(Picture Hat Tip: Macduff)
Follow the details, seize property and steal wealth created by others then make huge political payoffs to supporters, rinse and repeat.Sound familiar? Obama is cut from the same cloth as Mugabe. Both are strict doctrinaire Third World Liberationists (From 2010: Obama Liberation Movement)
When Zimbabwe was run by Ian Smith there was never any trouble like this. Somehow Mugabe will try to blame the Whites yet again. But there aren’t any left to take the blame. Zim has huge diamond and uranium mines and the best farm land in Africa. There is no excuse for them to be broke, none.You will see that recurrent theme in many countries in Africa. 50 years of Black rule and they are still a mess, broke unstable and crime ridden. The Black leaders blame Whitey over and over again but never fix the underlying problems.
Zimbabwe Is Down to Its Last $217
There are cash-strapped governments and there are broke governments. And then there’s Zimbabwe, which, after paying last week’s government salaries, has just $217 left in the bank. No, we didn’t forget any zeroes to the end of that figure. Zimbabwe, the country that’s home to some of the world’s largest plutonium and diamond reserves, literally has the same financial standing as a 14-year-old girl after a really good birthday party. The country’s finance minister admitted as much in a press conference on Tuesday. “Last week when we paid civil servants there was $217 [left] in government coffers,” Tendai Biti told reporters. “The government finances are in paralysis state at the present moment. We are failing to meet our targets.”
So it seems. However, Zimbabwe is hardly a stranger to financial hyperbole. The economy started to come apart at the seams in 2000, when President Robert Mugabe seized the land of over 4,000 white-owned farmers, effectively dismantling the country’s agriculture industry. Over the course of the next decade, the country spiraled into an extended period of hyperinflation, the likes of which the world almost never sees. It peaked in August 2008, when inflation reached 11,200,000 percent and economists around the world started to say that the country’s situation was hopeless. Prices were doubling by the day, and the government had to print Z$100 billion notes. The following year, they went ahead and printed Z$100 trillion notes, just before deciding to chop 12 zeroes off of the currency. A new coalition government formed that year and started on the long process of financial recovery, a process that is clearly going to take a little longer.
It’s unclear how the Zimbabwean government is going to get itself out this fiscal mess, but whatever it does, it needs to do it quickly. As Quartz’s Tim Fernholz points out, Zimbabwe is looking at a $104 million bill for its upcoming election. Its government is also dealing with brand new allegations that government officials have been running a corruption ring around the country’s diamond mines. The country obviously desperately needs a major change. “But action against corruption probably won’t come until the end of Mugabe’s reign, and a new constitution coming up for a referendum this spring — presuming the funds can be found — might set up the aging autocrat for another term in power,” writes Fernholz.
Until then, looking for quarters under the couch isn’t going to cut it, so Zimbabwe is doing the only thing it can do. “We will be approaching the international community,” Biti said. You’ll never guess who’s most likely to come to the rescue. Hint: They’re big fans of rare minerals.
More coverage from the African papers:
From 2 000 the seizure of white-owned farms led to chaos in the agriculture sector and the economy shrank by half. In 2008 hyperinflation of 231 000 000% broke the national currency and left millions of people hungry…
…The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims that income from lucrative diamond sales is being expropriated by 88-year-old Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party to boost its campaign for votes. Biti, who is also MDC secretary general, has claimed the treasury received only $40-million from diamonds last year.
The MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said: “The government has no money. The most important thing is that money from diamonds is not being remitted to government coffers. As a result, after payments were made last week, there was only $217 left.”
He added: “The diamond wealth is going to Zanu-PF machinery and its war chest. There is likely to be an economic crash because of the uncertainty of the elections and the possibility of a Zanu-PF victory. Investors really have to pray for an MDC victory.”
Like they say above, look for the Chinese to move right in on this. They will bail out Mugabe with the money that we pay to them to finance OUR debts and gain all of the resources.
