[lbo-talk] Zimbabwe: UK's N Korea

Peter Hart Ward pward at peterhartward.com
Fri May 2 19:23:02 PDT 2008


Thought it worth commenting on a post made over a week or so I just now read urging “worker solidarity action” to stop arms shipments to Zimbabwe.

It is worth noting that it is only in the UK and Commonwealth countries that one ever even hears about the Mugabe regime (the US media completely ignore it) and it is not clear what distinguishes this regime from the previous white ruling establishment with respect to human rights violations or what distinguishes it from countries today supported by Commonwealth nations such as Pakistan. In fact, it would seem, the only fact that does distinguish Zimbabwe is that the those who should be ruled took power—i.e., the problem isn’t human rights, but that the blacks said “Fuck you!” to the Privy Council. I remember I went to see a documentary on the crisis there in Edinburgh (a real crisis, I have not doubt). Following the film was a “discussion”--really a bullying session by the event organizer—where a member of the audience, a man actually from Zimbabwe, stood up and said, “Wait a minute, what about corruption in this country? Why aren’t you discussing that?” From that point on, my illusions about the sincerity of the Britain’s (mainly rhetorical) crusade against the regime, which I had held hitherto, I admit, were shattered.*

The situation is surely a terrible one in that country and if any of us come from countries that are supplying arms we have an obligation, “under God”, to do everything we can to stop this just as we in the US have an obligation to, e.g., stop supplying Israel with weapons used to terrorize the Palestinians. On the other hand, no government is going to “press democracy”; internal conditions can only be improved by the citizens not by outside pressure, assuming such pressure could possibly be enacted without ulterior motive.

I found the petition offensive on a number of levels. In particular, for its hypocrisy but also for the childishness of it. Whatever may or may or may not get us out of the mess we’re in, it is sure we’ll have to become a damn sight more mature and willing to look at unpleasant facts than at present the majority of us are prepared to.

*This regardless of whether this man had an ax to grind, which perhaps he did. He was still right—we need to focus on our own problems and fix them.

***ORIGINAL POST***

Dear friends,

Trade unionists, church groups, and legal organisations across South

Africa are joining to block arms shipments to Zimbabwe. Help show

their leaders that the world stands with them--sign the petition now:

CLICK TO ADD YOUR NAME!

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

In ten days, 155,000 people worldwide signed an Avaaz petition urging

South Africa's Thabo Mbeki to press for democracy in Zimbabwe--and

then flew a massive banner over the United Nations headquarters. The

flight grabbed the attention of world media, from South African radio,

newspapers, and TV to CNN and the BBC... and the next day, South

Africa shifted its position.

Click here to see coverage, and take the next step!

Even as the Zimbabwe crisis worsens, an extraordinary solidarity

movement has taken hold across Southern Africa--sparked by a South

African dock workers' union that refused to unload a Chinese shipment

of Zimbabwe-bound weapons.[1]

Their refusal to facilitate Zimbabwe's crackdown has ignited a

wildfire that is spreading across the continent. Now, as pressure

builds, China is publicly wavering--and might decide to bring the arms

home.[2] Click below to sign a petition to keep arms away from

Zimbabwe. The petition will be launched at a press conference in

Johannesburg before the end of this week, and used to lobby key

leaders until the crisis ends. Join the call now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/5.php

Three weeks on, the results of the March 29 elections have still not

been released, and Zimbabwe's crisis is getting worse. Mugabe's

government has unleashed a brutal campaign to retain power. The

opposition says that ten have died, and hundreds have been injured;

now, a "human wave" of refugees is fleeing to South Africa and other

neighbouring countries.[3]

But even as the political emergency deepens, an African-led upswell

of resistance has begun to turn the tide. In the last ten days:

• More than 150,000 Avaaz members worldwide signed the petition or

democracy in Zimbabwe, including citizens of 53 of Africa's 54

countries. The goal: prod South Africa's president Mbeki to pressure

Mugabe. To make sure the message got through, Avaaz hired a small

plane to fly a 280 square metre (3000 sq ft) banner over the United

Nations.[4] The next day, amidst pressure from other governments and

worldwide media coverage of the Avaaz stunt, South Africa finally

shifted its position on Zimbabwe.[5]

• Last week, a Chinese ship carrying 77 tonnes of Zimbabwe- bound

weapons and ammunition docked in Durban, South Africa--but, refusing

to aid Mugabe's crackdown, the dockworkers refused to unload it.

