[Leica] Not in Zim

[wrs111445 at yahoo.com (W. R. Smith)]

Who was it who said "power corrupts--absolute power corrupts absolutely"?

--- On Wed, 7/2/08, Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com> wrote:

From: Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [Leica] Not in Zim
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 3:51 AM

Sadly, several of the independent African nations have poorer human  
rights now than during colonial times. Since the abusers are black  
rather than white, other nations have turned a blind eye. It is not  
the way it was supposed to be so heads are in the sand.
We should not forget that Mugabe is such a hero in Africa following  
his violent overthrow of the Smith government that even his genocide  
of his political opponents (Nkomo) tribe in Matebeleland was not  
criticised. Mbeki, who had a comfortable existence in Exile before  
independence does not have anywhere near Mugabe's status in African  
opinion.
It is astonishing the extent to which image is more important than  
reality.
I write this sadly as one who conscientiously demonstrated for the  
independence of African nations whilst a student.
Frank

PS I guess this should be on the forum


On 1 Jul, 2008, at 07:56, Natan Wajsman wrote:

> Glad to hear you are OK, Daniel. It is indeed sad commentary on the  
> state of African government what is happening there. I am referring  
> not only to Zimbabwe itself but also the disgraceful reaction (or  
> lack thereof) by South Africa. Mbeki has the tools to pound Mugabe  
> into submission within weeks (and no, I am not talking about  
> military intervention) but for some strange reason refuses to use  
> them.
>
> As for the comment by the hotel worker, it reminds me of a similar  
> comment on BBC World Service I heard some time in 2007 or 2006. It  
> was one of the Kenyan leaders of the independence struggle in the  
> early 1960s. He said flat out that if he had known back then what  
> kind of governments would emerge in Kenya after independence, he  
> would have thrown in his lot with a continuation of the British  
> Empire.
>
> Nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu
> http://www.greatpix.eu
> http://www.nathanfoto.com
>
> Books:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
> Image licensing: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman
> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 25, 2008, at 14:18 , Daniel Ridings wrote:
>
>>> I was concerned that you might be trapped in Zimbabwe
>>>
>>> Jim
>>
>> No, they just bug my phone calls and read my mail into the country
>> (with replies out of the country).
>>
>> I'm hoping my friends are ok, but it is difficult to ask ...
without
>> giving them away.
>>
>> Daniel
>>
>> PS: A quote from a hotel worker rings through my head: It was better
>> under Smith.
>>
>> Daniel
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
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