Mugabe hits no. 1 on jerk list

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 5:16 PM Share

Move over, Rupert. I'm promoting Zimbabwe thug Robert Mugabe to No. 1 on my list. Despite his toxic effect on American journalism, Murdoch never gave anyone choldera, as far as I know.

Here is the latest Zimbabwe report from Doctors Without Borders (aka MSF, Medicins Sans Frontieres):

The political crisis and resultant economic collapse is manifesting in cholera, population movement, hyperinflation, food insecurity, violence and a lack of access to HIV/AIDS treatment and health care more generally.

Despite the glaring humanitarian needs, the government of Zimbabwe continues to exert rigid control over aid organisations. MSF faces restrictions in implementing medical assessments and interventions. Especially in cases of emergencies where quick action often determines life or death, allowances for a rapid humanitarian response is crucial."

EXPLORE:AFRICA, AIDS, CORRUPTION, PUBLIC HEALTH

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SFERNANDO

7:13 PM ET

February 18, 2009

really?

you mean murdoch beat mugabe up to now ? and did he also beat kim, castro, ahemidiot and osama etc too? btw did you only just learned about the cholera story even though it was in the news for what 3 months ? i thought this was called foreign policy mag not clueless mag !

maybe you should drop the facade and say that jerkiness with you has nothing to with chorea or journalism but how much they have personally pissed you off in the past? you know your bruised ego thing.
anyway thanks for giving me several reasons not to buy or read your book .

TOM RICKS

8:15 PM ET

February 18, 2009

Message for S Fernando

Some moron seems to be posting under your name.

The point isn't that Zimbabwe has a cholera epidemic, it is that MSF says Mugabe's actions are worsening it, especially his rigid control of humanitarian aid organizations.

SFERNANDO

12:04 AM ET

February 20, 2009

agree with "moron"

"moron" didn't say or imply post was about zimbabwe having a cholera epidemic, but was commenting on your grading of "jerks", and your taking so long to get robert above rupert

TOMMC

10:52 PM ET

February 18, 2009

Ian Smith

Ian Smith was far better to the people of Zimbabwe than Mugabe ever was. I hope the history books remember that although I doubt they will. They should rename the country back to Rhodesia, get the tourist industry going, and go back to being the Bread Basket of Africa. I hope Tsvangirai gets into a position to turn things around there.

CHRIS COUGHLIN

5:03 AM ET

February 19, 2009

After Mugabe took over Britain and US

started to blackball Zimbabwe's economy-do we have any responsibility for the suffering of its people because of our actions against its leader?

STEPHANE TAILLAT

1:42 PM ET

February 19, 2009

A little correction

Mr. RICKS,

Only one minor correction: in French, one says "Médecins sans Frontières".
Thanks for this blog.
Cordialement
Stéphane Taillat
http://coinenirak.wordpress.com

BRET

8:57 PM ET

February 20, 2009

I read in a special report in

I read in a special report in the Economist about inflation in Zimbabwe. It's like $1000000 Zimbabwean dollars=1 USD...at least this was what it was like before the markets were reopened.

Mugabe is just a bad dictator that's going to lose power. Excluding his connections to the South African president, he has no foreign help and will eventually fall.

Bret-http://student-view-world.blogspot.com/

CHRIS COUGHLIN

2:20 PM ET

February 21, 2009

That is my point

we all laugh at the inflation there but the west (mostly Britain) were the ones that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe after Mugabe's land reform-do we have any responsibility for the people starving and dying of cholera and isn't it a tad harsh letting an entire nation suffer because we don't like their leader?