Opinion / Columnist
More Zimbos expect 'better' next year than otherwise - just foolish eternal optimism at play
25 May 2017 at 10:12hrs | Views
More Zimbabweans expect life to be better in the next 12 months than those who think it will be worse, according to a survey by African think-tank, Afrobarometer.
Afrobarometer is a Zanu-PF funded outfit there to rebrand the corrupt and tyrannical Mugabe and Zanu-PF regime as a popular and well love regime. One of the common tricks in the propagandist's manual is to make sure in there somewhere are some basic truths and then blend that with the generous portions of half-truths, lies and damned lies. Only the smart will separate the truth from the propaganda, the uninitiated will swallow the lot.
Zimbabweans have a panache for believing that no matter how bad things are tomorrow is bound to be better. So, there is the truth in Afrobarometer's finding but it will require a qualitative analysis on their finding to uncover the sinister propaganda message behind the report.
Afrobarometer has come out with all sorts of nonsensical findings such as claiming Mugabe has a 64% approval rating amongst Zimbabweans. The finds are pure propaganda lies designed to create the impression that Mugabe and his corrupt and tyrannical Zanu-PF regime are popular with the people. The regime has destroyed the country's economy forcing millions into poverty and has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans in its 37 years in power. Many Zimbabweans are simple minded and gullible but they are not that stupid to love a corrupt and murderous tyrant who has made their lives a hell-on-earth!
If Afrobarometer believed their own propaganda lies for even one minute, then they must explain the glaring contradiction of the Zanu-PF regime rigging elections. A regime that is so popular not need to rig election, and yet Zanu-PF is yet to hold its first free, fair and credible elections. The regime's vote rigging and use of wanton political violence in 2008 elections were so outrageous that not even SADC and AU election observers, known for giving their thumbs up to dodgy election processes, were compelled to condemn Zimbabwe's election.
The reason why some Zimbabweans would think their lives will be better a year from now, regardless of who is ruling the country then, has more to do with their eternal optimism. They do not just take the run of the mill optimist's view of seeing the half full glass of milk; their glass is empty and their view is it cannot get worse and so it must only get better, the glass will fill up again.
Time and time again when bad things have happened be it the pot-hole in the road, the power cuts, local hospital running out of basic drugs, the corrupt in high places, etc.; Zimbabweans have greeted it all with a stony silence and even joked about it all. They have tolerated all these things with bewildering humour confident the nation has hit rock bottom, things will not get worse.
President Mugabe has even praised the Zimbabwean people for grit tolerance of hardships and "resilience".
What has generally happened is that things have got worse; what the people had thought was the rock bottom has turned out to be a false bottom. The pot-holes have become larger, deeper and more numerous, the power cuts have increased from a few hours a month to months on end with no electricity, whole hospital wards have been closed, $15 billions of diamonds are now being swindled, etc.
Zimbabweans are now the poorest people in Africa with an average income of $200 per person per year. The irony is the country is one of the wealthiest countries on earth in terms of natural resources and potential and thus it is not surprising then that we have some of the richest and most wasteful ruling elite in the world.
The ruling elite's greed for absolute political power and material wealth is insatiable. They are always scheming ways of creaming off even more power and wealth for themselves at the expense of the populous. President Mugabe and his growing family are making regular trips the Far East for their shopping, education, health needs, etc. that costs money and so they will be seriously looking at cutting povo's $200 annual income. As far as the tyrant is concerned povo are simple people with simple and cheap needs, they will not know what to do with such a generous income of $200 per year!
Afrobarometer's propaganda message is taping on the Zimbabwean people's eternal optimism that the country has hit rock bottom and so they must get better and they do not need to lift a finger removing this failed Zanu-PF dictatorship. Another rig election next year will not make any difference to their lot.
If the people of Zimbabwe want to arrest the economic meltdown that has left 90% unemployed and millions living in abject poverty then they must get off their backsides and work for meaningful economic recovery. The starting point of the recovery will be with getting a competent and democratically accountable government which means making sure there are free and fair elections.
Zimbabweans have yet to learn that their eternal optimism based on the simple logic that once one hits rock bottom then things must get better is tomfoolery. There is no such thing as rock bottom in human misery; if one does not do something to improve his or her lot then things will get worse not better and very quickly too.
Zimbabwe's descend into the economic and political hell-hole we now find ourselves, one of the fastest in human history, was our failure to take corrective action because we expected things to get better of their own accord. Our eternal optimism is nothing more than wishful thinking, no amount of wishful thinking will ever fill an empty glass. Our "resilience" is but folly dressed in royal robes and we have paid dearly for our foolishness!
