http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/23/blogwatch/ now with extra source Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:13:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/07/23/blogwatch/#comment-16420 kes Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-16420 When we were in Zimbabwe 7 years ago inflation was ridiculous, availability of everyday products was almost nil, people were starving and spending their days standing around under trees for shelter, there were squatters in the game parks (there were reports that some families trying to make it on the land were being eaten by lions) and the good people of Zimbabwe were secretly hoping that Mugabe would rob the country blind and p*** off somewhere so they could be rid of him.<br />We were taken through a private game reserve as a short cut to an airfield. It had 4 metre high fences and a thriving population of wild animals there for the shooting by the owner and his friends. The owner was a wealthy oil sheik and rarely used the park unless he had someone to showoff to. <br />We questioned what the world was doing to help these oppressed people. <br />When the coalition of the willing rescued the Iraqi people from the tyranny of Saddam did anyone question if there were others under a greater and more damaging tyrant ??? <br />The middle eastern countries want the west to stay out of their politics so why does the west, when asked, stay out of african politics???<br />But I think back to a story told by "Promise" a Zimbabwean concierge, while waiting for a taxi out. <br />He told of the clever monkeys were able to break into people's homes and eat their food. The monkeys had learned to open fridges and even to unlatch bolts to get at the goodies.<br />The most memorable bit was the story about the monkey who stole and drank 2 litres of oil.<br />I guess Zimbabwean people will always be at the mercy of monkeys whose only interest is oil. When we were in Zimbabwe 7 years ago inflation was ridiculous, availability of everyday products was almost nil, people were starving and spending their days standing around under trees for shelter, there were squatters in the game parks (there were reports that some families trying to make it on the land were being eaten by lions) and the good people of Zimbabwe were secretly hoping that Mugabe would rob the country blind and p*** off somewhere so they could be rid of him.
We were taken through a private game reserve as a short cut to an airfield. It had 4 metre high fences and a thriving population of wild animals there for the shooting by the owner and his friends. The owner was a wealthy oil sheik and rarely used the park unless he had someone to showoff to.
We questioned what the world was doing to help these oppressed people.
When the coalition of the willing rescued the Iraqi people from the tyranny of Saddam did anyone question if there were others under a greater and more damaging tyrant ???
The middle eastern countries want the west to stay out of their politics so why does the west, when asked, stay out of african politics???
But I think back to a story told by “Promise” a Zimbabwean concierge, while waiting for a taxi out.
He told of the clever monkeys were able to break into people’s homes and eat their food. The monkeys had learned to open fridges and even to unlatch bolts to get at the goodies.
The most memorable bit was the story about the monkey who stole and drank 2 litres of oil.
I guess Zimbabwean people will always be at the mercy of monkeys whose only interest is oil.

]]>