Posted on 12/25/2007 9:48:56 PM PST by george76
Banks in Zimbabwe failed to open on Christmas Day, despite earlier pledges from the central bank governor. Instead, long lines of Zimbabweans desperate for local currency queued at the few machines dispensing cash.
On top of rampant inflation, mass unemployment and shortages of fuel and basic goods the country is now suffering shortages of bank notes.
The shortage remains despite the introduction of higher-denomination notes last week.
Mr Gono blames the currency shortages on foreign-exchange currency dealers, the so-called "cash barons", and Zimbabweans are being urged to report anyone flouting currency exchange laws.
Zimbabwe has the highest level of inflation in the world at more than 8,000%.
Critics of President Robert Mugabe accuse him of allowing the economy to go to ruin but he has remained defiant, blaming the problems on a Western plot to oust him from power.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
/s
.
a Western plot ?
Even the Communist Chinese have left.
What a disaster...
BIGOTS!
How dare you criticize a Nation in Africa, ruled by one of their own home bred leaders...
Must they be run like a white nation to gain your approval?
Remember:
All cultures are equal..
</ sarcasm>
Zimbabwe ran out of zeros.
Up next: Venezuela.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Pedro Carreno was momentarily at a loss for words when a journalist interrupted his speech and asked if it was not contradictory to criticize capitalism while wearing Gucci shoes and a tie made by Parisian luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071214/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_venezuela_luxury
Rhodesia was one of the most prosperous countries in Africa.
They were the bread basket for Africa.
Now, they can not even feed themselves.
The magic of socialism ?
What a telling description.
Youse is nutz!
They have lottsa zeros; who does youse thunk be runnin de place?
I know; this guy is a White Devil, but you get the idea.
These Hucksters float into a country like so much lice on a dogs back, help the socialists gain power and systematically sit on their ass as the country deteriorates.
Already appearing in Venezuela due to Carter and if his protege Hillary gets her chance Coming Also To America.
Iran and Zimbabwe “think alike” and “should fight against western superpowers and their evil systems”, president Robert Mugabe was quoted as saying.
if you read this idiots blog, I think you'll find what he's saying is...it's all Bush's fault!
From “bread basket” to “basket case.”
http://crybelovedzimbabwe.blogspot.com/
Most other African countries are run by despotic governments to expect them to endorse MDC is a fantasy. Dont expect Omar Bongo of Gabon to be seen or heard supporting MDC, he rigged elections six times. Neither should you expect support from Faure Gnassingbé of Togo hand-picked to succeed his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled the West African nation of Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005. Same for Lasana Conte of Guinea, Conte came to power in 1984, after staging a coup d’etat when Guinea’s then-president, Ahmed Sekou Toure, died on a US operating table while undergoing heart surgery, Conte has ruled Guinea ever since. It would a surprising an unlikely support from Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, he has ruled Burkina Faso since 1987 after a bloody coup and the assasination of then-president, Thomas Sankara, Compaore has been implicated in numerous human rights abuses. Do you think Joseph Kabila of Congo-Kinshasa would support Tsvangirai when he was backed by Mugabe with soldiers to fight off rebels that were threatening his father Laurent Kabila. What about Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea he has imprisoned 13 journalists, deferred elections? Do you think Omar al-Bashir of Sudan would support MDC, since February 2003, Bashir’s campaign of ethnic and religious persecution has killed at least 500 00 civilians in Darfur in western Sudan and driven 2 million people from their homes. Dont expect any support from Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, around 90% of all opposition politicians live in exile, 1000 anti-Obiang activists have been jailed unfairly, and several killed since 1979, Obiang was re-elected in 1996 and 2002, but the conduct of both elections was not acceptable to international observers. You can now understand why Africa finds it hard to support MDC!
Twice waiting in the post office to mail Christmas presents my conversation would lead to the bread lines in Zimbabwae to divert folks’ complaining of the 1/2 hour wait to mail packages. The first time the old guy was very interesting and talked of his travels around the world, etc.
The second time I was caught between two liberals: “Yes, we sure are lucky in the U.S. Its a shame we waste so much money on the war when we could be helping folks.” The lady on the other side said something like “I was a child in Nazi Germany and lived through the bombings by the Americans; and the food lines, war is terrible.”
I was so flabbergasted (of course war is terrible, and she’s practicaly blaming the Americans for bombing her town) - but all I could come up with was “Yeah - World War II, now THAT was an expensive war”.
FR bookmark
There is an interesting story behind the “bread basket” episode.
In the 1970s and 1980s...Zimbabwe’s farming sector “surged” ahead...based on large farm concepts. You basically had a smart white farmer with farming education and some capital. The guy had a couple of tractors and a dozen hired hands. If he needed more help in harvest season...he had local women who would quickly hire up and work the harvest. They had connections throughout the country, and built a trading empire that stretched into a dozen neighboring countries. Step by step...they built a very oiled farming machine that would have kept going. The guys who the farmer hired...all happy and all had simple houses with a ample income and plenty of produce that they were allowed to harvest and keep. The key to large acreage...tractors and limited manpower.
So Mugabe took the nation into a civil war...had to promise something to all the troops who sided with him...and the only ample thing he had....was farm land. So when the war ended...he carved up the farm land...from the white farmers. Step by step....production rapidly decreased. Once you removed the large farming operation and the tractors...all you had was a simple 10-acre or 5-acre plot of land for one man...who had no farm equipment. He had no massive bank support or tractors. He could grow enough...to feed himself and his family...and no more.
The more political it became...the less productive the country became. So now you have tens of thousands of farms...with no real mechanical support, no infrastructure to do sales in neighboring countries, and no one in the top level of the government who can demonstrate any knowledge of farming at all. They assumed all of the risk and all of the control...but no knowledge. This isn’t socialism...it is pure ignorance of agricultural concepts. The white farmers have now mostly left...with few if any left. They can’t rebuild the machine...they can’t take property away to rebuild large farms without bloodshed...and they can’t feed themselves.
Will South Africa commit the same mistake? Yep...it may take 20 years but they will also make the mistake. People that have no knowledge over farming or its business sector...should have no rights in determining the future of such.
Wonder where I can get a 500 000 Z dollar bill?
Wait a few days...then u can get one in any trash can
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.