Brickbat: Justice Denied

Simonwedege / Dreamstime

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe says the murderers of white farmers will never be prosecuted. A number of farmers were killed by squatters during government-sanctioned land grabs years ago.

Comments

[Telcontar the Wanderer]

Eh, well, the whites are all lazy criminals anyway.

{frowns, checks cue card}

Oh, wait, sorry, it's the *blacks*, the *blacks* are all...

{frowns again, stares into distance}

Or wait, was it supposed to be the Asians today...?

[Cyto]

Interesting that out of nowhere tearing down confederate statues becomes a national cause, and we suddenly have "white nationalists" protesting everywhere.

And now in the midst of that, Newsweek rediscovers Robert Mugabe and his brand of Black Nationalism. They took one sentence:

Yes, we have those who were killed when they resisted. We will never prosecute those who killed them. I ask, why should we arrest them?" Mugabe said, according to Zimbabwean news site NewsDay.

From a Zimbabwean news source and then crafted an article around that one sentence detailing all of the things Mugabe has done against whites in being a bad leader for his country.

Is this some kind of intentional "rile up whitey" article?

[Cyto]

So I was curious enough about the tenor and timing of that article that I looked up the author on Newsweek's site. Going back a few of pages on his history, it was largely Boko Haram, Nigeria and Kenya for his Africa coverage. Intermingled with US politics centered on Trump associates (not glowing praise). And some US tech coverage.

Then, post Charlottesville he covers US racist angles and Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe's white farmers, Mugabe and Mugabe's wife become important stories. I went back as far as Cecil the Lion in his timeline. He even has an article titled "Even Jihadis Think Donald Trump Is Dumb".

So is this just a product of the milieu of thinking about overt acts of racism? Or is it an intentional "rile up racial tensions" move? Or just a coincidence?

From his timeline it is pretty clear that Conor Gaffey is not a fan of Trump. So is this just one anti-Trump reporter bringing an angle that he's thinking about because he's anti-Trump? Or is this a higher-level Newsweek decision?

In any event, I really doubt that the Newsweek of their glory years would have published such articles, even about a president they opposed. Check out this lede:

For every person lauding President Donald Trump's efforts to "Make America Great Again," another soul is staring into the depths of despair. The U.S. president certainly has his detractors, but his latest critics are an unlikely bunch: jihadis in Africa.

[Cyto]

So, heading over to the main page at Newsweek.com, here's what they think is today's most important news:

How to Fight White Supremacists
Uncle Sam wants you..... to be Racist!
Trump to Undo Obama-Era Transportation Jobs Program

And

Hyperloop One Conducts First Passenger Pod Test

That's it for their "headline articles".

In addition to the obvious political leanings, I noticed that newsweek loves them some Elon Musk. Gaffey, their Africa reporter had a bunch of US Tech articles about Elon Musk and Hyperloop, and they have a different writer covering Hyperloop tests on "page one". Why all the fascination? I'm a big fan too, but I'm not a national news magazine.

I happen to agree with their some of their notions, but when did such a mainstream straight-news organization become a partisan click-bait rag? Is this where the new era of internet publication leads? Straight to the bottom?

[Cyto]

For those looking back on this, today's news includes:

A big hurricane threat to the Gulf coast, the Mayweather - McGregor fight, a new ISIS truck attack threat, Samsung's head is going to jail for 5 years, North Korean spies caught stealing missile plans, Florida used a new drug in an execution, someone won a half-billion dollar lump sum in the lottery, Muslim militants in deadly battle in Myanmar...

But newsweek has 3 "Americans are racist and Trump is teh evil" articles and a fawning article about Hyperloop.

It looks like early-days Huffpo.

[some guy]

Cyto, you just went a lot deeper than any Brickbat deserves.

[Cyto]

Yes. Yes I did.

[Crackers Boy]

And I thank you. Good work.

CB

[Telcontar the Wanderer]

"used a new drug in an execution"

Oh, so someone finally told them they could just take some heroin or fentanyl out of the Vice squad's evidence locker and send the condemned out of this mortal coil in the most relaxing way possible?

[Stormy Dragon]

"Why is the media focussing so much on Trump and not worse dictatorships like X?"

*article appears about X*

"Why is the news media trying to rile up white people?"

Cyto, did you ever consider maybe you're just a paranoid nut?

[loveconstitution1789]

Trump's administration IS the worst dictatorship, silly.

[Cyto]

Impressive work, SD.

You managed to shoehorn a non-sequitur, a strawman and an ad-homenim into 4 lines. Well done!

[Adans smith]

Serves them right for using their 'white power' to grow all the food to feed the country and make money Even had the gall to export food for profit.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The program is also seen as contributing to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, as in many cases those who were given land were not as productive as the previous owners.

At least the hoarders and kulaks got out of the way.

[Jerryskids]

The program is also seen as contributing to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, as in many cases those who were given land were not as productive as the previous owners.

IIRC, Pol Pot had a similar problem in Cambodia. I haven't heard anything lately about that guy, so I'm assuming he got everything squared away. Probably a problem with using the wrong kind of fertilizer in the fields.

[rudehost]

Brawndo! It's what plants crave.

[Microaggressor]

Pol Pot's plan, inspired by Mao, was to increase rice production by forcing his entire population to work in the fields as literal slaves. Rice production plummeted. Looks like one piece of wisdom was missing from the little red book, and that's socialism doesn't work.

[gaoxiaen]

Come on. It is the country with the largest proportion of trillionaires in the world ever.

[Telcontar the Wanderer]

Meet the new bourgeoisie, same as the old bourgeoisie...

... Except this time without the green thumbs to go along with the green backs.

[Agammamon]

Yes, because the bourgeoisie always exploit the workers, amirite comrades!

[Telcontar the Wanderer]

I think it's safe to say that white farmers in Africa were, indeed, exploiting "the workers" for a significant period of time.

But, as usual, the response of the local Leftists is "hey! Let's exploit the workers, AND make sure their slavedrivers are all incompetent neophytes too!"

[Citizen X - #6]

Come and see the violence inherent in all systems!

[Agammamon]

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe says the murderers of white farmers will never be prosecuted.

Did, uhm . . . I - uh . . . was anyone still expecting that they would be?

[loveconstitution1789]

Cancel va-ca-ca to Zimbabwe. Got it.