U.S. Republican Party and MDC-T alike with "Obscene" Media Spin Deception

Stella Orakwue writes eloquently in the May 2008 issue of NewAfrican magazine “It is a pity!”: ‘Do you think that if ‘Mugabe’, had got the money, the financial credits, that Zimbabwe needed, that Zimbabwe’s economic situation would not be utterly different, and that ‘the people’ would not have given him the vast majority he deserved?…It is a pity that the people who voted against President Mugabe have no ability to remember the servitude they existed in prior to the last eight years…Is it too hard without the white man? Without the Westerner in charge of your resources, your money, looking after you behind the scenes?”

U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler is demanding that White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan Must Testify under Oath before House Judiciary Committee concerning devastating revelations made in his new book on the Bush Administration’s deliberate efforts to mislead the American people into the Iraq War. In his book, “WHAT HAPPENED: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception,” McClellan writes that Bush manipulated public opinion through a ``political propaganda campaign'' to justify going to war in Iraq. Public officials, whether pro-Anglo Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) or pro-African Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), should be held responsible for any actions that could lead to civil war, social disruption, and or additional economic sanctions. Sanctions are designed specifically to destroy the financial infrastructure of a country.

For years MDC-T has media slandered the people of Zimbabwe with the most savage, filthy, and disgusting language, and disinformation ever written by an African. This is reminiscent of the American systematic dismemberment of a political candidate and a scorched earth strategy.

After reading ‘WHAT HAPPENED’ it appears Morgan Tsvangirai & MDC-T is imitating the George Herbert Walker Bush’s 1988 campaign against Michael Dukakis: On page 68 McClellan writes ‘Instead, they developed a calculated strategy to go negative that had little to do with building their candidate up and everything to do with tearing their opponent down.’

‘The campaign was by most objective accounts full of distortions, misrepresentations, and zero-sum politics, accusing Dukakis of everything from embracing furloughs for dangerous criminals to disliking the pledge of allegiance (the innuendo being that he was unpatriotic).’

Mr. Tsvangirai is using all the American political personality deceptions and media spinmiesterism found common among American politicians; fooling a majority. A recent photo of Tsvangirai crying at a funeral is a typical public relations photo-shoot. It is no different from U.S. Presidential Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton’s tear jerk response at press time claiming she’s being attacked. World media is finally recognizing and stating in their press comments how she, like Tsvangirai, is waiting for a dreadful event for her to become president.

MDC-T’s relentless attack and permanent press campaign against President Robert Mugabe personally can be likened to President George Bush and the Republican Party’s media spinmiesterization that White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan regretfully participated in.

‘Media outlets should denote more resources to fact-checking ideas and information provided by political campaigns, politicians in office, or special interest organizations. When a candidate bends the truth, reporters shouldn’t hesitate to point that out. When a television commercial uses, emotional appeals, distorted imagery, or misleading selective facts to promote a particular point of view, news organizations should expose those tactics, even if it means braving the fury of an offended advertiser. (WHAT HAPPENED Page 321)

The do’s and don’ts of the Media Spinmiesters and the journalistic stage they set are well defined in former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan’s book “WHAT HAPPENED: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception” making visibly clear MDC-T’s ‘permanent campaign’:

Do not discuss any economic and trade issues, never discuss economic sanctions, never discuss direct investment for agricultural and educational institutions. Never discuss with Zimbabwe citizens the ways and means that white Rhodesians became owners of the best preserved land in Zimbabwe.

Do not discuss the slaughter of millions of Zimbabweans who died in the wars and forced labor mines and plantations. The wars that matched African spears against European cannons and machine guns are crimes against humanity and never to be mentioned.

Never discuss how the British wrote and signed their own land ownership papers and leases in Zimbabwe?

Do not discuss how Zimbabwe farmers ended up in South Africa nurturing a neighbors’ land and neglecting their own farm land; is it a result of sanctions? If yes, illegally imposed sanctions should be the press media’s target for investigation.

MDC-T’s hired political media spinmiesters always direct the topic of discussions and comments to suffering and death issues, the American boogey man, the “evil” president and the “corrupt” ZANU-PF and ZEC fear and scare tactics. Do not define the New Zimbabwe in specifics.

Propaganda media-spinmiesters discourage intellectual debates and promote distrust among political opponents by making the opposition the enemy. Emphasize tribal, political, or religious differences.

The media spinmiesters will make Zimbabwean nationalism, self determination, and independence an unknown and unachievable factor by constant media bombardment of government failures. Media spinmiesters never report success events or achievements.

Should President Mugabe and ZANU-PF have responded to MDC-T like the Clintons?

‘By 1992, Clinton and his political advisers felt they had learned the lessons of the 1988 campaign: answer every attack; counter misrepresentations and distortions of one’s record by using the same tactics against the opponent; play by the same rules the opposition plays by, but do it better. …the Clinton political machine became famous for its aggressive push back tactics, its subtle and not so subtle intimidation of reporters, its mastery of spin, and its rapid response to charges.’ (WHAT HAPPENED Page 69)

‘It was recorded in The Quest for the Presidency by Peter and John Matthews Goodman, “the systematic dismemberment of Michael Dukakis” based on a “scorched-earth strategy” (Page 68).

When illegally imposed sanctions began to deteriorate the success of the educational institutions from grade schools to the Universities in Zimbabwe; did MDC-T call a truce at any cost to avoid the near collapse of its educational institutions?

The quintessence of any society begins in the home; it ends in the schools and learning centers that later evolve into scientific research & development laboratories of entrepreneurship. What is the cost of sanctions? Answer: a generation of students and citizens denied the social benefits and fruition of their scholarship.

