This Drives Me Insane

[skank-la]

Zimbabwe-Mugabe. The world sits on its hands whilst this asshole still controls this place

I do love the LA Times. They are one of the few papers left w/actual correspondents onsite rather than newswire stories onyl.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 4540.story

[Burbage]

No oil.

[Fat Bob]

what would you want us to do in Zimbo? What about Sudan/Darfur? What about Somalia? What about Burma/Myanmar?

It is maddening, but it's also life. The people need to lead things, not us. The people that tried to lead things previously got told off and then a bloody nose.

[Rosbif71]

blame the neighbouring countries, in particular South Africa. they've been propping up his regime for years.

[Possum]

I read an article recently stating that Mugabe Forbid Food Growing In Backyards. Seems the people are not even allowed to help themselves. Africa has only gone down hill since de-colonization. Domed if you do and domed if you don’t.

[Burbage]

I read an article recently stating that Mugabe Forbid Food Growing In Backyards. Seems the people are not even allowed to help themselves. Africa has only gone down hill since de-colonization. Domed if you do and domed if you don’t.

The biggest problem is that when Africa de-colonised, as you put it, they left the colonial borders in place. Those borders are in completely the wrong places demographically for the native african population.

[Possum]

That is a convenient excuse. Lines on a map have always existed and there has always been movement. History is history and the present is the present. We are not here long and the chief aim for the majority of us is to life a long, happy and healthy life. Boarders are no longer a separation from the barbarians but a line on the map that offers those inside a particular package of rights, restrictions and economic opportunities. It seems that they are all too busy fighting over history instead of improving the future.

[baloo]

They haven't always existed but there were agreed boundries. When you divide a tribe you not only take away what they have always believed to be their land, but in many cases you make them a minority in the new lands. Look at the Kurds for example. There is a pretty clearly marked land that belonged to the Kurds, but the new maps of today have their land split into 3 parts, each a minority in three larger countries.

End result, they are treated as minorities with little rights and they have lost all power to govern themselves.

Oh, and I reckon there is a few tibetans who would gladly debate you on your views.

[Burbage]

It may be convenient, but it is also true. If the lines had been redrawn to tribal boundaries at decolonisation then I think Africa would be a much happier place. Or at least, eac individual small country would have been. Then there would have been proper wars instead of civil wars and the whole place might be sorted out by now. It is not the only problem of course. If you want to list the problems that the continent of Africa and its people face you'll be writing constantly for a week.

By the way, what is doming? I'll try anything once.

[Fat Bob]

But you said the biggest problem was the boundary lines. If you've got to write for a week about all the other problems, are you getting down to nitty gritty or just the absurd?

Humans are humans. In general, there will always be those who want some sort of power over others. That maybe as a manger, as a leader, or as a dictator. That maybe at a local level, workplace level or countrywide level.

that Europe went through this up until quite recently (and hey, in some smaller areas are still going through this) what gives us the right to start pointing fingers at certain African nations?

And sod it, the world needs depopulating anyhow.

Can we talk about the American presidency now?

[Burbage]

Lot of problems. Boundaries the biggest.

Here are a lot of numbers:

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3

Three is the biggest.

Had there been only two problems I would have said that boundaries were the bigger problem.

[Fat Bob]

ah, so theres 16 problems a third of the size of the biggest one, and 8 that are two thirds the size of the biggest problem. Hmmmm....a lot of problems. So why do we bother? To show we're human? Don't humans kills each other? Surely THAT would be showing us we're human!

[Burbage]

Who is this "we" you're talking about?

[Fat Bob]

The Royal "we".

[Burbage]

So you're taking full personal responsibility. Excellent, we can blame you if it's still a shambles in ten years.

That's a weight off my mind.

[Lady Uppercrust]

Saying it's about boundaries Burb, is awfully simplistic, and to be honest I don't think it comes anywhere near the top ten of Africa's problems.

But what do I know. I only lived there for three years.

[Burbage]

Tell Fat Bob, he's in charge.

[Lady Uppercrust]

You can't argue with a sick mind.

[Burbage]

That's a very harsh thing to say about Fat Bob. His mum loves him.

[BFG]

You can't argue with a sick mind.

Of course you can. You argue all the time.

PS - C minus 20 WUs and counting...

[Lady Uppercrust]

You can't argue with a sick mind.

Of course you can. You argue all the time.

You think so huh ?

Well now, if you said " BFG is a knuckle-headed, lame-brained, nincompoop"
I wouldn't argue with that.

[BFG]

Well, you can't really argue with a statement of fact now can you, Poppette?

20 days to go - hooraaaaaaaahhhhh!!!

[Tas]

actually i am quite curious as to what could legitimately be done in Zimabwe by the international community. it is a country that wanted to be independent, wanted to lead themselves, well they got it, now they'll dealing with the despotic leader that got them there (can't get a more perfect example of power corrupts and absolute power corrupting absolutely). so what does an international community do now? i presume anything from the 'western/white' world will be seen as another attempt to colonise (please those who know correct that assumption). any money given simply CANNOT be given to the government, that is just a case of more good cash after bad as it's diverted off to a despots coffers.

so what are the actions that an international community can do? i generally agree with Bob's earlier comments, doesn't it eventually have to come from an overwhelming majority of the populace there?

one thing I seriously don't understand from an international view point is how anyone could remotely treat Mugabe as a legitimate leader after their last election, he should be rejected from every single international engagement he shows up to. surely as a minimum of protest.