Aung San Suu Kyi to be charged and tried

The armed thugs who claim to be the government of Burma are, apparently, about to charge Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, along with her two live-in maids, with harboring a US national secretly in Suu Kyi's lakeside home for two days.

The Golden Land is full of nutty stories, but this is one of the nuttier I can recall.

It seems a John Yettaw, which may be a vaguely Burmese name, although I could be quite wrong on that, who is from the US, swam the lake to reach Suu Kyi's home. He stayed in the home for two days, and has since been arrested, although not charged. US diplomats were able to visit him, but haven't spoken publicly about the case yet.

The 63-year-old Suu Kyi, who has been under detention of one form or another for most of the past 20 years, has been rumored to be in poor health lately. According to her doctor, she suffers from dehydration and low blood pressure. Who knows what that really means.

There's some conjecture by the Beeb that this is an effort to put Suu Kyi away until after next year's "elections", which is as good an explanation as any. Suu Kyi pretty much is the opposition, such as it is, and locking her up where no UN or Western representatives can get a look at her would certainly prevent her from making any public noise.

Still, this represents something of a departure for Than Shwe and his minions. Up until now, they've been treating Suu Kyi with white gloves. They allow her no freedom, but they have resisted the notion of tossing her in the clink or any other drastic actions. They have to know that this is going to make some headlines in the West (not to mention spark the ire of certain bloggers, which I'm sure has them quaking in their Buster Browns), but since when has that stopped them from doing anything? Locking Suu Kyi up this far ahead of the elections makes sense, in their little dinosaur brains, in that it will have faded from attention by the time it matters.

In the pantheon of near-hopeless to hopeless situations, lost causes to causes well on their way to lost, from Zimbabwe to Gaza to GM, Burma has a place of honor: The spot on this little planet of ours furthest from any sort of hope at all.

Tsvangirai's wife killed in car wreck, Zimbabwe PM injured

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and his wife, Susan, were involved in an auto accident earlier today in a rural part of the country. Susan Tsvangirai was killed, and the PM was injured.

Details are sketchy, but it appears a large truck was involved. According to the BBC, the driver of the truck was asleep at the wheel.

On the surface, this event has all the hallmarks of an authentic, tragic accident. Zimbabwe's decrepit road system, rampant drunk driving, and non-existent law enforcement make traveling by car moderately less risky than swimming laps in a pool of battery acid. Huge wrecks and fatalities are all-too-common on rural roadways, especially those in the more-densely populated eastern half of the country.

However, given Mugabe's track record, the "accident" angle cannot be taken at face value. That Tsvangirai himself was in the car at the time of the wreck makes everything about it suspicious. Mugabe and his vile, violent cronies stand to gain from this sort of unfortunate "accident", especially if Tsvangirai had been killed. He was not, but the loss of his wife of 30 years (and mother of his six children)is nearly as good from the ZANU perspective. Tsvangirai is, no doubt, personally devestated. There's every chance this blow causes him to leave public life entirely.

I hate to be cynical, but it's a mistake to put anything past Mugabe.

Uncle Bob turns 85, throws a big ol' bash

Comrade Bob Mugabe is throwing a quarter-million-dollar party in honor of his own 85th birthday.

While his population starves, dies of cholera (over 3,000 at last count), and struggles with billion-percent inflation, Big Bob decides it's time to par-tay!

And why wouldn't he? After all, he freed Zimbabwe from the evils of minority rule, didn't he?

Forget that was 30 years ago. Forget that he started whacking his opposition and their families about 90 seconds after the transfer of power was complete. Forget that he has dismantled an agriculture system that once fed sub-Saharan Africa to the point where it's own population is dying in droves. Forget that he has presided over the decimation of what had been the best and brightest education, health care, and economic system in the region.

Forget all that heinous crap, because, you know, it's been fabricated by the Western media anyway. If Zimbabwe has any problems (not that it does, mind you), they are the results of Britain's attempts to recolonize.

Gee, I hope this doesn't sound too bitter...

Cholera? What cholera?

We can all stand down from our concern about Zimbabwe. According to Robert Mugabe, there is no cholera. Zimbabwe's doctors, working with the World Health Organization, have it cracked, so you can call off your emergency.

