Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Scorched Earth Policy

Robert Mugabe will lose power eventually. At 83 he'll either just die or the opposition might get their act together.

But the winners will have little to hold as proof they won when the time comes. After wrecking the farming sector by seizing white-owned farms, Mugabe is determined to destroy whatever is left that generates GDP:


Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday threatened to seize foreign companies, including mines, that have raised prices and cut output in an economic "dirty tricks" campaign to oust his government.

He'll do it. And in the short run have some stolen goodies to give to his supporters to win another election.

But after the election there will be less and less produced, and Zimbabwe will continue on its path to total destruction. Not that Africa can be bothered with this. And the UN is only concerned that Zimbabwe die quietly so as not to interfere with their conferences about poverty and honest government held in Geneva.

Zimbabwe once had hope as an engine to drive the region to increased prosperity. Now it will be lucky to avoid North Korean starvation standards.