Tag Archives: zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Has No Oil

My good friend and longtime reader Jack wrote to me earlier in the day saying hello and asking if I’d address the forgotten issue of Zimbabwe. And he’s not the first to have done that, BadHAreDay in Lisbon has often asked me to talk more about the country-turned-tragedy.

Now I haven’t taken my eye off the sadness, mind you, Im still a devoted reader of “This Is Zimbabwe”. But it is true I haven’t produced anything on the subject in quite some time.

The numbers have grown worse in the last few years; one figure reads that 80% of the population now live in poverty. In what sounds like a story from 300 years ago, numerous people in the capitol have died of cholera! Life expectancy has dropped to 34. The list of horrors goes on and on… read more over TIZ’s retrospective of 2006.

And yet, Iraq gets billions upon billions of dollars for their so-called democracy thing. Somalia gets invaded by Ethiopia in the blink of an eye. Brazilian UN troops still occupy chunks of Haiti. And Palestine gets all its money frozen for electing a new government. Meanwhile in Zimbabwe.. nothing. Time keeps passing, people keep dying and suffering, and the world closes its eyes.

Which actually brings up a bigger question; above I seem to suggest that the international community should act. But I actually am not completely sure about that. Instead I wanted to point out the situations where the world gets involved either financially, politically, or militarily, while one of the most tragic crimes continues to go on in Zimbabwe. Somehow it doesn’t qualify. Maybe it lacks some alleged AlQaeda links or a profitable fossil fuel for exploration.

In fact, what I would rather have seen.. or see in the present.. is an internal change. Revolution from within for the country. I say that because I think it would be more sustainable and legitimate, rather than installed by an outside force. But still, if the population is starved, imprisoned and murdered… it may just require some type of intervention. And nevermind how I like or dislike intervention, with all the actions they’ve taken for different reasons, in different corners of the world. Surely Zimbabwe qualifies for immediate attention… and action.

Or maybe not… just go back to talking about dead models.

Zimbabwe Gets Me

Awhile back, my good friend BadHareDay in Lisbon, mentioned that he would like to see me talk more about what is going on in Zimbabwe and all the terrible things going on there over the past years. Although I’ve occasionally followed his wishes, and written about what’s going on there, the fact is I don’t often say the word Zimbabwe on the blog.

Which makes me wonder: why is that? I ask myself this as I sit down to write tonight, exhausted after two days of frisbee playing and nagging leg cramps. The only answers I can think of are possibilities; possible explanation for my choice not to make frequent references to the country and events unfolding there. You may not like all of them, but here they are:

To be completely honest, and obviously risking great condemnation now from readers, I actually thought the policy of redistributing land had a valid arguement behind it. (INITIALLY!) Obviously now I do not feel that way and the results have certainly been disastrous, sad, and a crime against humanity. But at that time, I looked at the situation in the country and on a very basic level I thought: why are all the big farms owned by white people? It struck me as odd and a sad fact. So I heard the idea of redistributing land and I thought — maybe this is what has to happen to finally stop the great income gap between black and white Zimbabweans.

Looking back, of course, we all know it didn’t take long for that idea to become a clearly destructive idea. As the country would lose its ability to feed itself, people would go hungry, and the government would continue on its path of iron fisted human rights violations and crack downs of all kinds. Perhaps this new reality was simply so sad and permanent feeling, that I had nothing new to add to what was already being said in the media.

So today I read somewhere on BBCnews that the government was taking steps to let white farmers acquire farms again. As the confiscated farms had been so mismanaged and unproductive since the evictions began. I think they called it an about-face of policy, presumably due to the lack of food and terrible shape the economy is in.

This has all been going on for years now, and I still struggle to understand Zimbabwe fully. I’ve read the history, watched events unfold, and even now I find it very confusing and moreover, frustrating. I guess a better place to read about all this is on “This is Zimbabwe” and not here. I somehow feel insufficiently informed or experienced to make sense of it all here on the blog.

Clearly a podcast topic for the near future.

Its true, I admire Chavez

I don’t like bullies. I don’t care for military things. I don’t even dig people who are full of themselves and constantly making things “about them.” But as ye dear readers probably know, I’m an admirer of Hugo Chavez. I don’t love everything he does, I don’t even trust him 100%, but still, he is the champion underdog on the international scene.

I’ll explain further. Over the past decades, plenty of Latin American presidents have come and gone, and during their tenure they’ve licked the boots of the United States governments, bending over and filling their pockets with the money of multinational corporations, while the masses have remained poor and in many cases, gotten poorer. Upon further reflection, it’s probably hard to go against the whims of the United States and those companies, if you piss them off you risk loosing their investment, their assistance… you lose that lifeline… it’s a big risk.

