Mugabe gives a lesson in how it’s done
On Saturday Robert Mugabe won the election in Zimbabwe handily against challenger Morgan Tsvangirai.
Republicans: take note, and don’t make the mistakes Tsvangirai made.
As for Obama and his fellow leftists: they’ve been taking notes all along. And here’s how it’s done:
The voting last week was peaceful, but plagued with problems. The parties did not get a copy of the voters’ roll until the day before the vote, raising fears of fraud…
Election observers also noted that far too many extra ballots had been printed and that too many voters had been reported as needing assistance. Mr. Tsvangirai said that at one constituency where 17,000 people had voted, 10,000 had been assisted, a high rate of people needing help in a country with one of Africa’s highest literacy rates.
Almost twice as many people voted in this election as in 2008, and according to the figures released by the election commission, Mr. Mugabe benefited most from the swell of new voters. His total number of votes doubled, while Mr. Tsvangirai’s level of support remained the same.
So that’s what Mugabe did right. And what did Tsvangirai and his party the M.D.C. (Movement for Democratic Change) do wrong?:
Job Sikala, a leader of one of the breakaway factions of the M.D.C. that boycotted the vote, said Mr. Tsvangirai and his allies had been naé¯ve to expect that the election would be fair…
Indeed, by agreeing to enter into a power-sharing government after the 2008 election, which was marred by political violence, the M.D.C. helped rescue ZANU-PF from its own excesses, Mr. Sikala said, echoing the views of many analysts.
“The day they joined the inclusive government they resuscitated a decomposing, dead donkey,” Mr. Sikala said.
Left is left and right is right. And the right here should be very very wary of cooperating with the Obama administration (especially on amnesty) with the thought that it will gain them a single vote. On the contrary—it will guarantee that the Republican Party will turn into a decomposing, dead elephant.
The left does not believe in fair elections. They are the truth, the light, and the way. If you play with their rules, you lose.
It’s a good thing “there is no evidence of vote fraud in America.” (sarc off)
When a person can say and do almost anything, without fear of contradiction by any so called “watchdog media”, things like this will happen. Add the fact that to criticize the “one” and you will be branded a racist, many people will not act.
I know we are a strong country. I have thought that we will survive this, but I am beginning to have doubt creep in.
Regrettably, this all seems so obvious.
Tsvrangirai may not be a good guy, but it is clear that Mugabe, now about 85, is a bad guy for his people.
I am increasingly of the belief that black Africans somehow (genetics? culture? historical tradition?) desire and seek tyrannical Chiefs as long as they’re black, no matter how self-serving and corrupt, and no matter where: Liberia, Nairobi, Chicago, WDC, Oakland, Jo-burg, Harare, etc..
A mind is a difficult thing to change, to be sure, but the political history of post-colonial black Africa and of blacks in non-African cities is so utterly similar that it is hard for me to reach any other conclusion. They seem programmed irredeemably.
And Obama is now our chief, and even though the straits of black Americans have become BAAD under his rule, 90% still see him as their Chief whether right or wrong.
Fay Vincent, former MLB commissioner writes in the WSJ:
It occurs to me how much the more fundamental are the “rules” we waive in the immigration game (for an example of one wider case), granting amnesty to those who begin their sojourn here by consciously and openly spitting on the rules. It only remains for men like Mr. Vincent, or better, all men, to recognize that the game of state vastly outstrips the importance of our athletic games — and thence to apply the moral order they seek in the lesser endeavors to the greater. Not, of course, for the mere satisfaction of the punishment of the violative, but for the sake of the meaning of the game to begin with. As it is, the weaseling softness excepting now this behavior, now that, seen both in the former as the latter, is all of a piece.
“a high rate of people needing help in a country with one of Africa’s highest literacy rates.”
Evidently, education and literacy is no barrier to acceptance of tyranny.
[Amnesty] “will guarantee that the Republican Party will turn into a decomposing, dead elephant.”
What real evidence is there for the presumption, that the primary motivation of Republicans in colluding with Democrats, in the creation of 11-33 million new ‘undocumented’ democrat voters… is to gain the Republican party votes?
That is the purported rationale for their actions but…they know what the long term result will surely be, so what basis is there for the Republican establishment presuming that they will be able to now persuade enough immigrants from socialist societies, to reject greatly larger American socialist policies and embrace the risks of capitalism, when Republicans have not been able to do so before now?
There of course is no realistic basis for such an presumption. Therefore unless one presumes wishful thinking, Republican collusion is intentional, which only leaves self-interest as explanatory explanation.
As whenever human beings behave in a manner that clearly contradicts their own self-interest, look for the ‘secondary’ gain. In this case, neither the party’s nor the nation’s self-interest aligns with greatly adding to democrat voter rolls. So the ‘secondary’ gain has to be personal gain, that supersedes the party’s and nation’s best interests.
These RINO’s are as much traitors as ever was Benedict Arnold because they are colluding in the creation of permanent, one party rule in America and ensuring that the only options available will, in time be capitulation to tyranny or civil war.
