Why do politically free people allow others to abdicate their moral responsibility for their own rights to others?
I have been watching the Mugabe fiasco for many weeks. According to the media (a whole nother issue) about how Zimbabwe citizens are being bullied, killed and coerced to limit their political choice. I have a really hard time getting agitated about this. I guess I feel the same way about North Korea, many other countries of Africa and yes, even China. Why should I get exercised over their plight? I know it exists and yet I have hard time giving a damn, at least to any large degree. The world’s free countries (I will use this term loosely but with the understanding most readers will understand that I am not convinced of this so called freedom) are routinely called upon to allow entry to their territories for people who feel persecuted. I suggest that perhaps we should say no in a loud and resounding voice. Stand and fight. What free country became free without a loss of many lives and struggles of the populace? If Mugabe takes control of Zimbabwe, well, it’s up to the people to pick up sticks, stones or kitchen knives to free themselves. It is not up to South Africa, where most flee if they can, to solve the problem.
Note that I did not list Mexico in my examples of such bullied populaces. I think that immigration for economic reasons falls on a slightly, and only slightly, different level. I guess that I feel less animosity toward a boy that crosses the U.S. border to pick fruit to feed his young brothers and sisters less contemptible than someone who chooses to do so to escape persecution of a bully government. Stand and fight. As an aside, I recall my youngest coming to me in tears, telling me that a boy had been picking on him. I told him stand and fight. He told me that the boy was much bigger than he and would without doubt, kick his ass. No problem. Stand and fight. If an opposition knows without a doubt that you will stand and fight, they will be much less inclined to start a ruckus in the first instance.
The cost (lives and money) for these countries (the people) will increase dramatically as time goes by. Perhaps we should reconsider the immigration policies professed to be because of discrimination and retaliation. Send them home to “stand and fight”. The rest of the world can’t continue to do it for them.