Zimbawe

My heart is so full of emotion at the situation in Zimbabwe. I have to say until now that I thought that Robert Mugabe was the bad guy and he certainly is, the vicious attacks, beatings, and murders of his own people, who were trying to stand up for a democratically elected government, fully place him in the 'bad' category. Yesterday, though, listening to him at the power sharing ceremony, lament about the corruption and influence of the western powers on his government I started thinking. Obviously this guy is using the very real corrupting influence of the U.S and other first world countries to convince his people that he should stay in power. The amount of death and destruction for power and influence is staggering, and the idea that you would do that to your own people - they are all Zimbabwean - that is crazy. See in the U.S - when our government mistreats us, we are usually immigrants, or blacks, or poor - few of us have shared a land, a bloodline for hundreds of years...so it's okay - your own blood though- heartbreaking.

The power sharing idea is that Mugabe, president for 28 years,(...i know right - how the hell...) would hold control of the army and Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, would hold control of the police. While watching Mr. Tsvangirai yesterday, it seemed to me that he was very westernized - shaking his head at Mr. Mugabe's complaints about the west, scapegoating them for the problems in Zimbabwe and Africa at large - but that put me on edge as well. It seems to me that an African leader who identifies closely with the west isn't going to be a good thing either - shit, we can't be trusted.

So then - the choice is between, an obviously corrupted leader in Mugabe - willing to murder and beat thousands of people, willing to corrupt the economic system so that their money is virtually worthless (1 billion=50 cent, don't quote me) - and Tsvangirai, a westernized leader who could bring calm and the manipulating subterfuge of the western businesses. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

(lamenting voice) Oh, the corruption of government and power! Although Zimbabwe has taken it to a new level of evil, am I being dramatic to feel that we will be on a similar path should the republicans take office for 8 more years? I am right? Killing in the streets, in America??? Probably not though I still feel that way.

My prayers go out for the massive death and destruction that those people have survived in their fight for freedom.