By MDC-T’s demonization of their head of state and its ruling political party they actually demeaned the citizens of every Zimbabwean.

If American laws are applied to Zimbabwe’s present state of affairs charges of sedition, treason, and subversive activities would easily be applied to MDC-T top officials and their media spinmiesters.

Zimbabwe is more of a “Democracy” than America. MDC-T officials are allowed to advocate, solicit, and join foreign forces in their attempt to “remove” the President and government from existence. This behavior will never be tolerated in America, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the European Union. The support of foreign illegally imposed sanctions is a criminal act.

Media Spinmiester “Tendai Biti, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change, said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) must "play the midwifery role" in easing President Robert Mugabe from power in the aftermath of the March 29 election. Mugabe placed second to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in that vote but has vowed to win a runoff.’

‘If diplomacy fails, "the next thing is a war," Biti told reporters after a news conference here. "It's not an option to us, but one day some [person] is going to say, 'This is the only solution.' SADC must act now before rivers of dead people start to flow, as they did in Rwanda." (By Craig Timberg Washington Post Foreign Service; Friday, May 16, 2008; Page A11)

Writer MacDonald Dzirutwe writes “The MDC insists Tsvangirai won outright the first time.” ‘We decided to participate in the run-off to give the people of Zimbabwe a second chance to kick out the dictatorship. We have now declared a zero vote for Robert Mugabe," Khupe told supporters on Sunday.

‘We need to give Mugabe a final blow. On June 27 we will be having a ZANU-PF funeral. We are going to make sure we bury them so that they will not resurrect again.’

‘The MDC has alleged electoral fraud in the March election, and Khupe said verification of results in next month's vote should be open to the media and observers and recorded on camera "so that ZANU-PF will not cheat."

Well, MDC-T, in America if the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, is found to have deliberately deceived the American public for the purpose of going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan the president will be impeached and face federal charges for deceiving the United States Congress. You MDC-T have made explosive statements that ought to be answered and verified to the world public with actual facts.

However, if the statements by MDC-T are to be taken on face value one can conclude the Movement for Democratic Change, led by Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai is at war with the government and people of Zimbabwe. I hope I am wrong.

The seat of authority must always be respected even if it is a dictatorship or a family ruled monarchy. The respect you show today for the seat of authority will be the respect given to you if or when your time arrives for change.

United States gangsters or mobsters aka the Casa Nostra have a rule of law in there Commission or Board of Directors: it states that whoever (member) calls for the removal of the chairman from his seat of authority cannot then be the chairman himself after the removal. In Japan it is said that one cannot be charged with treason if the foreign collaboration be determined to be in the best interest of the country. Sanctions have irreparable effects.

There is a vast difference in being elected to a position of authority and the demand for the removal of a commander in chief from his or her position of authority. The demand places you in legal jeopardy particularly in association with non-members.

‘During electoral campaigns, reporters should work harder to pin the candidates down on policy specifics rather than accepting generalizations and rhetorical flair’ (WHAT HAPPENED Page 321).

Every right minded person is hoping that forgiveness, reconciliation, and power sharing dominate the present and future of Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai, if I had to believe every thing you and MDC-T said about ZANU-PF and Mr. Mugabe and you’re still alive, by the grace of God or Mugabe, than respect for you and your party have been demonstrated.

Lloyd Whitefield Butler, Jr. Columnist, The Zimbabwe Guardian Saturday, May 31, 2008

well another Mugabe supporter and he must be buying you off too and all this talk of what Mugabe has did but well apparently you are blinded by Mugabe's dirty money as Zimbabwe has been devastated so who are you blaming for the people that are starving and depend on foreign aid for food and this crazy inflation rate? Of course it must be the USA or Britain's fault!

Regardless of what Mugabe has done in the past he now has destroyed the country he supposedly liberated... Sorry I have no pity for people like him so while he is outside Zimbabwe maybe someone will be man enough and arrest him and whatever counter parts may be with him....

Why is it that everyone who writes something that is true about Zimbabwe is a "Mugabe supporter and he must be buying you off"? How absurd can you get? The fact is the writer made some excellent points, why don't you refute them? Why don't you explain just what Mugabe did to "destroy the country" and how it is not sanctions imposed by two of the most powerful countries existing today that is primarily responsible for the economic hardships that Zimbabweans are suffering from?

If this person had made good points that is different and the paper she write from is a Mugabe supporter or at least afraid to freely speak their mind without being fired or killed..

What has Mugabe done? Look at Zimbabwe and it's people who are starving and well if you support anyone other than Mugabe you will be beaten or killed... The inflation of the country where only thugs like him can afford...

I am sick of you blaming other countries for your problems and the problem lies within the country aka Mugabe....He has destroyed Zimbabwe and is a selfish self seeking old man who has lost whatever mind he may have ever had. His wife goes on these huge shopping trips while people in Zimbabwe starve so do not give me any crap about what he has done for the country..

The west has cut him off b/c of his selfish, dictorial ways so blame him... Zimbabwe needs to stand on it's own two feet and not depend on money of another country for it's survival. This is an African problem you are dependant on the rest of the world to survive.You must make it for yourselves. Mugabe is fast to shoot off at the mouth and denounce the USA and Britian but he has his hand out wanting our money so don't bite the hand that feeds you.

If you want something you must work weith your own two hands but if you do not work then you do not eat..

So stop supporting Mugabe now before he takes you down along with the rest of Zimbabwe..

