Darkness has descended upon southern Africa. These days there is barely a spot of peace in Zimbabwe. How terrible and sad is the descent of that once pristine and prosperous country. It is often spoken of the Breadbasket of Africa that is no more. But Zimbabwe, to all accounts from those who have long since fled to safer shores, was more than productive farmland. It was a lush and peaceful place for years before and after the troublesome revolution of the late 1970's. Yet the wheels have come off and in a very bad way too.
After years of neglect from most of the world, suddenly the UN has woken up, stepped up and made a firm declaration against the utter outrage that prevails in Zimbabwe today. Alas, it is a bit too little, too late, many would argue. Common citizens are being tortured, intimidated, brutalised by thugs and cronies of the ruling party, ZANU-PF.
The despot president himself, Mr Robert Mugabe, has degenerated into a rambling megalomaniac, foaming at the mouth on every opportunity. Heaven forbid - the man has even reached to the divine by proclaiming to all and sundry that only God can remove him from power - what desperate dribble. Right, well perhaps God has given us democracy to remove the likes of him from power and yet Mr Mugabe reckons he'll declare war if the opposition MDC would win the presidential run-off elections on Friday and thereby put him out of power.
At stone-cold stiff long last, the pussyfooting South African president, Mr Mbeki, has begun to make cautious utterances over the dire situation in Zim. Still, it is the current leader of the ruling party, Dr Zuma, who today has expressed a clear denunciation of the farce unfolding in Zimbabwe. Several other African countries have already denounced the current situation in Zim.
Meanwhile, thousands of Zimbabwean refugees stream into South Africa, raising stress levels in a local economy already overstressed. Johannesburg is degenerating faster than ever. It's inner city resembles a Nairobi or a Kinshasa, not the financial capital of South Africa, the richest and most powerful country in Africa. Nervous inhabitants hide themselves at night in gated communities on the outskirts and cautiously commute to work and home on roads fraud with hijacking.
Cry the beloved country, indeed.
24 June 2008
05 June 2008
A New Hope
Today there is a new hope in the American and international politics. Notwithstanding the relentless efforts of the empire of established interests in the US, headed by Sen. Clinton and her clan, Sen. Obama has made it through to become the Democratic Party nominee for president of the USA in the coming elections this November. And these efforts were fierce and foul. Nothing was spared - from cheap tears to soppy, fear mongering advertising. Every strand of possibility to tarnish the first Black candidate for president of the USA was tried. But through sheer competence and superb profesionalism, Sen. Obama has prevailed. Today the international world can take a pause and ponder tomorrow. The American presidential race has not joined the dark side.
Yet there is a disturbance in the force of change. Last night, Sen. Obama delivered an astonishing speech to AIPAC. In an obvious bid for support from an extraordinarily influential lobby group, the senator who had ridden in on the ticket of no pandering to the lobbyists, did just that: He pandered most pathetically to every cliche of the AIPAC agenda. In the most absolutist terms Sen. Obama underwrote unquestionable alliance with one of the most unjust regimes in the world: The state of Israel. In a shattering display of inconsistency and paradox, he proclaimed in the same breath a willingness for firm diplomacy with Iran and yet declared Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel,immidiately alienating millions of potentially agreeable Arabs and Palestinians in particular. Perhaps he was already repaying the one lobby group that did provide him the final push beyond the reach of Sen. Clinton, behind the scenes of course.
What credibility as a peacemaker he had built up over his campaign thus far, was thoroughly shaken by last night's unfortunate speech. It leaves one wondering how many other lobby groups may stand in line now for some acknowledgement plus some more. It will seem that the forces of the dark side are indeed powerful. Perhaps the young knight of the new hope is not quite the prince of peace for whom we have waited. But then, he still has much to learn and may yet shine.
Yet there is a disturbance in the force of change. Last night, Sen. Obama delivered an astonishing speech to AIPAC. In an obvious bid for support from an extraordinarily influential lobby group, the senator who had ridden in on the ticket of no pandering to the lobbyists, did just that: He pandered most pathetically to every cliche of the AIPAC agenda. In the most absolutist terms Sen. Obama underwrote unquestionable alliance with one of the most unjust regimes in the world: The state of Israel. In a shattering display of inconsistency and paradox, he proclaimed in the same breath a willingness for firm diplomacy with Iran and yet declared Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel,immidiately alienating millions of potentially agreeable Arabs and Palestinians in particular. Perhaps he was already repaying the one lobby group that did provide him the final push beyond the reach of Sen. Clinton, behind the scenes of course.
What credibility as a peacemaker he had built up over his campaign thus far, was thoroughly shaken by last night's unfortunate speech. It leaves one wondering how many other lobby groups may stand in line now for some acknowledgement plus some more. It will seem that the forces of the dark side are indeed powerful. Perhaps the young knight of the new hope is not quite the prince of peace for whom we have waited. But then, he still has much to learn and may yet shine.
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