Zimbawe's Mugabe Appointment as Envoy for Tourism Proves the UN is a Joke

I find myself in a state of uncertainty, just when you cannot handle anymore stupidity or mismanagement, along comes another proclamation of “great” decision-making from the powers that supposedly work for the betterment of the population of the world. 

Yes, the United Nations, built to serve all of humanity, has once again showed us why it is incapable of making decisions, and perhaps more importantly, when it does, they are often irrelevant or this case – absolutely appalling.

Now, I realize that there are quite a few U.N. apologists in this world – and I am not going to argue that the entire organization is in a power struggle with states and is totally useless, but it is pretty close. The food/water/children initiatives I will concede, serve their purpose and I am sure there are those that benefit from those programs greatly stretching from India to Palestine to Sudan. Nevertheless, that does not give one an excuse not to criticize other parts of the organization.

Since the fall of Ian Smith’s government, Rhodesia slowly, but surely deteriorated into the disaster some of us have come to know as Zimbabwe; Mugabe has been as the forefront of that decay. And now, is rewarded for his valiant efforts to destroy the economy, rig elections on all levels of government, practice ethnic cleansing against not only the predominately white farmers (who are basically the state’s only source of economic activity), but the entire impoverished population.

British MP Kate Hoey said, “It is an absolute scandal – and an affront to the people of Zimbabwe, who didn't vote for Mugabe as their president but had him imposed because he used violence and the armed forces to hang onto power in defiance of the democratic will of the people of Zimbabwe. For a man who has destroyed his country's infrastructure and cynically engineered hunger to be an 'ambassador' for tourism is disgraceful – particularly as he has been personally responsible for the downward spiral of the economy and destroyed the hotel, travel and tourism industry in the process." 

She could not have been more on target. But, anything is better than white-minority rule! Yes, I could not agree more, but taking that position should not stop us from exploring political alternatives to those who “saved” us from oppression to only create a state which had brought more despair than the former.

South Africa is an example of how a state can negotiate peacefully and work towards unification. In Zimbabwe’s case, Mugabe never seriously tried to reconcile with the opposition, he never wanted a diverse government, and I would even argue he does not even care about his people. 

What sort of precedent does this decision set? Something like, “You will be rewarded for running a tyrannical state because we believe that your state has potential for tourism so you know will be our global envoy.” I knew the United Nations was on to something! I wonder what state the vice-envoy will come from: Sudan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Iran?

We have to stop being afraid to use history in our fight against our contemporary problems, to uncover the grave injustice. Stop waiting for the big event, the big story or the major crisis. Zimbabwe needs an anti-apartheid movement, but how can one happen when it only gains press when the international humanitarian organization appoints their dictator envoy for global tourism? It cannot.