The USA continues to feed 1mill. Zimbabweans, because they cannot feed themselves, after the farms which produced food were taken from the white farmers and given to Mugabe's friend and family. This is a direct result of Mugabe's Land appropriation policy. Now USA helps to feed the people of Zimbabwe, but Mugabe sees fit to criticise the USA for sanctions and Thabo Mbeki (Mugabe's friend) sees fit to attack George Bush. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

How short is your memory??? Before the liberation we where called nothing but terrorists and guerrillas, not FREEDOM FIGHTERS and then freedom was attained at the expense of many good souls, (may they rest in peace). maybe this will jog your memory we where under the brutal yoke of European colonial settlers who had the blessing of the whole West. Do you think any Western country has any vested interest in seeing an African country(former colony) rise up to their standards? I do not believe so. Africa is a big, juice cow and they are going to milk it as long as possible.We all know what happens to anybody or Nation that dares to think otherwise.Everybody is running around talking about MDC taking over, well thats fine with me as long as they clearify their policy. What are they going to do about the economy? What are they going to do about the Land(return of the the land)? Whether you like Mugabe or not the land in Zimbabwe was taken away from the people by the European settlers by force. The land relocation in Zimbabwe is meant to fail, because its success spells trouble for all the former colonial powers. You want me to elaborate? I do not think you do I am sure you got it figured out. One more thing sanctions DO NOT WORK they do nothing but hurt the population. You should sit back and think about who benefits from Africa´s misfortunes and most of them are calculated. Please do not get me wrong I am not bitter, angry or jealous of the west or its peoples, I understand their drive and games machiavellian as they maybe. Africa has an abundance of stupefyingly incompetent leaders who are or have enjoyed the full support of Western nations. One wise Man once told me that African politics is all wrong " the political systems/system that Africa has right now where perfected in the West, that alone gives the West power to simple say what ever you do, especialiy if its not to their benefit is wrong and its time for a regime change! To African leaders `Ladies and gentleman you are playing a poker game with an opponent who holds all the cards, to make it even worse he/she does not even both to hide that fact , you need to step up or start your own game your people need your help now more than ever. Nkosi sikelela.

How short is your memory??? Before the liberation we where called nothing but terrorists and guerrillas, not FREEDOM FIGHTERS and then freedom was attained at the expense of many good souls, (may they rest in peace). maybe this will jog your memory we where under the brutal yoke of European colonial settlers who had the blessing of the whole West. Do you think any Western country has any wested interest in seeing an African country(former colony) rise up to their standards? I do not believe so. Africa is a big, juice cow and the are going to milk it as long as possible.We all now what happens to anybody or Nation that dares to think otherwise.Everybody is running around talking about MDC taking over, well thats fine with me as long as they clearfy their policy. What are they going to do about the economy? What are they going to do about the Land(return of the the land)? Whether you like Mugabe or not the land in Zimbabwe was taken away from the people by the European settlers by force. The land relocation in Zimbabwe is meant to fail, because its success spells trouble for all the former colonial powers. You want me to elaborate? I do not think you do I am sure you got it figured out. One more thing sanctions DO NOT WORK they do nothing but hurt the populace. You should sit back and think about who benefits from Africa´s misfortunes and most of them are calculated. Please do not get me wrong I am not bitter, angry or jealous of the west or its peoples, I understand their drive and games machiavellian as they maybe. Africa has an aboundence of stupefyingly incompetent leaders who are or have enjoyed the full support of Western nations. One wise Man once told me that African politics is all wrong " the political systems/system that Africa has right now where perfected in the West, that alone give the West power to simple say what ever you do, especialiy if its not to their benefit you always be wrong and its time for a regime change. To African leaders `Ladies and gentleman you are playing a poker game with an opponent who holds all the cards, to make it even worse he/she does not even both to hide that fact , you need to step up or start your own game your people need your help now more than ever. Nkosi sikelela.

"The land relocation in Zimbabwe is meant to fail, because its success spells trouble for all the former colonial powers."

No, land relocation didn't work because ZANU-PF made a huge mess of it. Where was the advanced planning? Agricultural colleges for potential settlers? Building up stocks of required seeds, tools etc? Why wasn't land acquisition properly staggered? Why did ZANU-PF thugs get the land which they left stagnant?

ZANU-PF won't take responsibility for their actions. Let's hope MDC does better.

All the mdc will do is give the land back to the white farmers - now that's going backwards. mdc are a puppet party set up by the west.

Aren't you tired of repeating ZANU-PF nonsense? You are a propaganda puppet.

Kubatana you are So afraid of whites. They don't bite you know. Most whites are very content living in their own countries because the days of colonization are over. They will vacation but return because let's face it, who would like to live in unstable countries like Zimbabwe for instance, who is now SO backward. Who would like to wipe one's backside with leaves? The MDC will do a better job of redistributing the land because Mr Tsvangirai is not a fool. He has stated that he will see to it that the land goes TO THE ZIMBABWEAN PEOPLE and not to a chosen few, and if he becomes the president then the Zimbabwean people should hold him to that. Where you get the idea of land being given to whites is your own insecurities. But as things stand, Zimbabwe may need foreign nationals to teach farming because there is no food right now due to the fact you do not know how to farm and Mugabe is broke and cannot afford seed. I don't think his begging for food in Italy went down very well.

if you believe that Kuba, you're dumber than everyone thinks of you already. And thats DUMB!

They do that because they are white racists - They even attack Mbeki now because he dont agree with them. I always get attacked on this site from at least six of them including an Australian. They are a bunch of racist who pretend to have ALL Zimbabweans interest at heart.

Go on Kubatana6, find me these "racist" remarks. You keep accusing people of being racist and yet every time someone says "show us proof" you have nothing to say.

