it is alway somebody else's fault.

Ask Buzz Hargrove

Ask 99% of Aboriginal Leaders.

Time they all looked in the mirror.

That's what happens when you let the monkeys run the zoo.

Western sabotage? He kicked them all out or had them killed. Hey you piece of crap.Your fault.But then I guess the Useless Nations will back you up.
Oh.And any troll that tries the "racist card".Huh. Wimps

The West would care if Mugabe was white. Unfortunately for the Zimbabweans, he's not.

Africans are no better. They support Mugabe because he is one of their own.

Meanwhile, there are countless western Christians and Christian aid groups on the ground in Africa, at their own expense and at their own risk, doing what they can to improve the lives of Africans.

Richard Ball, you wrote "The West would care if Mugabe was white. Unfortunately for the Zimbabweans, he's not." Please explain what the West would do if this thug was white. Write a blank cheque, reward him for ruining this jewel of a country just a few years ago. Mugabe is already wealthy and owns homes in Switzerland. I don't understand your post.

Tell me, is there one BLACK “LEADER” in all of Africa that isn't a thug or a thief?

The West would care if Mugabe was white. Unfortunately for the Zimbabweans, he's not.

The idiocy of this statement is remarkable. Mugabe stole farms from whites who were feeding the nation and now Zimbabwe has descended into famine and we have morons blaming whites for not doing enough.

The West would care if Mugabe was white. Unfortunately for the Zimbabweans, he's not.

If Mugabe was white he most likely wouldn't be so stupid and there would be no problem with food.

Tell me, is there one BLACK “LEADER” in all of Africa that isn't a thug or a thief?

I'll go you one better ... Is there any country on this entire planet run by blacks that you would even want to vacation in?

Apollyon, I think it means that if Mugabe was white, the guilty white Liberals would have put a stop to this years ago.

Instead they danced around it in order to appear "nuanced" and culturally sensitive.

Chris, thank you for the clarification; sorry bout that Richard, now I see what were you were saying.

South Africa is well on it's way into the same downward spiral. Violence against white scape goats will increase as infrasructure decays,More whites will leave until its all back to bush .
The only people taking pleasure from this will be militant watermellons with their massive depopulation dreams.

Personally, if were Mugabe, I wouldn't want to be too corpulant walking around in a country full of starving people armed with machetes.

Thank you, Chris.

No more aid to Africa from the Canadian taxpayer until the people and governments decide to deal with their issues. Endless "AID" does nothing - it perpetrates the corruption and keeps aid workers employed accomplishing nothing. Stop the tragedy.

Western Canadian

You ask "Tell me, is there one BLACK “LEADER” in all of Africa that isn't a thug or a thief?"

How about President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania. I have read complimentary opinions of him from someone I respect.

I'll go you one better ... Is there any country on this entire planet run by blacks that you would even want to vacation in?

Sure - Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Jamaica, for starters.

Woodporter Thanks, I will check that out.

Actually I think the Christians and other do-gooders in Africa are part of Africa's problem.

As to Mugabe, Richard Ball is right on that point, were he white the world would be up in arms. But since he's black they are content to feign displeasure with him.

"No more aid to Africa from the Canadian taxpayer ..." Nice idea LEDA but considering that Canadians are still giving aid to China, I doubt that any politician will commit political suicide by suggesting stopping the aid, not to mention incurring the wrath of Bono.

Why are we giving assistance to China, are they weak and can't help themselves...or are we just stuck on stupid?

perhaps you recall the lefties in britain and Canada getting our respective govt's to forbid Rhodesian imports until they gave universal suffrage. When implemented, Mugabe and his merry men laid waste to the economy and farm paroduction. But none of the lefties took one ounce of resp9onsibility for causing the shift.

"I'll go you one better ... Is there any country on this entire planet run by blacks that you would even want to vacation in?"

Sure - Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Jamaica, for starters.

Posted by: Belisarius at October 10, 2007 11:24 PM

I realize that the crime rates in South Africa and Jamaica have fallen in recent years but travellers there had better take every precaution. Check foreign affairs travel advisories before travelling to either of these countries. Violence is common. Secure your passport and valuables, remember what may seem like nothing to you is often a treasure to the very poor and desperate. Travel in South Africa only in groups larger than two. Avoid crowds. Make sure your shots are up to date. Malaria and dengue fever are prevalent in many regions

Ethiopia is generally a safe country for travellers, despite the risk of political disturbances, and instability in some of the remoter regions which are not usually visited by tourists.

Security measures have been strengthened recently around the Ethiopian Millennium. You should remain extremely vigilant at all times in public places and avoid large gatherings.

