<p>In terms of pain and suffering? Although I will agree that while Zimbabwe's fate was undeserved, us Americans had it coming. It greatly pains and angers me when all I can see around me are an uneducated population which STILL doesn't have the desire to learn the ways of the world. Well most of us will be forced to learn when the price of gas reaches $5 and ethanol production leeches away food supply while farmers are given subsidies by a Congress whose composition is thoroughly representative of our shortsighted and greedy attitudes. Looking at democracy since the time it was envisioned by Montesquieu, it seems to be a failed ideology, maybe only the voice of the intelligent should be heard?
Is the democratic party not responsible for the majority of the long term ills pervading America?
People have accused Obama of elitism, isn't that a good thing? Do you really want bubba or cletus to be your president? I think we know the answer to that but we've learned the hard way i.e. 8 years of blinding stupidity.</p>
<p>You may not agree with our President, but it is ludicrous IMO to compare Robert Mugabe and what he has done to Zimbabwe (once the bread-basket of Africa), with President Bush and to argue that "Mugabe=Bush".</p>
<p>bush may have totally destroyed America internally while it took Mugabe more than 8 years. I wish I was in Zimbabwe right now, god why are people so scared? How many thugs does he have? definitely less than the people against him.</p>
<p>I love Africa, I've been to most of Northern Africa and love the Western Sahara region the most. Aside from Eastern Europe, Africa is the only place I'd like to visit again,</p>
<p>Pain and suffering on our end=completely subjective (people are allowed to complain and rant about our president as much as they want with no ramifications-like it should be, people unhappy with $4 gas when majority of other places in world i.e. europe have $8 gas/gallon, poverty line at 20K/yr when many of the worlds people live on less than a dollar a day, etc). </p>
<p>Pain and suffering on the Zimbabwe end= very objective (starving poor people with completely corrupt government, worlds highest inflation rate, 80% unemployment, people prosecuted for free speech etc). And of uneducated people all around you in this country? You seem like one of those uneducated folks that you claim so many others are. I'm not saying bush is a good president at all; he is definitely no hero in my eyes. I'm just saying there is NO basis for comparison. You might as well compare Hitler to Clinton. You don't know how good it is here until you've left (although we are still not perfect by any means). Being/visiting in Africa is one thing; living like the majority of people there is a vastly different matter</p>
<p>oh sorry forgot to mention, I've lived most of my life in Asia and Africa and only recently moved to the US. The difference btw US and Zimbabwe is the will of the people that's it.</p>
<p>"Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Pulls Out of Presidential Runoff: Citing the violence and intimidation that has plagued opposition supporters since he won first-round elections in March, Morgan Tsvangirai said it was not worth asking people to risk their lives to vote."</p>
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<p>"The difference btw US and Zimbabwe is the will of the people that's it."</p>
<p>Okay, I've got an idea: call 1-800-LEAVE-THE-USA and get yourself a ticket to Harare and see the similarities between the U.S. and Zimbabwe for yourself. I'm sure Robert Mugabe would love to have you visit him; enjoy your trip, and do us all here a favor!</p>
<p>The WSJ story just strenghtens my point and yea I'm gonna leave for laayoune after finishing graduate school. Life in the west is rather dull and dreary, is it not? And diehldun care to read my previous comments?</p>
<p>mugabe is nowhere near the same as bush. i think its kind of ignorant to compare both cases and presidents. bush didnt destroy america. america is not destroyed. just a little research might actually show you something else than what you believe</p>
<p>tamarind, do you have any idea of what it takes to stand up against a repressive regime? Its easy for you guys, from the safety of your homes, to make derogatory comments about the will of the Zimbabwean people. For a quick reference, just check out what happened to the democratic movement in Myanmar, how it was ruthlessly supressed. Mugabe will do no less.</p>