The news often seems an unceasing parade of evil. It's easy to forget since we live in a place where people can say pretty much anything they want about the political leadership (and do), but in many places in the world people are not free. There are more kleptocracies, dictators and bad eggs running things in the world than there are countries where freedom is a given. But sometimes, like in the final reel of an old Hollywood Western, the bad guys get it in the end.
Two of the worst guys who have tread the world stage in the last 20 years are now apparently about to be brought to justice, or at least brought low. The first is Radovan Karadzic, the Serbian thug with the bouffant hairdo who oversaw the destruction of Sarajevo and the killing of thousands of Croats and various Balkan Muslims in the goal of creating Greater Serbia. Over 15 years on from the actual events, it's easy to forget the savagery of the wanton killing that took place in the region, much of it at Kardzic's direction. He had escaped justice for a long time, hiding in plain sight in Belgrade as a sort of New Age shaman, until he was finally arrested this month. It appears that he will finally be called to account for the atrocities that he oversaw, a modern-day war criminal facing the apparatus of the Hague.
Meanwhile, it appears that the reign of terror in Zimbabwe may finally be coming to an end. Robert Mugabe, who took power from the white leadership nearly 30 years ago now, steadily devolved into a typical African kleptocrat who thought nothing of impoverishing his people. The country he took over had a horrible history of racism at the hands of the whites who had run it as Rhodesia, but with abundant resources and a lush landscape, Zimbabwe was well poised to be a success story, a happy ending. But by 1985, it was already becoming clear that Mugabe wasn't about to let it happen. In the 23 years since then, Zimbabwe has become perhaps the biggest basket case in Africa, which is saying something. In recent weeks Mugabe was threatening to nationalize pretty much everything, after having stolen yet another election. Today it appears that the regime may finally be coming to an end. Thabo Mbeki, president of neighboring South Africa, has told Mugabe that the game is over. It's not clear yet what the endgame will be, but it appears that Mugabe's political rival Morgan Tsvangirai will, at a minimum, share power. In the end, it is possible that Mugabe may join Karadzic in the cell block.
One of the reasons I get so irritated with the fools who prattle on about Chimpy McHitlerburton is that they don't seem to have any concept what real evil is like. President Bush will return to Crawford, TX on January 20, 2009 and it is highly likely that either Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain will take the oath of office without any shots being fired. There is no question about it. I am a Catholic of German-Irish ancestry, a minority in Minnesota. I do not worry about Norwegian Lutheran death squads coming 'round to kill me. I do not worry about the government taking everything I own away from me, although sometimes Larry Pogemiller does seem a smidge too covetous of my stuff. I do not fear the sniper's bullet or the tread of the secret policeman's boot. I post my thoughts on a blog that anyone can read and don't worry in the least that my public declarations will cause me any lasting harm, except for the occasional flame from a commenter. We are fortunate, highly fortunate, that we live in a place where we can believe any silly thing, say what we want and get up the next morning and do it again.
Cross-posted at True North
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