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The land of plenty of nothing

MICHAEL VALPY

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:54 PM EDT 07/03/08

Zimbabwe is a place of 80-per-cent unemployment and stench-filled streets, writes the Globe's Michael Valpy ...Read the full article

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  1. Adam Allouba from Montreal, Canada writes: Hell on Earth. Mugabe truly is a monster.
  2. Reality Check from Edmonton, Canada writes: Well Meng, you sound so full of righteous indignation that I can only guess that you are a foreign student, taking advantage of our poor Canadian morals by living in our great country while taking advantage of all of our unique Canadian moral failings. (frat keggers, bitching about NAFTA…)

    Lets see, by not buying the non-egistant goods that Zimbabwe does not make it is our fault that their population is suffering and dying???

    You are both naïve in your own thought process and insulting to those who have read this article and understand what it is saying.

    There is no democracy in Zimbabwe… AND if living under the psychotic megalomaniac Mugabe WAS the answer… then why the 15000 inflation, the rampant HIV, the exodus of the nomenclature….

    Grow up, read a bit more than your leftist habits allow, and leave Canada, preferably to Zimbabwe, to get a first hand lesson in life….

    THEN come back to your cozy life in the ivory tower and dare to post again…

    You do not impress….
  3. Craig White from hosertown, Canada writes: Mugabe and his kleptocracy, quite simply, have to go.
  4. Able Bodied Man from Colony of Van Isle, Canada writes: South Africa has now taken more steps to transfer land from whites to blacks. I hope they do it in a more civilized manner and avoid Zimbabwe's mistakes. The Brits could keep things working much better.
  5. Paul Wallnutz from Canada writes: Hmmm. I wonder how many of the older Blacks can remember the 'bad old days' when the place was called Rhodesia and run by the white minority?
  6. Michael Crowell from Halifax, Canada writes: Meng W. from Toronto, Canada: You are one disturbed individual. Reading this story describes what Canada would look like after 20 years of NDP Government. As Adam Smith said; you do not help the plight of the wage earner by destroying the wage payer.
  7. The graying pundit from Ottawa, Canada writes: 40 years ago, Zimbabwe (then called Rhodesia) was ruled by an elite white minority. The black majority was powerless and disenfranchised. But was prosperous and self-sufficient Whites. People had enought to eat. In fact, the country exported food.

    Fast forward forty years. The people are still powerless and disenfranchised. But now they are hungry too.
  8. Bill Foonman from Jacksonville, United States writes: Having lived in Rhodesia in the 70's it is beyond sad to read how one corrupt, incompetent megalomaniac can destroy an entire country.

    There is zero hope for Zimbabwe until Mugabe and his ilk are gone and the agricultural land is returned to the white farmers who have the knowledge to farm it in an efficient manner.

    Unfortunately, like it or not, the Blacks can't and won't make that happen.
  9. The Skipper from Canada writes: And Africa justs sits back and the rest of the world just sits back !
  10. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: The article tells us what daily life over there looks like, and we posters blame this or that race (or ideology) for this horrible outcome. I put all the blame on democracy: the number one enemy of civilisation. My answer to those who say this guy is an 'antidemocratic' leader, is a quotation from the article: 'And the reality is, whether fraudulently holding office or not, Mr. Mugabe maintains a genuine popularity.'
    'True democracy', 'western democracy' or 'free market economy'. You can add tens of nonsense intangible terms to the list above but none of these generates income and wealth. Give no education, get no wealth. If Sweden is a prosperous country today, that is not thanks to the envelops they push into boxes every now and then. That is due the educational level of that society. What is good for Sweden, Switzerland or Denmark is by no means adaptable for Sudan, Mali or Zimbabwe. Without the prerequisites, one should not advance into the next chapter. Even a monkey can technically be trained to put an envelop into a box which would result in electing a given candidate, but that would hardly grow any bananas for it.
    The world needs more maths, physics and chemistry, and less religion, patriotism and democracy. If I was democratically elected as a pilot of a space shuttle today, none of you would prefer to be onboard.
  11. Ron Shaw from Snowy Toronto, Canada writes: Ghetto Dude is right on. However, the uplifting effects of education will take years to be realized. And that's after a functioning education system is initialized, and who knows when that will be.

    So the question remains: What to do in the short to medium term.

    Judging by the article, it seems there are two priorities: Immediate health care and a restarting of effective agriculture. Can governments around the world work together to make this happen? Probably not. So individuals need to find out what genuine aid organizations are currently on the ground there, and then assist them in doing their job. Money, equipment, knowledge, sweat, materials - we can all offer something to help our fellow human beings.

    Democracy can wait. And the Globe can do its part by continuing to dig into this story.
  12. Syed Abbas from Toronto, Canada writes:

    Ghetto Dude: Greetings

    Sweden is no example of resounding success just as Zimbabwe is no model of abysmal failure.

    The basic issue of existence always was and still is survival, growth, and evolution.

