Yep jjimm, electrocution is still pretty much the standard technique of third world dictators. I do think, however. any parallel with apartheid South Africa is a complete red herring – utterly different.
In general;
Best I can tell, they’re damned if they do and they’re damned if they don’t. Actually (and only from the POV of the English team), I don’t think there is a right answer to the question; you just make a personal judgment as best you can.
Responsibility / leadership on the issue should lie with the multinational ICC, who – not unsurprisingly - seem to have accepted just that responsibility last year by awarding games to Zimbabwe. Again, a judgment call. There’s no financial reason to have awarded them games, the decision seems to have been made on grounds of ‘inclusion’.
I think the factors that weighed with me were the fact that 300 British companies currently do business in Zimbabwe (including, for example British Airways flying into Harare a couple of times a week) and the memory of the last Commonwealth Conference where Blair tried to drum up interest in more stringent action against Mugabe and the Africans told him to get stuffed – effectively saying ‘it’s our manor nowadays, fuck off colonial white boy’.
I think I’m happy to let the local African crew assume responsibility for my view rather than adopt a moral, white-boy, hand-wringing, liberal perspective. South Africa are happy (and, for example, Pakistan and India don’t care), I see no reason why I shouldn’t be – perhaps someone else knows more ?
Why do we continue to believe we know better, or our views are superior, to others ?
It would also, apparently cost 10 million to cancel – not sure how that works and I’d take it with a large pinch of salt.
Whatever they decide, it’s going to have zero impact on a dictator like Mugabe, IMHO.
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