Another African democracy problem?

Zimbabwean forces patrol after poll result delay

"Across the country Zimbabweans agree that the MDC has trounced ZANU-PF but they don't believe (correctly) that this automatically translates into Mr Mugabe handing over the keys to State House, and his black Mercedes," wrote a blogger called Bev Clark on http://kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/ -- an online community of Zimbabwean activists

"It's late and if I watch (MDC secretary general) Tendai Biti making the same comments on the same report they have been running since this morning I am going to do grievous bodily harm to the next person who walks through the door," one blogger wrote on thisiszimbabwe http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/ Writing on Sunday, poet Samm Farai Monro, better known as Comrade Fatso, told on his blog http://comradefatso.vox.com/ of wild rumours flying around the capital Harare

Many blogger comments on the Botswana-based news website http://zimbabwemetro.com related to fears that the elections may be rigged

Story:

Riot police appeared on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital after a long delay to election results fuelled opposition suspicions that President Robert Mugabe may try and cling to power by rigging the vote.

Reuters journalists saw the riot police in Harare late on Sunday and residents in outlying poor townships said they had seen stepped up patrols by security forces. "We have been told to stay indoors," said a resident in the eastern suburb of Tafara, declining to be named.

Mugabe, 84, faced the biggest challenge of his 28-year-rule in Saturday's election because of Zimbabwe's economic collapse and a two-pronged opposition attack that put him under unprecedented political pressure. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai said it had won an overwhelming victory, but electoral officials said no official results would be released until 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Monday, 35 hours after polls closed.

Results in past votes have begun emerging soon afterwards. The chairman of Zimbabwe's electoral commission, George Chiweshe, said the delay was caused by the complexity of holding presidential, parliamentary and local polls together for the first time, and the need to verify results meticulously.

All results would be announced on Monday, he told reporters.

"Mugabe has lost the election. Everyone knows no one voted for Mugabe, but they are now trying to cook up a result in his favor, " said MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti.
Zimbabwe is suffering from the world's highest inflation rate of more than 100,000 percent, chronic shortages of food and fuel, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has contributed to a steep decline in life expectancy.

Two South African members of a regional observer mission said the delay in announcing the election results "underscores the fear that vote-rigging is taking place." They refused to sign a positive preliminary report on the poll by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and said there was evidence of "widespread and convincing" MDC wins.

"COUP ATTEMPT"

Mugabe's government warned the opposition it would regard victory claims as a coup attempt. The president, in power since independence from Britain, accuses the West of sabotaging Zimbabwe's economy and rejects vote-rigging allegations.

SADC mission chairman Jose Marcos Barrica of Angola told reporters through an interpreter the election "has been a peaceful and credible expression of the will of the people." Mugabe is being challenged by veteran rival Tsvangirai and former finance minister and ruling ZANU-PF party official Simba Makoni. Both accuse the former guerrilla leader of wrecking a once prosperous economy and reducing the population to misery.

Although the odds seem stacked against Mugabe, analysts believe his iron grip on the country and backing from the armed forces will enable him to declare victory. Barrica expressed concern about the voters roll, opposition access to the media and statements by the heads of security forces who had said they would not accept an opposition victory. But he said: "We saw that the basic conditions for a free and fair election were there." The dissenting SADC mission members, who belong to South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance, said in a statement: "It is impossible for this deeply flawed electoral process to be viewed as a credible expression of the will of the people."

The SADC, which critics say has been too soft on Mugabe, has unsuccessfully tried to mediate an end to Zimbabwe's crisis, which has turned a quarter of the population into refugees.
Zimbabwe's security forces, which have thrown their weight firmly behind Mugabe, said before the election they would not allow a victory declaration before counting was complete.
Government spokesman George Charamba warned the opposition against such claims. "It is called a coup d'etat and we all know how coups are handled," he told the state-owned Sunday Mail.

Residents in the eastern opposition stronghold of Manicaland said riot police stopped a victory demonstration by about 200 MDC supporters on Sunday. There was no violence, they said.
The United States said it was worried by the conduct of the election and the absence of most international observers.

"The Mugabe regime is a disgrace to the people of Zimbabwe and a disgrace to southern Africa and to the continent of Africa as a whole," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters during a visit to Jerusalem.