But in 1998, Hugo Chavez came along, in his red beret and military uniforms, and he swept into office. And since that day, the wealthy of Venezuela, the multinationals, and yes… a large segment of the middle class in Venezuela, have hated him. And I mean hate. HATE HATe. I’ve spoken to some who would take up arms against him, and well – some did a few years ago. They don’t like how he’s friendly to the hated leaders of the world, like Castro. Myself, I wish he wasn’t such a strong supporter of Zimbabwe’s president, but like I said, it’s not that I love all his decisions – but I love the spirit of defiance. And defy he continues to do.

So now there are elections, and as much as some powerful people would like to see the upper class take to the polls and vote him out. It hasn’t happened. Not to mention the fact that they boycotted the vote to begin with, with doesn’t help when you want to get elected. And they cry corruption, which hey – could be possible. But you know, with all those international observers saying the vote is legit, it becomes harder and harder to accuse the big guy of rigging the election.

Anyway I’m glad we’ve got a Chavez in this world. Later on, he might do some questionable stuff. I also fear he won’t step down once his term is up. But then again, that kind of stuff happens indirectly in most democracies anyway (you know, somehow staying in power forever). And I have to say, the Venezuelan governments initiatives to help poor communities of the united states by offering cheap heating oil is impressive. I’ve heard the reports that in the Bronx it’s already happening… if you work for the government of Newark or Detroit, or whatever city full of struggling people, call Citgo and get your community involved in this deal, it’s something the world could use a little more of — compassion.

Reconsidering Syria, but Beware the Warmongers

Earlier this week I voiced doubt that the Syrian president was the underhanded tyrant the American government claims him to be. I believed, as I still suspect, that the military/government machine that he was born into functioned largely without his consent/knowledge. So now a UN investigation has come out with information that links both the Syrian and Lebanese governments in the assasination of the late Lebanese PM. Although Im still reading through the results, I have to admit this changes my opinion of the quality of character of the Syrian president. But actually there’s something more that worries me in all this.

They want to ride this report all the way to war. The hawks.. the war-profiteers, the neo-conservative crusaders, they’ve been waiting for a good excuse and they’re trying to make this the rally point. I can see it already in all the reports in all the government statements, they’re claiming that “something must be done.” Not that they do anything to intervene in Zimbabwe, Sudan, or Russia.. when those governments actively silence or kill opposition leaders.

It sounds perposterous. A government that is up to its neck in debt. Which lacks the military resources or public support, will invade yet another country in the name of “democracy” or “freedom” or whatever catch phrase they decide to go with this time. But it’s happening.. the wheels are turning.. and they’re going to push for it. And that, my friends, is bullshit.

The Story of NOLA

As the evening became morning here in the Netherlands, I spoke with my dear Ms Thingk last night. One of my most favorite people in the world, who around this time last year, I met here at the fishtank, where I work. Now dwelling in the people’s republic of brooklyn, Ms. T asked me about A-Ren… said she hadn’t seen any photos of him lately. And that got me thinking…

Years from now.. say 10… my wonderful nephew will sit with me and ask about what happenned in New Orleans, and the entire gulf coast, at the end of Summer 2005. It will be one of those “where were you when” questions, like people do for JFK and 9/11. And I’ll sadly tell him all about it; the reports, the neglect, the suffering… you know the drill.

But what about that world where my nephew will live. That era.. the 2030’s when he’s closer to my age now… will the major media be just as irresponsible as it is today? Will the public still have no stomach for the horryfing state of the world? Will he switch away from the news when he see’s the suffering still going on in Zimbabwe or downtown Detroit?

I say he won’t. But I can’t say the same for the world around him. The way this disfunctional society works is a long and established system. It repeats itself over and over. Tragedy-Recovery-Resolve-Repeat… slight variations on the same theme. In some cases we’ve seen signs of potential. But as a student (in the school of life) of history.. its hard to not be a cynic. I’ll have to find some way to give my nephew hope, for him to help create a better world in his way. Sort of like his lazy uncle does.

Rise Up Zimbabwe

(a none rhyming poem)

Zimbabwe re-elected the president – again.

mr. president says he wants to stay in power til he’s a hundred.

powerful countries say they will fight tyranny around the world.

zimbabwe doesn’t have any oil or strategic location in southern africa.

hypocrisy? irony? stupidity? Inconsistency?

people are hungry. newspapers are closed. voices are murdered, arrested, silenced.

it’s time for an uprising, and not the kind with the guns or the invasions.

it’s time for scared people to get brave, and march into the presidential palace.

tear down the fences, open the gates, expose the emperor and the clothes he isn’t wearing.

do it now, do it without made in europe/us/russia guns. do it with made in zimbabwe strength.

that type of power and spirit cannot be imported, nor can it be quelled for long.

remember steve biko? remember patrice lumumba? remember ken sarowiwa? heros. then and now.

that’s my wish, as an outsider and cultural admirer, for you.

Today’s Sounds: Yeast Radio – Madge in Miami

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