Unions, churches, and legal groups throughout Southern Africa quickly

mobilized; the ship was forced to leave the harbour, and other ports

in the region are vowing to block the weapons as well.[6]

• As the grassroots outcry has grown, political officials have begun

to press their case. Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa urged other

African leaders not to allow the weapons to reach Zimbabwe.[7] United

Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and former UNSG Kofi Annan have

called for democracy. And more and more other leaders in Africa and

worldwide are joining in.

The Chinese arms ship is now sailing up the Western coast of Africa.

Union officials tell Avaaz that it could stop in Namibia to refuel,

but is probably headed towards Angola.[8] Time is short. A strong

international outcry now can help support the groups in both

countries--dockworkers, NGOs, and church leaders--who are working to

block the weapons and support Zimbabwean human rights.

There is more at stake here than the weapons in this ship. Together,

we can build a consensus that Zimbabwe should not be sold ANY weapons

in this time of crisis--and in the longer term, we can build momentum

for a strong international Arms Trade Treaty[9]. Moreover, stopping

the flow of weapons provides a concrete, immediate step that leaders

in the region can take on Zimbabwe--paving the way for stronger

actions in coming days and weeks.

Add your name to the petition, and then send this link to friends and

family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/5.php

The situation in Zimbabwe is dire. But because of people power--the

courage of ordinary workers and community members, standing on

principle--the political currents are shifting, and hope is emerging

for change. And in the global media, a new strain can be heard amidst

the grinding stories of brutality and chaos.

This crisis has many layers, and raises issues that range from the

legacy of colonialism to the uncontrolled international arms trade. At

the heart of it is the simple idea that every human life is equally

precious, and that every person has rights. The people of Zimbabwe

took their stand in the voting booth. The dockworkers of South Africa

took their stand at the harbour. Now, even if we can only offer a

click, it is time to do our part as well.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Graziela, Galit, Paul, Iain, Pascal, and Veronique--the

Avaaz.org team

Sources:

1 Business Day: "South Africa: Unions Bid to Halt Zimbabwe Arms

Ship." http://allafrica.com/stories/200804220109.html

2 New York Times: "China Says Shipment of Arms for Zimbabwe May turn

Back."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/world/africa/23zimbabwe.html?

_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

3 New York Times: "Human Wave Flees Violence in Zimbabwe."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/world/africa/21zimbabwe.html?

ex=1366516800&en=0378560da461b30a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

4 SW Radio Africa: "Mbeki put under pressure at the UN over

Zimbabwe"

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news170408/mbekipressure170408.htm

5 Globe and Mail: "South African leader forced to speak up after

long keeping quiet on Mugabe."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/

LAC.20080418.ZIMBABWEANALYSIS18/TPStory/TPInternational/Africa

6 Associated Press: "Zimbabwe's neighbors unite to block arms

shipment"

http://ap.google.com/article/

ALeqM5i4kT7pJlnuzY_vpKdTACcQYIPcvQD9077G780

7 Reuters: "Zambia asks African states to bar Chinese ship"

http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnBAN223066.html

8 Ibid.

9 See http://controlarms.org.

________

ABOUT AVAAZ

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning

organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the

world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in

many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or

corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de

Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!

To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to

info at avaaz.org. You can also send postal mail to our New York office:

260 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10001 U.S.A.

If you have technical problems, please go to http://www.avaaz.org.

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