Gee- this will be helpful:
A special envoy from the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, arrived in Zimbabwe on Sunday to assess conditions here with international criticism increasing over President Robert Mugabe’s crackdown on shantytowns.
The envoy, Anna Tibaijuka, the executive director of U.N.-Habitat, the United Nations housing agency, will spend several days observing the results of the government campaign that has demolished tens of thousands of homes and shops and left as many as 300,000 people homeless.
Umm. The results are pretty clear. Save your money, Kofi.
Kimmitt
Sometimes, there’s a nail and you don’t have a hammer, so you have to just make it clear that there is a nail.
Stormy70
What is Kofi going to do? Frown severely at him? Every tin pot dictator is laughing their ass off at any proclamation coming from Kofi Annan. South Africa doesn’t mind the way Zimbabwe is being run, and that is all the cover Mugabe needs. Zimbabwe is finished.
Brad R.
Heh. Mugabe’s gotten so bad that even his former apologists at Z Magazine have jumped off the bandwagon…
Flagwaver
Gee, Kimmitt, I like that approach!!! We are totally powerless and unable to effect any positive outcome in Zimbabwe, so let’s show up and (i) demonstrate our cluelessness by having us act like we aren’t aware of what’s going on, and (ii) prove our helplessness. Further erode the credibility (such as it is) of the U.N. Demonstrate one more time that the U.N. is completely feckless.
Is it part of that whole liberal “who cares whether we actually ACCOMPLISH anything – we have good intentions!!” mindset?
Kimmitt
Everybody knows the UN is powerless to do anything other than document.
Flagwaver
Oh, REALLY??? “Everyone knows” the U.N. is powerless, but we were supposed to leave Iraq to the U.N.? OK, whatever. And as far as “documenting” is concerned, what part of Mugabe’s craziness and evil hasn’t been documented to a fare-thee-well by international media (who, as bad as they sometimes are, STILL have much more credibility than the U.N.)??
The U.N. accomplishes jack squat – except to provide an air of legitimacy to thugocracies. It’s usefulness was outlived thirty plus years ago.
ppgaz
What’s come over everybody tonight? Must be the heat.
Stormy, you’ve started sounding testy and irritable like me.
You are supposed to be a calming influence on me.
I’m too tired for any arguments tonight. I guess I’ll have a beer and go to bed.
Stormy70
ppqaz – I have been sadly, provoked! And I’m feeling a little fiesty this morning, too. It’s too early for any libations :( to get me out of it. I’ll try to do better.