    Godless Sweden has chosen to survive, at the expense of growth and evolution. Double income, no kids, less work, more play, fast cars, large SUVs, frequent vacations, longer cruises, carpe-diem purposeless existence, great present ..... and no future.

    Zimbabwe under Christian Mugabe has chosen growth and evolution rather than survival.

    Both models are flawed.
  13. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Hi Syed,
    My hypothetical education reform comprises the immediate closure of so-called 'social science' faculties. The root of evil is within the sociology, political science, philosophy, history, theology, anthropology departments. All the professors and students of such schools must be collected from around the world, and be made gather together to form an independent nation of theirs. No foreign aid should be provided to that social scientist race and we shall see what real starvation means then. They will automatically extinct within a decade if they do not kill each other in a year's time. (Perhaps you would receive an administrative post offer from them.)
    The Swedish would mourn if they knew they were futureless. May be God is punishing them by hiding from them, and I am unable to see where in the article the growing and evolving Zimbabwe facts are hidden. There may be Swedes to understand your point and they may rush to emigrate to Zimbabwe after having read this article and your posting.
  14. Nassar Ben Houdja from Canada writes: Freedom brings responsibility, who takes credit for this? The usual laying blame on a western door step may be politically correct, but it won't buy the grocerys.
  15. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: Having lived in the then Rhodesia i can tell you that country was great for all black and white.. Because the whites were racist does not mean anything they built all the roads, schools, hospitals, shops , factorys and had good government that gave the blacks and whites one of the best standards of living in the developing world ..

    Hong kong and Singapore started the same way and went on to great success .. The Question is why do countries in Africa which have everything going for them fail ? From recent reports South Africa is becoming more like Zimbabwe .. Many white farmers have been murdered and forced off the land with South Africa now having to import food for the first time ...
  16. Richard Daystrom from Toronto, Canada writes: Bill Foonman from Jacksonville, United States writes: Having lived in Rhodesia in the 70's it is beyond sad to read how one corrupt, incompetent megalomaniac can destroy an entire country.

    There is zero hope for Zimbabwe until Mugabe and his ilk are gone and the agricultural land is returned to the white farmers who have the knowledge to farm it in an efficient manner.

    Unfortunately, like it or not, the Blacks can't and won't make that happen.

    Which begs the question: are there any (white or black) knowledgeable farmers left?
  17. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: The Question is why do countries in Africa which have everything going for them fail ?
    My thesis is that, failure is not a continent or race-specific issue. The keyword is 'positive feedback' or 'chain reaction'. After this era of unprecedented stratification, the poor will stay poorer the rich will get richer. Here are the factors:
    1 Immigration: People emigrate. When you are a well-educated individual in the third world, better countries than your own accept you. Consequently, you choose to become a citizen of some already-developed nation rather than being undervalued in your home country. So, those who can materially contribute to an underdeveloped country, do not stay in that country. They fly away along with both their economical and intellectual belongings.
    2 Democracy. The poorer the people, the more uneducated they are. The uneducated people vote for more religious and patriotic leaders. Those leaders who almost always are becoming billionaires by grabbing their country's resources, are very happy to be there, and know they must keep their people uneducated in order to get re-elected. So they have to reinforce religion and patriotism while avoiding science. Well, crops do not get irrigated by prayers, flags do not make the engines work. So, if your primary concern is malaria, that is not a twist of the fate. That means you expected your illness to be cured via voting. In fact, the guy you voted for drove away the doctors who could cure you, as those doctors would not vote for him.
    International aid organisations. These are essentially psychotic establishments made up of western professionals, who otherwise would be unimportant guys in really competitive environments. I am not going to further comment on them in order not to be moderated out. However, one can safely presume that there is no sort of aid that teaches to generate income. And the more you are aided, the more you become an aid addict.
  18. The Middle Finger ..I.. from Canada writes: To Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada who wrote: Having lived in the then Rhodesia i can tell you that country was great for all black and white.. Because the whites were racist does not mean anything they built all the roads, schools, hospitals, shops , factorys and had good government that gave the blacks and whites one of the best standards of living in the developing world .

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Please define ' built '. When I was on tour at Mount Vernon, the tour guide stated that George Washington had ' built ' Mount Vernon. Then he walked us past the slave cemetery.
  19. The Middle Finger ..I.. from Canada writes: If the original issue was land ownership, maybe land ownership by individuals should be eliminated. The race issue is also eliminated.
  20. No Left or Right Just Neutral from Canada writes: This country is full of Natural resources. Mugabe is a Western goon! The resources are being looted with very cheap labour.
  21. The Middle Finger ..I.. from Canada writes: To No Left or Right Just Neutral from Canada who wrote: This country is full of Natural resources. Mugabe is a Western goon! The resources are being looted with very cheap labour.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Where are the resources being consumed? Where does the value paid for the resources wind up?
  22. Tony . from Waterloo, Canada writes: The Skipper from Canada writes: 'And Africa justs sits back and the rest of the world just sits back ! '

    Unfortunate people won't sit back enough, because that is EXACTLY what Zimbabwe needs. Throwing aid money in a case like this is just going to prolong the suffering.

