothing, whilst at the same time:
● Invading Afghanistan, which happened to be the wrong country to capture /assassinate Osama Bin Laden
● Assassination of Osama Bin Laden without the opportunity to interrogate him nor bringing him to trial, for crimes against humanity, in line with accepted principles of justice. Whilst revenge is understandable it is not the basis for legality in a civilised society.
● Invasion of Iraq and toppling of Saddam Hussein”s regimen on the basis of non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Thus laying the grounds for the creation of Islamic State and descent into anarchy.
● Potential involvement of the West in the Arab Spring?
It’s all a bit of a mess and illustrates the ineptitude of western politics.
If we have a responsibility to promote values of freedom and liberty, we have failed miserably.
It is so very easy to criticise and then do nothing about it.
Now if there was oil in Zimbabwe that would be a different matter. The country would probably have been invaded years ago and Mugabe deposed. Current levels of poverty could have been eliminated and the world might have been a better place.
It is clear that the key to Mugabe’s retention of power lies within his charisma as perceived by his supporters and a manipulative personality. He has been showered with honours in the past including an ill conceived Knighthood by John Major in 1994. He was appointed an honorary Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath. This entitled him to use the postnominal letters GCB, but not to use the title “Sir.” In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee called for the removal of this honour in 2003, and on 25 June 2008, the Queen cancelled and annulled the honorary knighthood after advice from the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. “This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided.”
Mugabe holds several honorary degrees and doctorates from international universities, awarded to him in the 1980s; at least three of these have since been revoked.
In June 2007, he became the first international figure ever to be stripped of an honorary degree by a British university, when the University of Edinburgh withdrew the degree awarded to him in 1984.
On 12 June 2008, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Board of Trustees voted to revoke the law degree awarded to Mugabe in 1986; this is the first time one of its honorary degrees has been revoked.
Similarly, on 12 September 2008, Michigan State University revoked an honorary law degree that it awarded Mugabe in 1990.
He has been appointed as a UN “leader of Tourism”.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7473243.stm
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/robert-mugabe-and-me–how-a-despot-has-clung-on-to-power-8418197.html
Ninian Peckitt
You might not be aware of this but the website only permits two links per comment. I dereferenced one of these so that it will work for you. I restored the comment afterward.
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275 years earlier, instead of “land” a young noble Princess suggested giving them “cake”.
He is a bit old. Perhaps he recalls days of old when knights were bold and condoms weren’t invented. Ya tied a sock…
If he does not see the suffering maybe it is being shielded from him. Perhaps he needs to move to Ferguson. According to the media that town is a Ghetto. Not so when you drive around and look at the nice properties. Perhaps he should move to New York next to Al Sharptongue. The two have some things in common– like senility.