Sooo, we try do we, does that mean we are closet racists or are we struggling with our inner id, how can I be a racist when one of my best mates is a Taff, surely you can now see my benevolent inner tolerance to lesser mortals

no id problems/inner demons here- I think the gist of it all is that with all the incredible evil surrounding especially zim and response by neighbouring states (Botswana excluded), one could be forgiven for erring/ having thoughts on the side of prejudice- we are after all only human. Closet racist...nah- that's even more evil.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...439749,00.html

Anyway - back in the real world for a sec... What are they going to do? Force the invading troops to drink the water?

Not the real world. This is the fantasy world of Mugabe's bunker.

But not a revolver in sight. Sadly.

So how's it going to end? I can only see it finishing when Bob gets carried out in a box - although even then they'll probably prop up his corpse to make it look like he's alive (like Kim Jong Il in North Korea!)

What would be the African solution to the African problem? 'cos I have no idea...

A bloodbath, I expect. That's the usual African solution anyway. I was one of the fools who thought, in 1980, that "this time it will be different". More fool me.

seriously? it would be all over in a week tops, probably less. This is a government full of cowards.

What are they going to do?- actually I wouldn't speculate- it may give them ideas.

The only 20/20 vision is hindsight. Problem is, countries seem incapable of learning from history's mistakes. If you take a look at the way SA is (slowly) heading - with a man of dubious integrity taking control and seeking to change the consititution to give himself and the party absolute power you can't help but think we have heard this song before.

The only good news is that COPE have just recruited their 500,000th member - all inside a month. Without heralding the saviour of democracy just yet, they do seem to have their heads slightly more screwed on than the current lot, and a groundswell of support which is based around the anti-JZ ticket. It just shows that you can't appear to fool all of the people all of the time - and I just hope it makes the ANC stop and think...my glass is still just over half full (though emptying daily!)....

Yes, though of course countries don't learn, and history doesn't make mistakes. People do. I say this not to be awkward, but because I think this kind of abstraction is part of the modernist problem.

Well, we'll see. It won't be hard for Zuma or some other lowlife populist to play the masses-against-the-fatcats card, however, and at the same time promise undeliverable goodies to whomever votes for him. Each time, when it comes to Africa, I think "surely it can't go lower than this" and then, somehow, it happens.

True - though I was making the point that it seems to be a problem at a populous level rather than an individual one, that's all. We (and I use the term to encompass the electorate as a whole) elect these half-wits - and have the power to remove them once they start going South (pun intended) -if we have the balls to do so. I still think a big enough demonstration in Zim with enough marchers heading towards the palace in Harare will have RM legging it out the back door with his pockets stuffed full of cash.

As was said earlier - it's a government full of cowards.

I personally think SA is playing a very good game of Expansionism.

That there will be a civil war on the border is a matter of when,

At which point,SA, at the request of the UN and SADEC will put their hard earned knowledge Gained as peace Keepers in the DRC and other places, into practice and go in to restore the peace.

Bob will be allowed to go into exile on his estate in the Cape, the ANC will establish a puppet,the western Aid will flood in and be distributed by?? Guess who will have their hands in the Till?

everytime someone suggests that Sa troops should leave, they will create a quick massacre or unrest that justifies their staying,

Mocambique is next as it now has the only thing SA does'nt have in any quantity, Natural gas.

that's an interesting angle- agree with the 'puppet-string government' idea- its why Mbeki tried his best to get Makoni in position in time- but failed.

I can't help thinking that the Mbeki-Mugabe allegiance is more basic than this -- based on their rather bizarre Leninist past, plus the usual liberation struggle and black brothers nonsense. I don't think SA has benefited from Mugabe's continued rule. As I say, the calculation, such as it was, was on a more basic level than some grand semi-imperialist political scheme.

As for Makoni, that would have stitched up Tsvangerai good and proper, and both Mugabe and (I suspect) Mbeki wanted this.

Also, I think there's some truth in the oft-stated view that SA does not want to be seen throwing its weight around in Africa.

yes it could be as basic as mugabe having alot of dirt on everyone- why else would he be able to outlast the inevitable?- perhaps his generals have threatened some form of armageddon on the region...who knows.

SA definitely wants to control as much of the southern region as possible and if its true that they are not to be seen as expansionist, then it follows that to 'stabilise' or control the entire region, they need a gameplan involving all the right actors. Morgan (as we all know) is not one of them. While Mugabe may be a problem now, they have failed to get his replacement in on time and Morgan is spoiling the party.

Its common knowledge that Mbeki has a chip on his shoulder about lack of successful 'black' states. The foreign policy of the ANC must be to 'stabilise' and 'control' the entire region.

Do you chaps, and I am expecting you to be educated and traveled, street wise blokes, that understand who ever gets into power in Zim is not going to make the price of property rise, am I missing something here.
If they get spices imported there they will use them to season each other for god sake, look at the last 200 years, does a 3 piece suit make a frigging gentleman, OK, sorry, take a look at Yugoslavia, and ****ing Germany.
A savage will remain a savage, and that by the way includes me and my British education because I like to have flush toilets and running water and will fight to keep my crapper in order.

Use it don't use it:th umbup: