why am I so nervous about this?

I'm sure they are all right and the media is being basically honest about the situation there but I get this awful niggle.

Just like I basically agreed Sadaam Hussein was a monster but I do believe the ramifications since his removal have probably been far worse than if he'd remained.

Or am I being a cynical, elderly, bitter old man?

Five years down the line?

"The Americans, now in charge of Zimbabwe after they and the UN deposed Robert Mugabe and killed him 4 years ago, announces today the discovery of massive oil fields in the country...."

If Zimbabwe is invaded I think it will be by one of it's neighbours, rather like Tanzania invaded Uganda to remove Amin. I doubt that any non African nation will use military force to remove Mugabe.

The MDC may have missed their one chance. The brutal truth is that they pulled out rather risk their lives for their freedom, so they will be seen as not desiring that freedom sufficiently. Once Mugabe is sworn in as President again, most African leaders will accept him and move on from this issue.

It seems that most of the murders, beatings and intimidation were carried out by gangs of thugs with big sticks rather than heavily armed troops. I wonder why the many MDC supporters didn't work together to resist these gangs. They could have disabled them and taken a strong stand against the tyranny. Instead they chose to back off and hope that the rest of the world would come and solve the problem for them. Now they are left with nothing.

Freedom is worth fighting for. If you won't fight for it, you probably don't want it badly enough.

It does rather appear that we are all being set up to support some sort of intervention in Zimbabwe, JK. All for the right reasons, I'm sure. Nobody likes to think of human suffering, but as you suggest, wading in and deposing regimes with military force is not the answer, as Iraq has shown. Before anyone asks, I don't have the answer.

The world has many appallingly oppressive regimes. At the moment the world's media has decided to put the spotlight on Mugabe. The whole world would descend into chaos if we decided to go around deposing every regime we disagree with.

If Mugabe actions had not been against white farmers would out media be so concerned?