Well, thank God for that. It must be true, right? Because we all know what a firm grip Robert Mugabe has on reality.

I don't think it helped his credibility that he was shooing flies away from his face throughout the entire, hour-long, televised speech. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I sorta think it doesn't speak well of the state of sanitation in Harare if the President is being swarmed by vermin.

Update from Zimbabwe: A disaster that keeps getting worse

We're way past the point of any good, or even encouraging, news coming out of Zimbabwe. The only question one asks when stories come across with Harare in the dateline is: How much worse is it now?

The answer today is: Lots.

The cholera epidemic has taken hold, with the official death toll now approaching 600. Unofficially, the number is MUCH higher. The total collapse of Zimbabwe's health-care and communications systems means there is no way to really count the number of sick, dying, and dead.

The rainy summer has started and will continue through Feb. Malaria will appear. Cholera will spread faster. The population, already weakened by lack of food and medicine, will become more susceptible to both. The ruined economy, ultra-hyper inflation, and 80% unemployment rate ensure the general population has no hope of escaping the despair or obtaining help. Mugabe's "government" continues to see invading foreign troops behind every tree, and will never open the country up for the kind of international humanitarian aid which would have any hope of averting catastrophe. Mugabe himself will continue to stall and stymie regional and international efforts to get him out of power, or to even share some power, and the situation will not change, except to get worse.

We are witnessing the death of a nation, one conceived less than 30 years ago amidst high expectations, higher hopes, and positive initial results. Looking back to the early 80s, although there were rumors of atrocities in Matabeleland, the average Zimbabwean, white or black, enjoyed a thriving economy, plenty to eat, international goodwill, and a seemingly brilliant future. Now, disaster is upon us, and the only questions are how many will die and how long will it take for them to die.

What can we do about it? Not much. Give to Oxfam and the Red Cross. Pray. If you're ambitious, you might write a note to Kgalema Motlanthe or Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. Write your representative. Suggest to Sir Bob the Knob or Bono the Dog Biscuit they get Band Aid back together. The West isn't going to fix this one. I'm not sure anyone is.

Two pieces of SHOCKING news this Friday afternoon

Citigroup, once the biggest financial services firm on the planet, is circling the drain. It's stock, which had stalled around $50 for years, is now selling for $4.

Almost 300 cholera deaths have been reported in Zimbabwe. Is this the summer that finally turns sad Zimbabwe into the Ethiopia of the late 2000's?

Daily YouTube: BBC report on Zimbabwe

This is a bit dated - it's got figures from Feb 2008, which was, in terms of Zimbabwe's inflation rate, about 10,000,000% ago - and there's nothing reported here that you haven't already heard or read, but it's still plenty sobering.

Zimbabwe: Economic emergency? Understatement of the decade!

I'm not sure how this is even possible, but Zimbabwe's already-breathtaking annual inflation rate jumped from 2,233,713.4% (don't you love the ".4" at the end?) in May to just over 11,250,000% in June.

That's an official increase of 9,035,045.5 percentage points in a month! Many Zimbabweans think it is, in fact, much higher.

Mugabe's govt thought they were going to slow things down by lopping 10 (10!) zeros off the end of the Zimbabwe dollar, making Z$10 BILLION equal to Z$1 of new currency. Um, not working, buddy.

How can this country continue to function? Is everyone simply bartering for goods and services now? It sure seems like there's no way this can be sustainable for any significant amount of time, but we've been saying that about Zimbabwe for two and half years now.

The reality is everyone who has any means has already left. Most of the people left in the country are either on Mugabe's payroll, in which case money means nothing, or were already so poor that they had no money to be made worthless.

What a frickin' mess...

Zimbabwe: Follow up to yesterday's nugget

Yesterday, we made mention of the out-of-control inflation and stupefying dollar amounts being thrown around in Zimbabwe.

Today, "official figures" from somewhere, perhaps Zimbabwe's Central Bank although that's not clear from the Beeb article, place Zimbabwe's inflation rate at 2,200,000%. You read that right, 2.2 million percent.

What is going to give first in the most effed-up country on Earth?

Zimbabwe: Monopoly money is worth more

The Beeb has an article today on the game Zimbabwe and its people are playing with cash in the midst of long-term ultra-hyper inflation. The examples in the story are truly beyond belief.

