Out of Africa

So, I've recently reconnected with a friend of mine who's been in the peace corps for the last two years. She's coming home by thanksgiving, but since she was in South Africa I prompted her for some news on Zimbabwe. The news got bored with Mugabe rather quickly after the election and I haven't been able to keep up. Here was her incisive political analysis:

Mugabe is still being a jerk-face, and people are still getting eaten by crocodiles and lions trying to bail (no joke, one of the borders SA and Zimbabwe share is in Kruger park -- people are really getting eaten). Last I heard the UN tried to pass sanctions, but China and Russia vetoed, SA also voted no, because Mbeki (SA's president) is sort of a weenie. But Tutu recently said knock it off, and Zuma (the next president of SA) is getting pissed. And the president of, um, Liberia, who happens to be a harvard educated woman, is also getting in on the action. Mostly it's a lot of "the western world must stand up to tyrrany! (but, you know, not too much because they're still just African and they don't have anything terribly useful)" vs. "We want to come up with an African solution, let us talk it out you imperialist bastards! (and by talking we mean sitting around not offending anyone while Zimbabwe turns into an orwellian crap-hole.)" So, you know, standard.