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Zimbabwe Elections Collapse

June 22nd, 2008
By PATRICK EDABURN

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More problems for the poor people of Zimbabwe as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of the runoff with dictator Robert Mugabe. His decision was based on some very real fears that supporters would be murdered as they went to the polls. Over the last couple of weeks Mugabe supporters have been killing opposition leaders and supporters.

While Tsvangirai’s decision is disappointing it is understandable. Most outside observers think he won the first vote but had the victory stolen from him by fraud and there were expectations that the same could happen this time. Faced with the possibility of hundreds or even thousands of people dying, he made a tough call.

Since taking absolute power almost 30 years ago, Mugabe has been one of the most brutal dictators on a continent plagued by them. When he first came into office he was widely praised, particularly by those on the political left. Initially a committed Marxist he pledged to bring equality to the people.

Instead he has spent his reign murdering and torturing almost anyone who dared to oppose him. The health care system has collapsed and the nation is plagued by AIDS. The economy is even worse, with an estimated inflation rate of over 150,000 percent !

 His habit of rigging elections has led to sanctions but little else and it now appears he will remain in power for years to come. One can only hope that the world community will stand up and force him from power, but this seems unlikely.



This entry was posted on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 at 11:54 am and is filed under Pro-Democracy Movements, Robert Mugabe, Africa, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 4 Comments

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    If there was ever a country that could use Bush's support to advance freedom from a brutal dictator Zimbabwe is it. Oh wait, Zimbabwe doesn't have any oil....
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    Unlike Noriega or Saddam, Mugabe isn't a creation of U.S. cold-war policies or CIA support. If anything, he's a creation of Soviet foreign policy, and not our fault. Being as removing Dictators needs SOME KIND of measurable requirement or we'd be sending the Marines into Cuba and Venezuela(which has oil!), along with Darfur, Myanmar, North Korea... The apparent measure seems to be "Did we Create him or keep him in power when we knew what kind of monster he was?"

    Mugabe isn't a creature of the American cold-war policy machine. If ANY western nation should be seriously considering intervention in Zimbabwe, it's britain, not the U.S..
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    Hey there, Cannonshop. I was addressing Bush's oft-repeated goal of spreading democracy around the world and how hollow Bush's comments are.

    Your comment is great and I appreciate the distinction- thanks for reminding us that the US isn't the only country that's created problems and, more to your point, these countries bear a certain responsibility.

    I don't think there should be any military intervention by the US (or any country) into a sovereign nation with the goal being regime change so democracy and freedom spreads. It's a path the citizens of those countries must take themselves or else we'll end up like we are in Iraq- as unwelcome occupiers. But that's not to say that we can't nudge and encourage the citizens of those countries to live to their potential- whether through better education, etc.
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    Cannonshop is right, Zimbabwe is not our creation.

    The US has been in the business of selective condemnations, though, and it doesn't look good when we condemn some but hold hands with others.

    I believe that realpolitik is often the only workable methodology, but being more even-handed in just providing lip-service, if nothing more, would make us more credible.

    Without laying direct blame, it is fair to observe that democracy is not 'on the rise' very substantially.
 
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