Afrobarometer is a Zanu-PF funded outfit there to rebrand the corrupt and tyrannical Mugabe and Zanu-PF regime as a popular and well love regime. One of the common tricks in the propagandist's manual is to make sure in there somewhere are some basic truths and then blend that with the generous portions of half-truths, lies and damned lies. Only the smart will separate the truth from the propaganda, the uninitiated will swallow the lot.
Zimbabweans have a panache for believing that no matter how bad things are tomorrow is bound to be better. So, there is the truth in Afrobarometer's finding but it will require a qualitative analysis on their finding to uncover the sinister propaganda message behind the report.
Afrobarometer has come out with all sorts of nonsensical findings such as claiming Mugabe has a 64% approval rating amongst Zimbabweans. The finds are pure propaganda lies designed to create the impression that Mugabe and his corrupt and tyrannical Zanu-PF regime are popular with the people. The regime has destroyed the country's economy forcing millions into poverty and has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans in its 37 years in power. Many Zimbabweans are simple minded and gullible but they are not that stupid to love a corrupt and murderous tyrant who has made their lives a hell-on-earth!
If Afrobarometer believed their own propaganda lies for even one minute, then they must explain the glaring contradiction of the Zanu-PF regime rigging elections. A regime that is so popular not need to rig election, and yet Zanu-PF is yet to hold its first free, fair and credible elections. The regime's vote rigging and use of wanton political violence in 2008 elections were so outrageous that not even SADC and AU election observers, known for giving their thumbs up to dodgy election processes, were compelled to condemn Zimbabwe's election.
The reason why some Zimbabweans would think their lives will be better a year from now, regardless of who is ruling the country then, has more to do with their eternal optimism. They do not just take the run of the mill optimist's view of seeing the half full glass of milk; their glass is empty and their view is it cannot get worse and so it must only get better, the glass will fill up again.
Time and time again when bad things have happened be it the pot-hole in the road, the power cuts, local hospital running out of basic drugs, the corrupt in high places, etc.; Zimbabweans have greeted it all with a stony silence and even joked about it all. They have tolerated all these things with bewildering humour confident the nation has hit rock bottom, things will not get worse.
President Mugabe has even praised the Zimbabwean people for grit tolerance of hardships and "resilience".
What has generally happened is that things have got worse; what the people had thought was the rock bottom has turned out to be a false bottom. The pot-holes have become larger, deeper and more numerous, the power cuts have increased from a few hours a month to months on end with no electricity, whole hospital wards have been closed, $15 billions of diamonds are now being swindled, etc.
Zimbabweans are now the poorest people in Africa with an average income of $200 per person per year. The irony is the country is one of the wealthiest countries on earth in terms of natural resources and potential and thus it is not surprising then that we have some of the richest and most wasteful ruling elite in the world.
The ruling elite's greed for absolute political power and material wealth is insatiable. They are always scheming ways of creaming off even more power and wealth for themselves at the expense of the populous. President Mugabe and his growing family are making regular trips the Far East for their shopping, education, health needs, etc. that costs money and so they will be seriously looking at cutting povo's $200 annual income. As far as the tyrant is concerned povo are simple people with simple and cheap needs, they will not know what to do with such a generous income of $200 per year!
Afrobarometer's propaganda message is taping on the Zimbabwean people's eternal optimism that the country has hit rock bottom and so they must get better and they do not need to lift a finger removing this failed Zanu-PF dictatorship. Another rig election next year will not make any difference to their lot.
If the people of Zimbabwe want to arrest the economic meltdown that has left 90% unemployed and millions living in abject poverty then they must get off their backsides and work for meaningful economic recovery. The starting point of the recovery will be with getting a competent and democratically accountable government which means making sure there are free and fair elections.
Zimbabweans have yet to learn that their eternal optimism based on the simple logic that once one hits rock bottom then things must get better is tomfoolery. There is no such thing as rock bottom in human misery; if one does not do something to improve his or her lot then things will get worse not better and very quickly too.
Zimbabwe's descend into the economic and political hell-hole we now find ourselves, one of the fastest in human history, was our failure to take corrective action because we expected things to get better of their own accord. Our eternal optimism is nothing more than wishful thinking, no amount of wishful thinking will ever fill an empty glass. Our "resilience" is but folly dressed in royal robes and we have paid dearly for our foolishness!
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
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