FOREIGN HELD DEBT IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
Required reading: Saturday Lecture Series: From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe
Tags: 3rd World Liberation
Hey, with hyperinflation everybody can be a millionaire! Obama’s gonna make is rich! Where’s my ObamaPhone?
Zimbawe will now be a colony of the Neo-Ming Chinese Empire!
Iron Fist wrote:
Obama’s stash!
we borrow money from china, they use what we pay them on that debt to buy out zimbabwe, they take over zim with our money then sell the stuff from zim back to us.
love it.
the blacks have destroyed africa. its time to quit blaming whitey and put on the big boy pants and fix your stinking countries.
@ coldwarrior:
Yes, it is amazing how so many once-prosperous nations were ruined in such a short time. We’re going to see that in America, too, I am afraid. Black or white, the Democrats (and not a few Republicans) are afflicted with the spending disease. We are going to borrow and spend our way into penury.
Dude, you totally used the wrong picture for that. Here, try this one, it makes your point so much better.
The Chicago Way leads to the Zimbabwe.
doriangrey wrote:
Somehow, I think that counterfeiting is not a problem in Zimbabwe.
So, how’s that Detroit sister-city program going?
i cant think of one quantitative measurement where africa is better after de-colonization.
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
ROTFLMAO… Well, at least not of Zimbabwe’s native currency. Since the paper and ink and printing would be worth more than any monetary value you could put on the note.
Zimbabwe will be driving up to the convenience store later this afternoon in their rusted out Olds 88 to pick up some malt liquor and a handful of scratch-offs…..
It’d be fun if Zimbabwe decided to get out of its financial hole by flooding the diamond market.
When
ZimbabweRHODESIA was run by Ian Smith there was never any trouble like this.FTFY
@ buzzsawmonkey:
Better that than Uranium and Plutonium…
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
In Zim, it’s Bob’s Way…or else!
@ Iron Fist:
Progressivism is a human cancer.
Mugabe encouraged “veterans ” to diesel White farms.
Not only did they do it, but usually murdered the families.
Whites fled and now look at the place.)
coldwarrior wrote:
They adopted Socialism and not Capitalism. Ironically they did because when The UK and France gave up their colonies, They had Leftist governments. So the Africans adopted the worst aspect of the West.
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
Hmmm, not to sound anti-Semitic here, because you know I’m not, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around person of Jewish ancestry making that statement considering the Hasidic Jewish influence in the world wide diamond market. (Yes, I am desperately attempting to visualize the expression on your face for some clue as to the meaning of that statement)
@ coldwarrior:
Liberal policies don’t come off very well if you look at their real effects. But Liberal policies make Liberals feel like things are ever so much better. Can’t you see that it is better for Zimbabwe to have native-born oppressors and poverty that it is for them to have “foreign-born” “oppressors” (who may very well be natives themselves) and prosperity? It is more fair if everyone is poor. Except Robert Mugabe, presumably. I bet he’s rich as Croessus…
@ RIX:
That is not a Smiley face on my last post
I am on a smart phone.
doriangrey wrote:
Oh, I’m assuming that Mugabe’s flooding the diamond market would either cause accusations that the Joos are behind it—or perhaps you’re suggesting that a diamond glut would damage the livelihoods of some of my co-religionists.
I confess I hadn’t considered either, particularly; I merely would like to buy a diamond for someone and can’t afford it at the moment.
Senate Judiciary chair rejects Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapons ban:
I think the handwriting is on the wall, this go-around, but if the Dems re-take the House in 2014, I bet it’ll be back then.
Rodan wrote:
in part. the other problem is one that affects most revolutionary movements. they are good at destroying the old order and pathetic at creating anything better.
in africa, they went kleptocrat.
@ Iron Fist:
@ MacDuff:
@ doriangrey:
@ coldwarrior:
@ RIX:
Here is the Obama Regime spin on the contraction!
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
Well, yea, the question that was in my mind was halfway between why would you want to damage the financial livelihoods of any of your co-religionists and why would you want to start another round of the “Evil Jew’s” are manipulating the worlds financial system again trying to start another world war.
