think tank forum

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E125B1 … 509E46.htm

Zimbabwe's currency has tumbled to a record low of 25 million Zimbabwe dollars to one single US dollar, while Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, continues his campaign for re-election.

One hundred dollars bought nearly 20kg of local currency on Wednesday as Zimbabwe wrestled with the world's highest inflation rate at over 100,000 per cent.

zimbabwe has more problems than inflation these days.

here in the uk it is a huge deal, near front page every day.

Yeah I didn't really get into the political issues so much but the whole Mugabe thing is kinda scary. Doesn't everyone hate him now?

most everyone doesn't like him much, but no one can agree on what to do about him. I've been reading a lot about it in The Economist lately and checking other various news sites like Yahoo! News and BBC News for more recent coverage. I guess negotiations in South Africa are starting up again, but neither of the articles mention the leader of the MDC going there, just some other important-but-less-so MDC people.

The Economist seems pretty pissed (in their own subdued way) that no one is being more outspoken against Mugabe. well, people are being outspoken (Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Nelson Mandela, and Kofi Annan, among others) but none of the groups like the AU or the SADC who actually have the power to do anything are doing anything.

sucks.

never mind the UN. I guess they're voting today (I think) on some sanctions.

there is a lot of news coverage of zimbabwe over here - probably as much as there is on iraq in us media.

that's not saying much; we barely cover Iraq here anymore.

oh. well during the shitstorm

barely anyone here even knows what's going on in Zimbabwe, it seems.