 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 2008
by Michael Ledeen
by Michael Ledeen
by Michael Ledeen Michael Ledeen takes a fresh look at Tocqueville’s insights into our national psyche and asks whether Americans’ national character, which Tocqueville believed to be wholly admirable, has fallen into moral decay and religious indifference. by Michael Ledeen American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Ledeen offers an updated version of the rules for leadership laid down by Machiavelli. Its the nature of humans to do evil, and war is our natural state. Anyone who would wield power in such a setting, writes Ledeen, echoing Machiavelli, “must be prepared to fight at all times.” This is as true in business, sports, and politics as it is on the battlefield.
by Michael Ledeen With the skill of a born storyteller, Michael Ledeen weaves together key moments in the fall of communism. His insider’s knowledge of the interplay of complex personalities and Byzantine strategies makes a compelling narrative, one enlivened by his wry wit and flair for the dramatic. In this call to embrace the worldwide democratic revolution, the author argues that global democracy should be the centerpiece of U.S. strategy. |
March 31, 2008 5:15 PM
The Death of ZimbabweAmong the many miseries of life, few match the horror of Zimbabwe. Ruled by a crackpot kleptocrat who covers his oppression with anti-colonial and often racist rhetoric, this once wonderful country is up to its nostrils in the muck of doom. Once upon a time I spent more than a week there, with tobacco farmers who were being driven off their land so that friends and relatives of the tyrant could move in. These good farmers had created a wonderful program to train young blacks, and then give them land, once they had mastered the business. Both the farmers and their young proteges have been wiped out; the farmers have scattered as far away as Tasmania, God only knows what has happened to the poor kids. Here follows a first-hand report from inside the Hell that is Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Here and there, the “Western World” clicks its tongue, but does nothing more. If the West were worthy of its name, it would have—long since—supported the suffering people of Zimbabwe, whose entrepreneurial and artistic energies are legendary. But no. In part because of post-colonial guilt, in part because of the fear of being accused of racism, in part because the West has lost its vocation to support freedom, nothing happens. Just as nothing happens in Darfur, and nothing happens in Iran. Until the muck starts sucking us down, we will say to ourselves, “it’s their problem, after all, who are we to tell them what to do?” and we will intone, “let diplomacy handle it.” Now they’ve held “elections.” It sure looked bad for Mugabe. But now the “official” numbers are coming in, and guess what? He looks to be the winner after all. So here’s the report. I’ve removed the author’s name, and the name of a person who sent an email to my friend. Read it and weep: Yesterday¹s optimism was, of course, uncalled for. Early this morning, the election commission began announcing the results of For most of the day, the MDC and ZANU-PF seemed to be tied after every round Who knows? All that is clear is that the official results are markedly Even more alarming is that when you listen carefully to these ³official² People here in the heart of opposition territory are stunned and dismayed. But the streets are utterly calm and there has been no call to arms by the Comments (13)Peter Bowers :Michael Lonie :Condi is off telling the Palestinian Arabs that she feels their pain on account of growing up in the South. Any similarity is delusional. Were the blacks there making suicide bomb and rocket attacks on the whites in the early sixties, aiming at genocide, as the Palestinians are? That wasn't the way I heard about the Civil Rights Movement. Doing something about Zimbabwe, or Darfur, or most of the other hellholes around the world would take a war, smaller or larger, but still a war. It took a ten year commitment of US troops just to stop the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. It will take real fighting to stop these other problems. Mugabe and his consiglieri aren't willing to go peacefully. Who is willing to do it? A few thousand troops willing to fight might have stopped the genocide in Rwanda, but who was willing to put them there; nobody. The troops who were there, under UN orders, were ordered not to fight. It might cause casualties dontcherknow. We gave diplomacy a try at stopping the killing and enslavement going on in the Southern Sudan. It worked, but only after 21 years. By that measure diplomacy still has about 16 years to go in Darfur. So the UN is futile and diplomacy is