Ian Smith - good riddance

[Andy the Don]

Yep! no smith - no mugabe

Smith came to power after UDI in 1965. Mugabe had been an African nationalist leader National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960 later ZANU-PF. I think it is safer to say no Thatcher, Soames and Carrington, no Mugabe.

 

[frogwoman]

yeah - but without smith's regime he wouldn't have had the popular support needed to eventually rule the whole country as opposed to being the leader of one political party

 

[dessiato]

According to the only two Rhodesians I know, both black, they would rather have Smith than Mugabe running the country. They both say that, in their opinion, Smith was right about what would happen with black rule.

But they both still refer to Rhodesia, not Zimbabwe, and neither lives there any more, so what do they know?

 

[Deareg]

11,000 troops in the Congo that supported Laurent Kabila, backed by Zim planes? Concomitant systematic looting of the Congo? Didn't happen without slaughter, I'll bet.

quite possibly, does that excuse our own murdering bastards of politicians? i was only pointing out untethereds hypocrisy and usual one eyed view

 

[bluestreak]

quite possibly, does that excuse our own murdering bastards of politicians? i was only pointing out untethereds hypocrisy and usual one eyed view

Hey. I only have one eye and I perfectly capable of seeing a wider picture.

Untethered, you a fan of Ian Smith are you?

 

[Deareg]

Hey. I only have one eye and I perfectly capable of seeing a wider picture.

Untethered, you a fan of Ian Smith are you?

hope you know what i meant, apologies if i caused offence

 

[poster342002]

Did Zimbabwe have full-blown Apartheid under Smith and his predeccesors? It always struck me as having been a watered-down version of Apartheid South Africa.

 

[Poi E]

quite possibly, does that excuse our own murdering bastards of politicians? i was only pointing out untethereds hypocrisy and usual one eyed view

I didn't say it did.

Amongst the lesser crooks such as Smith and Mugabe, let's all remember that great murdering, thieving bastard who got the ball rolling: Cecil Rhodes.

 

[Idris2002]

According to the only two Rhodesians I know, both black, they would rather have Smith than Mugabe running the country. They both say that, in their opinion, Smith was right about what would happen with black rule.

But they both still refer to Rhodesia, not Zimbabwe, and neither lives there any more, so what do they know?

From which I'd conclude that conditions are so bad in Zim right now, they've demoralised people to the extent that they'd mistakenly believe Smith was alright. They're still mistaken about Smith, even if they're right about Mugabe.

 

[likesfish]

trouble is a botched handover was proposed in the 60's led to UDI smith had already seen it go wrong in other countries now if he'd been smarter proposed the moderate black goverment before the war that country would'nt be in the mess it is now.
uncle bobs managed to kill more blacks after the war than smith did during it

 

[dylanredefined]

"The problem with you british is you left the wrong white guys in charge when you left " is what a zimbawean nurse I worked with had to say .
He wasen't the worse leader the world has seen but neither was he that great.Its a pity he couldn't see a better way.

 

[poster342002]

Anyone getting all nostalgic for the Smith regime should read this account of the horrors of living under it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7105176.stm

 

[nino_savatte]

I didn't say it did.

Amongst the lesser crooks such as Smith and Mugabe, let's all remember that great murdering, thieving bastard who got the ball rolling: Cecil Rhodes.

Aye, without Rhodes none of this would have happened.

 

[nino_savatte]

It's good that Zimbabwe is now run by a competent, level-headed and non-racist government.

My, what breath-taking ignorance. Only to expected, I suppose.

 

[likesfish]

interview with zanu pf member so not actually a comlpetely unbiased viewpoint

mugabes a murderous thug
smith eventually handed the reigns of power over its a pity he was'nt a lot smarter

 

[Idris2002]

mugabes a murderous thug
and so was smith

Fixed your post for you.

No need to thank me.

 

[likesfish]

thing was smith was fighting a war misguided as it was
mugabes rampage through matableland was just a murderous rampage he was already in charge

 

[nino_savatte]

Are you apologising for Smith?

 

[Idris2002]

thing was smith was fighting a war misguided as it was
mugabes rampage through matableland was just a murderous rampage he was already in charge

Both the Smith regime's war, and Mugabe's use of North Korean advisors to bring El Salvador to Zimbabwe were intended to secure a state apparatus, and to keep in power the privileged elites who benefitted from that state.

So I don't think there was the clear blue water between them you're suggesting.

 

[likesfish]

going back to the 1960s and seeing the hash that was made of the Congo and the ethnic cleaning in Mozambique,Angola
going from where they were to overnight black majority rule with the majority of the population uneducated I can see where smith was afraid.
not like the UK goverment had a plan just wanted to offload the shame and damm the consquences