Mugabe Says "Thanks", George

Tom Friedman talks about the "Democratic Recession" occurring in the world today: "The decline of U.S. influence and moral authority has also taken a toll. The Bush democracy-building effort in Iraq has been so botched, both by us and Iraqis, that America's ability and willingness to promote democracy elsewhere has been damaged. The torture scandals of Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay also have not helped. 'There has been an enormous squandering of American soft power, and hard power, in recent years,' said Diamond, who worked in Iraq as a democracy specialist." And who (among others) is the recipient of all Bush's well thought out international strategery? "The bad guys know it and are taking advantage. And one place you see that most is in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe has been trying to steal an election, after years of driving his country into a ditch. I would say there is no more disgusting leader in the world today than Mugabe. The only one who rivals him is his neighbor and chief enabler and protector, South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki." I especially like the shot at Mbeki. (Seriously, how do you go from Mandela to this #*@%?)