    Zimbabwe needs to burn out, it's WAY past the point of saving in it's current form. The old country needs to be destroyed before a new one can be built. Unfortunately this means a lot of people are going to die, but a lot of people ARE dying and WILL die either way, it's just a question of when.

    The best possible thing we can do for Africa?

    1. Eliminate all the debt and loans
    2. Eliminate all foreign aid
    3. Get the heck out of there and do nothing when the inevitable civil wars, famine, disease, etc. take hold

    Clean slate, Africa lives or dies on it's own. Zimbabwe is where this needs to start.
  23. Child of the North in Canada from Canada writes: Agree to a large extent with Tony from Waterloo. There is one problem with applying tough love to Africa. There are presently citizens from wartorn parts of African massing in northern Africa along the coast willing to sacrifice their lives to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. It is a huge problem for Italy. Supposedly many are trying to make their way to England. How can Europe handle this flood of humanity?
  24. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: Some of these postings are racialist. Those whites pining for the glory days of Rhodesia need to remember that things weren't so glorious. It's amazing the gall of those damned British who carry their bigotry with them wherever they go, be it Northern Ireland, Malvinas or Africa.

    Mugabe has to go and the people need to make that happen. Those of you who think Black people need to turn over their lands to white people are mistaken. But if you really feel so strongly about it, why not abdicate your own lands?

    Yeah, that's what I thought.
  25. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: The Middle Finger , did natives build Canada ? The Africans were the labour and paid for it the whites were the skilled formen ..

    Black Africans kept black slaves .. What are child soldiers other then the black slaves of today ..
  26. Bill Foonman from Jacksonville, United States writes: 'Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: Some of these postings are racialist.'

    With respect, you don't know what you are talkikng about. Had you any firsthand experience of the inter-tribal strife between Zimbabwe's Shona and Matabele, you would find that the same ethnic savagery that tears other African countries apart is the same reason why Zimbabwe can't be expected to solve its own problems.

  27. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: You should not point the finger and make such assertions when your own bias is clear. Ethnic strife exists in Europe also so don't bore me with the argument that Black Africans cannot overcome their ethnic differences.

    'Ethnic Savagery' tore apart Yugoslavia. Ethnic groups are fighting in Kenya and elsewhere. Including Los Angeles.

    Don't lecture me, buddy. Go back to recounting your hanging chads.
  28. Will Farnaby from writes: While the pernicious effects of certain Gangster Governments cannot be neutralized because said governments are far too superpower-ful to be excised, surely an international effort could crush the tiny, yet disproportionately destructive, collection of thugs - led by the psychopath Mugabe - ruining the lives of the unfortunate citizens of Zimbabwe.

    Perhaps this much-needed intervention could also atone, in some small measure, for the long shameful history of the various colonial powers in Africa.
  29. Old Edmonton Man from Edmonton, Canada writes: Let us read about what the colonists done to the blacks in the article. If you want to blame anyone? It is the white imperialists. What is happening in Zimbabwe is just one master replacing another. Another point, democracy does not work well everywhere, look at Zimbabwe, and in many ways, the US. The US economy is going downhill faster than a snowboard. The Yanks can only make a change every four years, is it four too many?
  30. jomo wanjala from Canada writes: Whites do not understand Zimbabwe, that is the problem. We need to accept 10 million immigrants from this great coutnry to Canada. Their problems would be solved, and our economic problems would be solved and racism destroyed.
  31. robert quinn from Japan writes: Jomo. Pass the bowl, okay?
  32. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: What Robert Mugabe has done to Zimbabwe is a crime and the reason why the White Rhodesian's fought a long war in the 70's so he would not come to power in the new Zimbabwe .. They lost the war and Mugabe came to power and destroyed Zimbabwe just like they said he would ..

    Robert Mugabe was the freedom fighter the hero in the west but his plans for Zimbabwe were far different to what he told the western world .....
  33. larry hallatt from Canada writes: The West forced a benevolent Ian Smith the white apartheid leader out and replaced him with a Black racist. Quite a successful colonial transition It is much like when we gave part of British occupied Palestine to a Religious apartheid group from Europe because good bigoted Christians did not want more Jews populating Canada, the US, Australia, Argentina, Brazil or Africa. Sixty years of refugees, war and death we have help the world in population control. When the Japanese left Vietnam and Korea we successful divided each nation in two and brought about very successful civil wars. Who says history repeats itself. We are good at what we do.......the next Balkan war should prove that.
  34. Chris E. from vancouver, Canada writes: Carolyn from Glenham, NY

    You spell 'Black people' with a capital 'B', but you spell 'white people' with a lower case 'w'. If you're going to treat every race equally, shouldn't they be written the same way?