It will only take me a few minutes to dig out some of the bigoted rubbish you have written on this board to show people who the real racist is around here. Shall I do that?

Mindy, you and your cronies do try your best to hide it and do as if you 'LOVE' black people - nothing is further from the truth. You are a born racist and nothing will change that - in fact the truth is that rhodies try to put on this 'fair play' look but deep down you are a super sad lot that are caught in a time warp. I feel very sorry for your children.

Like I said Kuba, show me some quotes that I or "my cronies" have written that's racist. Time warp? YOU are the one in the time warp, whining on and on about the distant past.

You feel sorry for my children? Why? As you've told me before I'm white and therefore my children can only be Rhodesians since no white person can ever be Zimbabwean to you.

The truth is clear to anyone Kuba, the racist here is you. So many of your posts have been flagged as abusive I honestly don't know why AllAfrica hasn't kicked you off this board yet.

Attacked? I think the word you are looking for is Kube 'Corrected'. We just ask you to back up your opinions with facts and evidence, but you never do. You're all talk and lies kube.

Mugabe is a thug, a criminal who has presided over the slaughter of his own people, the starvation of the same and the decimation of Zimbabwe's economy. Think: if many democratic leaders were imposing sanctions upon your autocratic rule, wouldn't you pause to think you were doing some wrong? No, Mugabe is a Godless man, a man who judges everything by his own standards. To top it off, he is rascist! May God bring justice and freedom to Zimbabwe swiftly, at the hands of a true Christian leader.

You are a total idiot. Comparing Bush to Tsvangirai!? Please, don't pollute this message board with your rubbish.

"Lloyd Whitefield Butler Jr. descendant of African slaves in America" you didn't answer me last time I asked. How many generations of your family have lived as free men in America since slavery was abolished in 1865? Your bitter grip onto the long distant past helps nobody.

African American so-called freedom's date is 1965 (Civil Rights Bill). Keep in mind Sir, During the Amerioan Revolutionary War enslaved Africans where told by the United States and Britain to fight on their side and they will set us free. The Afrian fought on both sides and was returned to slavery after the war.

During the American Civil War we again was to told "fight for the United States Union" and the enslaved Afrian did, dying by the thouands, only later to be contained in an American aparthied segregation system of bondage (1865 - 1965).

America, after passing the 13th (abolished slavery), 14th (equal protection under law), and 15th (right to vote)Amendments to the US Constitution violated their own laws by remanded African American back to aparthied slavery for an additional 100 years.

Apartheid was a terrible thing but it was hardly "slavery".

Do you think Martin Luther King would have said "I have a dream that we will be free men but we will hold on bitterly to the past and point accusing fingers instead of trying to better ourselves"? Do you think Obama would be a candidate for the US presidency if he wallowed in the problems of the past?

You call yourself "African" American. I hate that term! Most "African" Americans have never even been to Africa. Did you grown up in Africa? How about your father, grandfather, great-grandfather? Using these stupid "politically correct" terms creates a divide between people when we should be aiming for unity.

Robert Mugabe's presence in Rome is obscene. One reason he is going is to humiliate those who believe Zimbabwe would be a better place without him - a rather school boyish act of defiance. The other reason is to give Grace and his entourage of 200 a chance to shop in Europe. Unfortunately, the shelves in the shops of Zimbabwe are rather bare and no longer carry luxuries like bread, soap, washing powder etc and because of sanctions, their foreign travel has become somewhat limited. So they obviously need to restock their pantries with the basics of life that are only found in the exclusive boutiques of European capital cities. But I would like the author to answer a few questions for me?

1) Why was Tonderai Ndira killed after being arrested by the police? 2)Why was he arrested 35 times in his short lifetime? (He was only 33) 3) Why are there so many Zimbabwean teachers in SA, who are prepared to work at anything to put food on their table? 4) Why was Tonderai Ndira's grave weighed down by slabs of concrete? I believe the reason is to try to prevent people digging up the coffin, dumping the body and reselling the coffin. 5) Why was the hospital forbidden from doing an autopsy on Tonderai's body? 6) Why do daily people risk their lives trying to enter SA? South Africa may not be utopia, but it is obviously offers more than they had in Zimbabwe. 7) Why are people arrested for simply writing something critical of Mugabe eg the arrest of Arthur Matambura? 8) Lots of countries were invaded and their land appropriated by settlers from the colonial masters eg Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Angola, India, United States, Canada, DRC, Zambia and Kenya. Yes, Zimbabwe was also one of those countries, but most of the rest seem to have managed to deal with it and move on. The UK was prepared to help Mugabe with buying farms from the white settlers and transferring it to black farmers, but justifiably balked when they realised that Mugabe was just using the money to feather his own nest. Open your eyes, where is Mugabe getting the money from to fund Grace's shopping trip in Rome. They won't accept the worthless Zim dollars and no handbag would hold the amount required to buy a pair of shoes for her.

If you are in the US, it is difficult to imagine the countryside laid barren, the starving children, the huge number of orphans, people content if they manage to have one meal a day on the table, the wads of notes required to buy a newspaper, the empty shelves, the dangerous trek into SA, the being deported and going straight back. It is difficult to imagine the sheer desperation that forces men like Morgan and his followers to stand up and to try to use democracy to get rid of the man that is responsible for the mass starvation of their people. In democratic countries, we take democracy for granted. We can write letters to the newspaper to complain about the government, we can wear whatever T shirt we want with whatever slogan we want on it. Our food supply does not depend on our political affiliations and it is definitely not a death sentence to stand for an opposition political party. I had the privilege to see South Africa become a democratic country. I just want to see the same thing for Zimbabwe.