An example: If you win the Harare Herald Lotto Bonanza, you get 1.2 quadrillion Zimbabwe dollars. That's quadrillion, with 15 zeros. The prize's worth in US dollars? About $4,000. And that was last week. Who knows what it's worth now?

Another example: At a private school in Harare, parents are being asked to pay supplemental fees of Z$2.1 trillion. Yes, trillion. And if you wait until next week, you have to pay Z$3 trillion. Nine hundred billion dollars more to extend for a few days.

How would you feel if you had a few crisp, new Z$500,000,000.00 bills in your wallet, and knew you might be able to buy a newspaper and a sandwich with them? Five hundred million dollars, in a single bill, now practically worthless.

The numbers being tossed around in Zimbabwe's economy these days are truly mind-boggling. Banking and other financial systems are completely unable to process the sums being exchanged for trivial things. Think about it - could 7-11's systems could handle it if your Super Big Gulp cost four billion dollars?

I am way too dumb when it comes to economics to even begin to know what the solution is for this problem. The solution in Weimar Germany was to elect a fascist to the Chancellorship. Zimbabwe already has it's fascist, and that hasn't worked. What's next?

Zimbabwe: Tales from the front

An unnamed Newsweek reporter recently saw, firsthand, the thuggery now ruling the streets of Harare, and files this chilling report.

It's a mess, obviously, and it's easy to shout, "Ian Smith was right". I have written a few things here which might sound exactly like that. In this case, events have validated some of the old RF fear-mongering. But I think that's more an unhappy coincidence than any kind of psychic ability or inherent rightness of the minority rulers of the past.

Rhodesia was, as has been pointed out here and in many other places, able to feed itself and economically sustain itself (at least in the short term) despite near-complete isolation from the rest of the world. No one, and I mean NO ONE, would touch Rhodesia, with the exception of equally-racist and equally-shunned South Africa. Yet, even with trade and diplomatic sanctions levied by nearly the entire world, Rhodesia was a pretty good place to be if you were white and willing to ignore outrageous injustice around you on a daily basis. The Lake Wobegone-ish hagiography which has grown around the old Rhodesia ("...where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average...") isn't totally made up.

So, nearly forty years after the white rulers were sent packing, Zimbabwe finds itself in serious competition with a host of other failed states for the unenviable role of "Most Screwed Up Country on Earth". Mugabe and ZANU-PF have taken a country blessed with natural resources out the kazoo, a ton of initial international goodwill, and a motivated population, and, through insane land and economic policy followed by retaliatory (and equally racist) treatment of the white landowners, have found themselves facing possible famine, hyper-inflation which makes Weimar Germany look stable, and a full circle back to international condemnation. Quite a record.

But, it's stupid, not to mention flat-out wrong, to generalize and say, "This is what happens when the 'civilized' folks bail and leave the 'savages' to run the shop." There are many, obvious examples of the complete opposite being true. Just in the southern Africa neighborhood, Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) is a stable, relatively prosperous nation.

It's somewhat more than bad luck, but not much more, that a psycho like Mugabe winds up with his hands on the levers of power. The destabilization of the Rhodesian Bush War made it nearly inevitable that a violent nut-case would emerge as the strongest guy on the block.

For those "Rhodies" around the world who point to Zimbabwe as proof of the failure of majority rule, I would say Zimbabwe is reaping what Rhodesia had sowed.

That doesn't make it any less tragic, though.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe's tactics may be working

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is apparently considering withdrawing from the June 27 presidential run-off election.

The reason: As many as 70 MDC supporters and/or family members have been murdered in recent weeks. It's pretty clear that thugs allied with Mugabe and ZANU-PF are behind the violence, although Mugabe himself blames the MDC. Mugabe is, of course, a delusional, paranoid tyrant who will do just about anything to hang on to power, so I don't know that we should be taking his word for much.

The MDC is saying that, unless something changes dramatically, the election will be a farce. Difficult to argue with - how do you vote your conscience when some addled "war veteran" is holding a Kalashnikov to the back of your head?

I understand what MDC is doing here. They are trying to draw international attention to the travesty underway in Zinbabwe. They are trying to force the international community, particularly the African community, to pressure Mugabe to back off and permit truly free elections.

