Imagine if you could a place where money was of no worth. A place where the money given to you was more valuable as an agent for starting a fire, rather than being able to actually spend it. This is the current status of Zimbabwe, whose inflation rate has reached 1600% according to the BBC. Now exactly what does this mean and who the hell cares?
Inflation is the term used to determine the increase in the amount of money available in the market, without having an increase in services. This is why 2 months ago my fast food dinner bill was 10.78 rather than 11 bucks even now. Stupid inflation. So what does this have to do with Zimbabwe oh Wise Holder of Knowledge?
It means that if any country in the WORLD needed a violent revolution to rid itself of incompetent and corrupt leadership, it is frekin Zimbabwe. I came upon this conclusion as I was interested to know who is second place in the worst economy sweepstakes. The answer didn’t kinda surprise me, it was Iraq,what did was the rate of inflation 40%. Lets repeat this for those not so good at math, Iraq: brink of civil war, terrorist attacks, Iranian influence, Turkey about to invade, inflation at 40%; Zimbabwe is at SIXTEEN HUNDRED PERCENT.
Who in the the hell is in charge of their country’s money? Is it a baboon? You can tell me if it is , in fact it would make me feel better in some strange way. I mean reasonable people can disagree on a variety of subjects, ice cream, religion, what to be for Halloween, if the University of Southern Cal operated by the Devil, but to refute that violent action not be taken against a government this ineptly stupid? Balderdash. (For those keeping score I am still unfamiliar with the type of language that will get me censored hence the old people speak)
Many will say, that is Africa. The history of the Continent has not been exactly the best when it comes to public relations, as all we hear about are famines, pestilence, revolutions and genocides. You are correct ladies and gentlemen, but it was not always so for Zimbabwe. Well for Zimbabwe maybe but not what it used to be called was Rhodesia. A colony that the Brits were really looking forward to keeping and making it a success.
To be sure their were problems of social unrest though not as serious as the country of South Africa with the Apartheid, but there were enough to cause concerns since the White Minority held all the power and money. So it came to be that Rhodesia became splintered into two countries North became Zambia and the South became Zimbabwe. This of course skips over the White Minority Government putting down democratickish uprisings. Some of which were legitimate, while others not so much.
So it was that in the year 1980 Zimbabwe became a country under the once rebel leader and now Executive President Robert Mugabe. Hailed as a hero for his freedom fighting/insurgent campaign depending on how you look at it, he became “responsible” for the citizens of the newly formed country. Instead he saw that the white minority, while without political power still held the financial reigns. While we can agree social reforms are indeed necessary they must be taken with responsible and good natured intentions that are fair to those who need help and those you are “taking” the help from.
Mugabe’s policy was, whites have the farm land which makes them rich, kill or force them away and then my people will then be rich. Problem solved. Except not really if you give it to people who don’t know what in the hell they are doing with the farmland. Not to mention the fact that the rest of the International Community would have a problem with such a ridiculous and short minded policy. What had happened is the economy went into the tank and what had been known as the “Breadbasket of Africa” is now known as the Happiest Place on Earth.