What are civil rights?

"Civil rights used to be about treating everyone the same. But today some people are so used to special treatment that equal treatment is considered to be discrimination."~Economist Thomas Sowell

Picked up from Carpe Diem

Major US Market Moves Sunday Night

In efforts to stabilize the United States financial markets, some major moves were announced late Sunday night:


JPMorgan’s Expanding Campus
March 16, 2008, 11:26 pm

Remembering the Fed’s Last Bank Bailout
March 16, 2008, 9:20 pm

Recapping the JPMorgan Conference Call
March 16, 2008, 8:07 pm

The Cost of Bear’s Crisis to Its Employees
March 16, 2008, 6:21 pm

Update: Bear Stearns has agreed to sell itself to JPMorgan Chase for $2 a share. The firm’s shares closed at $30 on Friday, giving it a market value of $4.1 billion. For DealBook’s full coverage of the Bear Stearns crisis, go here.

Paulson Defends Fed Bailout of Bear Stearns
March 16, 2008, 3:51 pm

International Research - Tibet

At the near insistence of Kevin Tracy on Bloggers for Tibet this morning I decided to do some quick research and then keep my eyes open for the rest of the story.


First the video that BBC released yesterday:



Embarassing to China to say the least, the last thing they want prior to the Olypics.

Looked at Wikipedia for the history, and it's wild to say the least. First, similar to Kosovo, I'm sure that the United States would like to see Tibet proclaim independance if for no other reason than to weaken China. But, we'd sure prefer they do it themselves, and not involve us.

A report by the Heritage Foundation claimed some of the reasons for the use of this term:

If the matter of Tibet's sovereignty is murky, the question about the PRC's treatment of Tibetans is all too clear. After invading Tibet in 1950, the Chinese communists killed over one million Tibetans, destroyed over 6,000 monasteries, and turned Tibet's northeastern province, Amdo, into a gulag housing, by one estimate, up to ten million people. A quarter of a million Chinese troops remain stationed in Tibet. In addition, some 7.5 million Chinese have responded to Beijing's incentives to relocate to Tibet; they now outnumber the 6 million Tibetans. Through what has been termed Chinese apartheid, ethnic Tibetans now have a lower life expectancy, literacy rate, and per capita income than Chinese inhabitants of Tibet.[82] Source Wikipedia

More to come, got sidetracked ... watching videos and checking out photos that people smuggled out.

Time to drill for domestic oil

The Democrats and Enviros have us scared to drill for oil in our own country. In some crazy, kinda racist, method of thinking .... it's OK for Arabs and Russians to drill for oil and "ruin" their environments, but not for Americans.

As all half-baked theories eventually are debunked, this one is now in defense mode too.

With oil prices hitting record levels above $100 a barrel, the economy in either a slowdown or recession, and with Venezuela threatening to end oil exports to the United States and Nigeria's oil production held hostage to internal strife, the case for tapping more domestic oil is getting stronger every day. Unfortunately, Congress continues to resist the idea, preferring to hold substantial domestic energy resources on Alaska's North Slope and the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf off-limits to production from Carpe Diem Want Some Cheap Oil?

Time to revisit this issue, time to release the innovative energies of the World's greatest scientists and find our own energy.

Cheap Dollar gaining US jobs

Carpe Diem economics blogger shows one positive in a cheap dollar:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — On one side of the Atlantic Ocean, BMW says it will cut 7.5% of its work force over two years. On this side of the water, the company says it plans to increase production by more than 50% by 2012.

By building the cars in the U.S., BMW can save money on the lower
dollar and on wages because its South Carolina workers make less than German
workers. And the declining dollar also means BMW and other foreign automakers
probably will start buying locally for more of the parts used by their U.S.
plants. That shift in production has led to the job cuts at home for the
Munich-based luxury car maker.

In the U.S., BMW Manufacturing expects to increase production to
240,000 cars by 2012. That's up from 155,000 last year.

Free Stuff - and Giving it Away

I know that normally this site is reserved in my portfolio of sites for international affairs, which have been dominated this week by Kosovo's Independance and the possibility of a clash in South America. But on a snowy Saturday afternoon I sat down to read a couple provocative posts, ones that you read slowly and then spend time thinking about.