    What does this say about your own 'racialism', and are you even aware of it?
  35. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: Re. Chris E. from Vancouver: Every white ethnic group that has emigrated from Europe to the New World has a proper name, be it Irish, German, Ukrainian, or Albanian. Every Black ethnic group whose ancestors arrived in the U.S. prior to the 20th century, has been stripped of their original ethnic identity (be it Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Kikuyu, Luo, etc.) and been supplanted with a catchall: colored, Negro, Black, and now African American. Caucasians even made up new words to describe some of us, such as quadroon, octoroon and mulatto. Not to mention the epithets also used. When I was in college over 25 years ago and questioned my journalism professor about why U.S. publications used the lower case 'b' when referring to Black people I was told that it wasn't due to racism but simply a preference enshrined in the Associated Press stylebook. He said this with a straight face. (Yet Semite, Arab, Gypsy, Indian and every other ethnicity gets the capital letter. ) Are you saying you never noticed this, Chris? I grew up in the States and was aware of this racialist bias before I was 12! So now we call ourselves African American and dare editors to snub us again. It does not make me biased against whites. They have the names of their original countries, not to mention their new ones: Americans, Australians, Boers or South Africans. Later arriving immigrant groups such as Jamaicans, Haitians, Somalis and Angolans have not been burdened with the A.P. stylebook defense. I never asked for any labels, but I've had a few imposed on me. We've been forced to combat the racism directed at us. Chances are this hasn't happened to you, Chris E.
  36. James Meatball from Toronto, Canada writes: I lived in Zimbabwe from 1995 through 2000, and witnessed the beginnings of that miserable country's slide into penury, when 'Comrade Bob' started printing money to buy the support of the so-called 'war veterans' and enrich his cronies.
    Ian Smith was right, but I'm sure he did not take much satisfaction in saying 'I told you so.'
  37. James Meatball from Toronto, Canada writes: PS - I don't like to pick a hole in Michael Valpy's generally balanced and accurate report, but the name of Zimbabwe's financial newspaper -- the pink 'un -- is 'The Financial Gazette', not 'The Financial Times'. Its website is http://www.fingaz.co.zw/
  38. Oakville Curmudgeon from Canada writes: Zimbabwe is a failure, Kenya is in chaos, South Africa is sliding into disarray. What country in Africa is successful? What country sets a standard for others on that continent?
  39. Mary Smith from United States writes:

    Yeah, I grew up in the States and became aware of the racialist bias when I was 12 too, when my family was forced out of our integrated neighborhood when large numbers of Blacks moved in and threw bricks through our windows and made it unsafe to live. A once beautiful and healthy neighborhood was destroyed and now, 37 yrs. later, is only beginning to make a turn-around.
  40. Heidi Weber from Canada writes: Ghetto Dude's example of Sweden is interesting. It is a small country with one of the highest possible standards of living in the modern world. Swedish companies have invented a wide variety of high tech, state-of-the-art, made-in-Sweden products that are well known and used around the world.

    How does Zimbabwe compare with that again?........like that old joke - what is the shortest book in the world? - the list of things invented in Zimbabwe.
  41. Sean L. from Toronto, Canada writes: 'It's a shock, entering David Miller's decaying, crumbling capital. The former urban gem of Ontario, once prissy in its orderly efficiency, now sinking into a rank detritus of uncollected garbage, potholes, broken traffic lights, collapsing public services, paint-flaked, gloomy, empty stores and abandoned factories.'
  42. Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes:
    Rhodesia had theoretical flaws but the people were not starving until the West brought it down.
  43. Chris E. from vancouver, Canada writes: Carolyn from Glenham NY, Whites never really had a history of tribal names.

    The tribalism of Africa involves complex clan structure and clan/tribe identity which is very important in marriage and inheritance of people like the maasai, for example.

    Whites intermarried among themselves quite freely and identified mainly by territory. 'Normandy' gets its name from the Vikings who settled it and were assimilated into what became France. The Basques are about as close to a tribe as you get in Europe, but they are a rare exception.

    The White race (I'm going to follow your lead and use capitalization from now on) began from a small number of people who migrated away from the nucleus of mankind, 40 - 50 thousand years ago. At the genetic level, all people of the White race are related. We're an extended family. In this shrinking world, where races are coming into contact more often, solidarity among the White extended family is becoming a matter of adaptation to change.
  44. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: A lot of posters are attacking Meng W. from Toronto, Canada: I would like to have been able to read what he posted but it looks like someone complained about his post and it got pulled. People, if you don't like what someone has to say either ignore it or respond to it but don't report it to the G&M for removal. Meng may be an idiot but it is his right to express just how much of an idiot he is. By removing his post you are trampling on one of the most basic rights of western society, freedom of speech. Besides, I would have like to have read what he said so I can formulate my own reply to him.
  45. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: Ghetto Dude, I had to read your first post twice because initially it sounded like an anti-democratic rant.