Geoffrey Britain:
I agree with you, at least somewhat. I didn’t mean to imply that was the sole motivation of Republicans; I agree a lot of it has to do with donors and money and that sort of thing.
But the ostensible, given reason is votes (at least, that’s the reason the press keeps citing). And I do believe that some Republicans who are supporting amnesty do believe it will help them gain votes.
Don Carlos,
A moments thought led me to realize that it is not blacks (as a group) alone who welcome the ruler. Arab cultures embrace of the ‘strongman’ is a cliche. Saddam Hussein, Caesar, Mussolini, Hitler, the Czar’s, Lenin and Stalin, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Mao, Fidel Castro, Juan Peron, Hugo Chavez… the list goes on and on and, transcends all races, ethnicity’s and societies…
Thomas Jefferson pointed out that men were divided among those “who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes” and those who sincerely identify themselves with the people.
What he did not mention was how many of ‘the people’ desire to be ruled by the elite.
neo,
I accept that “some Republicans who are supporting amnesty do believe it will help them gain votes”. IMO, those that are sincere are engaged in wishful thinking.
As for the ostensible, given reason being votes, for the majority, that is political cover. Boehner and Ryan are citing their primary rationale being the innocent children of illegal immigrants, which is an appeal to emotion. It is a valid concern but as they are using it as a means and excuse to cooperate in the issuing of amnesty to all illegal immigrants, it is political cover as well.
The old joke is that you went to Rhodesia to see the ruins of Zimbabwe and now you go to Zimbabwe to see the ruins of Rhodesia.
GB-
I agree that the strongman is not limited to one culture or political system.
But the topic is/was Mugabe, and black Africa, despite its multicolonial past inuts (British, French, Belgian, for example; and in the case of Liberia, US influence) has utterly reverted to rule by Chief, without exception. The slow but inexorable descent of South Africa since deKlerk/Mandela is simply another case study of the slide to “Mugabe-ism”, underway for forty years now, without a doubt (by me, at least) as to its ultimate outcome.
I am struck by how the West African experience has apparently stuck with Afro-Ams, and how they govern themselves when in majority in US polities.
Thus my speculation as to cause.
As Geoffrey Britain says and been discussed here before, the RINOs who are supporting amnesty are owned by the home construction business, the hotels, the restaurants, casinos, etc. And possibly another misguided calculation that flooding the labor market with cheap, unskilled labor will dilute the unions’ political influence, which won’t matter anyway if the cheap labor votes for the same party.
And it drives me nuts to see Karl Rove’s fat face on television 5 times a week as he launches into his baloney reasons the Republicans need to support immigration reform. Someday Hannity or his one of his other fans will remind Rove of his record since 2004, has been to get his ass handed to him in every big election that he’s promoted. One would think it is obvious he’s a windbag and doesn’t know what he’s doing talking about. GWB owes his elections to Karen Hughes, not this buffoon, but that has been a forgotten piece of political history. She was the architect of the Bush elections as governor of Texas and president. Rove has promoted himself as a winner and the man behind it all, but it was Hughes who had the brains. But fear not fellow conservatives, Karl has run the numbers in Cayahoga country, and immigration reform will deliver Ohio next time. Trust him.
Two good books about Zimbabwe are, “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood” by Alexandra Fuller and “When a Crocodile Eats the Sun” by Peter Godwin.
Zimbabwe was at one time the jewel of Africa. Then the mostly white Rhodesians lost the war against the black nationalists – actually the UN told them they lost the war. And then the real trouble began. Mugabe is a communist and has done quite successfully what communists always do when they gain control of a country – drive it into the ground. It’s too bad Zimbabwe is so remote from us. It’s a cautionary tale that comes right out of the late 20th century. Anyone who wants to see how leftist polices ruin a country should read this and see how a prosperous country was ruined.
Mugabe isn’t quite as blood thirsty as Saddam Hussein was, but he uses plenty of muscle to get his way. The first book, covers the war and a Rhodesian family’s struggle to keep going. The second book has more detail about the politics and Mugabe’s methods as he subverted the country after the first free and fair election in 1980. Mugabe has “won” every election since then – instructive and unsettling.
“the RINOs who are supporting amnesty are owned by the home construction business, the hotels, the restaurants, casinos, etc.”
Certainly those actors are involved but I suspect it extends beyond those areas. 400 top republican donors signed a former letter, addressed to the republican leadership, supporting amnesty.
Geoffrey Britain — agree, but 400 cheap labor special cheap are beyond even my irritatingly verbose posts to account for.
cheap labor special interests, that is.
Before American can be purged of evil in the Leftist alliance, first they must purge the Republican ranks.
Ray, that’s pretty funny.
Most of America has forgotten what American power helped do to the Rhodesians.
Just as the Iranians have forgotten what Islamic conversion meant for Zoroastrian Iran.
If one looks at the historical decline of nations around the globe, they will notice that Leftist America power projected near those regions at the time of the decline.
Coincidence?
Why does the world hate America?
To answer that question, a person should seek it within the borders of the US… not outside America.