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Africa: Subsaharan
Mugabe: Corn to Blame for Zimbabwe Famine
2005-09-18
Short lead from a fairly long AP article that might be titled "Conversation with a Dictator in his Dotage."
The African leader some call a hero and others a destructive despot suggests people in his country aren't hungry, they just can't eat their favorite food. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, said in an interview with The Associated Press that his people are "very, very happy" though aid agencies report 4 million of 11.6 million face famine.
You can read the rest at the link. The writer needs to go back to school and take Remedial Journalism...
Posted by:Fred

#4  Slightly off yopic, but directly on theme.
When I was very young (1951) we were invited to a local Catholic Church for a fundraiser to benefit the "Starving Hatians"

I remember it because they had a Bingo game set up with the letters HAITI instead of BINGO, and we had a very fun time as the two "I's" would get confused.

How is this relevant?
Last I looked Haiti was in no better shape than in 1951, starving, riots, etc, so charity didn't help a thing.

I say cut them loose and let them starve, "Perpetual Aid" doesn't work.
Help them once, twice, then use the "BaseBall" rule, three strikes and you're out.

True disaster, with NO convenient "Out" and you change, or the next "Tenants" inherit the land.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2005-09-18 13:20  

#3  Can't wait for his autobiography - "How to Turn a Prosperous Nation into a Third World Basket Case".
Posted by: DMFD   2005-09-18 11:26  

#2  So who exactly calls Mugabe a "hero"?

He unilaterally caused the famine.

Poor decisions from a senile old dictator in a culture of corruption.

But of course it's all Bush's fault yadda yadda Haliburton blah blah so we should pay them money forever to feed the hungry so they can grow up and repeat the broken culture.

Feed the hungry so they can keep on breathing and reproducing more hungry mouths. That's right, end poverty now.
Posted by: anon1   2005-09-18 10:15  

#1  Absolutely not, Fred. Writers should stay as far away from journalism classes as possible. I recommend matriculating in The School of Hard Knocks, myself, with graduate work either at the bar or under it.
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-09-18 00:37  

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