    I do agree with the spirit of what you are saying but not all of the details. I agree that we need to push for higher levels of education for all people. In the 21st century there is no reason why anyone should not be able to at least read, write and perform basic math. That is not to say that everyone must have a university degree or be a rocket scientist but at least have enough of an education that they have functional skills and an understanding of how their government affects them and their economy. I also agree that religion should play no role in the matters of state. Religion is a personal thing that should remain in the home and the place of worship (church, temple, synagogue, mosque, etc). In general, to have a healthy economy a country needs a healthy and educated population. Anything other social program beyond education and health care are little more than fluff programs that pander to special interest groups. With educated and healthy people a democracy in a free market economy will function efficiently.

    However, I do not agree with your assertion democracy is bad nor do I believe that we need less patriotism. If anything we need more patriotism. Lack of education is what is keeping Mugabe in power, not a misdirected sense of patriotism. If the people of Zimbabwe were better educated they would see through Magube's rhetoric and realize just how bad his leadership really is for them and their country. Democracy is the one form of government that actually gives some power to the people. In Canada, the government gets a performance evaluation every 4 years. If they fail, the are replaced. That is the power that democracy gives to the people.
  46. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: Mary Smith from United States writes: 'Yeah, I grew up in the States and became aware of the racialist bias when I was 12 too, when my family was forced out of our integrated neighborhood when large numbers of Blacks moved in and threw bricks through our windows and made it unsafe to live.'

    Mary: Try coming to Canada. The multi-culturalism experiment here is a dismal failure. It is my observation that racial and cultural integration only works where the peoples are well educated. In areas where education levels are lower, this integrations tends to fail. I am not a social scientist so I don't know exactly why but my opinion (based on my personal observation) is that the educated people know enough to realize that living cohesively with their neighbours benefits everyone. Those with lower education levels tend to band together is small identifiable groups who develop an 'us against them' attitude; basically tribal.
  47. Nassar Ben Houdja from Canada writes: Regrettably there are people are so intollerant that they resort to whatever means to suppress other viewpoints. If some comments are considered innapropriate, demsonsrate superior intelligence and refute the errors. Silencing a person does not convert them. It is unfortunate that comments get removed, tends to make the conversation one sided. Not to surprising, nanny never does listen to anyone else.
  48. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: Sean L. from Toronto, Canada writes: 'It's a shock, entering David Miller's decaying, crumbling capital. The former urban gem of Ontario, once prissy in its orderly efficiency, now sinking into a rank detritus of uncollected garbage, potholes, broken traffic lights, collapsing public services, paint-flaked, gloomy, empty stores and abandoned factories.'

    Sean: If you guys in Toronto stopped voting Liberal and NDP you situation might improve. A conservative presence in Toronto would boost business investment, thus boosting jobs, thus boosting incomes, thus boosting overall standard of living. Talk to your neighbours about this.
  49. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes: 'Rhodesia had theoretical flaws but the people were not starving until the West brought it down.'

    Actually, when the country was run with western values no one was starving and everyone had access to medical care. I would say that you give the credit to the wrong party. Robert Magube did this all on his own.
  50. GlynnMhor of Skywall from Canada writes: The choices... writes:' By removing [Meng's] post you are trampling on one of the most basic rights of western society, freedom of speech.'

    Meng can exercise his freedom of speech in his own forum. This forum is provided and paid for by the Globe and Mail, and thus they get to decide what they want included.
  51. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada, thanks for your detailed analysis.
    What I am saying can be summarised as follows: What is good in one instance is not necessarily good in another. To the contrary, it may be harmful depending on the instance. Do you expect a correctly directed nationalism or a peacefully practised religion in locations where people starve and are unable to read? I know democracy works in Canada: the average level of education is grade 11 over there. And please see that that same democracy you westerners are not tired of worshipping, is about to take Turkey (where the average level of education is grade 4) deep into a sharia regime, after which the country always sinks. It is the same democracy that pelts women in Iran, Taliban did not emerge out of the blue sky in Afghanistan (remove that educated puppet, conduct a really democratic election there, and see the Taliban win again today) Chavez keeps on being elected, Castro kept Cuba where it was in 50s and still gets the votes, the WW2 was not caused by one single maniac: he was an elected leader with his nation's support. These regimes you call anti-democratic are NOT anti-democratic at all, all are really elected leaders.
    In today's third-world democracies, only religions and flags win. Eventually you either get bombed by some Bush or are left alone starving as you spend all of your time on 'sacred' issues. Can you imagine yourself pelting someone? Those people who do so, are not forced to perform the execution: they voluntarily rush there and that is exactly democracy. You seem to have forgotten crowded witch burning scenes in Europe to which attendance was not obligatory. Even this intellectual paper is infested with 'hang em high' sort of comments whenever an article about a crime is published.
    As I say, if civilisation is not a philosophy to be enjoyed in a cave but is all about prospering, voting alone is not only useless, but is harmful as well.
  52. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham, NY USA, United States writes: Re. Chris E. from Vancouver: You're still not getting it. The AP Stylebook gives 'black' and 'white' lower case status. Don't blame me, complain to the Associated Press. Masai denotes a tribe, a people, and is therefore capitalized. When you choose not to capitalize their name, you are in the wrong. That is grammar, pure and simple. It is not optional.