For a freelance journalist of 30years experience Lloyd is slightly less than prolific. If posting on message boards makes one freelance journalists then we all appear to be freelance journalists.

I have been looking at Lloyds previous, "work" over the past 30 minutes(it really took just 30 minutes) not much for 30 years of journalistic enterprise. Had I been Lloyds' teacher grading it as a paper I would have used a lot of red ink. The "Casa Nostra" is actually a very fine Italian bistro near to where I live, not the Cosa Nostra which is the Sicilian criminal organisation you appear to refer to. I would however; like to recommend something I found online by Lloyd, I found it highly amusing:

http://www.talkzimbabwe.com/news/128/ARTICLE/2224/2008-04-28.html

There was a recent thread on this site regarding the Ex-Archbishop of Harare and I'm very surprised Lloyds ubiquitous post of, "Letter to the Archbishop of York" didn't appear on there anywhere, because he's posted it to many other forums on the www. By the way Lloyd, "Your Holiness (Holy Father, Il Papa)" is the correct way to address the Bishop of Rome(The Pope, The Holy See, The Vicar of Christ), NOT an Anglican Archbishop who is addressed as "Your Grace" when posing a question or "The Most Reverend and Right Honourable the Lord Archbishop of York", as he is a privy councillor which of course you knew.

The site www.zimbabwejournalists.com describes itself as an, "Online newspaper by the Association of Zimbabwe Journalists, a group of over 40 professional and seasoned Zimbabwean journalists" and there is Lloyd the, "descendant of African slaves in America", with his obligatory letter to the collarless Archbishop of York: it kind of undermines their credibility just a wee bit.

Lloyd is a single issue journalist, everything I can find; even the totally unlawful shooting of Sean Bell which was yet another disgusting episode in US jurisprudence ; he manages to unskilfully work in a Mugabe angle. The absence of balance and the exercise in cutting and pasting may work for the Zimbabwe Guardian but I think most people are a little more demanding.

I did agree with Lloyd post in the New York Times regarding the apostasy of Barak Obama, though admittedly that was the only thing I agreed with.

Never have I had the greater misfortune than to read such a piece of convoluted and disjointed garbage as the piece I have just had inflicted upon me by Lloyd Whitefield Butler Jr. Columnist, The Zimbabwe Guardian. It makes as much sense reading it backward than it does forward in fact it probably reads better backwards. Introduction, Body, Conclusion Lloyd, it isn’t difficult.

Here’s a tip for you Lloyd when you profess to be a journalist please attempt to learn a little of your craft. Basic grammar would be a great start and when you make up a word of which you are obviously very, very proud, Lord knows you used it 9 times and in various constructions throughout the piece: The words in question being, "Spinmiester, Spinmiesterism, Spinmiesterization" please Lloyd IT'S MEISTER, "i before e except after c" doesn't apply in Germany. I’m blushing on your behalf now man. You need to practice using the correct homophone, Their, There and They’re is pretty basic stuff for a journalist of thirty years experience.

Go back to school get your GED, maybe enrol on a course in deductive reasoning, then you’ll be able to look at the facts and come up with something other than, “It was the white folks what done it”.

Do you think calling yourself a columnist for the Zimbabwe Guardian adds some weight of authority to your posts on allAfrica.com?

I know that the idea of being published on Talk Zimbabwe or the Zimbabwe Guardian or whatever it is called now obviously gives you a sense of great feeling of prestige but really your articles do nothing to assist its reputation. The editor is obviously a moron, terminally dyslexic or doesn’t even read your contributions because the sheer quantity of typos and errors in your column is ridiculous for anything professing to be a serious news provider.

I searched and searched in your post for anything relevant or pertinent to the attendance of Sir Robert Mugabe KCB and his grotesque hangers on at the UN food summit in Rome but found nothing except the word, “obscene”. I suggest readers check out the following thread, http://allafrica.com/comments/list/aans/post/post/id/200805300999.html They will notice the first post entitled , “U.S. Republican Party and MDC-T alike with Media Spin Deception” note the absence of the word, “obscene” which Lloyd has used to make his comment on this thread a completely new one IN HIS MIND!.

Lloyd is obviously immensely proud of this post and it appeared in his column this week almost word for word including the grammatical and typographical errors. I’m sure it’s going to appear around the web on various forums like his letter to the “Archbishop of York” in various guises, think of the possibilities, “U.S. Republican Party and MDC-T alike with *insert new word here* Media Spin Deception”.

One word doth not a new article make Lloyd old chap. Sorry if this feels like the ad-hominem ad nauseam which you dislike so much but your strawmen fallacies in the above piece which didn't even have a tenuous link to the thread title made me do it.

Lieutenant-Colonel Glyph MA MBA LLM(Cardiff) Barrister, British Army, you were right awt-independent I feel quite twatish now, I think I'll just stick to Glyph*LOL*

The current president of this republic does Not deserve the vast majority you talk about. i don't know where you got your info from, regarding the MDC - T, but my friend, you surely do not live in Zim. last night, I lost an auntie. she was shot to death in the Buhera area, when Uniformed Soldiers of the national army opened fire on a gathering. The programming on our local television is all politically inclined in favour of the ruling elite that offers nothing but a reminder of a historyu of war and oppression at the hands of the white people. That oppression is not half as brutal as that currently being inflicted upon an unarmed populace that has had the courage to vote against a regime that has reduced the country to a basket case. If you were truly objective about anything, you should have likened RGM to Adolf Hitler or Idi Amin in his concentrated effort to maim kill or displace any HUMAN BEING opposed to his warped way of thinking.

djoser35 - the whole debate about Zimbabwe and its immediate future has predictably become highly polarised. It is important therefore to keep an open a mind as possible and try and see the other person's point of view. I try to and I will say that one has to respect the convictions and steadfastness of people such as yourself who are prepared defend your point of view when the overwhelming majority of people who post on this site hold a contrary view.

