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Zimbabwe's Opposition Gives Up.

We recently wrote extensively on the horrors of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

As we pointed out before, Freedom House asserted in its recent country report on Zimbabwe (it's a .pdf):

Zimbabweans cannot change their government democratically.

Why not?

Well, as Robert Mayer, of Publius Pundit, points out, Zimbabwe is just THAT FAR GONE.

The latest out of Zimbabwe is that the opposition has decided not to demonstrate.

Mayer has these thoughtful comments:

In totalitarianism, there is always a critical low point where it is literally impossible for a people to fend for themselves against a government. This point is where people do not have the strength, the means, or the ability to do so. When we look at Ukraine, Lebanon, and Kyrgyzstan, we see oppressive rulers of people who were not completely deprived of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We also see men who could not forsake their nationality to commit mass murder on their countrymen simply to stay in power.

But when we look at Mugabe we see not a man, but a cold, hollow figure who deliberately denied his countrymen everything we in America hold as truth. Can we here even fully imagine what it would be like to have a government that starves us? Prevents us from working? Destroys our shelter? Holds no sanctity for our very lives?

That’s the kind of man Mugabe is. He has put Zimbabwe past the critical point where if even the entire opposition engaged in mass protest, he would have every one of them shot. Why? Because he doesn’t care as long as he is in charge. That’s why we can’t write Africa off; it isn’t the people’s fault. Their dire situation was caused by the force of ruthless dictators like Mugabe, who they have no chance of fighting back against under pain of death.

I know from our coverage how much they want out. But after the critical point has been reached, they cannot do it alone. That’s why I am so disappointed that South Africa and other neighboring countries were so keen on ratifying this obvious mockery of electoral democracy. The status quo is simply unacceptable, and because of South Africa’s failure to do anything about it, we have to again look west for the moral fortitude that tramples the carnage of island despots.

What a sad deal.

Posted by Will Franklin · 4 April 2005 10:24 AM

Comments

Posted by: Zsa Zsa at April 4, 2005 12:14 PM