Uhm, Zimbabwe guys...

[jirpy100]

Where is the UN??? Where are all the liberals protesting for freedom? Would an international court find you guilty if you assassinated Mugabe?

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6908182.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6908182.stm)
www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2157331,00.html (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2157331,00.html)
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2204175.ece (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2204175.ece)

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

That and so much more, inhumaness or just plain self styled evil, is what's going on around the world while we're often sittin around watchin martial arts flix. I'm guilty as charged... :| This sh#t is beginning to make me feel dead inside it's so f#cking prevalent. Almost everyone I know's in hell. In this case, not that there's much the unversed in international affairs can do, let's say with the UN, but it's really too damn bad when you know all the money and resources are certaintly out there to help all the people and the all the environmental concerns we're facing today. It's just not a priority to those who possess the ability to change the condition of the pain, suffering, and waste going on around the planet. and when people do contribute large sums of financial means you get all the "greenback parasites" of these organizations like red cross, etc. syphoning off the enormous flow of financial contributions. I know some of the funds go to what some of these organizations claim, but I feel like these relief funds for any super catastrophy donations are like paying taxes, the people (or politicians) take the majority of it, of this I have very little doubt.

[stormybman]

:( >:

[Lei Kung]

I'll admit I haven't been following the situation in Zimbabwe, but this further goes to show the absurdity of border restrictions. In America here we're dealing with a similar situation over Mexican immigration. Refugees of one state seeking jobs are being denied refuge by the next state over. Perhaps you could fill me in on what's going on over there. It's sickening to see starving, impoverished people being turned away from a land of plenty by redneck assholes.

[jirpy100]

Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, gained independance in 1980, after Robert (Bob) Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and other fighters, relentlessly attacked the white minority government. The international community recognized this as a legal act and Mugabe soon became president.
Zimbabwe was one of the very few countries in the world with a netto export of food; their food went to many places in Southern Africa and overseas. Their tobacco industry was well-known across the world for producing high quality products.
During this time Mugabe told to a South African journalist that he wouldn't make the same mistake as Mozambique did by kicking out all the white citizens. Around 200,000 stayed after independence.
The first signs of trouble came in 1982. During their freedom war (Chimurenga-Shona word for "War of Liberation"), Zanu, his party, were supported by North Korea and China. Concluding their agreement, North Korea trained his police and a special unit called the 5th Bridage (also known as his Korean brigade). Mugabe decided to settle an age-old war with the Ndebele people, who has historically been enemies of his Shona tribe, and ended up murdering around 20,000 Ndebeles, who resided in the Matabeleland. He was essentially afraid that they would not support his communist-backed government and could have put up a good political opposition, so he decided to eliminate them.
Unfortunately the world took little notice, and still proclaimed that Mugabe was a leader of the free, while the true leader should have been Joshua Nkomo, who was a more moderate politician, who unfortunately died before his time.
So the downfall slowly began as more and more socialist laws were brought in. Mugabe also became very paranoid and had many people assissinated and his secret police were everywhere. His former head of intelligence Kevin Woods will release a book on all of Mugabe's atrocities soon.
Then finally by 2000 Mugabe decided to kick out the remaining white farmers, following the Maoist policy of "land reform." About 50,000 whites were still in the country by then. Nevermind the fact that all white farms after 1980 were legal, seeing as all land claims were settled immediately after independence. This was a desperate act to woo the people. Unfortunately this has caused 80% unemployment, an inflation rate that is the highest in the world, and will end at 100 000% according to some financial sources.
He also refused aid by Western countries saying they are brainwashing his people and that everyone is fed. Meanwhile the remaining food was withheld from tribes and villages which do not support the Zanu-PF party, and an unknown thousands have died from hunger. He also locked up opposition politicians and his "veterans" who took the farms from the white owners, have killed and raped people throughout the country. They are a renegade non-official bunch.
China has recently been in the news because of its support of the Sudanese government, while 100 000's have died in the on-going genocide. China is also one of the only countries still dealing with Zimbabwe, and have provided weapons and money in exchange for the country's mineral wealth. They say it's their policy not to infere in the internal affairs of countries they deal with.
Many millions have now fled the country into Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. It is unknown when this drama will end as Mugabe has pretty much been declared president for life, having kept this position for more than 25 years already!

[pressureworld]

deserved bump

[jirpy100]

Glad South Africa is helping the refugees... :(

www.iol.co.za/index.php (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070802030225448C870248)

A recent 17 August 2007 meeting by our Southern African Development Community (SADC)(a small UN type organisation for the region). Shows you what respect this continent has for the suffering in front of their own eyes:

Mugabe Cheered At African Summit (http://news.aol.com/story/_a/mugabe-cheered-at-african-summit/n20070816105709990007)