However, what is happening in Zimbabwe is not an academic or intellectual exercise. People are dying from political violence, children are being denied a future and hope is in danger of being extinguished. That means that there has to be change; there cannot be a continuation of the morally and intellectually bankrupt kleptocracy that exists today.

Attempts to delay or deny that change will be costly, and the price will not be paid for by people such as you and I. The people who will pay the price have voted and made clear their views - they want change and they want it now.

You ask just what has Mugabe done to 'destroy the country'? At the heart of the matter has to be the highly partisan and self serving way in which he dismantled the core of the economy. The stripping and disregard for the constitutional rights of the citizens of Zimbabwe also features high on the list of his sins. The politicization of the judiciary, civil service and defense forces can be added to that list. The bottom line is that after almost 30 years of Mugabe rule the citizens of Zimbabwe find themselves living shorter, unemployed, struggling to educate and equip their children for the future and in a virtual state of civil war as evidenced by the escalating political violence.

You ask how is it not sanctions that has not resulted in this state of affairs? Ignoring the travel bans; the only "sanctions" which exist is the absence of balance of payments support through the mechanism of the World Bank and IFC. National affairs are no different to those of individuals. If an individual has a very poor credit history to start with and then throws considerable doubt over their future income stream; who is to blame when the bank declines to lend them any more money? Especially when that individual has consistenly refused to the take the advice of the bank. Mugabe and his apologists need to live in the real world - insulting the people they want to borrow money from, whilst ignoring their economic advice, is not a good move. Mugabe and his apologists seem to believe that they have been denied a right to take funds from the World Bank and that the rich West that funds the institutions should simply and unconditionally hand out money. Why? I couldn't think of a way that is more guaranteed to keep a country in servitude if it could act with economic imbecility and never have to pay the price of doing so.

I didn't attempt to refute the "excellent points" that you say were made by LWR jr. Frankly I couldn't find them.

Katz,well said.

I'm sorry Mr L.W.B.Jr, but your longwinded exaggerated defence of Uncle Bob made as much sense as his Roman Holiday.Defending the undefendable will only prolong the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe.

What obnoxious utterances from the same nefarious minded individuals who loathe native national domination, Australia and Britain, with their blasphemous weapons of mass deception about Zimbabwe and Mugabe? If Mugabe did not participate in the current elections he would be still leader for no one had won the majority 50%+1 vote to permit transition. Contenders of the run off elections have already started to campaign in concordance with our electoral dictates. I gather from these conspirators that Zimbabwe should not be represented on important medium like UN food summit or there must be some individual privileged by Britain and Australia in the name of our “true leader”, how grotesque! There is food shortage in Zimbabwe, Zambia and the rest of the third world that calls for proper concentration on issues like western local farmers subsidies, climatic challenges – global warming, use of toxic agrochemicals, GM food products, etc... The culprits are the very imbeciles who are making artificial shortages through unbalanced trade and international finance restrictions while using their national food aid programs for depraved political gains. Mugabe is a subject matter for the Zimbabwe electorate alone. Why must the British and Australian authorities circumvent the topical issue of food crisis by choosing to address Mugabe when it must be business as usual? We want to know if the native Australians are feeding well! We must have first hand info of how former colonies of the Centurian Queen of England are happy with the food status quo in comparison with how the Empress is feeding herself.

Onesoulzim, if Zimbabwe had a leader the likes of the British, HER empresses would eat too. You guys are very dumb. You cannot see that through all this blame on Western countries Mugabe is trying very hard to isolate you and then abuse,rave and rant whilst you all cow to him like docile cattle because all you have ever known is abuse. Whilst you guys are blindly chanting his anti-West slogans back home, where is he? He is out there in Italy one of the very countries you are shouting against, begging for food. WHY? Because he has screwed up Zimbabwe right under your noses and you are all too brain-washed to see. The big honchos send their children to the West for their education, but you don't question. When those very honchos have major illnesses they go to the West for treatment,but you don't question. The very minute they arrive back home, the fools that you are,you greet them with anti- West slogans, meanwhile YOUR brothers and sisters do not even have an Aspirin or a Panadol for an ailment as a simple headache. It is not laughable but sad.

Oh please, typical unsubstantiated rubbish. Everyone can see this is a loophole for Mugabe to get around the travel ban. The only real connection to food Bob's visit is going to have is Grace stuffing her greedy face with Italian delicacies.

allafrica.com can u pls send or extend my ths message 2 all european countries n usa, tht it s a shame in their face 2 attack HE robert mukabe of zimbawe while their own record was, s n ll be questionable.why can u short up your dirty mouth n stay away from medling in d internal affairs of other sofereign democratic state, more than yours.african n africa s tied of your fake n melicious policy towards them n re nt ready 2 accept more.why can u teach jurge bush n tony blair or liar abt d democracy u re intending 2 teach 2 africa, who doesnt need your council n it s they ie bush n blair, who need more of ths,because, they still fail 2 accept d real democracy other than their dirty one.

Tony Blair is ancient history, where have you been? Freeze Dried? Oh thats right you exisit in the information vacuum that is Zimbabwe?

It seems to me that not bright bush and unelected brown are afraid to have discussions about Zimbabwe with Mugabe himself for they will be exposed.

Like I said before, what's the point of discussions with Mugabe? He does what he wants, when he wants. He stopped caring about the people long ago. It's time for change!

