www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4242895.ece

So now we have it. This bunch of scoundrels, mass murderers and cannibals headed by the wonderfully named Omar Bongo, President for the last forty one years of that haven of peace and democracy, Gabon, welcomed the archetype of African villainy as a "hero".
No wonder all but the most deluded of Guardianistas think Africa is a lost cause.

Levenax wrote:
So now we have it. This bunch of scoundrels, mass murderers and cannibals headed by the wonderfully named Omar Bongo, President for the last forty one years of that haven of peace and democracy, Gabon, welcomed the archetype of African villainy as a "hero".
No wonder all but the most deluded of Guardianistas think Africa is a lost cause.

In any human form, there is an anus. Always has been, always will be. It appears that fact also rings true when there is a gathering of people, there's always one arse. You cannot condemn the rest because he farts the loudest.

No wonder all but the most deluded of Guardianistas think Africa is a lost cause.
Alas the fellow travellers of Ian Smith were determined from the start that, if they could not continue to live the life of racial supremacists in Africa, they would ensure that it would end up as a lost cause. That's why they left Robert Gabriel Mugabe in charge, so that they could turn round and say 'We told you so.'

Robin T Cox wrote:
No wonder all but the most deluded of Guardianistas think Africa is a lost cause.
Alas the fellow travellers of Ian Smith were determined from the start that, if they could not continue to live the life of racial supremacists in Africa, they would ensure that it would end up as a lost cause. That's why they left Robert Gabriel Mugabe in charge, so that they could turn round and say 'We told you so.'

It was that malignant clown Carrington that let Mugabe take over Rhodesia. Mugabe said at the time that he intended to run a one party state so it was quite obvious what was going to happen.

It appears Botswana's representatives have publicly stated that they want Zimbabwe kicked out of the African Union.

Less encouraging was the remarks of Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba, who said of western Governments "They can go and hang. They can go and hang a thousand times"

Still, some showing of courage from the AU, let's see how things develop.

Levenax wrote:

So now we have it. This bunch of scoundrels, mass murderers and cannibals headed by the wonderfully named Omar Bongo, President for the last forty one years of that haven of peace and democracy, Gabon, welcomed the archetype of African villainy as a "hero".
No wonder all but the most deluded of Guardianistas think Africa is a lost cause.[/quote]

Yeah Lev its so easy to blame the whole continent and all its people for the state its in BUT ask yourself who benefits from the corruption?

Who pays the dictators their obscene wealth and turns a blind eye to what they do with it?

Whose banks are the ungodly profits stolen from the people stashed in? (This is why I have serious qualms about the Swiss banks and their cosy anti-foreigner racisms).
Which companies routinely trade with these despots and arm the thugs?

Which countries are the largest arms exporters? Which countries have economies which are heavily reliant on the arms (AKA the death) industry?

Which countries use Nigerian oil, Congolese minerals, Blood diamonds etc?

Get off your high horse mate we are all complicit in the tragedy that is Africa and it at best self-delusion and at worst callous, self-serving hypocritical greed that sees the victims as being to blame.

Bananaman wrote:
Yeah Lev its so easy to blame the whole continent and all its people for the state its in BUT ask yourself who benefits from the corruption?

Who pays the dictators their obscene wealth and turns a blind eye to what they do with it?

Whose banks are the ungodly profits stolen from the people stashed in? (This is why I have serious qualms about the Swiss banks and their cosy anti-foreigner racisms).
Which companies routinely trade with these despots and arm the thugs?

Which countries are the largest arms exporters? Which countries have economies which are heavily reliant on the arms (AKA the death) industry?

Which countries use Nigerian oil, Congolese minerals, Blood diamonds etc?

Get off your high horse mate we are all complicit in the tragedy that is Africa and it at best self-delusion and at worst callous, self-serving hypocritical greed that sees the victims as being to blame.

I don't blame the people. They are the victims of the African tribal system that has adapted itself wonderfully well to the decolonialisaation that the 20th century brought. The dictators pay themselves from the £B we send in aid. As I've pointed out before every time charities make a huge effort to raise money for Africa the sales execs of Learjet, Augusta/Westland, Boeing and Mercedes jump for joy because they know orders for dictators toys will be in the next email. The continent's resources are being squandered on the grotesque excesses of people like King Mswati III of Swaziland who recently bought a brand new top of the range Mercedes for each of his ten (yes that is 10) wives and a new Boeing 767 for himself. That lot cost the year's entire health budget - but hey a guy's gotta act like a King.
African leaders' Swiss Bank accounts hold enough stolen money to pay off the debt of the entire continent and feed the population for the next five years. I blame the corrupt Swiss Government for colluding in this abomination.