Soldiers vote for your CinC!

[imb39]

Vote for the President or quit!

Chief-of-staff Maj Gen Martin Chedondo said soldiers had signed up to protect Mr Mugabe's principles of defending the revolution, state media reported. "If you have other thoughts, then you should remove that uniform," he said.

He goes on to say -

"Soldiers are not apolitical; only mercenaries are apolitical," said the general. "We should therefore stand behind our commander-in-chief."

I just wonder when Mbeki will actually stop propping up this joke of an administration and openly criticise these thugs. What gets me is that every one seems to fall for the rubbish statements about imperialism. We left that era 60 years ago... I just wish those in Southern Africa would realise that and tell him to stop talking such rubbish.

[The Super Pope]

I suppose mugabe is sort of an honoured relic in Africa, the last of the leaders who fought colonialism. Removing him would be unpopular therefore

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Mugabe is idolised. Africans love him, like Germans loved Hitler and Russians loved Stalin.

[The Super Pope]

Mugabe is idolised. Africans love him, like Germans loved Hitler and Russians loved Stalin.

And imagine the reactions of Germans if Hitler was deposed in 1938, or Stalin in 1945?

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Mugabe is idolised. Africans love him, like Germans loved Hitler and Russians loved Stalin.

Well with what looks like a Hitler mustache and being a racist I would say he is half-way there to becoming a black Hitler.
All he needs it to invade rest of Africa and put all white people in camps and the image is complete.

Anyway, I can't understand why other african nations support Mugabe.
What is he doing that makes them wanna give him support ??
It can't be because of white people can it ??

[removeduser_426582376423734]

More like Hitler in 1941-4, since Zimbabwe isn't what you'd call a thriving country.

[The Super Pope]

More like Hitler in 1941-4, since Zimbabwe isn't what you'd call a thriving country.

You get my gist

[Каие]

Racism, a surprising number of black africans hate white people even white africans, i wouldn't even doubt they like Mugabe because he plays the colonist card.

[imb39]

The man is killing his country. His policies are breathtakingly poor. If he was an artist, he'd be so bad he'd be a genius.

[CDMan477]

The man is killing his country.

Unfortunately, this same situation could be described in several African countries could it not? Well, or for that matter a few South American states? Or, now that I think about, this same situation could very well describe SE Asia? Hmm, a few east European countries and the U.S. have seen better days recently. I give up, it seems like more of the world is screwed up than not. Time to start saving up for that doomsday bunker I suppose.

[Fabolous]

Unfortunately, this same situation could be described in several African countries could it not? Well, or for that matter a few South American states? Or, now that I think about, this same situation could very well describe SE Asia? Hmm, a few east European countries and the U.S. have seen better days recently. I give up, it seems like more of the world is screwed up than not. Time to start saving up for that doomsday bunker I suppose.

Zimbabwe has gone from one of the beacons of hope in Africa to perhaps the worst run country in the world.

On health, for starters it has the lowest life expectancy in the world. The entire world! It has fallen from 60 for males in 1990 to 37 now. It is less, 34, for women. Infant morality has risen by 153% over the same period, to 81 per 1,000 live births. I don't think I need to mention that isn't a good number. There are almost 2 million adults with HIV in Zimbabwe, and virtually 25% of adults in the country have HIV. That is, again, amoung the worst in the world if not the worst in the world.

There is a huge food and supplies crisis, which has been made worse by the sprawling corruption of Mugabe's regime. This has been made worse by the attempted land redistrubtion taking land away from white farmers. It has been made worse by the government switching courses on this a few times and offering land to white farmers just to take it away again. Over 60% of the wildlife has died since 2000, which is horrible. Current offical annual inflation rate is over 100,000%. Lets try that again... Over 100,000%! That is simply abysmal...

Mugabe has repeatedly rigged elections. There is also a high level of voter intimidation, not that it matters in the end because the vote counts are edited by the government. The ruling of the government itself has been little better than any ruthless, unfeeling Somalian warlord.

I could keep going, but I think my point is clear. Zimbabwe is not like any other country.

[CDMan477]

If I came across as trying to belittle or downplay the situation in Zimbabwe, that wasn't my intention. The point that I was trying to get at is while the current situation there is indeed horrible, I think we have all seen it before and we will see it again. I suppose the only question I would ask is what is the solution to all this? International pressure has rarely worked at shaking apart violent, suppressive governments. The method used to "free" Iraq is obviously not a popular one on this forum or around the world. Is there an end in sight to situations like this in the near or present future. I would say no.

[Pontifex Maximus]

I was amazed when I saw this story. It seems this guy wants complete loyalty or bust. Whatever suits him best I guess.

[Каие]

The only option seems to be revolution, or some serious foreign intervention.

[Fabolous]

If I came across as trying to belittle or downplay the situation in Zimbabwe, that wasn't my intention. The point that I was trying to get at is while the current situation there is indeed horrible, I think we have all seen it before and we will see it again.

Ah, ok. It sounded like you were saying it wasn't horrible, that much worse then most of the world. It wasn't solely directed at you, some people still act as if Mugabe is a hero and some people still think his people view him as such, when honestly, they don't anymore. He was, but his rule has ruined that.

The only option seems to be revolution, or some serious foreign intervention.

Foreign intervention? You are pushing the colonialist agenda that Mugabe has warned us against!

[Каие]

I'm talking about sanctions for anyone who supports Mugabe like the Chinese, not allowing any weapons in, dropping food by air drops or a simple assassination would do it.

Where are all the mad men who wanted to invade Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, get rid of Saddam and the Taliban and stop human rights abuse there, why aren't they as vocal about this guy or Darfur?

[imb39]

As Fab points out, Zimbabwe is very much a special case. The most important aspect is the impact it has on the surrounding countries. From being the bread basket of the area it is now in famine itself - not the result of nature but by incompetence.

Can anyone hear imagine what 100,000% inflation rates are like? Money is worthless in that situation and, again, it has an impact on surrounding countries. An unstable Zimbabwe will only go and make the rest of the region unstable. Look at the xenophobic reactions in South Africa.

I hold Mbeki almost as culpable as Mugabe in this farcical tragedy, well it would be a farce if the pain, death and injustice wasn't so endemic. Whilst I have sympathy for the view of sentimentality - heroic actions of 20 years ago cannot hide the criminal incompetence of today.

Mbeki has been shown to be rather out of his depth. It must be hard, given that he followed on from Mandela but his stance on this and AIDS has been lamentable.

As to sanctions, I think it wouldn't be a wise move. The people are desperate already. If it doesn't hurt Mugabe directly then it will have no effect. He needs to be isolated by the regimes around him.

[Каие]

Or perhaps South Africa should depose him, seeing as he is causing them the most problems.

[Каие]

He's being sarcastic, they do not support him.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

No I was very much not being sarcastic.