Mugabe to Zimbabweans: fund my birthday bash

The gall of some people never ceases to astonish me. Even from someone who you'd think would have exhausted his powers of astonishment.

Some 80 percent of Zimbabweans live below a poverty line set at around US$1800 a year.

Living conditions for most Zimbabweans is even worse than this number suggests, with inflation running at some 1800 percent and official unemployment running at least 80 percent.

Yet the country's thieving dictator wants these Zimbabweans living in a misery his misrule created to contribute money so he can throw a big birthday bash. He wants to the equivalent of US$1.2 million (at the official exchange rate).

But the corruption of Mugabe and his clan has led to low or even unpaid wages for government workers. These people don't have any money to contribute to his birthday party because they regime has already stolen it all! For many of them, Mugabe's thugs have even destroyed their homes.

While even the normally placid Guineans brave bullets and batons and take to the streets against Gen. Lansana Conté's regime (whose ruining of Guinea has been more passive neglect), where are the Zimbabweans mobilizing against Mugabe's far more active destruction of the country?

Rest assured, though. The ruling party's youth secretary said the celebrations were important as they brought young people close to the president.
"That day is a day where he will be closer to them, encouraging them to have good morals," he said in comments to the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

Robert Mugabe lecturing on good morals is like George W. Bush speaking about peace on Martin Luther King Jr Day.

I'm sure many Zimbabweans would love to be 'close' to Mugabe.

Preferably within arm's length.