futile and only a robust military response is realistic, but nobody is willing to do the fighting. Before you can keep the peace you have to make it. As long as the people who want a better world are unwilling to use the necessary violence to accomplish the ends they want in the humanitarian field their desire for a better world is futile. And as long as nobody is willing to fight to establish something better nothing better will be established. And the one nation that might have led such fights, the USA, is the one the international bien pensants hold in utter contempt and hatred, as the obstacle to their delusional dreams of world government. And Americans are fed up both with trying to make a better world and getting EFDs in response, and of the contempt of the supposedly sophisticated European and international elites. a Duoist :The ZANU-PF government of Zimbabwe is Stalinist, complete with Central Committee and Politburo. It's best friends internationally are North Korea, China, and Venezuela. North Korea is now 90 days overdue on its report of all nuclear activities, and fired a barrage of short range missles just last week at South Korean criticism of its human rights; China holds 1.2 trillion dollars of U.S. government debt, propping up the dollar by buying another billion dollars of our debt every single day; Venezuela supplies a substantial amount of America's energy imports. Just how would an American foreign policy help Zimbabwean freedom, but not strain more important relationships elsewhere? Zimbabwe is a failed state; has been, for at least seven years. 80% unemployed, 20% have fled the country, 25% of those who remain are stricken with HIV; inflation at 100,000%, and climbing daily. Zimbabwe is another Stalinist socialist paradise, where the local American ambassador--as in all repressive countries--has not a single book in the embassy library on the Philosophy of Human Rights to lend to curious citizens. Freedom is checkmated in Zimbabwe, by the local love for socialism ending apartheid (the alternative political party, the MDC, also supports private property expropriation), and by the lack of any international program detailing the overwhelming positive correlation worldwide between levels of national prosperity and the nation's level of human rights. When Stalin died, millions of adoring Russians wept. The Berlin Wall never fell while Stalin was in power, and Zimbabwe will never be free so long as Robert Mugabe rules...unless Zimbabweans decide to stage a 'regime change' in socialist ideology for a freedom philosophy. ML: I think most Zimbabweans voted against Mugabe. Most Soviets would have voted for Stalin. Dontcha think? David Thomson :Zimbabwe is doomed because so many Westerners are afraid of being charged with racism if they dare oppose Robert Mugabe. This is same reason why "Barry" Obama is a major presidential candidate in our own country. Could there possibly be other reasons? Yes, but they are at best of secondary importance. Mugabe is perceived to be an "authentic" black and therefore speaks on behalf of the victims of imperialistic exploitation. End of story. ML: That is undoubtedly a part of it, but I cannot think of any case in the world right now where the Europeans are in favor of fighting for freedom vs tyranny. Amphipolis :Done nothing? I am disgusted. How many times do I argue with liberals over all the times America has intervened (they ignore European actions), each one of which they consider a criminal act? They recount every one in the last 200 years. Even Somalia has been cited to me. No. If we still get blasted for Haiti (if you hadn't intervened they would not be like that), I say let Zimbabwe rot. I am not interested in being punished for doing good yet again. I can hear it now - America out of Zimbabwe, no national interest, dollars better spent on insurance for children, you violated a sovereign country, Mugabe wasn't that bad, another grim tally of the dead, we had no exit plan, unilateralism, made America less safe, why didn't we invade North Korea, exaggerated civilian dead, exaggerated expense, empire building, Haliburton, just talk to them and everything will be OK. ML: Didn't somebody say life was unfair? Even citizens of the hyperpower feel victimized... Yikes :Yes, it's frustrating that the west hasn't gotten involved more, but what about Zimbabwe's neighbor countries? What about S. Africa? The neighbors are sitting around watching the death & destruction - indeed aiding Mugabe. Eventually, they turn away and ignore what is happening next door, and the U.N. or U.S. finally has to get involved. It's like the euros and Yugoslavia again. ML: Well South Africa is busily installing its own Mugabe, and the dominant legend in sub Saharan Africa is the glorious revolution against colonialism. Other