Author and Blogger Kevin Kelly wrote a thought provoking piece entitled 1,000 true fans where he makes the following assertion of the new economy:

One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered
this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The
gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

Now, that may not seem to gel with my title, Free Stuff and Giving it Away, but follow along and remember that I get to my points by telling you the road I travelled to get there, the journey is part of the story.

This same author and blogger, Kevin Kelly wrote a piece entitled Technology Wants to be Free, which tells the oft told story of Google and the freedom of information story. But there's more to that story of course, there's the story of the monetization of that free information. Kelly goes on to suggest other "free" products and the fact that we are generally approaching free on all products through the economic principal of commoditization and this new Free economy. Here's the way to think of it easiest: You get a FREE phone if you buy a three year service contract.

The phone is Free but you have to buy extra stuff. So Kelly asks, what else will trend toward Free? As products commoditize, and technology makes things ever simpler and cheaper, some products will approach free on their own. Others will be pushed even closer by charging people for add-ons but making the basic product FREE.

So, let me finish the thought, one of the commenters on this post wrote a book entitled The Strategy of Giving, which of course is free as a download in PDF form. I haven't read the book yet, may give it a quick read tonite, but I love the idea. Giving, as a strategy, giving as a way of growing. What can be given away Free may accomplish more than any other activity we can undertake, and may complete the circle of true capitalism.

Today, I freely give you my traverse through my google reader daily trek, my responses and await your comments. Join in the conversation.

War in South America?

Fox News has just announced that Venezuala has sent forces into Columbia and shots have been fired. More ....

Will there be a Greater Albania?

According to this writer, no.

clipped from www.americanchronicle.com Kosovars and other Albanians - Why Great Albania is a Myth To the politicians of the Balkans - almost without exception corrupt and despised by their own constituencies - the myth of Great Albania comes handy. It keeps the phobic Macedonians, the disdainful Serbs and the poor and crime ridden Albanians united and submissive: each group for different, idiosyncratic reasons. To reiterate, the Myth of Great (or Greater) Albania is the belief that people of Albanian extract, wherever they may be, regard their domicile as part of a Great Albania and undertake all efforts necessary to secure such an outcome. Thus, to mention one example, Kosovo would, in all likelihood, become a part of this Great Albania, so the myth goes, because prior to 1912, when the Serbs occupied it, Kosovo has administratively been a component of an Ottoman mandated Albania

We are winning Iraq, because Obama wasn't in charge

It's time to call Barack what he is, a wanna be leader

clipped from politicomafioso.blogspot.com A long-term U.S. presence is essential to securing the nation. By Jonathan V. Last, Philadelphia Inquirer Barack Obama frequently chastises people for contributing "more heat than light" to the public debate. An admirable sentiment. I wish he would adhere to it more regularly himself. McCain's "100 years" is not a commitment to "100 years of war," as Obama claims. It is simply another sign of McCain's seriousness and understanding of the realities of foreign affairs in general and Iraq in particular. Please click here to read the rest of the article.

Armenian Authorities use force to quell demonstration

I'll be honest, I had to look up Armenia, former Soviet republic, to remind myself where it was.

Armenia: Civilians Die as Police Suppress Demonstrations and Riots

Eight killed in Armenia election clashes

Riots over vote force state of emergency in Armenia

"A state of emergency was declared in Armenia yesterday after clashes between riot police and protesters left eight people dead and more than 30 policemen injured.
More than 15,000 people were protesting against the results of presidential elections held a fortnight ago, in which the Prime Minister, Serge Sarkisian, deafeated former president Levon Ter-Petrosian. The 19 February elections were described as mostly fair by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, but opposition supporters claim mass fraud in favour of Mr Sarkisian, a close ally of the outgoing president, Robert Kocharian. Mr Sarkisian won just enough votes to avoid a second-round run-off.

After 11 days of peaceful protests, the demonstrations became violent on Saturday, with rioters clashing with armed police and setting fire to cars in the capital, Yerevan. The city centre was deserted yesterday, but littered with burnt-out cars.
Mr Kocharian imposed a state of emergency until 20 March, with troops and armoured vehicles patrolling the streets and all protests banned. A media blackout has also been imposed.
Mr Ter-Petrosian, who stepped down in 1998, has accused the regime of cronyism and corruption, and says he is being held under house arrest. The government says he is being guarded for his own protection." Source: The Independant

War in South America?

