Ongoing political violence in Zimbabwe has sparked widespread concern both abroad as well as within the U.S. Zimbabwe natives Peter Godwin, author of When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa, and Chaka Ngwenya, director of SARFM Radio in New York, talk about the latest in the Zimbabwe elections.
Comments [14]
To Karin #5,
Sharpton and Jackson are Americans first and foremos. Why should they have anymore or less responsiblity or right to lecture to an African nation? Does the color of their skin give them the responsiblity or even the right to do so? Would you ask a 5th generation Chinese American to lecture the Chinese government because they "sorta look the same" and should therefore be able to relate with each other?
America will have no direct gain or loss from the failure of Zimbabwe. It is excruciating to see and hear the suffering. Couldn't the US encourage and provide a platform for talks between the regional nations? In the end, these neighboring countries will the be the ones who will bear the brunt of Zimbabwe's fall. But they do have the largest capacity to help the situation.
Now that the government of Robert Mugabe has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that it is not interested in having any resemblance of a democratic election, it is time for a bold African country to invade Zimbabwe and free its people from the strangulation of a senile tyrant.
The invasion should happen on Friday. And Nigeria should lead it.
The West should provide Nigeria with the logistics needed to round up the rogues who have messed up one of the most promising African nations.
I picked Nigeria for this assignment because the other capable nation, South Africa, is led by Mugabe’s accomplice. Thabo Mbeki has failed not only the people of Zimbabwe but also his own people by choosing to go into romance with a dictator who cares about nobody but himself.
Nigerian soldiers have experienced war in Congo, Liberia, Darfur, Yugoslavia etc. In fact, at one point or another, the Nigerian soldiers have been in all the trouble spots in Africa. They have a reputation for brutality that will make the actions of Mugabe’s security services a child’s play. Sending the Nigerian soldiers into Zimbabwe is the best case of returning fire-for-fire.
Zimbabwe is a failed nation. It is a shame that Mugabe destroyed Zimbabwe. It is a greater shame if we sit it out and observe the death of a nation and its innocents.
I believe it is illegal for foreigners and foreign governments to influence the American political process through monetary donations. Want to talk about freedom and equality? What about the Zimbabwean right to have the same lack of meddling by foreigners in their political process? If it's good for America it should be good for Zimbabwe. Of course free and fair elections should take place in Zimbabwe. And if the people freely choose to elect the MDC puppets of Britain to power, they deserve whatever the result will be. The big issue is the land. Land theft by colonialists and imperialists is hard to reverse. It has not happened, not in America or Israel or Australia or other such places where foreign invaders outright stole the land of the indigenous peoples and committed genocide against them. Robert Mugabe achieved this reversal. It's amusing to hear the angst and the distraught tone in the voice of the BBC reporters in reporting on this issue. One would think that they lost something personally. But just to give you an idea of how important the land issue is, consider the fact that more than
FIVE MILLION Africans have lost their lives in the Congo in civil war but the BBC's lack of coverage about that compared to the loss of land stolen by the British shows you that land stolen from African people and returned to them is more important than African peoples right to life in peace and security.
Alas, I think the situ w/Mugabe is way, way more complicated that first or even 2nd glance suggests ... he has the goods on the other African leaders, who, in waves of independence and strife have lined their own pockets, when Mugabe (I think) was an actual "freedom fighter" in the not too distant past ... he can't "simply" be taken out ... and certainly not by the marines!!!
A well-placed someone with a particular set of skills, who can later be guaranteed a new life, maybe ... but failure would definitely NOT be an option in that turn of events. OTOH, a heart condition could do it too. Do they have McDonald's in Zimbabwe?
One thing is for sure: Do not send in the Marines. We have too many problems in the world, too many hands in too many cookie jars, and we can not solve the world's problems at the barrel of our guns, and it is time we stop pretending we can.
Have we not eyes!? Can we not see?!
#6,
Maybe when something tragic happens to you there will be someone there to mock you. As long as they think it's funny it's OK right?
The intrigue in Zimbabwe reminds me of Congo's Patrice Lumumba.
#4,
Angry and incompetent military men
#5,
Because they aren't "leaders" and speaking out about issues in Africa isn't how their bread is buttered.
I think any children who are killed in the conflict should be replaced with the babies from the pregnancy pact in Massachusetts.
And the refugees should be used to diversify the fashion industry.
I was wondering why US African American leaders (e.g. Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton) have nothing to say about the horrendous way Mugabe has destroyed Zimbabwe?
I don't know if this has been mentioned, but Mugabe is rather old, who is waiting in the wings in ZANU-PF?
It is about time that this countries specifically russia and South Africa speak up. Regardless if they African countries dont like to meddle in each others affairs they should not sit idle while attrocities by ZANU PF are being commited. Standing up for whats right is never wrong. I am a Ghanian American and it saddens me to see my continent in such turmoil all the time. Power tends to be abused so much its disheartning and discouraging
why is brono leaving now the NY GOP party is collapsing. also all over the northeast, the GOP is withering away
Brian's wrong that GOP is fading, ha. denile or spin
The solution to Zimbabwe's situation is simple you tell Mugabe to step down and have the Marines escort him out of the country into exhile or jail which ever he prefers then hold real elections.
If Mugabe doesn't like it then you have the Marines escort him out any way.
If we're going to use the power of the US military we should use for real good.
We should also do the same in Darfur.
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