Zimbabwe...

[InfiniteNow]

3,700% inflation? Good grief. In terms of "visibility," at least it appeared on the Colbert Report last night. See below. It's in the middle of the "scene."

Comedy Central: Colbert Report - Bear & Balls - Vacation Edition


Anyone know of any progress? What's gone on since this thread was opened in February?


"As a souvenier of your trip to Zimbabwe, you might consider buying... Zimbabwe."

[gribbon]

What I want, is for you to tell me, briefly, what your impressions are of Zimbabwe, under Robert Mugabe's rule.

and...

I want to know what you know about this issue. And, please - if you don't know anything about the matter, please say so;

You asked what our impressions were of this issue and I am giving them to you right now. Got it?

Tone it down, mate.

A few days ago a journalist I knew returned from Zimbabwe and said pretty much everything that has already been said about Zimbabwe in all the threads....

P.S. Does anyone know if the government is making any progress in reducing oil shortages?

[Boerseun]

Originally Posted by gribbon

You asked what our impressions were of this issue and I am giving them to you right now. Got it?

Yes. I asked to tell me whether you know anything about this issue, or not. As an example of honesty in this regard, read Freeztar's post upstairs. Got it?

Originally Posted by gribbon

Tone it down, mate.

Tone what down? Get over yourself. Thanks for the negrep, by the way.

A few days ago a journalist I knew returned from Zimbabwe and said pretty much everything that has already been said about Zimbabwe in all the threads....

I find this line pretty strange. You might have chatted to this specific journalist; none of us have. And this is, to the best of my knowledge, the only thread in all of Hypo discussing the Zimbabwe issue. So what did this phantom journalist say?

P.S. Does anyone know if the government is making any progress in reducing oil shortages?

No. The government is making zero progress on anything. The entire healthcare system ground to a screeching halt a week or three ago, when all the doctors decided to join the nurses and general medical staff in an indefinite strike. There is ZERO healthcare provided by the Zimbabwean government, with no end in sight to the strike.

As far as the fuel issue is concerned, the South African government is exporting vast amounts of South African produced petrol and diesel, largely paid for by money the Chinese government have lavished on Mugabe in exchange for expansive mineral rights. The next scramble for Africa is on, and the Chinese are far in the lead.

[gribbon]

Yes. I asked to tell me whether you know anything about this issue, or not. As an example of honesty in this regard, read Freeztar's post upstairs. Got it?

Anwser-yes. I might not live next door to Zimbabwe like you do, but I know a group of people of Zimbabwean origin who are in regular contact with the country. They work as part of an aid organisation there. Take a look at Amnesty international and their work abroad...Tell me...as far as dictatorships go, is Zimbabwe that bad? You seem to think it can't get any worse. Bull**it. Do they have slave labour camps in Zimbabwe as they do in North Korea? Take off your rose tinted glasses, mate.

Oh, and thanks for your neg rep in return.

[TheFaithfulStone]

Don't know much.

I know that Ol Bob Mugabe is fast in the process of driving his country directly off a cliff.

TFS

[Boerseun]

Originally Posted by gribbon

Tell me...as far as dictatorships go, is Zimbabwe that bad? You seem to think it can't get any worse. Bull**it.

In the winged words of a good friend of mine: If you want to be a dick, PM me and we can take it up privately. I have never said it can't get any worse.
And yes: Zim is bad. Not if you're a tourist, paying in foreign currency, or even working for Amnesty International and you're being paid in US$. Zim sucks bad if you're a local and you're paid in Zim$, where a loaf of bread costs about $50,000, up from around 5$ a few years ago. Zim sucks bad if you're a local and you're paid in Zim$, and every single banknote has an expiry date on it, after which the commercial banks have been ordered not to accept the notes. So, a note might have a lifetime of a few months. What to do with a note you can't bank a few days from now? You spend it. On what? There's nothing on the shop shelves, and that which is there can't be afforded. Even a few days before the expiry date, nobody'll take your money, because it'll be their problem to bank it before the cutoff date.

All of the above, of course, is only appliccable if you actually get paid. Government salaries are so far behind that government departments are going off on indefinite strikes, the one after the other. The only guys seemingly being paid is the army.

Do they have slave labour camps in Zimbabwe as they do in North Korea? Take off your rose tinted glasses, mate.

Gribbon, you really don't know what's going on there, do you? You think there are only two states - freedom and enslavement, the one good the other bad? The happenings in Zim might be far worse that enslavement - slaves, at least, get fed every now and then.

Rose-tinted glasses? Not only have you absolutely no idea of what's shaking in Zim, it seems you've got a bit of a flair for the inappropriately dramatic, too. If you had any idea as to what the metaphor meant, you would know that you have used it in totally and completely the wrong context.
If you think Zim is so great, ask your Amnesty International buddies to give up their US$ and be paid in Zim$ next time they come down to Harare. See how long they'll be happy on eating nothing but sadza ne nyama, the nyama, of course, being pretty scarce if the buyer don't have US$.

All I'm asking is if you don't know about the topic, say so. Don't insist you're a boffin on it because you know a few people who've been there, and then put your absolute ignorance on the matter on public display like you're doing right now. That's the attitude that's been screwing Africa ever since the first colony was founded. All the armchair specialists sitting around in Europe discussing how Africa should be run/managed, without ever having set foot there themselves.

Oh, and thanks for your neg rep in return.

My pleasure.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Boerseun

And yes: Zim is bad. Not if you're a tourist, paying in foreign currency, or even working for Amnesty International and you're being paid in US$. Zim sucks bad if you're a local and you're paid in Zim$, where a loaf of bread costs about $50,000, up from around 5$ a few years ago. Zim sucks bad if you're a local and you're paid in Zim$, and every single banknote has an expiry date on it, after which the commercial banks have been ordered not to accept the notes. So, a note might have a lifetime of a few months. What to do with a note you can't bank a few days from now? You spend it. On what? There's nothing on the shop shelves, and that which is there can't be afforded. Even a few days before the expiry date, nobody'll take your money, because it'll be their problem to bank it before the cutoff date.

That's ludicrous!
How do they even have an "economy" under such conditions? Is it the US$ keeping them afloat?
Mindboggling...

[gribbon]

Originally posted by Boerseun If you think Zim is so great...

I don't think I need to say anything - Boerseun is simply showing his inability to read again.

...it seems you've got a bit of a flair for the inappropriately dramatic, too. If you had any idea as to what the metaphor meant, you would know that you have used it in totally and completely the wrong context

.

and...

The happenings in Zim might be far worse that (sic) enslavement - slaves, at least, get fed every now and then.

At least my grammar is accurate. Besides, I've always liked drama.

As for believing that slavery is better than extreme poverty, I'll allow you the opportunity to reconsider your words. Doubtless, you will choose to repeat the asinine belief that slavery is better than poverty. Go for it.

Oh - and something which interests me more. Something which I have heard far worse things about from Red Cross and Amnesty International workers. I'll give you a little hint.

Genocide in Darfur.

Are you going to accept that this is a more significant issue, or would you rather resolve issues that permit you to bask in the glare of the media? (Oh, I'm being "drammatic" again, better stop!)

Try hiding your "charisma", and actually recognise what is worse. You are not some heroic "knight in shining armour".

[InfiniteNow]

You're off your meds again, aren't you?

[Qfwfq]

Gribbon, quit being annoying.

Boerseun keeps telling you that you are totally missing the point of his thread, either keep on topic or post elsewhere. I agree that there are troubles in other countries, I even agree that slavery has some worse aspects than hunger alone, but that simply and plainly isn't the point. This thread is about Zimbabwe.