Why is Rhodesia important? Because it was a normal Western country...
Will Tanner@Will_Tanner_1
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Sep 20, 2024
~5 min read
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Why is Rhodesia important?
Because it was a normal Western country typical of the century prior to its destruction, one "more British than the British."
In fact, that's the very reason it was destroyed 🧵👇
Because it was a normal Western country typical of the century prior to its destruction, one "more British than the British."
In fact, that's the very reason it was destroyed 🧵👇
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Key to Rhodesia's national identity and success was that it wasn't a land of reprobates and freebooters picking their teeth with Bowie knives
Rather, from the time of the Pioneer Column into the Bush War, it was on the hunt for the best men of England. Particularly, it used restrictive immigration policies to ensure only those who would be able to assimilate into its "more British than the British," pink gin sundowner culture would be allowed to immigrate
Rather, from the time of the Pioneer Column into the Bush War, it was on the hunt for the best men of England. Particularly, it used restrictive immigration policies to ensure only those who would be able to assimilate into its "more British than the British," pink gin sundowner culture would be allowed to immigrate
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So, those men who immigrated to Rhodesia were like the Duke of Montrose: gentlemen who wanted to be landowners who used their position to guide the Rhodesian state with a paternalistic hand
The result was a country with a small (250k or so) European population, nearly all of which was English and deeply steeped in English culture
Hunting, pink gin, gentlemanly behavior, modern agriculture on a large scale, national service in a daring and small military: it was the Britain of a century earlier
The result was a country with a small (250k or so) European population, nearly all of which was English and deeply steeped in English culture
Hunting, pink gin, gentlemanly behavior, modern agriculture on a large scale, national service in a daring and small military: it was the Britain of a century earlier
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That turned Rhodesia into a roaring success, particularly agriculturally
It produced famed tobacco for export on a large scale, and was so superb at growing grain on the large farms that it was the "Breakbasket of Africa"
In fact, many of the post-1979 African famines probably would have been avoided had Rhodesia still been around to export grains...but that was not to be
It produced famed tobacco for export on a large scale, and was so superb at growing grain on the large farms that it was the "Breakbasket of Africa"
In fact, many of the post-1979 African famines probably would have been avoided had Rhodesia still been around to export grains...but that was not to be
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The sad fact is that Rhodesia was destroyed because it was "more British than the British" in the old sense: it was a landed voting republic where generally only those with a requisite amount of Rhodesian property, such as land, could vote
There was no apartheid, as was in South Africa. But, as only those with enough property could vote, the government was much more run by those like the Duke of Montrose (who served as the Minister of Agriculture under Ian Smith and was a '65 UDI signatory). Also, educational attainment meant one could vote
That is to say, such men who were voters were mainly wealthy white landowners rather than black natives...many blacks voted, but always a relatively small fraction of the black population, particularly compared against the whites
There was no apartheid, as was in South Africa. But, as only those with enough property could vote, the government was much more run by those like the Duke of Montrose (who served as the Minister of Agriculture under Ian Smith and was a '65 UDI signatory). Also, educational attainment meant one could vote
That is to say, such men who were voters were mainly wealthy white landowners rather than black natives...many blacks voted, but always a relatively small fraction of the black population, particularly compared against the whites
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So, the world hated Rhodesia
The communist bloc backed the red rebels for the usual reasons, and on the Western world helped the communists win by embargoing Rhodesia
That "Great Betrayal" came despite Rhodesia having loyally served in both world wars; Ian Smith was a Spitfire pilot and war hero, for example, who lived with peasants in the countryside while escaping the Germans after being shot down
The communist bloc backed the red rebels for the usual reasons, and on the Western world helped the communists win by embargoing Rhodesia
That "Great Betrayal" came despite Rhodesia having loyally served in both world wars; Ian Smith was a Spitfire pilot and war hero, for example, who lived with peasants in the countryside while escaping the Germans after being shot down
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That service mattered immediately after the war, when Rhodesia was offered independence, but not by 1965, when Rhodesia declared independence from the inept, socialist British
