Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Rhodesia Independence Day!

Written by Paul Fromm

Saturday, 12 November 2011 07:19

> ** > Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Rhodesia Independence Day!<http://spectator.org/archives/2011/11/11/hip-hip-hooray-its-rhodesia-in> > > By H. W. Crocker, III <http://spectator.org/people/h-w-crocker-ii> on > 11.11.11 @ 6:08AM > > Ian Smith lived to see all his worst predictions come true. > > On 11 November 1965, Ian Smith, prime minister of the British colony of > Rhodesia, signed his country's unilateral declaration of independence, > giving birth to a new nation that would, rather heroically, seek to > maintain its way of life for the next fifteen years. That way of life was > not -- as critics will be quick to allege -- based on racism, but on > freedom, the freedom that was vouchsafed Rhodesia by the British Empire. It > was the freedom and the rule of law that was lost by Rhodesia's > transformation into Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe. It's a transformation from > which even we, as American, have something to learn. > > The Rhodesians, in fact, based their declaration of independence on our > own, though they charmingly reaffirmed their allegiance to the queen. > Thinking themselves "more British than the British," they announced their > independence on Remembrance Day, marking the end of World War I (what we > mark as Veterans' Day), to remind Britain that when she fought at great > cost to defend freedom, the rule of law, and the rights of small nations, > Rhodesia had been at her side. In the Second World War, indeed, Ian Smith > himself had flown Hawker Hurricanes and Spitfires for the RAF. A flight > accident had smashed up his face (which required extensive plastic surgery) > and left him with numerous serious injuries that took months to heal. He > returned to duty, was shot down over Italy, and eventually made his escape > back to Allied lines. > > More than that, though, the Rhodesians had done what is the measure of a > man -- they had gone into the wilderness and been able to re-create their > civilization. While they had a reputation as outdoorsy, beer-swilling > hearties, the great Rhodesian writer (and liberal) Peter Godwin and Ian > Hancock estimated in their classic study of Rhodesia, *'Rhodesians Never > Die,'* "that probably no other transplanted English-speakers had done > more -- with similar resources -- to reproduce and practice the parent > culture." > > It is a question worth asking ourselves: how many of us could hack our way > into the jungle and re-create the United States? The more culturally > pessimistic, or multiculturally inclined, might even wonder whether that > would be a good thing anyway. > > The Rhodesians had no doubts -- or few. They were so confident in their > civilization that they were willing to endure international ostracism. They > were so certain they were on the right side of history, and certain of > their martial valor, that they volunteered to send troops to Vietnam (an > offer that the embarrassed Lyndon Johnson administration declined to > accept). They were so certain that they stood athwart tyranny, that they > sacrificed their sons and fortified their farms in an African bush war that > thrilled the armchair adventurers among the readers of *Soldier of Fortune > * magazine, which sold "Be A Man Among Men, Rhodesian Army" t-shirts, > based on a Rhodesian recruiting poster. > > Smith believed that one-man, one-vote in Africa meant free elections once > as the dominate tribe would consolidate control. He was loath to submit his > country to the chaos, socialism, violence, and dictatorship that he was > certain would follow elections based on a universal franchise (which, as he > pointed out, had difficulties that Western critics were not likely to > consider: for instance, how to accurately register voters when most > rural-born black Africans had no birth certificates). Smith was careful to > gain the support of the country's tribal chiefs, he stated that his goal > was evolution not revolution on the way to expanding the franchise (which > was tied to income and property qualifications), and he affirmed that he > would not risk Rhodesia's multi-party elections, free press, independent > judiciary, and free economy with a mass electorate that might be inclined > to do away with them. > > In the end, of course, the British brokered a deal. Lord Carrington and > almost all the other delegates to the so-called Lancaster House Agreement > of 1979 were convinced that Robert Mugabe, regarded as the most radical of > the Communist-backed insurgents, would be defeated in the elections > arranged for 1980. Ian Smith thought otherwise. He was certain Mugabe would > win because he belonged to the Shona tribe, which represented eighty > percent of Rhodesia's population, and because Mugabe would be the most > effective at voter intimidation. Smith was proved right, as he usually was > -- though he got no credit for it. > > Smith lived to see all his worst predictions come true; had he been able > to read his obituaries he would have seen that liberal opinion blamed him > for it. Smith's solace in his declining years was the popularity he had > among black Zimbabweans who saw him as a symbol of unbreakable resistance > to Mugabe. If you want to see the Rhodesia Smith defended, you can watch a > video or two on YouTube and see black soldiers (most of the Rhodesian army > was black) marching on parade past mostly white civilians, including an > official dressed like an 18th-century town crier; you can see the sons of > productive farmers and businessmen, who made Rhodesia an economic success, > shouldering rifles to defend their homes and their liberties. > > And if you want to see the tribute that vice pays to virtue -- or that > Zimbabwe pays to Rhodesia and the British Empire -- just note how > Zimbabwe's judges still wear white wigs, how Mugabe's henchmen make a show > of owning farms (taken from white farmers who once produced plenty, and > whose fields now lie barren while Zimbabweans starve), and how Mugabe still > goes thorough the formality of having elections (as long as his goons > ensure that he wins). Zimbabweans think of British institutions as having > legitimacy, even if they are deployed as part of Robert Mugabe's charades. > > So what can America learn from gallant Rhodesia? For one thing, we can > learn to judge nations by the values they uphold, not the electoral > processes they observe. We can see why Western "colonialism" was oftentimes > better than the alternative. And most of all, perhaps, we might learn not > to take our own liberties for granted. In every generation, they are only a > demagogue away from being taken from us. > > Letter to the Editor > <%22Letter%20to%20the%20Editor%22%20%3Ceditor%40spectator.org%3E?subject=READER%20MAIL%3A%20Hip%2C%20Hip%2C%20Hooray%2C%20It%26%23039%3Bs%20Rhodesia%20Independence%20Day%21> > <http://spectator.org/people/h-w-crocker-ii>About the Author > > H. W. Crocker, III is a bestselling author. His most recent book is *The > Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire<http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-British-Empire-Guides/dp/1596986298> > .* >

