This is truly something that belongs in The Onion. Indeed, I had to double check to be sure that it was serious. China, one of the most oppressive nations on Earth, has given a human rights award to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, one of the most oppressive and corrupt leaders in the world. China continues its almost comical issuance of the Confucius Peace Prize, its answer to the Nobel Peace Prize. China was tired of the Nobel people giving a human rights price to human rights advocates, particularly Chinese dissents or the Dali Lama. So it created its own prize to give those hard-working dictators an opportunity to shine. So this year, China is honoring a man who has destroyed the economy of Zimbabwe, starved his people, oppressed dissidents, and maintained one of the most disgusting levels of corruption and personal excess of any dictator in the world. Vladimir Putin previously won the award. Last year the recipient was that great humanitarian Fidel Castro.
The prize will no doubt fuel Mugabe’s delusional state where he denies that there is any suffering or corruption in this country.
The Chinese celebrated how Mugabe, 91, “inject[ed] fresh energy” into the global quest for harmony during his authoritarian 35 years in power. Yes like the fresh energy he has used in persecuting gays or his annual birthday extravaganzas or the endless energy his wife shows in her infamous shopping trips to Europe.
The Committee announced:
“Ever since Robert Mugabe was sworn in as the president of Zimbabwe in the 1980s, he has worked hard to bring political and economic order to the country and to improve the welfare of the Zimbabwean people by overcoming hardship.”
Honestly, that is what it said. While shame seems to no longer register in China, irony appears a Party-sanctioned theme.
Qiao Damo, the committee’s chairman, said the following with an entirely straight face: “If Zimbabwe did not have Mugabe as its president, the country would be facing great difficulty – even public security might be in danger.” Thank God Zimbabwe is not facing great difficulty given its collapsing economy and rampant corruption.
Liu Zhiqin, one of the committee’s 76 members, acknowledged, “Frankly speaking, there were internal concerns about awarding Mugabe the peace prize . . . Mugabe has been in power for such a long time that he could be easily be labelled a dictator, tyrant or despot.” Gee, you think? The question is what else could he possibly be. Nevertheless, the Committee overcame its “concerns” and embraced one of the most despicable figures in the history of Africa as a model of leadership for China.
The prize comes with an award of 500,000 yuan (£51,000) and a gold trophy. Perhaps he could put the gold trophy next to his prized, guarded commode to perfectly capture China’s latest contribution to human rights.
Source: Guardian
China has recently announced that it will start grading it’s citizens on how patriot they conduct themselves. I guess they are not too big on free speech.
it’s likes saying men genuinely, in action, cared about liberty when they owned people and terrorized them for profit. It’s quite misguided and dangerous.
Not to mention the NDAA….
T.hall
JT represents the same body that instituted the AUMF and the Patriot Act…… and there is a concern for the rule of law and liberty…Really??
It is also well-known that hospitals receive special protections under international law. And this is not our first run-in with war crimes (alleged… wink). Remember our occupation of a hospital in fallujah….
Hold Chip,
To begin with, the UN says the bombing may be a war crime, as in, we don’t know yet. At a minimum, there is reason to believe that Taliban fighters may have been in the area of the hospital.
You’re basing your suspicions on the word of a Taliban spokesman?
Then your blanket allegations against this site are both unfair and unfounded. There may be a couple of individuals here who feel the US is immune to international law, but Prof. Turley has blogged about crimes committed by the US and US corporations around the world.
Same holds true for the rule of law; Prof Turley is legally representing Congress instead of calling for the armed revolution. Just because Olly and a handful of others would prefer to wage an armed insurrection shouldn’t tarnish the rest of us.
https://theintercept.com/2015/10/07/a-short-history-of-u-s-bombing-of-civilian-facilities/
Jingoism absolutely kills free thought in most cases…. these are well-known facts….
Mr. Shculte,
you are not willing to admit the fact that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was illegal under international law. you have zero credibility to discuss international law issues as you pick the U.S. winner and argue accordingly… My assessment actually involves reason and truth.
chipkelly – which US invasion of Iraq was illegal?
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/afghan-hospital-bombing-war-crime-msf-kunduz-151003151257396.html
Y’all should read more than this blog and mainstream like sources. Reading about law prof. trips around the country, and paintball games is not all that expansive.
The idea of bombing a hospital (coordinates of which were known) is, at minimum, suspicious of criminal activity. The U.S. is well aware that DWB services ANY party to war, regardless of affiliation.
This place applauds the US being immune from International Law. Rule of Law is not a principle of this blog unfortunately.
chipkelly – it is not a war crime if it is an accident. However, there are now reports from the Afghanis that shots were coming from the building and they were taking heavy fire. We know the Palestinians favor using hospitals to hide weapons in and fire rockets from them. News travels.
I have to admit I’m with Schulte on this one
Ironic. A bunch of patriots filled with vitriol will not even acknowledge the possibility of a war crime in the DWB Bombing by the US (which we’ve already apologized for) on a post mocking another powerful nation-state giving a ruthless dictator an award.
The JT Blog is as out-of-touch as China’s Communist Regime…. Probably more. hahahahaha
chipkelly – explain how bombing DWB is a war crime and then we can take the debate from there. I am game. Lay out your position.