Friday, January 22, 2010
Je ne le crois pas
On the day it was announced that B. Hussein Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I engaged in a rather heated discussion with a liberal colleague about whether or not Obama deserved said Peace Prize. I, of course, said he didn't; my left-wing friend said he did, without really being able to explain why he deserved it.
After several minutes of arguing, I was asked: "Well, who do you think should've gotten it?" It took me about one half of one second to respond: Morgan Tsvangirai. My response elicited a blank stare and several moments of silence. I then gave a quick tutorial on one Morgan Tsvangirai with this exclamation: "Now, tell me again that Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize!"
Don't know much about Mr. Tsvangirai? I wrote this about him back in 2008:
Right now, the person I admire most in this world is Morgan Tsvangirai. "Who's he?" you ask. Well, he's the guy who's stood in opposition to Robert Mugabe's quasi-dictatorship in the African nation of Zimbabwe for the past decade. Last month, his political party won a majority of the seats in Zimbabwe's parliament, and he won a plurality of votes in the presidential election. He announced that he would participate in a run-off election, and dozens of his followers were jailed and beaten by government authorities, and several were killed. Tsvangirai was forced to first flee his country, and upon his return he had to seek refuge in the Danish embassy.
Over the years, Morgan Tsvangirai has been jailed by the Zimbabwean government and beaten to a bloody pulp by pro-Mugabe goons. He's also endured painful and humiliating torture, and he's escaped numerous assassination attempts. But Mr. Tsvangirai has never once threatened to give up his effort to secure a democratic future for Zimbabwe. Before all is said and done (in large part due to Mr. Tsvangirai's heroic efforts), Zimbabwe might very well become a representative democracy one of these days ... and I just might shed a congratulatory tear for Mr. Morgan T. when it does.
Why am I mentioning all this? Well, Zimbabwe continues to be a poverty-stricken, Orwellian hellhole, and now-Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai continues to be marginalized by the despotic and corrupt President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. In another indication that President Obama and his foreign policy team don't know their asses from holes in the ground, the Obama Administration is moving to normalize relations with Zimbabwe. As the Weekly Standard's John Noonan writes:
Is it a surprise to anyone that the people of Zimbabwe, dying (literally) for good governance and sound economic management, are treated exactly like the democratic revolutionaries in Iran? Is it a surprise that protestors, desperate for some sort of leadership from the United States, are ignored in hopes that murderous regimes will be inspired by smart power and the radiant glow of hope and change? Add Zimbabwe to the long list of nations that Obama has, plainly, gotten wrong.
Now, tell me again that Obama deserved that Peace Prize ...
After several minutes of arguing, I was asked: "Well, who do you think should've gotten it?" It took me about one half of one second to respond: Morgan Tsvangirai. My response elicited a blank stare and several moments of silence. I then gave a quick tutorial on one Morgan Tsvangirai with this exclamation: "Now, tell me again that Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize!"
Don't know much about Mr. Tsvangirai? I wrote this about him back in 2008:
Right now, the person I admire most in this world is Morgan Tsvangirai. "Who's he?" you ask. Well, he's the guy who's stood in opposition to Robert Mugabe's quasi-dictatorship in the African nation of Zimbabwe for the past decade. Last month, his political party won a majority of the seats in Zimbabwe's parliament, and he won a plurality of votes in the presidential election. He announced that he would participate in a run-off election, and dozens of his followers were jailed and beaten by government authorities, and several were killed. Tsvangirai was forced to first flee his country, and upon his return he had to seek refuge in the Danish embassy.
Over the years, Morgan Tsvangirai has been jailed by the Zimbabwean government and beaten to a bloody pulp by pro-Mugabe goons. He's also endured painful and humiliating torture, and he's escaped numerous assassination attempts. But Mr. Tsvangirai has never once threatened to give up his effort to secure a democratic future for Zimbabwe. Before all is said and done (in large part due to Mr. Tsvangirai's heroic efforts), Zimbabwe might very well become a representative democracy one of these days ... and I just might shed a congratulatory tear for Mr. Morgan T. when it does.
Why am I mentioning all this? Well, Zimbabwe continues to be a poverty-stricken, Orwellian hellhole, and now-Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai continues to be marginalized by the despotic and corrupt President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. In another indication that President Obama and his foreign policy team don't know their asses from holes in the ground, the Obama Administration is moving to normalize relations with Zimbabwe. As the Weekly Standard's John Noonan writes:
Is it a surprise to anyone that the people of Zimbabwe, dying (literally) for good governance and sound economic management, are treated exactly like the democratic revolutionaries in Iran? Is it a surprise that protestors, desperate for some sort of leadership from the United States, are ignored in hopes that murderous regimes will be inspired by smart power and the radiant glow of hope and change? Add Zimbabwe to the long list of nations that Obama has, plainly, gotten wrong.
Now, tell me again that Obama deserved that Peace Prize ...
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, January 22, 2010 