 

Talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder...

Written by Paul Fromm

Friday, 11 November 2011 05:35

Talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder... [image: Description: cid:RYOCYFZAQMWO.IMAGE.jpeg] I recently came back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Having not seen my wife for several months, I was looking forward to a night of hot passionate sex. [image: Description: cid:HALRJSWYPUQY.IMAGE_1.jpeg] Unfortunately she came out of the shower with a towel wrapped round her head - *so I shot her** **!*

 

Your First Christmas E-mail

Written by Paul Fromm

Thursday, 10 November 2011 08:51

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This email newsletter was sent to you in graphical HTML format. If you're seeing this version, your email program prefers plain text emails. You can read the original version online: http://ymlp249.net/zrR48K -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your First Christmas E-mail Twas the Month before Christmas Twas the month before Christmas When all through our land, Not a Christian was praying Nor taking a stand. See the PC Police had taken away The reason for Christmas - no one could say. The children were told by their schools not to sing About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things. It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say December 25th is just a ' Holiday '. Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it! CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod Something was changing, something quite odd! Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda. As Targets were hanging their trees upside down At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found. At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears You won't hear the word Christmas; It won't touch your ears. Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty Are words that were used to intimidate me. Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton ! At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter. And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded The reason for the season, stopped before it started. So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' Under your 'Dream Tree' Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me. Choose your words carefully, choose what you say Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , not Happy Holiday ! Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet MERRY CHRISTMAS Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season. If you agree please forward, if not, simply delete. Your First Christmas E-mail _____________________________ Unsubscribe / Change Profile: http://ymlp249.net/u.php?id=gmjhqsqgsgbbqguju Powered by YourMailingListProvider