Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of
the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to
drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship,
or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the
people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy.
All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the
pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater
danger.
If Saddam loses a leg, but survives the U.S. bombing, how upset will his
body doubles be?
WE SHOULD BE SLOW TO COMPARE PEOPLE TO HITLER, but
when they do it themselves, it seems
fair to quote them:
At the state funeral of one of his cabinet ministers, [President Robert
Mugabe of Zimbabwe] said: "I am still the Hitler of the time. This
Hitler has only one objective, justice for his own people, sovereignty
for his people, recognition of the independence of his people, and their
right to their resources.
"If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold. Ten times, that
is what we stand for."
Hours later members of the Zimbabwe National Army, including Mr Mugabe's
elite force, the Presidential Guard, began a pre-dawn rampage in revenge
for the opposition general strike last week.
The attacks left more than 250 people injured, scores of them seriously,
but victims remained defiant yesterday. Patricia Mukonda, 27, a secretary
at the head office of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change,
needed hospital treatment.
Up to 60 members of the Guard and other soldiers . . . attacked under
cover of darkness. . . .
"They beat me all over," she said, adding that she was sexually
assaulted with a baton while her six-year-old son was forced to watch. .
. .
Yup, sounds like Mugabe is a man with a role model. Also check out
Doris Lessing's article about Mugabe.
(Thanks to Jesse Walker at Reason's Hit
& Run for the pointer to the Hitler piece, and
InstaPundit for the pointer to the
Lessing piece.)
I was wondering about that mustache.