The idea that you might not have sufficient funds available to purchase a special someone near and dear to you a diamond really never occurred to me.
@ buzzsawmonkey:
i wish that there were separate parallel markets.
one for ‘blood diamonds’ and one for ‘clean diamonds’.
it would be interesting to see what happens.
@ Rodan:
It’s a good looking contraction! Watch out! Bill Clinton will hit on it…
coldwarrior wrote:
I didn’t even know Africa had a baseball league…
@ doriangrey:
Is that supposed to symolize that this money is worth three rocks (stacked as opposed to unstacked which is worth less I suppose).
unclassifiable wrote:
Maybe that the head of government is as dumb as a pile of rocks?
Rodan wrote:
All that farm land is exactly what the Chicoms are looking for.
@ Da_Beerfreak:
It’s OK for the Chinese to have a colony. They aren’t white…
Iron Fist wrote:
Is that the “Stimulating from Behind” theory of economic leadership?
unclassifiable wrote:
No,it’s actually a famous Monument in Zimbabwe. Kind of like Mt Rushmore in the US or that huge Red Rock out in the middle of the Australian nowhere.
@ coldwarrior:
Which ever market is getting a better price for their diamonds will encourage the suppliers for the other market to “wash” any trace of being able to tell one from the other.
But you knew that.
The hairless monkeys are very clever.
@ doriangrey:
Was I not supposed to be a smartass on that one?
unclassifiable wrote:
BWAHAHAHAHAH……. Sorry… Went right over my head…
Iron Fist wrote:
They also have a ‘ready to go’ workforce made up of their excess male population thanks to their ‘one child’ policy. Young single males are eager to work the neo colonial holdings because their chances of getting a native wife is better then staying in China to look for a Chinese wife.
@ Da_Beerfreak:
That “surplus population” is also ripe to make into soldiers, shoudl the Chinese be feeling adventurous. But things like that would never happen under Obama’s watchful eye, would they?
Iron Fist wrote:
Not really, look at the geography.
unclassifiable wrote:
Otherwise known as a “reach around”.
unclassifiable wrote:
The “stacked rocks” are actually giant boulders in an area called the Matopos, which is full of spectacular rocky kopjes and stacked boulder formations. It’s a national park that was founded in 1926 by Cecil Rhodes. A lot of history there…
@ coldwarrior:
May I have your permission to mirror this article on 1389 Blog?
Criminals prefer unarmed victims:
Lovely.
On a U.S.A. note:
google this group
Aaron Michaels (founder of new black panthers)
wife
Kimberly Lagayle McCarthy
John Willey Price (Democrat County Commis. Dallas County Texas)
It is what it is.
@ doriangrey:
Oh, China won;t go to war in Zimbabwe, but they want the Oceans (at least) in the Southwestern Pacific.
Iron Fist wrote:
That would require something that they do not have, namely a Blue Water Navy.
doriangrey wrote:
They don’t yet. However they are working on it. They’ll make it happen within a decade, possibly sooner.
@ doriangrey:
Which they are working on. They have the money. All it takes is the will and the tie. In the meantime, Obama is drastically cutting our Navy. What could possibly go wrong?
Toilet Paper Only
Iron Fist wrote:
As the Chinese soon enough shall learn, having a Blue Water Navy is a lot more complicated than building ships or buy crap from the Russians.
Iron Fist wrote:
Hell, Obama will probably sell them some of the ships we decommission.
Iron Fist wrote:
He’s still pissed off that Theodore Roosevelt called it the Great White Fleet.
@ doriangrey:
@ 1389AD:
@ Iron Fist:
Here’s where China is going with their naval ambitions.
The first one won’t be operational for awhile, but they intend to build a multiple carrier fleet while the U.S. is carrier fleet is being downsized. The Chitcoms ™ are enabling the Chicoms.
huckfunn wrote:
Those Chinese Aircraft Carriers will make wonderful artificial reefs the first time they try to engage the US Navy.
doriangrey wrote:
That’s true too. But they’re very good at stealing US know-how, either via espionage or via stooooopid people in the US failing to secure our secrets.
doriangrey wrote:
True dat. However, the Chicoms are taking the long view. They will build more carriers and in the long run they will be a force to be reckoned with.
