Come Back, All Is Forgiven

In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe's government is inviting white farmers - expelled from their land over the last decade by a racial redistribution policy - to lease farms again. If Mugabe's brain trust had listened to Ronald Bailey, they could have saved themselves the grief.

Comments

[Larry A]

Yeah. I'd file that one right alongside the Nigerian diplomat who is going to make me rich sending cash to my U.S. bank account.

[crimethink]

Not sure how many potential leasers would be inclined to trust Mr. Mugabe again...

[happyjuggler0]

I can almost hear the thoughts of Mugabe now, "Ok, these whites knew how to farm the land and the blacks didn't. I understand this now. The solution: get them to come back and work the land. Then steal from them in some other way once they have farmed the land."

[Marcvs]

At least Mugabe is taking a stand against the number one problem facing his country: witches

[Eryk Boston]

.....thanks David, I needed a good laugh

[D.A, Ridgely]

All of which leads to the inevitable demand for disclosure, given that nowhere in Mr. Bailey's article did he deny investments in Nigerian agriculture... or Nigerian witchcraft, for that matter.

[Akira MacKenzie]

How do you know she's a witch?

[Marcvs]

any person who engages in any practice knowing that it is commonly associated with witchcraft, shall be guilty of engaging in a practice commonly associated with witchcraft

Or, even better:

Sir Bedevere: What makes you think she's a witch?
Peasant 3: Well, she turned me into a newt!
Sir Bedevere: A newt?
Crowd: [meekly after a long pause] ...I got better.
Crowd: [shouts] Burn her anyway!

[Ken Shultz]

How do you know she's a witch?

If no one can prove that she's not a witch, then it's not completely unreasonable to suspect that she might be one. ...especially if she looks like one, turns one of them into a newt and floats like a duck.

[Jack]

crimethink wrote: "Not sure how many potential leasers would be inclined to trust Mr. Mugabe again"

Probably a surprising number. People who had fled the Soviet Union kept falling for "amnesties" under Stalin despite the fact that previous returnees virtually all ended up executed or in labor camps.

[crimethinik]

Jack,

Too true. Not to mention the example of libertarians trusting the Republican party when they say they're back to being the party of limited govt (again)...

[happyjuggler0]

Why shouldn't we trust the Republicans to be for limited government. I mean just look at President Bush. Either one of them.

Oh, wait a minute....

[TJIT]

The blues brothers hated Illinois Nazis. I hate commies, and Mugabe is just another illustration of how every time a commie takes over the government disaster is not far behind.

What leaves me slightly bemused is how an article on Mugabe and incipient famine gets turned to a commentary on bush and his conservative credentials, What's up with that?

[TomHynes]

The check is in the mail.
I will respect you in the morning.
I won't steal your farm again.

What was that other one?

[crimethink]

TJIT,

I know it's hard to look back two comments, but the common ground seems to be that Mugabe's pledge to give evicted farmers their land back and the Republican's claim to be the party of limited govt, possess the same degree of credibility.

[joshua corning]

Too true. Not to mention the example of libertarians trusting the Republican party when they say they're back to being the party of limited govt (again)...

as one who has fallen for this trick and will probably fall for it again in the future...that is pretty funny post.

[John C. Randolph]

I'm sure any farmer could trust Mugabe, just as soon as the son of a bitch is pushing up the daisies.

Just how much provocation does it take for Zimbabwe to depose a kleptocrat? Are they going to wait as long as the Philippines did?

-jcr

[Viking Moose]

Bloom County in the title.

"your litter box is clean".

Ken: why not just build a bridge out of her?

thanks,

[TJIT]

Crimethink,

I read your comment before I wrote mine, and I understood the point you were making.

I was bemused that republican fidelity to fiscal conservatism gets dragged into a thread on a failed state that is facing politically induced famine and a substantial number of deaths from starvation.

[Follow The Money]

If Mugabe's brain trust had listened to Ronald Bailey, they could have saved themselves the grief.

I doubt Mugabe's brain trust would have made as much money off the deal. Stealing land and then leasing it back to the previous owners -- I don't think this is the first time this gambit has been played. My guess is cause it works.

[Rex Rhino]

Just how much provocation does it take for Zimbabwe to depose a kleptocrat? Are they going to wait as long as the Philippines did?

Our own government is not much different.