Road safety standards are low in Ethiopia, and extreme care is advised while driving or walking on roads. Travellers are strongly advised not to travel by road outside towns and cities after dark, due to the increased risk of road accidents. Collisions with animals in the early evening as darkness is falling are a particular hazard in rural areas. Be aware that medical facilities in Ethiopia may not be adequate in case of car accidents, and medical evacuation by air ambulance may be the only option.

There is a threat of terrorist attack in Ethiopia. A number of small scale bomb attacks took place in public places in Addis Ababa in 2006, resulting in a small number of fatalities. Travellers who use blue minibus-taxis should be vigilant and report unaccompanied baggage immediately.

While Kenya is a safe destination in African terms, there are still plenty of pitfalls for the unwary or inexperienced traveller, from everyday irritations to more serious threats. A little street sense goes a long way here, and getting the latest local information is essential wherever you intend to travel.

Wars in Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia have all had their effect on the stability and safety of northern and northeastern Kenya. AK-47s have been flowing into the country for many years and the newspapers are filled with stories of hold-ups, shoot-outs, cattle rustling and general lawlessness. Bandits and poachers infiltrating from Somalia have made the northeast of the country particularly dangerous, and with the American ‘War on Terror’ shutting down the funding for many warring factions within Somalia, these problems are only going to get worse.
In the northwest, the main problem is armed tribal wars and cattle rustling across the Sudanese border. There are Kenyan shifta (bandits) too, of course, but cross-border problems seem to account for most of the trouble in the north of the country.

Despite all the headlines, tourists are rarely targeted, as much of the violence and robberies take place far from the main tourist routes. Security has also improved considerably in previously high-risk areas such as the Isiolo–Marsabit, Marsabit–Moyale and Malindi–Lamu routes. However, you should check the situation locally before taking these roads, or travelling between Garsen and Garissa or Thika.
The areas along the Sudanese and Ethiopian borders are very risky, although most visitors are very unlikely to have any reason to go there in the first place.

Even the staunchest Kenyan patriot will readily admit that the country’s biggest problem is crime. It ranges from petty snatch theft and mugging to violent armed robbery, carjacking and of course white-collar crime and corruption. The wealthy are content to surround themselves with more and more armed guards and razor wire and little is done to address the causes of the problem. As a visitor you needn’t feel paranoid, but you should always keep your wits about you, particularly at night.

Perhaps the best advice for when you’re walking around cities and towns is not to carry anything valuable with you – that includes jewellery, watches, cameras, bum bags, day-packs and money. Most hotels provide a safe or secure place for valuables, although you should be cautious of the security at some budget places. Cheap digital watches and plastic sunglasses can be bought in Kenya for under KSh100 and you won’t miss them if they get taken.

Other than that have fun!

"Actually I think the Christians and other do-gooders in Africa are part of Africa's problem."

TJ:

If you get to Africa, I'll take you to an orphanage run by Canadians, plaque on the wall for all the Newfoundland supporters, etc. let you see the smiling faces of the orphans who are being clothed, fed, and schooled (and wearing donated Tim Hortons uniforms -- I kid you not) and see if you still think that. I'll take you to a dirt-poor school, built and funded by Christians, where a Canadian friend of mine is assisting African teachers in teaching the kids who otherwise would have no chance to go to school, and see if you still think that. I'll take you to a sewing-circle where another Canadian friend is teaching African women practical sewing skills. Or a village where another Canadian friend dropped off a very valued gift -- a soccer ball; the same village where a group from Britain donated the funds to build a bore-hole (a well) so that the women of the village would not have to walk miles for water.

The western Christians are providing tangible aid and modelling western modes of rational thought and administrative skills. They are doing it at their own time and expense.

They seem to have access to a hidden source that motivates them.

PS -- Saturday I plan to go to a benefit concert in Charlottetown to raise funds for an orphanage in Uganda. Put on by -- you guessed it -- Christians.

Food has been a military/political weapon used in Africa since the colonization period...every aggressor or dictator has used food to control African populations.

Zimbabwe had a self sufficient agricultural and food production base and 3was largely isolated from the politics of food as a weapon before Marxist rule.

ONLY a a vindictive Marxist like Mugabe can produce starvation in the midst of plenty.

Frig Magabe....I feel for the suffering he inflicts on his people ...but I won't fall for the old western welfare stump and send money for these so called starving just to see it diverted to bail this degenerate government out.

IF Zimbabweans want a government who is concerned that they eat regularly and own their own means of food production....they must rid themselves of self serving marxist strong men and establish a democratic commonwealth....I WILL send money to arm the average citizen so he may accomplish this task in a justified revolt....because I don;t think Marxist dictators will allow themselves to be "voted" out of office.

Anon - Other than that have fun!

Thanks, I will (and have).