However, this tactic may well backfire. Zimbabwe's neighbors, esp South Africa, have been reluctant to get too terribly involved in Zimbabwe. It may very well turn out the MDC hands the election over to Mugabe, and Zimbabwe continues its fall from the ranks of democratic states, and into the status of the failed.

Zimbabwe: The sh** is about to hit the fan

The showdown approacheth, as Zimbabwe's High Court has decided to cross swords with Mugabe's government by lifting the ban on opposition rallies.

Whether this has any practical effect remains to be seen, as the thugs allied with ZANU-PF have repeatedly ignored court rulings. Regardless, it is now (or at least, it should be) clear that Mugabe's actions are illegal no matter how you slice it.

Anyone really think he's giving up power voluntarily? If you answered "yes" to that question, please email me. I have all sorts of stuff I'd like to sell you.

This was the breadbasket of southern Africa, folks. Take a look at this graphic from BBC, which indicates which sections of the country face famine, and please tell me how things are better now than they were in 1979?

Zimbabwe: My God

First, a little scene-setting: Go read this Newsweek article on the state of the Zimbabwean economy. It is the most shocking thing you will read today. Guaranteed.

Now, we switch over to election news. Zimbabwe went to the polls this past Saturday. While it appears the opposition has won a majority in the Assembly, no one knows who won the presidency yet. That sound shady to you? It should.

Robert Mugabe, president since Zimbabwe was formed from unilaterally-independent Rhodesia (actually, there was a British colonial step in-between, called Zimbabwe-Rhodesia) in 1980, has rigged elections in the past. And that was before he went completely nuts. In recent years, his paranoia and isolation from the rest of his countrymen has grown at an exponential rate. Think he's not capable of stealing an election? Then I have some Zimbabwean currency I'd like to sell you.

How do you bankrupt a country which is blessed with fertile soil and abundant natural resources? Well, the Burmese have managed to do it, but even they can't hold a candle to Zimbabwe. This nation has been screwed for over a hundred years - read a bit about how it was treated by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company to get a sense of just how bad the screwing was - but, even with that, it has been a relatively prosperous and stable country until recently. Now? It's the most f**ked up country on Earth.

Daily YouTube: A movie recommendation

I caught the Leonardo DiCaprio/Djimon Honsou/Jennifer Connelly movie Blood Diamond on HomeShowMaxChannel (one of 'em, anyway) the other day, and was quite impressed.

DiCaprio, whom I have come around on, is a very convincing Rhodesian smuggler who uses/helps Honsou's refugee Sierra Leonean fisherman find a huge diamond and get his family back. Connelly is a bit more than the usual bosomy love interest as an American journalist who helps Archer (DiCaprio) in an effort to get the real story behind diamond smuggling from the late-90s Sierra Leone war zone.

I've always been a fan of the white African - not the die-hard, bring-back-apartheid Afrkaaner fascists, but the regular dude and dudette who has lived in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia or South Africa for generations and is just looking to make his/her way. DiCaprio, though portraying an ex SADF special forces soldier of minimal moral constraint, pegs the accent and mannerisms of the southern African who's seen way too much carnage from way to early in his life.

Blood Diamond hits a lot of accurate historical points regarding the civil war in Sierra Leone, the terrible tragedy of child soldiers, the incredibly corrupt and manipulative diamond trade, and the sheer evil of blood diamonds.

Go check it out.

2007 Recap

As has become tradition around here at little CIT, I thought I'd do the year-end review thing. Not that anyone is interested - by now, you should know that's not the point of anything here. I do this whole bit for myself. If anyone else enjoys it, great. But, believe me, your enjoyment is entirely secondary to mine.

Most of you have probably already punched out, but for anyone who's made it this far, onward!

News Story of the Year

Many to choose from, as always: The takeover of Gaza by Hamas was a biggie. The downward spiral in Zimbabwe, while not as catastrophic as I thought it would be (but it ain't over yet) was also big. The crash of the housing market and the disintegration of the sub-prime mortgage sector had enormous impact which has not yet been fully played out. For me, it comes down to two major stories: The near-revolution in Burma and the turning of the tide in Iraq.

