It says much about the state of African politics, and the credibility of the United Nations (UN), that Francis Nhema, Zimbabwe’s minister for environment and tourism, was elected last Saturday to head the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.
Evidently it doesn’t matter that Nhema belongs to a government that has effectively destroyed the agricultural base of a once proud farming nation.
When I visited in 1991, Zimbabwe also had huge and healthy elephant population and well managed national parks.
I don’t know how the elephant population is holding-up, but there is apparently an acute food shortage now, rationing of electricity, and official inflation is running at about 2,200 percent annually.
If the UN Commission needed to be headed by an African – I might have nominated someone from South Africa. What were the Africans thinking when they nominated Nhema from Zimbabwe?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Jennifer,
I can tell you exactly what they were thinking. They, like greenies everywhere, insist on having someone “independent” in charge of rendering judgment.
In the case of engineered crops, for instance, the greenies will only lend credence to those who studied something unrelated in college, or who tried to work in the field and were fired for incompetence.
Failing to put together a thriving, self-regulated economy is, of course, the gold standard for being “independent” of pernicious notions of capitalism, free markets, or private enterprise.
If you look real close, you’ll see that Zimbabwe is more “independent” of anything at all.
They’re perfect!
It does not say much for the UN does it!
In the film “A Fish Like Wanda” I think the CIA man (Kevin Kostner?) was, at the end, appointed as South Africa’s Minister for Justice. Gilbert and Sullivan have much to answer for.
Everybody is down on Zimbabwe; I bet they have achieved a zero carbon footprint!
The IMF is forecasting inflation in Zimbabwe of more than 6000% in 2008. Ouch.
I think Ayn Rand had a fair bit to say about this in “Atlas Shrugged” where only the “disinterested” were deemed capable of making important policy decisions.
But of course, much closer to home, it is widely recognised in the forestry millieu that the people who are absolutely hopeless at managing operations on the ground will, almost inevitably, find their way to the departmental policy section where, the theory goes, they can do the least damage.
Well, that was the theory, but a decade later there is no other industry that has had it’s but kicked more thoroughly than forestry and much of the blame rests squarely with those who have held themselves out as “representatives” and “wise counsel”. That these simpletons could not punch large holes through the semi-coherent drivel of Keto and Angel beggars belief.
And now we have our forests being managed by the last people who could be trusted with a valuable natural asset, the greens.
The irony is that any farmer who has suggested that we in Australia are headed down the Zimbabwe road is howled down as an extremist. But just remember, Mugabe owes his ascendency to none other than Malcolm Fraser who dappled in a bit of foreign policy posturing at the expense of the old regime. And the major change during the Mugabe years has been the erosion of property rights and personal liberties. Lost after a thousand small cuts.
But who is “John Galt”?
‘Mugabe owes his ascendency’ – Ian
Absolute tosh Motty, Mugabe owes his ascendancy to being a more succesful terrorist warlord (based on the Shona tribe comprising approx. 70% of Zimbabwe’s population) than his rivalss such as Joshua Nkomo. Mugabe merely followed the usual route of turning initial democratic election into dictatorship at the earliest opportunity..
If Zimbabwe is elected to this role in the UN (and there has been fierce opposition) then it is because the UN is a democratic organisation and African countries who have a majority in this area are apparently desperate to try to help the Zimbabwean people by stopping Zimbabwe completely disintergrating as a state; therefore (possibly mistakenly) they are trying to give Zimbabwe a role in the UN that ensures the rest of the UN will have to care what happens in Zimbabwe, rather than attempting to sweep its problems under the carpet like Sudan.
Much of Africa is stuck in Medieval-style feudalism, where warfare, rather than voting, determines governance.
It took a long time for Europe to move from the Middle ages, through a Renaissance, into an Enlightenment, thence into industrialism, and from there into the decadent Romanticism and nature-worship that gave birth to xenophobia and fascism, and then grudging accession to free trade and a global mercantile economy.
Even someone as optimistic as I about the human spirit and the potential of ingenuity and ambition couldn’t hardly believe Africa can move through this much development in even two generations.