    Re. 'Mary Smith': The Black community did not attack your home, hooligans did. My neighborhood in NYC underwent a demographic shift too, but we did not move. We adapted. Those conditions that caused your family to move have also caused many others to do the same thing. But realtors decided who could live where, and my family was stuck. Guess what? I stayed in school, graduated, and moved on to greener pastures. I worked and fought every step of the way to improve my lot. Our country allows such social progress.
  53. Chris E. from vancouver, Canada writes: Carolyn from NY, I usually write 'black race' and 'white race' in lower case, and will wait to see if the style changes. But I notice you continue to write 'Black' in caps. This is a choice of yours, to make a statement about the exclusivity and distinctiveness of the black race. I hope you give equal respect to the white race.

    You are correct, Maasai is a name and should be capitalized.
  54. crime of the century from This is not America, Canada writes: So many problems in the world, but dont worry, western democracy will eventually take over and save the world... Just got to produce enough cruise missiles first to cover all the bases.
  55. Bob Macdonald from Liverpool, United Kingdom writes: You see elements of this rot in Canada's decaying urban and semi-urban areas as well. It is always a mistake to run down the institutions, values and habits of those who created the infrastructure and prosperity we know and enjoy. Once the rot sets in, you start going the Zimbabwe route. Look at the US and how its once-great prosperity is being hollowed out by its increasingly 'diverse' and messed up polyglot cities.
  56. charlie bistro from Toronto, Canada writes: Why are the (W)hites in the article all assumed to be 'Racist', while the (B)lacks in Mary Smith's story just a few 'Hooligans'? isnt that a double standard?
  57. R L from Canada writes: The former Rhodesia was a free market developing society. It had its faults but it was progressing but not quite fast enough for the left-wing intellectual push-button-change crowd. Societies evolve they do not change instantaneously according to the whims of the Central Committee. Mugabe brought socialism and along with tribal emnities the result was as predicted by many. Just about all of the African dictators received their education and their marxist immersion in the Soviet Union and proceeded to devastate their developing economies. South Africa is most likely next, socialism does not bring prosperity for any but the governing elite. The problem is not democracy but rather central planning and control of the economy. Look around the world at most Muslim countries and socialist countries and you see lack of human rights, rule of law, and poverty.
  58. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: Charlie B.: You are arguing against your own assumptions, not against anything I said.
  59. Carl Men from Waterloo, Canada writes: Thank You America!
  60. GlynnMhor of Skywall from Canada writes: Carl Men from Waterloo, Canada writes: 'Thank You America!'

    ????

    If the US ever does something about Mugabe, then you can thank them.
  61. Chris Lalonde from Singapore writes: Carl Men from Waterloo, Canada writes 'Thank You America!'. It's amazing that people like you ALWAYS blame the U.S. whenever anything bad happens. Mugabe scored alot of political points being anti-American (just like Chavez in Venezuela). In fact, he got a standing ovation once in the U.N. for making an anti-U.S. speech. Mugabe and his cronies are the main culprits behind this humanitarian disaster NOT the U.S.
  62. Sean Morriss from Vancouver, Canada writes: Most people know of the problem of Ireland where all the problems for over a hundred years was Catholic versus Protestant with all the irrationality that went with it. If one looks at Black Africa in that context, there are literally thousands of Tribes in Africa, each is us { Protestant for example } versus them { Catholic for example }. This underlying current is present everywhere, and to be blind to it's ramifications paints a false picture. I was an Airline pilot in the ex Belgian Congo when Mobutu took power and for several years after. A male secretary looked down from great heights upon his boss who was not from his own tribe { and much worse ramifications! } I was in Bullawayo, Rhodesia, when Ian Smith {the Prime Minister of Rhodesia } left for London the first time { I was in the process of purchasing a Gold mine there }. Understand that Nkomo was the by far more successful leader in toppling U.D.I from Mozambique than Mugabe was from Zambia. After independance the first thing Mugabe did was to annihalate by every means possible, Nkomo's minority tribe. This same thing has just happened in the past month in Kenya. Tribe versus Tribe. { i.e.Catholic versus Protestant }. It is an underlying current everywhere, but especially prevalent in that part of the world. I am a born Canadian who took with me to many parts of the world our tolerant attitude to many things, but I am somewhat beside myself how this reality is swept under the rug, so to speak. Had Michael Valpy written this piece from a non- Mugabe tribal area, he would have written from a very different perspective. Only 50 years more to go to get the reallity of Ireland to have things become a reallity in Zimbabwe. Foreign ir-rationallity on local situations with soap boxes and white wash donot a reallity make.
  63. Christopher Kiely from Canada writes: The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: A lot of posters are attacking Meng W. from Toronto, Canada: I would like to have been able to read what he posted but it looks like someone complained about his post... By removing his post you are trampling on one of the most basic rights of western society, freedom of speech.