@ huckfunn:
The Chinese take the long view of things. My bet is they figure that they are buying the next Pacific War by enabling our suicide by debt. They are just gettin gstarted building aircraft carriers, but they’ll actually be getting operational in about a decade, when our debt bomb goes off. Our economy will be collapsing, and there won’t be anybody on the planet that can stop them from doing whatever the hell they want to.
1389AD wrote:
Blue Water Navy know-how isn’t something you can steal. It’s something that only comes with actual hands on experience. It takes a damned long time to become the Captain of a major US Naval Vessel and for damned good reason. Once the Chinese venture out into Deep Water the learning cure will get brutally expensive.
@ huckfunn:
@ Iron Fist:
This assumes something totally not in evidence and contrary to that which is in evidence, that being that China will survive the financial holocaust caused by the aforesaid collapse of the American economy.
@ doriangrey:
I don’t know about that. We managed to learn in World War II pretty quickly. Yeah, we had some prior experience, but not that much. The Chinese are no less intelligent than the Americans. We underestimate them at our peril.
I’m surprised that Jessie, Big Al, Harry B, Spike, and all of the rest of the continually persecuted activist are not clamoring to move to this utopia.
@ doriangrey:
The Russians will most likely be happy to help them get started.
And when the US goes even further down the tubes, Chinese-Americans may go back to China, possibly including a few who have naval experience. Experts disperse and go to work for the highest bidder when a “superpower” (which we no longer are) collapses.
Iron Fist wrote:
India, Japan make common cause to thwart China’s maritime moves
Iron Fist wrote:
I think that’s why the Chinese are making footholds all over the Third World. They have no intention of being taken down by the catastrophes in the US.
We are
@ Da_Beerfreak:
Yeah, the world is re-aligning while Obama fiddles and the US slowly burns. The same people who make decisions in these countries can look ahead to the coming economic implosion and take actions accordingly. How does the US Debt stack up against that of the Former Soviet Union? I don’t know, but by the end of the Second Obama Administration we are going to be sneaking up on a debt-to-GDP ratio up there with that of Greece. And there won’t be anybody to bail us out.
Zimbabwe
Iron Fist wrote:
No, most assuredly not the case. The US became a Blue Water Naval power back in the early 1800′s. Three Sailors in my family, you can be certain I am aware of the History of the United States Navy. From the Shores of Tripoli, remember? how do you think those United States Marines Got to Tripoli, they sure as hell didn’t walk.
@ 1389AD:
China has more trading partners than we do. They are diversifying. We, on the other hand, are shrinking as a share of the Global Market. We’d become less influential as a result, no matter what, but Obama and the Democrats have deliberately charted us on a course to disaster. Already our debt is 60% bigger than it was when Obama took office, and we haven’t even gotten to the hits on the economy that are coming as the baby boomers age and ObamCare kicks in.
@ doriangrey:
They had aircraft carriers in the early 1800s? Color me surprised. Unfortunately for us, the Chinese won’t have to invent carrier warfare. All they have to do is read history books to see how it is carried out. Like I said, you underestimate the Chinese at your peril. And you are underestimating the Chinese very badly.
1389AD wrote:
I’ll laugh my ass off if the Chinese are foolish enough to believe that. Here’s a clue for you. The Russians do not like or trust the Chinese. They will sell them outdated and antiquated junk, but they will not sell them anything that would facilitate China having a genuine Blue Water Navy.
Right now there are only three genuine Blue Water Navies on earth.
The US, Britain and Russia. the Russian’s have absolutely no intention of helping the Chinese enter that rather exclusive club.
Iron Fist wrote:
Wake the hell up dude. A Aircraft Carrier is only as effective as the fleet that protects and supports it. Deep Water is way fucking different that coastal water. If you don’t have deep water experience, having an Aircraft Carrier is like Saddam Hussein’s infamous line of death in the sand. it amounts to utterly useless bravado.
