By guest contributor: A Son of ZimbabweIt is worth comparing the events in Zimbabwe with those recently seen in Gaza.
For every person killed in Gaza by shellfire, more than two were killed in Zimbabwe by cholera.
Cholera does not come out of nowhere: It is not a natural disaster: it is not an act of God. Cholera is caused. The cause is well known. Not only that, but the cure is known – and the cure is the easiest and cheapest of any dangerous infective disease. It is cured by administering water, sugar and salt. Even if an antibiotic is used (and that is not essential) the appropriate antibiotic is the oldest, cheapest and most available of all mankind’s current weapons of medical defence.
Not one person should die of cholera. Further, not one person in Zimbabwe, given the protective infrastructure created by the colonists, should ever have become infected with cholera. Cholera was virtually non-existent during colonial rule.
Therefore those people who are dying of cholera are being killed by a policy designed to keep a minority in power and in wealth. Equally they were killed by the failure of the West to intervene. Where was Condoleezza Rice? Where was Gordon Brown? Where was Sarkosy? Where was Mubarak? Still worse, where were those who spewed the outraged public opinion which prompted the politicians to respond in Gaza? Western intervention could have been non-military. It could have been rapid and would have cost little.
The people of Zimbabwe are being killed at this moment by the inertia of those who so self-righteously bleat criticisms at Israel for trying to solve the problem of protecting their people from a small, fanatical minority. They are being killed by those politicians from the West who chose to prance on those stages which give them the best political kudos.
Gaza has been temporarily solved.
Zimbabweans continue to die horrible, lingering deaths: Deaths caused by a ruthlessly indifferent regime. Compare that with the regret and compassionate assistance offered by Israel to those in Gaza. But also it is caused by those who are in a position to act, but turn away. When will you notice your stains of shame, you pompous western politician?
And the coldly planned executions by the torture or political and commercial assassination of Zimbabweans are not even addressed in these numbers.
For every person killed in Gaza by shellfire, more than two were killed in Zimbabwe by cholera.
Cholera does not come out of nowhere: It is not a natural disaster: it is not an act of God. Cholera is caused. The cause is well known. Not only that, but the cure is known – and the cure is the easiest and cheapest of any dangerous infective disease. It is cured by administering water, sugar and salt. Even if an antibiotic is used (and that is not essential) the appropriate antibiotic is the oldest, cheapest and most available of all mankind’s current weapons of medical defence.
Not one person should die of cholera. Further, not one person in Zimbabwe, given the protective infrastructure created by the colonists, should ever have become infected with cholera. Cholera was virtually non-existent during colonial rule.
Therefore those people who are dying of cholera are being killed by a policy designed to keep a minority in power and in wealth. Equally they were killed by the failure of the West to intervene. Where was Condoleezza Rice? Where was Gordon Brown? Where was Sarkosy? Where was Mubarak? Still worse, where were those who spewed the outraged public opinion which prompted the politicians to respond in Gaza? Western intervention could have been non-military. It could have been rapid and would have cost little.
The people of Zimbabwe are being killed at this moment by the inertia of those who so self-righteously bleat criticisms at Israel for trying to solve the problem of protecting their people from a small, fanatical minority. They are being killed by those politicians from the West who chose to prance on those stages which give them the best political kudos.
Gaza has been temporarily solved.
Zimbabweans continue to die horrible, lingering deaths: Deaths caused by a ruthlessly indifferent regime. Compare that with the regret and compassionate assistance offered by Israel to those in Gaza. But also it is caused by those who are in a position to act, but turn away. When will you notice your stains of shame, you pompous western politician?
And the coldly planned executions by the torture or political and commercial assassination of Zimbabweans are not even addressed in these numbers.
6 comments:
Robert Mugabe
As an American, I look at Zimbabwe and South Africa and simply shudder when I think of the person recently installed in the White House. We are headed down the prim rose path, I think, and we are totally blind.
There is a little cause for encouragement in that a few people are beginning to wake up, but our system does not allow much flexibility, and we are stuck for a very long time. Extreme damage will be done before we can root this evil man out of office, and we may look much like Zimbabwe by that time.
Excellent set of posts today,Sarah, thank you. Have bookmarked them all. Didn't know about the cholera cure, most enlightening.
Posting again so I receive email notification.
Stop pressing my "white guilt" button, it's broken.
Remeber "Pamberi ne Jongwe, pasi na Smith". "Pamberi ne Hondo, Pamberi ne Mugabe, Pasi na Rhodesia, Viva!!!! Viva!! Viva,!!!! while spastically jerking around and ululating hysterically like demented banshees at your "Freedom" in 1980 when Mugabe "Swept" to power on a rigged election formulated and implemented in Britian at Lancaster house and fully endorsed by foremeost the BBC?
Zimbawe and all it's ills is self-inflicted - you wanted Mugabe, you have him, deal with it.
Actually it's a bit academic really because Zimbabwe is now a Chinese colony, just like Ian Smith and the Rhodesians said it would become after it was handed over to communist terrorists like Mugabe and his ZANU-PF.
The question is, one has to ask what the implications are for the rest of the world in a global recession of Chinese control of the last largely underutilised natural resources and staggering mineral wealth of Southern Africa courtesy of their bosom buddies, Nelson Mandela's ANC and Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF
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