Personally, I was most caught up in the Burma story, although I know I'm in the very small minority. I can't explain my fascination with Burma, but I am enthralled. To see the monkhood defy the authorities as they did in late summer/early fall was exciting, even thrilling. The high point came when the monks marched by Suu Kyi's home/prison, with her silently watching, tears evident. Of course, it all came to naught as the fascist thugs in power turned the army's guns on the monks and civilians, and the world, after some lip-service, turned to other topics. Hope, which for a brief moment appeared to be turning into something more, is in very, very short supply on the streets of Rangoon these days.

In terms of world impact, of course, the situation in Iraq has far more impact. The right wing press has been saying, for some time, the tide has been turning. The troops on the ground started saying the same thing mid-year, and now the evidence seems obvious: Stability is emerging, and we dare hope for a reasonably happy outcome.

Worth the cost? Hell no. Not even close in terms of the money, equipment, good will, and, most of all, lives that have been squandered in this catastrophe. But a stable Iraq seems a real possibility now, which was the goal (I think) all along.

How will history judge this endeavor? I have no idea. Probably more favorably than we do now, but it's impossible to say with any certainty. The legacy of the GWB presidency is indelibly linked to the historical view of the Iraq effort. I think its a real possibility that, 20 years from now, the whole bit is viewed as a success, and maybe even a great success. Crazy? Stupid? Naive? Maybe. Call me in 2027 and lets compare notes, shall we?

Sports Story of the Year

Again, some contenders: The Cowboys' return to greatness (we'll see in January if its real or a parity-induced mirage), the Mavericks' fall from greatness (the window slammed shut in a hurry, didn't it?), the invincibility of the New England Patriots, the somewhat anti-climactic continued greatness of the Red Sox, Beckham in America (well, maybe), the rise of Sidney Crosby, and many other compelling events are all possibilities.

To me, the steroids brouhaha in baseball was the big one, even if it, too, was anti-climactic. From my perspective, the entire game of baseball has been sullied, and every major record achieved in the past 25 years is suspect. No one is surprised to hear Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, or any of the other names in the Mitchell Report. But think about it: Do you now doubt the true greatness of some, if not all, of the big stars of the recent past? Reggie Jackson? Tony Gwynn? Cal Ripken Jr? Even the hallowed and revered Nolan Ryan? I do. And I hate that.

Local Story of the Year

Oh, where to start (or end) here? The election of the great (I hope) Tom Leppert to the Dallas Mayor's office? The defeat of the revisionist Trinity River nay-sayers? The unveiling of the Jerry Dome and all that went with it?

I'm going with an obscure one, but one that hits very close to home, and one that I think has the potential to put a major crimp in the stratospheric growth of my home town of Frisco TX. And that is the failure of all involved to do something about Eldorado Parkway. This major east-west artery of Frisco has seen MASSIVE development over the past two years or so, with gigantic shopping and housing developments lining it nearly from stem to stern. And yet it remains a poorly lit, poorly paved, poorly controlled two-lane country road. The traffic jams on Eldorado Parkway at nearly any hour of the day or night are becoming the stuff of legend. I will go MILES out of my way to avoid it. The solution remains elusive, as the city of Frisco and TxDOT continue to wrangle over who should do what to relieve the situation. I feel for the people (good friends of ours included) who have built homes along Eldorado, in many cases BEAUTIFUL homes, but who's quality of life suffers dramatically from their inability to literally get out of their driveways during rush hour.

Story to Watch in 2008

There are the obvious ones, such as the US presidential election and (God, I hope) the resolution of the Iraq boondoggle, among many many others. However, the one I hope, and expect, to see is "The Beginning of the End of the Petroleum Era".

I think it's time, and I think, in 2008, we'll begin to see it. The rise of the hybrid (already well under way) and the all-electric car, the rebirth of nuclear, the advance of battery technology, and perhaps some things we're not thinking much about now, all will, I really hope and believe, start to move us away from our dependence on oil. Don't sell your Exxon stock yet - this is going to take many years - but I think we'll start to see some real movement in 2008.

On the Family Front

As Robynne and I celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary, our son is seven, our daughter turns 10, and we approach our 3rd year in Frisco, there is much to be thankful for and much to look forward to.

