Read this post from Eddie Cross, who maintains a blog called Zimpundit, detailing the last week or so of political and economic turmoil in Zimbabwe.
I’m often asked, “What’s going to happen next in Zimbabwe? Are things going to get better?” To which I often say, “No, not really: they’re probably going to get worse”. This surprises some people, because they figure it’s already as bad as it can be. What I think they don’t realize is that Zimbabwe is falling from a relatively high point. The Zimbabwean economy in 1988 was actually relatively strong, with a lot of capacity and potential. There’s a lot of things to wreck and destroy, and even a party with the prodigious ability to demolish their own society is going to take a while to thoroughly mess up everything they can put their hands on.
If you read Cross’ entry, you’ll see just how breathtaking the destruction is, however, and how lethal a cocktail of incompetence, malice, and authoritarian sadism is involved. It will not improve magically on the death of Robert Mugabe, assuming that ever actually happens. There are too many other hands with blood on them, too many other petty tyrants. And it’s gone too far at this point for some ZANU-PF member with a secret desire for reform in his heart to emerge smoothly during a transition and pull the country back from the brink. Too much has already been ruined that either cannot be fixed, or can only be repaired through a generation’s labor. It may be that someone with more foresight can come forward in the ruling party someday, or that through some miracle, the now-divided opposition can get its act together and displace ZANU-PF. But whenever it is that the current crop of authorities gets chased from power, any reform-mided leadership is going to have to start from scratch.
“Too much has already been ruined that either cannot be fixed, or can only be repaired through a generation’s labor.”
Can’t help but thinking of the USofA when I read that. While USA2000 is a very different starting point from Zimbabwe1988 it seems to me that Bush-Cheney is on a rampage of comparable relative magnitude. And think of what their Iraq adventuring has done for the Middle East.
“Can’t help but thinking of the USofA when I read that. While USA2000 is a very different starting point from Zimbabwe1988 it seems to me that Bush-Cheney is on a rampage of comparable relative magnitude. And think of what their Iraq adventuring has done for the Middle East. ”
Are you joking? The USA is richer now than it was when Bush entered office…just as it was richer when Clinton entered office than when he left…and so for every President since Hoover.
If you really think that (rather than your comment was intended as a troll) then you’ve just demonstrated what’s the matter with Kansas…the alternative to the GOP is a set of hysterical, overwrought comparisons which does not resemble reality.