This headline in the NY Times caught my eye:
Mugabe Aides Are Said to Use Violence to Gain Amnesty
What follows reads like something out of The Onion.
President Robert Mugabe’s top lieutenants are trying to force the political opposition into granting them amnesty for their past crimes by abducting, detaining and torturing opposition officials and activists, according to senior members of Mr. Mugabe’s party.
Given that their past crimes include “campaigns of terror” this might not be the best approach to gain amnesty.
This reminds me of the time I served on the Board of Education with someone who kept telling me that “if you have them down, you keep your boot on their neck” and was disappointed when I didn’t agree. By “disappointed” I mean this person accused me of not doing my job and attempted to get her boot on my neck. This same person responds to any criticism or suggestion of error by becoming mortally offended and hurt from what she claims are “uncalled for and unprovoked vicious personal attacks”. While less painful than the approach taken by Mugabe’s lieutenants, the message is the same: how dare you question me and threaten to take away my power. People like this fool some people for a while, are able to shut some people up for a while. But eventually they are seen for who they are.
Mugabe’s lieutenants are in for some pain of their own if the opposition stands up to them, and holds them accountable for their past actions. So perhaps it might be a good idea not to remind anyone of your past history of terror. Maybe a complaint of unfair treatment and some crocodile tears would work.