Can’t be my fault, must be yours:

[jrittenhouse]

Zimbabwe is a complex subject, and the complexities have gotten a whole lot rougher on the inhabitants as time passes by.   Europeans under Cecil Rhodes marched in in the ned of the 1800s and took control of the land from the local chiefs, and passed out all sorts of claims to white settlers, who set up solid and profitable ranches and farms all

Comments

[jrittenhouse]

Problem is:
(1) No broad understanding of a democratic political process
(2) No experience of anything resembling same.
(3) Often, political parties are formed from tribal leadership or from the activists who were in charge from independence on, and devolve into One Big Party In Control. Or Tribal Parties trying to jockey for power. Or the army takes over.
(4) It doesn't help if there's something really valuable in the country. Outsiders will throw money and guns into the pot for control of mines and other natural resources. If there's a broadly-based economy, it's harder to do.
(5) Most of the Guys With Guns or the old revolutionaries don't have the first idea as to how to actually run an economy. Or the patience. They're good at siphoning off kickbacks from outside companies coming in for the resources, though - or from outside aid outfits.
(6) Few governments put substantial and continuing aid into helping the little guy. Many accepted Big Projects that were built and fell into ruin because they could pass out a lot of the money for that to their supporters, but few had the moxie to keep low-level general aid going. What's in it for them?
(7) Somalia never had anything anyone really wanted, and a very turbulent clan structure that made feuding Arab tribes look tame. It's never really been united as such.
(8) The Congo is an artificial construct of the Belgian King, and is hopelessly broken up by various feuding tribal groups and kleptocrats working with outsiders. Everyone wants the goodies of places like the Katanga, and nobody knows how to rule anymore.

No broad understanding of a democratic political process

[bigbumble]

This may be true to an extent, but there were recent elections where in all likelihood Mugabe was voted out. Trouble is, Mugabe and his guys with the guns would not accept the results.

An interesting book on land travel through Africa including a good section on Zimbabwe is Paul Theroux's "Dark Star Safari".

Re: No broad understanding of a democratic political process

[jrittenhouse]

I always enjoy Theroux's travel stuff, even though he can be way misanthropic. Thanks for the tip!

Re: No broad understanding of a democratic political process

[jrittenhouse]

Oh, I'm well aware of the elections and posted on same. (Just put in the Zimbabwe tag, probably have to go back and re-tag the posts.) Mugabe needs to go, but the ruling ganks have nowhere to go, really, and the outside countries won't step in.

Part is that some of the Old Revolutionaries in other countries who still control things (see South Africa) are still too chummy with their old fellow 'freedom-fighters' to be able to stomach doing anything about them. Part is that nobody much has the stomach for the fight against the guys with guns still in charge. Lots of wanna-be guerrillas there.