Vote or else
MANIFESTO
The news from Zimbabwe is extremely bad and sad.Residents said they were forced to vote, threatened by violence, arson or roving bands of government supporters searching for those without an ink-stained finger.It's certainly not surprising that this perversion of democracy is occurring. It was, after all, predicted.
Meanwhile, the Bushies continue to sit on their hands.
The United States will bring up the issue of further sanctions against Zimbabwe in the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said [today].This sure is a less aggressive stance than the US took in early 2003 regarding another totalitarian state. But, then, of course, the offending country had oil.
Rice said after a gathering of Group of Eight foreign ministers in Kyoto that there were those in the international community who thought the Security Council should take up sanctions against Zimbabwe.
"We intend to bring up the issue of Zimbabwe in the council and we will see what the council decides to do," she said.
posted by monocle at 6/27/2008 11:57:00 AM
3 Comments:
I'll take Ineffectual Sanctions and Strident Rhetoric for $1000 Alex.
I'd like to ask the small but loyal contingent of readers on this blog to help me out. Has there ever been an instance where the American interest in democracy (as opposed to preventing acquisition of nukes or something like that) was ultimately advanced, or even well-served, by sanctions? Just thinking out loud. Iran? Nope. Cuba? Nope. North Korea? Nope. Anywhere?
Adding that this is all the more true in a situation like Zimbabwe where Mugabe has absolutely no interest in being a member in good-standing of the international community. Or indeed in even providing for the welfare of his people. Sanctions will not affect Mugabe as, I'm quite sure, he'll make sure he and his cohorts live out their dying days in relative comfort. Only his people will suffer.
So what can be done? Knowing little of African politics, I haven't the foggiest idea. But I do know that sanctions are often the default position for the "we don't know what to do but want to look like we are doing something" crowd.
Even more, I love how Rice is so willing to leave the issue to the Security Council and collective action of the international community.
Wish we had followed that course of action before.
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