Bernie

This is not a political post......well, I don't want it to be!

I'm just interested in people's view.
The world is debating in the UN about why Saddam is not a nice guy but the despot in Zimbabwe seems to be able to do what he likes with absolute impunity! About all we've done is said we don't like him and we would prefer for our cricketers not to play there. wow......

Naishou - control yourself lest this thread gets locked!

AusS2000

I think we have to give Johnny How-hard a bit of credit here. He went to great lengths to get Chogm to come done on Mogabe but got voted down by several small South Pacific Islands (who, apparently have been getting to odd back hander from a certain african state).

naishou

All's not exactly fun and games for some of my family right now. They've pretty much already lost their life savings and don't know when the boys are going to come 'round and "repossess" their home. All the same they count themselves lucky they're not Ndbele (tribal minority). I think it's OK to be a despot who starves your own people (Mugabe is on record as saying that real power is when you decide who eats) so long as you're running a tin pot African country that nobody gives a shit about, or something like that anyway.

Muz

Did anybody see that ex-vet in that TV doco on land reform in Zimbabwe the other night? That guy was freaky. He had the devil in his eye.

AusS2000

I think the US is a bit tired of getting it's arse kicked politically for 'interfering in other's business' both internally and externally when it messes with problems where it doesn't have an interest. I guess that explains why Iraq is top of the list and Zimbabwe isn't.

Examples that come to mind are Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda.

Bernie

True - despots everywhere and noone seems to care

naishou

The Onion had one on that too. Kim Jong-Il was moaning about the fact that the US doesn't seem to want to invade him and whining about how he's just as much of a loony dictator as Saddam and equally worthy of attention.

http://www.theonion.com/onion3905/north_korea.html

AusS2000

I'm going to try not to be condescending and insulting here but I can't promise anything.

Iraq invaded Kuwait and the UN allies kicked them out and set certain conditions. Iraq went back on these conditions and a diplomatic approach was taken to force Iraq back into line. One of the strongest pressures has been a build up of forces on Iraq's border and the threat of incursion (I don't think invasion is the correct word). This began in what? 1991?

North Korea has been a pain in the but since the 50's but has only recently threatened to restart development of nuclear weapons. A diplomatic process has begun to put pressure on North Korea to curb their aggressive ways.

Surely if you believe an attack on Iraq is wrong you would support the methods being used on North Korea! Diplomatic pressure rather than brute force? And those that think the US and UN aren't doing enough about North Korea can be fairly certain that it is moving up on the 'Alliance of the Willing's dance card.

naishou

And I thought this thread was about Zimbabwe

AusS2000

Somebody changed the subject.

What is the UN's position on Zimbabwe? Does Zimbabwe have a seat on the UN? I already stated the Commonwealth position and I think it's disgusting.