Monday, March 31, 2008

Hope for Zimbabwe

Maybe the opposition parties have won in Zimbabwe, maybe they haven't. I hope they have.

Maybe Robert Mugabe will accept this as an invitation to step down gracefully, maybe he won't. I hope he does. I think he's a mad despot, but he actually has a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of history by stepping down now.

Zimbabwe has been locked in a spiral of doom for years while Western countries and South Africa have done nothing to rescue it. It's a country of tremendous resources and resilience. It shouldn't have to be this way.

2 comments:

St. Caffeine said...

We actually talk a lot about Zimbabwe in my macro classes so I probably care more about this issue than the typical American. Two comments: 1) I don't think there's a chance in hades that Mugabe will step down gracefully. 2) Personally, I think there's an even slimmer chance for him to redeem himself in the eyes of history.

I may rant about this topic myself later today.

Vol Abroad said...

I was trying to be positive. I think he can redeem himself SOMEWHAT if he takes the opportunity to step down. Handing over power without bloodshed would be something that - while not erasing past misdeeds - would indicate that there was a shred of decency in his soul.

I still HOPE that happens.