‘Even someone as optimistic as I about the human spirit and the potential of ingenuity and ambition couldn’t hardly believe Africa can move through this much development in even two generations’ – Schiller
Yet Thurkettle also continually suggests its all a greenie plot against Africa… Which would imply he is still stuck in the age of ‘xenophobia and fascism’..not to mention being economical with the truth…
Bring Robert Mugabe to Australia as our next Governor-General (give him a knighthood too). He may consider our ways and be wise. Send Kevin Rudd to Zimbabwe to demonstrate his economic management skills. Send John Howard to a Middle Eastern country to impose democracy and the rule of law. Send Bob Brown to the United Nations to solve global warming and the Darfur crisis. There, that’s all sorted out. Next problem?
Lamna Nasus, you appear to be ignorant of the role of CHOGM in undermining the position of the Smith regime. Mal Fraser took a leading role in establishing and maintaining Commonwealth sanctions against the Rhodesians and it was this continued pressure that gifted victory to Mugabe.
Insiders already knew perfectly well what sort of regime he would produce and this was a major motivator of Rhodesian persistence in a war they were actually winning. But Fraser, either unwittingly or deliberately, continued to portray Mugabe to the world as some sort of moderate social democrat.
The facts speak for themselves.
You all seem to hold the absolute answers. Shriller reckons the US world police is not complicit in any African problems or any other international affairs. Next he’ll tell us that externally imposed nation states helped African countries move from feudalism towards modern development. You’re all wrong. Someone honest & decent from Aust, eg AWB, should have been appointed instead.
Pinxi,
Nice comment. Now tell us how it’s bright, smart, well-advised to appoint Zimbabwe’s minister for environment and tourism to head the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.
‘undermining the position of the Smith regime.’ – Ian
Motty are you promoting apartheid as a form of government?…
Neat attempt at a sidestep, Lamna, but no, there is not the slightest hint that I am promoting apartheid. What I am pointing out is that there is an obligation on the part of of anyone involved in promoting change to ensure that those changes are beneficial.
Zimbabwe is another case of the 1st world making high profile moralistic judgements and then walking away from their duty of care to the Zimbawean people.
Was this harm reasonably foreseeable? Yes.
Were reasonable and practical steps taken to minimise this harm? No.
Whitlam did it in Timor, Fraser did it in Zimbabwe.
‘1st world making high profile moralistic judgements and then walking away from their duty of care to the Zimbawean people.’ – Ian
Paternalistic Aryan nonsense Motty.
If exercising a duty of care to the Zimbabwean people amounts to Aryan paternalism, then the option is clear: Zimbabwe should have no place among civilized nations, and certainly not in a responsible position with the United Nations. We should, indeed, walk away.
Or perhaps we should even take pains to preserve their quaint folkways and forms of government; sort of like preserving biodiversity, only it’s politicodiversity.
On the other hand, if we’re going to allow these people to take part in civilized matters, and truly believe it is better to be civilized than not, then we have a duty to help those in need.
I fully realize that there are many who are against civilization–they work tirelessly against anything which appears to have progressed beyond the state of the art in Europe ca. 1200 a.d.
People who prefer a more general well-being aren’t necessarily Aryan paternalists.
But Lamna, if you truly believe what you say, I suggest you give up your internet connection and go live in Zimbabwe.
I have heard that Robert Mugabe is about to publish a book linking inflation in his country to Global Warming. He offers the clear negative correlation between rising Zimbabwe inflation and declining rainfall in Australia as proof. He is delaying publication until the rainfall trend in Australia becomes clearer. If the El Nino cycle is over for now, and rainfall rises again, he may predict a corresponding fall in Zimbabwe inflation. I expect he will get the Nobel Prize in economics, the Field Medal for statistics, and a few honorary doctorates in climate science to boot. If he doesn’t get them from the usual sources, he will award them to himself. Remember Field Marshall Dr. Idi Amin Dada VC, DSO etc? Hear and tremble ye unbelievers. Ex Africa semper aliquid novi.
‘if we’re going to allow these people to take part in civilized matters’ – Ian
‘allow these people’ Motty?…Typing with that pillowcase over your head again?
Apologies to Ian my last post should have been aimed at Thurkettle
A good read on the UN’s appointments and consequences:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21770727-7583,00.html
cheers
Arnost