If there is going to be change then it must be made by the Zimbabwean people not rhodies,british,yanks or their puppets. You and your cronies have got no right wanting change in Zimbabwe - typical ARROGANCE!

So let me get this right Kuba, you're saying only black Zimbabweans are allowed to want change in Zimbabwe? That's an absolutely appalling attitude, and especially hypocritical coming from someone who has chosen to live in New Zealand far away from the troubles in Zimbabwe.

Yet another example of Kuba being racist. The collection is growing.

mindy, you just an idiot! you cant even read - check my post again and tell me where i said" black Zimbabwean's". You are infact the one that hates being exposed as the racist you are!

Actually... I think you are the idiot here Kube. Mindy just simplified your "Zimbabwean people not rhodies,british,yanks or their puppets" to "Black Zimbabweans". I though that was quite obvious, well obvious to the educated anyways. Are you trying to say there are Zimbabweans that arent black, rhodies,british,yanks or their puppets? Please enlighten us.

And its pretty clear to me that you are the racist here. It surprises me how quickly you categorise people by the colour of their skin. To me thats extremely racists.

Quite right awt. There is no such thing as a white Zimbabwean to Kuba. He keeps telling me that I cannot be Zimbabwean, even after four generations of my family were born there, because I'm white.

Kuba, when you find yourself in a hole you should stop digging.

I hate to point this out again (I think my post got missed) But, Kube, you really are the idiot here. Mindy was just summarising your comment "Zimbabwean people not rhodies,british,yanks or their puppets." to "Black Zimbabean" Surely that is obvious? But you are just so quick to take a bite at someone when you get the chance arent you. Are you saying that there are Zimbabweans that arent Black, rhodies,british,yanks or their puppets? AS for being racist.. you are very quick to classify people on the colour of their skin. I think if you moved back to Zimbabwe from the harsh society of New Zealand that you could probably solve the whole nations shortage of food with that huge chip on your shoulder.

"think if you moved back to Zimbabwe from the harsh society of New Zealand that you could probably solve the whole nations shortage of food with that huge chip on your shoulder."

ROFL! That's the funniest thing I've read on this forum.

The majority of the free world deplores any government that uses lies and deception to fill the pockets of the greedy few.In a real democracy the people would not suffer crap for 28 years.

So you suggest we(the world in general) close close our eyes to the rubish the oldman is doing out of his troubled eldery just because of what he did when he was young and could think properly? We let him finish the country before he goes to the grave. Come on dear Zim... You are not living in the real world( ZImbabwe) are you?

Glyph, Mindpower, Kjrs120 and some jokes around really hate my head of state. I stay in Zim 24/7 and these rape incidences and street violence are only in USA, Britain and their western movies. My good people if we attack the British head of state it becomes anathema but for the record the Centurian Queen of England heads the most barbaric , infamous, notorious, wicked and inhuman establishment ever existed on mother earth. That geriatric queen Liz has blood of Africans dripping from top of her head flooding river Thames like a tsunami. This infamous queen has been notorious in putting British Governors, colonial authorities, proxy politicians all over native land of the globe. For a century now there has been extraction of minerals from Africa to her establishment. Forget about Thatcher, Blair, Brown, their parliamentarians, etc, they are just bucking puppies, political infants and un-rational work horses who hustle as disposable batteries to feed the inhuman English Establishment. They even call a dreaded militant monarchy such as theirs a democracy. They call their royal bitching family members non political as if we can’t read all speeches on “colonies” by the geriatric queen. Can we not see the militancy of these shame royal progeny in Afghanistan? Can we not see how their King to be pleads with the UN chief to act against Zimbabwe? Who is politically boasting of “giving” Africans Zimbabwe if it is not this long nosed idiot Charles? When land was taken from the settlers of this English Establishment our head of state became racist to them for he challenged their kith and kin within their English establishment. Our nation is harassed everyday through their tabloids for not having the whites doing agriculture alone. Who is racist when you say if whites are out of Zim land there won’t be production? Does agriculture only favors the white skin? We went to agric schools with whites and some of them did not go to school at all, we have black agric engineers, veterinarians, agronomists, economists, extension workers from reputable institutions all over the world including from Europe but as long as there are no whites included then they blaspheme that our land tenure will be doomed. We are not supposed to reason that agriculture needs good rains and capital investment when they muzzle the balance of payment support from the Breton Woods and other credits from international finance institutions. It is now more than a century that we fight these maniacs from the Caucus Mountains and let us hurl them back to their barbarism by refusing to budge to their influence. GO ZIMBABWE GO!!

Well apart from the bollox at the start of the post which I'm not even going to denegrate myself by answering such a piece of paranoid mentally questionable rubbish. All I have to say is this.

No-one will lend you money because you cant pay it back, your economic policies mean you have no money no hope of getting any money. There isn't a law which says banks should lend bad debtors more money.

Less than 13% of your winter wheat is planted, the British have nothing to do with your agricultural policy, that is framed by your genius leaders. I wont say you have no skilled farmers but when the 13% harvest fails and people are hungry, make of that what you will.

By the way, no thanks needed for the food aid.

