The part of US foreign policy that has always troubled me the most is Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Mugabe is a hall of fame madman, starving millions, wanton slaughter, etc.
But 🇺🇸 HAD to depose Ian Smith while Mugabe enjoyed almost 4 decades of absolute rule. Why?
The British especially adored Mugabe, even knighting him. All of these people would later claim that he "became" a monster but was Good Ole Bob at the beginning.
This is of course a lie, he was already butchering his former allies by '81
The basic claims of the west are the Human Rights thing. But I have seen several 'realpolitik' explanations:
1. Americans like Jimmy Carter supported mugabe to get the black vote in America
2. The british were mad about Smith cutting ties to the UK
3. The whole thing was a bizarre cold war gambit by Henry Kissinger (Washington Post)
A funny thing in the WaPo article, the final paragraph basically admits the primary american foreign policy ethical justification is bullshit 😂😂
The civil rights act as the galactic constitution. Why are we even talking about the Cold War when the US is backing the communists in this conflict? 😂😂
Interesting. Mugabe was a skilled politician. He really is the blueprint of 'big man tyrant' style rule. I have studied dictators alot and you would be surprised at how agile and clever he was at maintaining power against all (internal, black) rivals
Of course "politician" is different in africa than it is in say California. It's not winning votes, more maintaining a careful balance of power among your supporters and the men with rifles
There were many internal plots to seize power as happens regularly in such countries
Sorry I have to work in a #PATRONAGE bit.
A bizarre line in his wikipedia. Mugabe PERPETRATED the genocide. He said that he just got a little crazy and he was sorry for killing and torturing so many of his subjects. This was ~3 years into his 40 years of rule
Imagine holding on to power through tough times like this- life expectancy in the early 30s!
How did he do it? "Operation Drive Out the Rubbish." Basically, if your neighborhood voted against him, he bulldozed all your houses.
Good election strategy 😎👍
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