Re: (off topic) Ian Smith RIP. Zimbabwe & South Africa

Vagabond wrote:
Tchiowa wrote:

It's another example of some people perfecting "the art of the
incomplete analysis". Ian Smith and the rest of the white government
were bad for the country. In the US, some bleeding hearts felt that
anything would be better than the racist rule that existed, so they
supported Mugabe. Obviously they didn't think it out very well up
front.

I notice the old supporters of Mugabe in the West are quiet these
days. I never heard any of them admit it was a mistake or take any
responsibility. The Swedish government, for example, did a lot of
grandstanding about "liberation" and sent money to bush guerillas. Now
they have nothing to say.

But - you can't really separate Mugabe from what went before. If Smith and the rest had provided decent educational opportunities for blacks, and fostered a democratic culture, it would not have been so easy for a monster like Mugabe to flourish.

I wouldn't argue that he represents a predetermined outcome, but Smith and his cohorts certainly left a lousy situation behind them, between long-held resentments, rotten infrastructure, and a power vacuum.

Ian
.