Chavez is losing his mind, again. Today he sent troops to his border with Columbia in supposed retaliation for Columbians having taken out a leader of a rebel terror group. At one point in the article he even compares Columbia to Israel, and says he doesn't want a South American Israel!

Update: Columbian military show proof that FARC terrorist was tied to Ecuadoran President. If true this means that Ecuador and Venezuala were both working with the terror group.

Here's the feed I picked up from Huffington:

CARACAS, Venezuela — Warning that Colombia could spark a war, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sent tanks and thousands of troops to the countries' border Sunday and ordered his government's embassy in Bogota closed.

The leftist leader warned Colombia's U.S.-allied government that Venezuela will not permit acts like Saturday's killing of top rebel leader Raul Reyes and 16 other Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas at a camp across the border in Ecuador.

"Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately _ tank battalions, deploy the air force," Chavez said during his weekly TV and radio program. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master (of Colombia) ... to come to divide us."

He ordered the Venezuelan Embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn. It pushes already tense relations between the South American neighbors to their lowest point yet, with potentially far-reach effects on billions of dollars in cross-border trade.
Though Chavez didn't say how many troops he was sending, a Venezuelan battalion traditionally has some 600 soldiers _ meaning some 6,000 could be headed to the border.

Chavez called the Colombian government "a terrorist state" as he sided with the leftist rebels it has battled for decades, saying its military "invaded Ecuador, flagrantly violated Ecuador's sovereignty."

Neither Colombia's foreign minister nor the country's military leadership would comment on Chavez's latest move when pressed by reporters for comment Sunday as they left a funeral service in Bogota for a Colombian soldier killed in Saturday's raid.

Speaking in Texas, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said officials were monitoring the situation.

"This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage," Johndroe said.
Chavez said he had just spoken to Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa and that Ecuador was also sending troops to its border with Colombia. Chavez said his Ecuadorean ally told him that Uribe had lied and that the rebels were killed while asleep "in their pajamas."

"This is something very serious. This could be the start of a war in South America," Chavez said. He warned Colombian President Alvaro Uribe: "If it occurs to you to do this in Venezuela, President Uribe, I'll send some Sukhois" _ Russian warplanes recently bought by Venezuela.
He called Uribe "a criminal" accusing him of being a "lapdog" of Washington saying "Dracula's fangs (are) are covered in blood."

The slaying of Reyes and 16 other guerrillas, Chavez said, "wasn't any combat. It was a cowardly murder, all of it coldly calculated."

"We pay tribute to a true revolutionary, who was Raul Reyes," Chavez said, recalling that he had met rebel in Brazil in 1995 and calling him a "good revolutionary."
"The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America," an agitated Chavez said, mentioning another country that he has criticized for its military strikes. "We aren't going to permit Colombia to become the Israel of these lands. ... Uribe, we aren't going to permit you."
"Someday Colombia will be freed from the hand of the (U.S.) empire," Chavez said. "We have to liberate Colombia," he added, saying Colombia's people will eventually do away with its government.

Chavez maintains warm relations with the Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and has sought to play a role as mediator in the conflict despite his growing conflict with Colombia's government.

Colombia and Venezuela have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since November, when Uribe ended Chavez's official role negotiating a proposed hostages-for-prisoners swap.
Nevertheless, the FARC freed four hostages to Venezuelan officials last week, and they were reunited with their families in Caracas. It was the second unilateral release by the FARC this year.

Chavez has recently angered Uribe by urging world leaders to classify the leftist rebels as "insurgents" rather than "terrorists."

The FARC has proposed trading some 40 remaining high-value captives, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. defense contractors, for hundreds of imprisoned guerrillas.

In Ecuador, army Gen. Fabian Narvaez told The Associated Press that soldiers had found the bodies of 15 rebels and that soldiers planned to hand the bodies over to Ecuadorean officials, who will conduct forensic exams.

He said three Ecuadorean battalions have been stationed in the area in the country's northeastern jungle since Saturday, just a few miles from Colombian territory