Mugabe's rise to dictatorship is yet another played out example of the failure of so-called "third world liberation struggles" that so very much promised change from the oppressive white, Western governments and ended up (and still end up) with the blind leading the blind, and the people still in oppression.

There are people still today on the American Left who view Mugabe as some sort of "hero" and close their ears and eyes to any criticism of this evil SOB. Obviously, those of us on the Left who see a dictator for what he is have our own homegrown nuts to sort out (or simply ignore, which is often best), but we must acknowledge that for too long have we given Africa and Asia's dictators a free pass simply because they were products of colonialism.

It now, however, is my belief that we are at a point in which Zimbabwe in the grips of this madman is beyond sanctions; a point that requires military intervention on behalf of foreign nations, a disarmament of the Zanu-PF and it's paramilitaries, and Mugabe imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

Ironically, I suspect that those opposed to any humanitarian intervention are those on the idealogical/illogical left who live in denial and view the West as the ultimate evil (yet don't seem too bothered to prosper in it) and those on the far right who seem to only care about Africans so long as they're sitting on diamonds, gold, and oil.

When you meet one of these types later, perhaps you can ask them what they did to stop the mass killings in Zimbabwe. The answer may not shock you as much as the arrogance and ignorance it is said with.

Read the above letter by "Deathadder" and realize this is precisely the type of poisoned mind and brutish thuggery Mugabe has masterfully cultivated in Zimbabwe for decades. This is the homicidal madness from which Mugabe and his corrupt Zanu-PF henchmen/women rules. This is the rabid, hate-filled dogma Mugabe automatons are nursed with day in and day out.

Now, really, is there ANY wonder why democracy is being strangled whilst in the grip of this psycho cult?

Things were just starting to fall apart. I was only in Victoria Falls - a tourist city. I figured it was safe, because the last thing Mugabe could have was the loss of all tourist dollars that would result from something happening to an American tourist. I never felt like I was in danger, but I was glad I went, because the people were so grateful to see me - and my money. There weren't a lot of tourists. People were scared off because of the problems. The falls were wonderful, the people were wonderful... but I won't go back until Mugabe is gone. It's too sad. There were a couple of people I remember. I so hope they are okay.

We in America have much to be grateful for that we don't have to go through this every election cycle. As bad as our election system has been, we still aren't being shot for not voting for the ruling party. If only the UN were really the governing body it was supposed to be, nonsense like this madness would be, if not stopped, than at least addressed and given more then a 30 second sound bite on the evening news. The "First World" needs to start caring more about what goes on to the majority population and do more to save them. The butchers of Darfur have still not been held accountable for their actions and we in the west are to blame for not doing more.

Their cross border friends in ZA's ANC and the ZACP are keeping Mugabe in power. Openly. From the President on down (including and especially Ronno "Einstein" Kasrils, dear readers), the official line is that Mugabe is a hero and Zimbabwe's problems are solely the fault of 'outside agitators'. It's not often clear what this is a code word for. Sometimes it's westerners, America, the CIA, Mossad, the usual suspects of tinpot cannibal kings everywhere.

The problem really is that 'elections' as such are rather meaningless and almost besides the point in Zimbabwe. Even if they held halfway transparent elections tomorrow, Mugabe has already stated he would use the Army to hold on to power at all costs "For the Revolution!" unquote. And that's not saying anything of their 80% unemployment, 100,000% inflation rate and an economy that crashed past free fall into anarchy long ago. And that's not saying anything about how Mugabe is using food itself as a terror weapon against his opponents. Famine is rife in Zimbabwe and western reporters, or even ZA reporters who attempt to cover it are threatened with arrest or death and then kicked out of the country.

Again though, someone should ask Mbeki and ANC head and next President Zuma why they're shipping weapons and money to Mugabe and refusing as many Zimbabwean refugees as they can catch. Even the ZA populace is getting fed up. Last month's xenophobic violence against mostly Zimbabwean refugees resulted in the deaths of about 200.

But there will always be Mugabe supporters in the west because people here are as deluded and stupid as people there.

The former ambassador was talking about the horror that is Zimbabwe, and caller after caller (okay, two of them) kept after him and the host, complaining that they were not telling both sides of the story, not having a supporter of Mugabe on to give their side. I don't know what universe these Americans were living in that they thought this was a justifiable thing, to torture and kill political opponents and to threaten not to accept any outcome that wasn't what he wanted by taking the country to war (as if it isn't already). It was a truly shocking program for me, and it was the callers who put it over the top for me.

Deathadder hasn't a clue and seems unaware that there is a sizeable Asian community in South Africa. Archbishop Tutu is honest and heroic, a black South African who refuses to make excuses for Mugabe because of the colour of his skin and now Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwean opposition, has sought refuge in the Dutch Embassy rather than be killed by Mugabe's henchmen. This is a complex situation in which calls have gone out for UN intervention, as the UN Security Council has unanimously condemned Mugabe's bloodthirsty role in foiling a democratic election.

Fifty years ago, Kwame Nkrumah's slogan was "Africa for the Africans" and Ghana was the first African country to achieve independence. What is happening in Zimbabwe is heart-breaking and this is not the time for people such as Deathadder to take cheap shots. An adder is a relatively harmless snake but Mugabe, the "old crocodile", is far more deadlu.