Africans aren't going to save them. Smarty :We should have been air-dropping arms instead of food aid. And on an ironic note: How is black African quality of life now, with black rule? Oh yeah, we aren't allowed to ask that question. Sam :The absolute best thing to do now is assassination of Mugabe. Sheila :I was very lucky, 8 years ago, to spend 17 days in Zimbabwe. It was a fabulous holiday. That was just before it became too dangerous for white people. The people were wonderful and welcoming. There was faboulous beauty and terrible poverty. However, I understand that the poverty that we saw is nothing like the horrors of today. When I lived in Australia I was friends with a (white) girl originally from Zimbabwe. Her family had moved to South Africa, although her grandmother remained in Zimbabwe. At the last election, in 2003 I think it was, this friend told me stories of how white voters - including her 80-something grandmother - were left to queue for upwards of 4 hours and then told that voting was over. Essentialyl Mugabe had disenfranchised at least 1% of the population - not an insignificant number when the results are close. How many have been denied a vote this time? Rhodesian :Thanks to Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young, his UN Ambassador, we got Mugabe. Nobody seems to understand that Mugabe built NOTHING. He was handed a prosperous, vigorous, developed, industrialized, electrified, educated country. Black and white Rhodesians, tired fo the war, became Zimbabweans and simply got on with it. We are very good at "getting on with it" in Africa. This Marxist thug murdered, mutilated, bayoneted, burned, shot, stabbed and beat black and white Rhodesians all the way to running the country. What he has done in the last 8 years is tame compared to the atrocities as the Liberation Struggle leader. And now a once racially peaceful and well run outpost is a Marxist hell hole. You can thank the American and Euro left for supporting this bastard. rufes :Amazing to what lengths liberals in the West went to get rid of Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia, 2 states which were flourishing against the general trend in Africa. And now that the results of their handiwork are there for all to see, the liberals are wilfully ignoring it and looking for other playing grounds. ML: On the other hand, I am surprised and pleased that the South Africans are clearly and publicly telling Mugabe--and the army--that they have to honor the electoral results. turns out the opposition won, even with all the, uh, 'miscounts...' winston :Is there any chance the US would overturn the law banning foreign leaders' assassination? It'd prevent wars if democratic countries such as US could assassinate likes of Saddam, Mugabe or Khamenei. You know.... ML: My understanding is that the ban on assassination was lifted shortly after 9/11. Michael Lonie :Rhodesian, What caught my eye was a small elaboration of the story. It seems he was one of 12 men being promoted to officer rank. The other 11 were black Africans. All we ever heard about Rhodesia was the good Africans fighting against the bad Whites. Now here was evidence that at least some Africans were fighting on the government side. Plus the White Minority Government (as it was always called) trusted them enough and was willing enough to promote them to officer rank. Why? The paper did not say. There was no elaboration to explain what was a contradiction of the whole narrative of the war in the West. The point was of no interest to them. But to me it was a revelation: there was something going on that the news reports were not telling us. They were hiding facts in order to shape our perceptions of the world to their liking. From then on I have been suspicious of the MSM. Comments have been archived for this page. |
Pajamas MediaBig Fat Brother Is Watching Your Calorie Count Obamessiah Hits the Holy Land Hurricane Dolly Slows, Deepens, About to Hit Texas Shocked Serbians Celebrate Karadzic’s Capture The Dark Knight — Not Just Another Superhero Movie Colorblind Equality: A Winning Issue for McCain? The Media and Obama: Reporters or Flunkies? John Edwards in a Feydeau Farce at the Beverly Hilton
Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers
Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers
RSS FeedsADVERTISEMENT
|
digg this
del.icio.us
Where is the UN in this latest run for freedom by an African populous? no where, apparently. I have been reading John Bolton's book on his experience as US Ambassador to the UN. His observation on the failure to act in Africa by that organization is, once again, being played out. Where is our Secretary of State, Conde Rice, in speaking out on the developing situation? Moaning over perceived heritage discrimination?
Mar 31, 2008 08:34 PM