    Freedom of speech is a myth. Only the naive run around claiming 'freedom of speech'.
  64. No Left or Right Just Neutral from Canada writes: Christopher Kiely from Canada writes: The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: A lot of posters are attacking Meng W. from Toronto, Canada: I would like to have been able to read what he posted but it looks like someone complained about his post... By removing his post you are trampling on one of the most basic rights of western society, freedom of speech.

    Freedom of speech is a myth. Only the naive run around claiming 'freedom of speech'.
    ***

    Christopher, we have 'selective' freedom of speech to create an illusion!
  65. No Left or Right Just Neutral from Canada writes: The Middle Finger ..I.. from Canada writes: To No Left or Right Just Neutral from Canada who wrote: This country is full of Natural resources. Mugabe is a Western goon! The resources are being looted with very cheap labour.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Where are the resources being consumed? Where does the value paid for the resources wind up?

    **
    Why don't you look at the multi national companies involved in this country?
  66. Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: So glad to see that the oppressed people of Zimbabwe got rid of their white oppressors and are now free to pursue their own destiny. Funny thing though, Rhodesia used to be known as the bread basket of southern Africa, now it's just another basket case. Oh well, silly me, VOTE FOR COMRADE MUGABE!!!
  67. Mike Sumners from Toronto, Canada writes: Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States, please quit whining and playing the victim, you're getting tiresome.
  68. Nick B. from Oshawa, Canada writes: What a terrible tragedy, watching Rhodesia, which for its faults was a prosperous country which endured sanctions, but exported food and made sure everyone had enough to eat, being handed over to a bumbling tyrant who cannot even fathom what a tailspin he's put his country into - one from which it will probably never recover, yet has the arrogance to blame outside interference and blow $250,000 on his birthday party, uses elections a comedic prop for his regime, and just doesn't understand how bad things really are for his people. And now, sadly, it looks like South Africa may wind up in the same plight when those who built its wealth hand over the reins and emigrate to greener pastures. Wait until these scenes spread to Johannesburg or Pretoria or Cape Town, and they'll sit there still wondering what went wrong...
  69. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: It's sad really, to look at a country that not 10 years ago had so much hope and potential turned into a quagmire of corruption. To have a country to that was the shining example of Africa become a 'how not to industrialize' case. And it makes you wonder, here in Canada our government is basically on autopilot, you can vote NDP, Liberal, Green, Conservative, or what have you, but there is very little that any of these parties can do that would radically change the course of Canada. And that's normally a good thing, because we are, for the most part, going down the right path. But in these developing countries all it takes is one bad leader, to not only do serious harm to a country, but totally destroy it. The United States can survive 8 years with a bad president, but a lot of countries can't.

    I find it funny how some are blaming the 'whites' or 'democracy' for the problems of this country. How can you blame a white person that was evicted from his land? Perhaps the system of landownership was unjust before, but these white farmers whether we like it or not kep this country running.

    As for Democracy, you can hardly fault democracy in a land where democracy doesn't exist. Where the ballots are controlled by the military that are loyal more to the current leader then to the nation. You can consider this country a democracy when language ceases to have any meaning.

    The problems of this poor African country can be summed up with two words: Abysmal Leadership.
  70. Broken Record from Victoria, B.C., Canada writes: The choices we make... says 'Sean: If you guys in Toronto stopped voting Liberal and NDP you situation might improve. A conservative presence in Toronto would boost business investment, thus boosting jobs, thus boosting incomes, thus boosting overall standard of living. Talk to your neighbours about this.'

    But Toronto did have a 'conservative presence' in the form of the Mike Harris regime and look where it got them.
  71. Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: Where the ballots are controlled by the military that are loyal more to the current leader then to the nation. You can consider this country a democracy when language ceases to have any meaning.
    And I say to you that, calling the successful outcomes democracy and failures anti-democratic, is exactly how the language ceases to mean the same for everyone. Do you think all nations are full of clever people but some are forced to vote in the wrong direction by evil military forces, and this is the very reason why some are developed whereas the others are underdeveloped? Face the reality: all the countries conduct elections, but not all elections render wonderful results. Remove the arms that protect that Karzai guy in Afghanistan, and see how horrible will be the real democratically-elected winner there which you would then call 'anti-democratic'. When a person does not feel like even pushing some Goddamn seed into the soil to feed him/herself, there is no leadership that will convert him/her into a productive individual. Self-feeding was successfully achieved by the human species (ironically in Africa first) even during the stone ages when there were no international aid organisations or some 'democracy' bullshit around. Are you saying if the ballots were not controlled by the military, Zimbabwe would become Sweden? Democracy is inedible sir. One should learn performing vital operations first instead of learning to place an envelop into a box task.
  72. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: I would quote Winston Churchill here as I think he said it best:

    'Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time'

    And I think he was right, Democracy has a whole bucket load of problems, which manifest themselves in several ways. For example during the last federal election a lot of my coworkers said that they voted Liberal simply because they thought Harper was a racist. Clearly that demonstrates the stupidity of somepeople that go out and vote.

    But Democracy is still better then any other political system that has currently been thought of. It performed much better then Communism, it beat out Feudalism, it brought more smiles on people faces then Fascism, etc. etc.
  73. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: Mike Sumners of Toronto: I had already put it to rest before you dredged my name back up.