And ROBERT MUGABE is a liberal and JESSIE JACKASSON and AL SHARPTON are not saying a thing about what he is doing and the worthless UN hasnt lifted a finger

Starvation is no laughing matter -- for anyone. But to blame the west for this is not right. I have compassion and pray for the people and encourage everyone to do what they can. Bravo for the Canadians. Bravo for anyone willing to help.

In time all the pleasures of Africa will be here in Canada, along with all the great gifts of failed American immigration policies. In time we too can be proud of our children’s scholastic achievements due to the lowered standards of education that will allow the “minorities” to have the same opportunities. How on earth can people rationalize that bringing the third world into our western nations will create a better civilization? Africa will never change. Throwing T-shirts and MTV concerts on their populous has only created a deeper desire to attain what they could never produce as a whole, and has only led to more hands out. The banana republics of Africa and elsewhere will continue to flourish with the support of the crazy leftist politically correct powers that strangle hold our western countries today. Look closely at what’s becoming of the great USA today, why worry about which African countries you would or would not vacation in, what states, cities county’s in the US would you bypass?
I used the word “minorities” tongue in cheek, as 90% of this earth’s overpopulation would then classify as a minority of one kind or another. What remains of our declining civilized western culture is quickly deteriorating into developing then third world status. Why hasten it? Doesn’t the planet as a whole have far greater issues for all to place our resources against? Of course it sounds insensitive to say, but why are we desperately trying to spend our tax dollars on cheap “affordable” AIDS drugs to keep the parasitic overpopulated masses of starving illiterate people alive 20 more years to produce more AIDS baby’s dependent on our “goodwill”? Sure, I know how it sounds; to me it’s survival of the fittest. Some will blather on about how the meek will inherit the earth, and without a doubt that has already happened. Unfortunately the meek or weak won’t be able to sustain it, and eventually every one will pay the price. It goes completely against the laws of nature, and we should be offended that it’s been shoved down our throats!

Knight 99, witness the decline of the West. Here in America the seditious political sellouts are bastardizing our Constitution, implementing communist doctrine [Kelo decision by the Supreme Court], peddling socialist ideologies [universal healthcare] and promoting immigration anarchy.

Our problems are so rampant they cannot be solved at the ballot box. Thomas Jefferson’s words ring very loudly………..

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.
The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is
wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts
they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions,
it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ...

And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not
warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of
resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as
to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost
in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It is its natural manure."

We may very well need The Second American Civil War.

Richard Ball I don't doubt that the Christians trying to do good in Africa are sincere.

But what I don't like is their ulterior motive (sometimes not so ulterior) which is to convert Africans to Christianity. Let's not kid ourselves, that is the primary goal.

I was born in Africa, and lived there for many years, and it has always annoyed me that Christians generally presume that the African religions, as simple as they might be, are in some way inferior to their own.

Rotten Robert Mugabe.

The black version of Pierre Trudeau economics.

Lets see now, if we, the govt, takes control of this segment of the economy, we'll get this desired result.

Damn, we need to take control of that piece of the economy also to get the desired results.

And on and on and on and so forth.

When Trudeau, he of state corporatism fame, came to power in 1968, there were only 27 federal state corporations in Canada.

When megalomaniac Trudeau left politics in 1984, the federal govt had over 400 state corporations and the country was still in a crappy economic condition.

But do you think Rotten Robert would learn from his close friend Pierre Trudeau.
Not a chance.

And so it goes.

Interesting Apollyon………..
I would agree that the massive problems of the US are well beyond the ballot box. At least with what modern leadership you are forced to choose from. Second American Civil war? Who would you fight, where could you start? Islamic Jihadist, MS 13 or all the delinquent policy makers on through to hamburger and retail barons? My personal feeling is that there will be anarchy and civil war within the US at some point in time, but it will eventually start with the existing minority groups, and then spread on though wider arenas. I doubt any of us today would imagine the groups and alliances possible if such events ever happened. Regardless the rich and important will be well removed at such times and only the poor will truly suffer. Very unlike anything patriotic, more like the Watts and LA 92 riots but much, much larger (scary I was there for the 92 riots in LA). This would all be very close to everyone else globally and would affect all economies with devastating results. Countries like Canada could be consumed.
So back to the post, why worry about some despot leader in Africa? The world should call Africa a natural heritage site (global sanctuary) nothing comes in and nothing goes out for 100 years. At which time further protections to the helpless masses would be assessed. Hopefully Africans would solve all issues within Africa by that time. Wishful thinking anyway.

TJ
I doubt that anyone truly thinks that it’s the African religions that are inferior "simple as they may be". So please try not to be to "annoyed", many other Christans believe they should not be there either interfering with the existing systems.