Saturday, June 27, 2009
Zimbabwe $$$$$$$
I heard a speaker on NPR who made a funny, tragically funny, comment about inflation in Zimbabwe. She said that Zimbabwe has more millionaires per population than any other country in the world. And when you think how the government has been printing up money by the trillions, I guess it is true. I had predicted Mugabe would be gone by now. Obviously I was wrong. Now I am saying he will not last out the year. Any other predictions?
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I seem to remember that same prediction the year we were in Conflicts, so I have to disagree with you. Mugabe has been there quite a while. He has a talent for it. Even with him 'sharing' the presidency, I'd be surprised if he left so quickly.
ReplyDelete- Ann L.
I can still hope.
ReplyDeleteI remember a similar prediction from my year in Conflicts... We can be comforted by one thing: he is 85. He has outlived life expectency for a man anywhere in the world, and he has wildly outlived it for his particular area. Sooner or later, he'll kick the bucket.
ReplyDeleteThat brings up another point.... I guess the song is right: only the good die young. So maybe he'll live to be a 110!
It is scary to think how long he has hung on. I know you're right about his age, but I hate to think that progress can only come by waiting around for someone to die.
ReplyDeleteThe only other option is to help him along. But do you really want the leaders of a coup and assissination of Mugabe to take over power? I think it's easy to say that anything is better than Mugabe, but then again... well, you're familiar enough with history to know that it's simply not true.
ReplyDeleteI look at situations like this and as much as I want change, I worry about the destabilization, civil war and civil strife that could follow the collapse (either naturally or forcibly) of a regime like Mugabe's. It boils down to "is the fighting and winning the good fight worth the drastic temporary increase in carnage?"
I just can't accept that the only other option is tyrannicide. Zimbabwe has an effective opposition when they are not being murdered. And it a very stange way, they have the rule of law. Mugabe was frightened enough to agree to a coalition government which means he recognizes that the opposition to him is not going away no matter what he tries. Unfortunately, he has the stomache for murder and torture. Tsvangirai just could not take any more of his followers being killed. Does this mean his morality was a weakness?
ReplyDeleteI only mean to say that, at this point, Mugabe's exit from power is only going to come with his death (or, I suppose, an Ariel Sharon-sized stroke (btw, he's STILL alive)). It just doesn't make sense to have an above ground active opposition party expose themselves to his wrath unless they are prepared to kill him. And on that note, I'm not so sure that killing him would improve the situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat can the people of Zimbabwe do but sit around and hope that Mugabe dies sooner rather than later, and ready themselves for change when that happens? His Lieutenants are the ones who are afraid... trying to obtain amnesty for their crimes.