    I don't whine or play the victim.

    And you can keep your bloody Cabbagetown.
  74. GlynnMhor of Skywall from Canada writes: Christopher Kiely from Canada writes:'Freedom of speech is a myth.'

    Not only do we have freedom of speech in Canada, we even have freedom AFTER the speech, unlike in Zimbabwe.
  75. liz fox from nanaimo, Canada writes: so, if its not the sanctions what is it?
    The white population was very small, I cant believe they they were totally responsible for ALL the agricultrure of Zimbabwe. Surely this is a agricultural nation. I just dont by it that the native people can't farm.
    If only weopons are on the sanctions list why cant they get AIDS drugs , food aid etc ?
    Im willing to believe Mugabe is not the most savoury of characters but is he the African Chavez? What is his position on following the orders of Washington re financial restructuring/'freetrade'etc etc. maybe that will give us another perspective on why Zimbabwe is in such a mess.
  76. GlynnMhor of Skywall from Canada writes: liz fox from nanaimo, Canada writes:'The white population was very small, I cant believe they they were totally responsible for ALL the agriculture of Zimbabwe. Surely this is a agricultural nation. I just don't buy it that the native people can't farm.'

    The 'native' farming methods are subsistence based, and not geared to economically efficient commercial farming. By breaking up the successful farms and giving their lands away to small holders at best (at worst it's just to his rich cronies who do nothing with the land) Mugabe has reduced farming effectiveness by at least a factor of ten.

    Worse, instead of a white farmer and family employing twenty or so black workers and their families, and producing a surplus on top of feeding everyone, we now have twenty starving subsistence farmers.
  77. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: @ Liz

    The Sanctions are only for Weapons.

    The White population was small, but managed and owned the majority of the farm land. When they were evicted they were replaced by people who had no clue how to run or manage a farm.

    There are a lot of countries that have ignored the IMF and World Bank guideline for development. The IMF and World Bank doesn't punish those countries, it just doesn't give them the assistance that a country following their guidelines would get.

    I understand the despeation to try to take the blame for everything, but the US and Western involvment into this country has been minimal at best. They are not to blame.

    Mugabe on the other hand took a country destined for greatness and destroyed it.
  78. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: liz fox , Robert Mugabe is a Black African leader and that is what they do destroy countries ....
  79. Guy Olivier from Columbus, Ohio, United States writes: Maybe if the whites, when it was a great place to live according to some posts, would have shared in the wealth with the black population, Mugabe would not have gained control as he has.

    One extreme fell to another more radical extreme.
  80. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: I hate to say it Guy Oliver, but I think the first so called 'extreme' was better then this one. Better for everyone that is.
  81. Guy Olivier from Columbus, Ohio, United States writes: Better for the whites definately. I think if it was great for the blacks, like I said before Mugabe would not be there now.
  82. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: In the then Rhodesia it was 200,000 white's running a country of 6,000,000 black african's no matter how good the country was and it was good the black majority wanted the power .. The leader of Rhodesia Ian Smith did'nt trust black rule and hense the power struggle and war with the Communist Robert Mugabe who did come to power through an election as part of a peace agreement in 1980. Ian Smith was sadly proved right and the new country of Zimbabwe destroyed by black African rule like most of Africa ..
  83. Guy Olivier from Columbus, Ohio, United States writes: Keep singing that song Fred Smith...
  84. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: Guy Olivier, explain how the blacks have it better now?

    I'm in no way trying to be racist, but I think we as humans would prefer to live in a country where we can eat, where we can feed our families, where we are healthy. No where we own a small piece of useless land and our family is struggling to survive.

    I mean the article clearly stated that since Mugabe's 'reforms' Blacks as well as Whites have left the country in mass numbers.

    I mean as horrible as it sounds people before Mugabe had jobs, food, money, cars, homes, etc etc.

    Now they have nothing.

    How is this better?
  85. Albin Forone from Toronto, Canada writes: Sad as it is, Zimbabwe's hell may operate as the salvation of South Africa, which is being tempted into populist/racist demagogy by its own liberation heroes, and might now see the end of that road.
  86. Fred Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: Guy Olivier , Live in Africa for a year and we can sing that song together ...
  87. B.C. Expat from Ottawa, NCR, Canada writes: Ghetto Dude -- while you make some good points, it's important not to confuse bare-bones elections with democracy. A proper, functional democracy includes legally ingrained human rights and freedoms (usually by way of a constitution), a civil society, and checks and balances to maintain good governance and accountability.

    Education is always a good thing, no question, but to say that democracy -- with all the above -- is bad for anyone doesn't seem right. Elections and nothing else, which invites fanatical rulers, is bad, agreed.
  88. Gabriel Stefan from Toronto, Canada writes: excellent point!
  89. Just Help from Toronto, Canada writes: To those asking where the resources are going. Why don't you ask Bobs' bankers and major supporters - China

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