Magic Formulae of the United Nations

There's the United Nations again, exercising its clever wit and featuring its brilliance in white-washing the reputations of the world's most egregious human-rights abusers.  They've discovered the magic formula for character-and-reputation redemption.  Simple enough: merely elevate state murderers to the position of United Nations representative, the choices of which are manifold to achieve elevation and esteem within the world community.

In this particular instance, as in so many others, acknowledging discreetly the world's fatigue with human excesses, desperately searching out good-news stories to represent the heritage of humankind, eager to expunge from memory the atrocious ill deeds done by exemplars of unredeemed, primitive bestiality, through presenting those who besmirch the history of humanity as submitting to forgivable anomalies in an otherwise worthy individual.

And so worthy is someone of the ilk of the elderly monomaniacal President Robert Mugabe of dismally unfortunate Zimbabwe that he has been nominated within the United Nations to the honour of being appointed International Tourism Ambassador, alongside, and sharing the honour with Zambian president Michael Sata.  Zimbabwe and Zambia jointly hold the United Nations World Tourism Office (UNWTO) General Assembly for the year to come.

Zimbabwe's tourism and hospitality minister, Walter Mzembi, explained how it was that the two presidents had so vastly impressed the arbiters of choice selection at the United Nations.  The two presidents had impressed by their sagacity in stating that tourism is critical to African development through their choice of nomenclature, naming tourism one of the "four pillars" of economic development.

A brilliant stroke of marketing genius that was destined to bring the two to higher notice, and it most certainly has.  Forgotten the fact that Robert Mugabe's tactics of divide-and-conquer was responsible for the deaths of white Zimbabwean farmers, and whose farms he requisitioned without compensation to be given as gifts to his former fighting partners, who knowing nothing of agriculture, have left the farms fallow.  The country once seen as a regional breadbasket now suffers from lack of food.

Unemployment in the country stands at a whopping 95%, poverty is endemic, health standards almost non-existent, (a cholera epidemic still raging), and crime is understandably rampant.  Tribal violence is exacerbated by political stand-offs, and the country teeters in bankruptcy with sky-high inflation and a worthless currency.  Yet Zimbabwe's Mugabe basks in the confidence that tourists will be anxious to help it increase its economic development.

The United Nations has a long and distinguished history of welcoming some of the world's most vile human-rights abusers to its hallowed halls, and proffering due courtesy, even admiration to them.  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was invited to address the General Assembly and politely advised the world body that Israel must be eliminated and Iran is prepared to dispatch that honourable duty.

The former chief of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Fatah, Yasser Arafat, a vicious murderer, terrorist, supporter of terror and unabashed scourge on world order and security through the tactics he and his henchmen devised to wreak horror all over the globe, through airplane and ship hijackings, the massacre of Olympic athletes, the encouragement in Uganda of terrorism, was greeted with applause as he addressed the General Assembly.

A frisson of excitement swept through the great chamber as hypocritically and with sinister intent, dove in one hand, pistol securely ensconced where it could be viewed, the man who enjoined the world to respect the PLO for its vision of accomplishing the end of the State of Israel within the Middle East, rejoiced over his expansive and admiring reception.


Both of these behemoths of world disorder and dishonour were sponsored by the United Nations as worthy of respectful attention.  Both exemplified the very worst splurges into violent death-dealing, oppression and misery that the modern world has experienced, each denying, as he bloodied the surface of the Earth, the occurrence of the Holocaust while working assiduously to produce another.

Robert Mugabe is not quite of their order of prominence in world affairs but Zimbabweans are quite capable of testifying as to the inelegant nature of their profound and enduring suffering as a result of
the man's maniacal insistence on retaining power and further destroying his country. And while he continues to do just that, with the glaring ineptitude of his neighbours to convince him otherwise, he is honoured by the world body.

But, no surprise.  This is, after all, an expression of what the United Nations is all about; soothing the hurt feelings and defiance of those innumerable states whose business it is to oppress their populations and destroy any opportunities that may exist for their humane advancement.

"Travellers are advised to be extremely vigilant and avoid large crowds and public gatherings.  The situation could deteriorate on short notice.  Canadians in Zimbabwe should evaluate carefully the implications for their security and safety.
"As roadblocks can be erected anywhere without notice, Canadians should drive carefully and be very cooperative at all times.  Residents and visitors could be subject of arbitrary detention or arrest and should have their travel documents (passport, visas and vehicle police clearance certificate) with them at all times.  Canadians should take special care when travelling after dark.
"Canadians should avoid 'low income districts' in urban areas and be aware that 'street crime such as muggings, house robberies, passport theft, car-jackings, pickpocketing, and purse snatching are common." *

* Canada has officially withdrawn its membership from the United Nations World Tourism Office.