Professionally, 2007 saw Catapult Systems establish ourselves as a major player in the Dallas IT market, and the arrows are all pointing up precipitously for 2008. Robynne continued to add to her legend in the North Dallas pediatric community, the RES-Q Wedge finally became available online, and all trends for next year are positive. Our daughter, fast approaching the teenage years, has re found her stride academically and has matured so much I can't believe it. Our son continues in good health (Tyrosinemia Type 1 is very manageable thus far, thank God) and continues to charm everyone around him. We have great hopes for his emotional and behavioral growth in 2008.

The extended family had its ups and downs in 2007. Minor (mostly) health issues in some quarters, and perhaps somewhat less-minor marital issues in others were more than offset by professional successes, milestones like starting school, going away to camp, new jobs, and new opportunities. We got to see some family members we hadn't seen in some time, almost everyone got to travel a bit, with some mixed results, and I think we all enter 2008 looking forward to continued successes.

We end our family's 2007 with a net positive on all fronts, and look forward to continued good things in 2008. I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Holiday Season, and a happy, peaceful, and healthy 2008.

Zimbabwe: Things are not improving

The latest from Zimbabwe:

On Friday, President Mugabe signed into law an act permitting state security agencies full access to "private" telephone conversations, mail, and Internet use. The official line says the law is designed to protect national security and eliminate crime.

Since the economy is in free-fall, mass famine is imminent, and chaos seem unavoidable, I sorta doubt the security services are interested in preventing old people from falling prey to the Nigerian bank spam scam.

In an unrelated matter, the government is now going after the few white farmers who have refused to hand over their farms to be "redistributed". Apparently, about 600 white farmers have kept their land since the Mugabe government ordered them to leave back in 2000.

Given the dreadful output of "redistributed" farmland, these 600 commercial farms are probably the reason the famine hasn't started already.

Regardless, official sources say the farmers were notified 3 months ago to wind down operations and get the f*** out. Those who have not done so by now face arrest.

Zimbabwe: Stop me if you've heard this before

Zimbabwe's population, facing quadruple-digit inflation, food and fuel shortages, and President Robert Mugabe's increasingly distant relationship with reality, are heading over the border into neighboring South Africa in droves.

The South Africans are, for whatever reason, not patrolling the border too enthusiastically.

The astute reader will immediately equate this to a situation a little closer to home.

BTW, the UN is asking relief agencies to start stocking supplies for the inevitable famine about to hit Zimbabwe. God Himself has, apparently, become involved in the situation, as the Zimbabwe harvest is predicted to fail badly this year.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe fights dirty

Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube has been sued for adultery by the husband of his secretary. No sooner was the case filed than state media produced photographs allegedly taken by a hidden camera and purporting to show Ncube undressing and having sex with an unidentified woman.

The husband, by the way, is a railroad worker. Just how likely is it that he either knows how to handle a hidden camera or has the means to pay someone who does?

Ncube is denying the charges, but also spending a lot of time talking about "forgiveness". It's a pretty good bet he did what he's accused of.

While this probably makes him a lousy Catholic priest, it does not make him wrong in his harsh criticism of Mugabe and his government. One hopes Ncube is going to keep up the pressure, but its certain his voice will be somewhat diminished.

This is just the latest example of Mugabe's crushing of dissent. Political rival Morgan Tsvangirai spent more than a year in court, defending himself against treason charges. About the same time he was acquitted, he was jumped and beaten nearly to death by what had to have been government thugs.

The meltdown in Zimbabwe continues, although, I have to admit, more slowly than I expected. I had figured the wheels would be completely off by now and there would be rampaging violence in the streets. It certainly seems like that's still in the not-too-distant future, unless someone, somewhere nuts up and does something to prevent it.

Zimbabwe: Calls for intervention

The Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, is calling for regional intervention in Zimbabwe's rapidly worsening political and economic crisis.

According to the good bishop, there's almost no fuel for anyone in the country, and people are spending their days hunting for half a loaf of bread. He goes on to call Mugabe a "megalomaniac" who "lives for power".

And what is Mugabe himself saying about the disaster-in-the-making he has wrought? Why, didn't you know? It's all a plot hatched by "the West" to remove him from power.