Oh... common Glyph you are better than that! Why should your political governments influence/instruct board members of international finance institutions not to vote for credits/loans/grants advanced to Zimbabwe? I am sure these financial institutions do not need financial advice from the likes of not so bright Bush’s ZD Bill and ever ranting unelected Brown. Where is financial independent decision making? Why should your gvt sent emissaries to china with a stupid hope that china will stop trading with Zimbabwe? I really feel sorry for you when you do not want to be dragged into a contest about acts of your blood dripping geriatric Queen Liz and her highly prostituous family for you sound a noble man. Glyph, have you been posting “pieces of paranoid mentally questionable rubbish” about my head of State? My respond is NO! NO! It is how you are unfortunately made to see the truth by your English establishment through your education about us Africans. Africans do not have value in your system of thinking so you can rant anything you want to their leaders and get away with it. If I was like you folk I would have taken your Queen to the Hague, hang her like you did Saddam or kill her with my bare hands for the atrocities caused to my prior generations and african economy, but pal, I am African, I simply say leave us to sort our problems alone we just aren’t akin to your input for it smells very bad. We do have white fellows who perished for the liberation of Africans and we forever owe our emancipation to their gallant efforts, but to have you attack Mugabe and his wife doesn’t make me think you are for my betterment. It is therefore weird when you say Zimbabwe does not have enemies. What is the English establishment to Zimbabwe and Africa then? Financial debts are being cut for poor nations as the world is recognizing the imbalance of trade, poverty inherited from colonialism, exploitation of their resources and, your solution is Zimbabwe must not have aid at all for it can’t pay back – are you being friendly to the people of Zimbabwe when you categorically advocate for them to perish? Our problem as Zimbabweans is that we have tolerated the English establishment for too long and we still need to engage them into a discussion about our future knowing very well how unrepentant they are. We do not advocate for the termination of your monarchy nor want to claim land pieces in Britain but you think you can effect regime change in Zimbabwe and still call your thinking progressive. Changes of governments are matters of the electorate so we face our choices here, do not punish our people to vote for your preferred candidates. Zimbabwe must be treated like any other nation made poor by the British Monarchy or leave Zimbabwean issues for good!

There you go again prattling on about the monarchy. Please do some reading about the UK government before you type any more nonsense.

Once again I have déjà vu. I have typed this so many times before. Restore the rule of law, implement human rights, run your economy soundly so you have a hope of paying back the loans advanced to you, constitute free and fair elections. I fail to see what the problem is with that.

Once those conditions are met then your lines of credit will be open, it's not rocket science although admittedly it is basic economics and the Zimbabwe government is not, "skill-rich" when it comes to competent economists.

China has recently refused loans to Zimbabwe has it not?

So you’re an African and you just want us to, “leave you alone” but you want the money. You either want to be left alone or you don’t. You want the west to give you money with no questions asked and then leave you alone? Or do we just leave you alone and not lend you any money? Make up your mind.

How prudent is it really to do nothing for day after day after day except rant and rave about how evil the west is and how the rhodies are coming to invade and Bush is a murderer and Brown is unelected and the Queen should be hung in the Hague and so on and so forth ad nauseam and then say, “we’d be ok if you’d just lend us some money”. You learned your smart diplomacy from Sir Robert Mugabe KCB I expect.

Sorry to go on but your remark regarding the Hague is quite amusing. To be a member of the International Criminal Court in The Hague you have to be a signatory to the Rome Statute. One country is glaringly absent from the Rome Statute: Zimbabwe. Guess why, go on guess, I dare you onesoul have a wild guess. TOO MANY WAR CRIMINALS! If your government hadn't been so scared as to sign up half of your government would be in jail about now.

I knew u would pull this Hague staff Glyph, details right. Well pal its all about assessing facts. I really want Queen Elizabeth to enjoy her last days on earth for sure hell will do the rest. War criminals; Iran’s gassing villagers through Saddam – who was really sponsoring the devil in Saddam then? Abu Graib - how do you make of it soldier? Who is running away from Basra? What are the Basra achievements, I mean how many casualties? Palestine- who is supporting the notorious Jews today? Are they all Jews or some European relegates packed in a ship to palestine land? Who gassed the Christ killers in Europe then? Afghanistan- is Bin still in Tora Boka Mountains? NAM war, how historic to kill those Vietcong! Northern Ireland? I won’t include horrible experiences of black slaves for Africans are just not worthy thinking of them as equals. I am not an army fanatic but this little is already turning up my tummy. Now Glyph, too many war criminals in my government?

In reply to glyphs comment on the International criminal Court's membership, I understand that contrary to popular belief, A "Non-Signatory" can still be hauled before the court and charges laid against any of it's citizens if the UN pass a special resolution.

Oh absolutely but it cannot sit in Judgement.

So he's anti semitic too? Abu Garib was an American Run facility I cant comment on that. Basrah is still alive and well, now policed and protected by the Iraqis who were trained by the British, don't worry we are still there to hold their hand.

Bin laden may get a kidney transplant someday but until then I'm quite happy to let him rot somewhere in the Hindu kush with his 400 malnourished skeletoid fanatics.

Youre now alleging that non Jewish europeans have gone to palistine to take land from the palestinians? Really where do you get this stuff?

Do you know anything about Northern Ireland at all? I spent almost 4 years of my life there keeping the religious nuts apart it's not like I didn't have anything better to do.

The UK didn't actually participate in the Vietnam war onesoul, neither have we masacred 20thousand of our own people. Unlike your war criminals.

Onesoulzim, you try to talk like someone who hails from a country with peace and tranquility. There is no such thing in Zimbabwe. Why do you think Africans had spears? They were not only used to hunt animals but used for fighting impis or wars. You slaughtered each other to almost extinction that is why when the white man arrived there were only a few hundred of you. Who do you think is responsible for your great numbers to-day? Mugabe? Instead of using spears like your fore-fathers he is mowing down the people with guns. What is the difference? Some tribes thought they were more superior than others, and even inter marriages were taboo. What would you call that if not discrimination. In short, the African has done the very same that you lot are being hypocritical about.