Our Pittsburgh correspondent...with sad news from Zimbabwe.
"Pity poor Zimbabwe...." writes Byron King, referring to a story in the Times of London :
According to the paper, "South African dockers are refusing to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying 77 tonnes of small arms destined for Zimbabwe."
"The arms, including three million rounds of ammunition suitable for AK47s and 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, were ordered by the Zimbabwean military at the time of the March 29 election - which Britain and other Western powers have accused Robert Mugabe of trying to rig.
"The arms arrived at Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday aboard the Chinese-owned An Yue Jiang and must be taken by road to landlocked Zimbabwe, where the Government has been accused of arming rural militias before a possible run-off vote for the presidency. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has even accused Mr Mugabe's Zanu (PF) of preparing for a 'war' against the people."
"Poor Zimbabwe," Byron continues. "So far from God. So near to Robert Mugabe."
The Times continues: "January Masilela, the South African Defence Secretary, said yesterday that the shipment had been approved this week by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), which he chairs. 'This is a normal transaction between two sovereign states and we don't have to interfere,' he said.
"But opposition parties slammed the decision to grant the transit permit and the country's main transport union said that its members would refuse to unload the cargo."
As if Marxian governance, brute thuggery, farm-sector collapse, massive inflation and economic calamity is not enough...
"Now their friends the Chinese are arming the militia with millions of rounds of AK-47 ammo," says Byron.
"Mugabe won't go without a fight. The only good news is that he's 84 years old.
"Do you wish what I wish?"
Bill Bonner
The Daily Reckoning Australia
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About the Author
Best-selling investment author Bill Bonner is the founder and president of Agora Publishing, one of the world's most successful consumer newsletter companies. Owner of both Fleet Street Publications and MoneyWeek magazine in the UK, he is also author of the free daily e-mail The Daily Reckoning.
Comment by Diggin it! on 23 April 2008:
Yep and it only takes one bullet!
Comment by Coffee Addict on 24 April 2008:
The historical stupidity of Chinese, American and Russian foreign policy only ever leads to exaggerated cycles of economic and social ruin. The only possibility of hope comes from a disparate and uncoordinated EU.
Comment by Rob of Brisbane on 24 April 2008:
I wonder if Mugabe would be doing what he is doing if South Africa was still contolled the the Afrikanar, under Apartied the African did not have the vote but he did have food in his mouth.
Which is more important ?
Comment by Unpopular Truth on 24 April 2008:
How hard is it to kill this guy with an anonymous UAV fired missile already?! The dude is an African Hitler for goodness sake.
Comment by Diggin it! on 24 April 2008:
Have you ever wondered why they kept Hitler alive for as long as they did [better the devil you know!]
Comment by Coffee Addict on 24 April 2008:
Rob
Nelson Mandela would not have authorised the movement of arms over SA soil until the election was resolved peacefully. Unlike Mandela, Thabo Mbeki has no common sense but neither do many other world leaders. I could discuss George Bush’s involvement in Somalia for starters. Race is not the issue!
The SA Apartied Regime was no shining light. Amongst other things they supported a decades long insurgency in neighbouring Mozambique that became a humanitarian nightmare.
(As an aside, Flying over that country 18 years ago a in an Air Zimbabwe 737, I noticed a stumpy silver aircraft well below us. It was of course a MIG 19 of the Mozambique Air Force. The risk was that the rebels could fire an SA2 or similar (supplied to them by South Africa) at the MIG only to hit the Boeing. Perhaps the Mig was hiding under that radar shadow of the Boeing --- I don’t know.)
Comment by Unpopular Truth on 28 April 2008:
Whats the solution? British colonialism? Could it be worse than what's there now?