Argentina has more Aircraft Carriers than China and far more Blue Water experience, and who thinks that Argentina represents a serious Naval threat to anyone?
Iron Fist wrote:
The Chicoms have been “classroom” training the Officers for a carrier force since ’85, they’re ready and eager to start training at sea.
Before Pearl Harbor the U.S. Military had convinced themselves that the Japanese could never produce good fighter pilots either…
doriangrey wrote:
India is fast catching up (if they haven’t already) to those three and will be a force to be reckoned with before the Chicoms.
Da_Beerfreak wrote:
Ever wonder why the Russian Carrier fleet never exceeded 2 real Aircraft Carriers? Think about that for a little while.
@ Rodan:
I will respond to that absurd statement once my eyeballs have stopped spinning around in my head…..
Da_Beerfreak wrote:
Maybe, maybe not. I have yet to see anything that indicates that India has any Deep Water Naval aspirations. India’s military for all that I can ascertain is an exclusively defensive reactionary force.
doriangrey wrote:
No. One Ship does not make a Navy. The Chicoms are will aware of the need to build a sufficient number of surface combatants to create a proper ‘Task Force’ to cover the needs of a Carrier at sea.
Ditto what IF said in #74. Any nation that has ambitions for a carrier equipped blue water fleet needs only study the U.S. Navy for the past 70 years.
Buffalobob wrote:
Jessie Jackson, Andrew Young and other “civil rights” activists in the ’70′s bear a large responsibility for the creation of this utopia, for pressuring Jimmy Carter and his State Department to keep up the economic sanctions on Ian Smith’s Rhodesian Government. So it is only fitting that they should enjoy the fruits of their labors.
I’d be happy to contribute funds for a one way plane ticket to Harare.
Looks like Barney’s hopes for “advancement” are dashed:
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/01/30/mass-gov-deval-patrick-passes-on-bawney-fwank-as-interim-senator/#disqus_thread
Patrick did something right -- there’s one in a row.
Zimbabwe could solve its problems by importing North Korean guest workers.
@ Carolina Girl:
Hey, CG! Here are the links to the stuff from last week, if you missed ‘em:
The Difference Made
Ban All the Guns
“Reason Not the Need.”
The last one, I think, you’ll really like.
@ huckfunn:
We wrote the book on force projection, but we are letting that slip through our hands. We’ll see what Boehne pulls out of Sequestration, but I don’t have great hopes for it. Obama and the Democrats are hell-bent on destroying the American Military as a tool of foreign policy. Obama has four years to act before we can even begin to staunch the bleeding. But I am very much afraid that major ships taken out of comission simply won’t be replaced, even under a Republican Administration. Our National Debt is the biggest danger we face in the near-term, and I think even if we see a Republican Administration in 2016 that will be their primary focus. If there is one thing tha thistory teaches, it is that those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who do not.
Iron Fist wrote:
Yessir, particularly when those beating their swords into plows are financing Chinese swords.
@ doriangrey:
India’s new Navy chief pilots ‘blue-water’ strategy
@ doriangrey:
They are rapidly building that up.
@ Iron Fist:
That’s what happen when you use your military for nation building. People lose support for maintaining a big military. People do not trust our leaders to use it wisely.
@ 1389AD:
sure.
@ Da_Beerfreak:
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/ Has a few articles on how the Chinese are trying to project power. One via satellites, and one via a navy. They say China can not yet project power into Taiwan successfully.
And the Chinese have a penchant for taking short cuts.
@ 75 doriangrey:
formerspook
@ doriangrey:
former spook. And they are busy sending students here to try and help them steal a thing or two from us.
coldwarrior wrote:
Thanks very much!
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
The last North Korean guest workers in Zimbabwe were military advisers who trained Mugabe’s 5th Brigade before they were unleashed on his rivals in the Matabele tribe during the “Gukurahundi” Matabeleland massacres.
The Osprey wrote:
They (the NORKS) probably had their last good meal there.
darkwords wrote:
Clinton just gave it to them.