So, Britain, by then uncomfortable with the values of the Victorians and Georgians, sided with the communists to destroy Rhodesia. It even sent its Navy to blockade the oil-importing port of Beira in Portuguese Mozambique after the UN passed, with its and America's help, mandatory sanctions on Rhodesia
So, Britain, by then uncomfortable with the values of the Victorians and Georgians, sided with the communists to destroy Rhodesia. It even sent its Navy to blockade the oil-importing port of Beira in Portuguese Mozambique after the UN passed, with its and America's help, mandatory sanctions on Rhodesia
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In effect, the Americans and British were siding with the communists even as those communists tortured and killed white farmers and their black laborers, as Peck documents in "Rhodesia Accuses"
That support continued through to the end, even as Nkomo shot down civilian airliners and bayoneted the survivors to death
Effectively, the "free world" was intentionally helping Mugabe and Nkomo repeat, with communist backing, the horrors of the post-colonial Congo in what was a free country with a pre-Reform voting system meant to ensure future freedom
That support continued through to the end, even as Nkomo shot down civilian airliners and bayoneted the survivors to death
Effectively, the "free world" was intentionally helping Mugabe and Nkomo repeat, with communist backing, the horrors of the post-colonial Congo in what was a free country with a pre-Reform voting system meant to ensure future freedom
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The weight of the world - only Israel, Portugal until the Carnation Revolution, and sometimes South Africa rejected UN sanctions and Western opprobrium - eventually told on Rhodesia, and it fell to the communists
Particularly, in 1980, after the second election, during which his men tortured and terrorized civilians into voting for him, Mugabe won
Particularly, in 1980, after the second election, during which his men tortured and terrorized civilians into voting for him, Mugabe won
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Mugabe then went on to genocide the Ndebele tribe and expropriate the land of white farmers, finally accomplishing what the ideologically egalitarian West and communist bloc had wanted it to accomplish all along
Zimbabwe went from the breadbasket of Africa to a basket case known for famine and hyperinflation, and nearly all the whites whose ancestors had carved civilization out of the veldt had to flee to escape the murderous thugs of Mugabe
Zimbabwe went from the breadbasket of Africa to a basket case known for famine and hyperinflation, and nearly all the whites whose ancestors had carved civilization out of the veldt had to flee to escape the murderous thugs of Mugabe
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So, Rhodesia stands as a lesson: despite not having apartheid and creating higher living standards for the native blacks than in any other country in the region, it was destroyed by the "free world" and communists for not being egalitarian, as they were
That was enough to support the communist Mugabe
That was enough to support the communist Mugabe
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It was destroyed for having what was essentially a normal, pre-Reform Bill British voting system.
It was propertied/educated voting meant to ensure responsible government rather than the horrors of mob-rule democracy in the Dark Continent, as happened in the Congo to its north...or proceeded to happen in it after the British and Americans got their way
It was propertied/educated voting meant to ensure responsible government rather than the horrors of mob-rule democracy in the Dark Continent, as happened in the Congo to its north...or proceeded to happen in it after the British and Americans got their way
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That's a great deal of why Rhodesia matters
It shows where egalitarianism ends up, why mob rule is a horror show, and what could have been had the British kept their roots and embraced responsible paternalism rather than imbecilic mob rule
It shows where egalitarianism ends up, why mob rule is a horror show, and what could have been had the British kept their roots and embraced responsible paternalism rather than imbecilic mob rule
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If this interested you, read more about how Mugabe destroyed Rhodesia here:
Will Tanner@Will_Tanner_1
How did Mugabe destroy Rhodesia, turning the breadbasket of Africa into a starving hellhole wracked by hyperinflation and famine?
It's a pretty simple story, as things went just how you'd expect, but it holds a good number of important lessons for America
So, a 🧵👇 on this
It's a pretty simple story, as things went just how you'd expect, but it holds a good number of important lessons for America
So, a 🧵👇 on this
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And read about them being more British than the British here:
Will Tanner@Will_Tanner_1
It was said, particularly of Prime Minister Ian Smith's generation, that the Rhodesians were "more British than the British"
That sounds great, but how did they get there? How did a formerly company-run country in the middle of Africa become so British?
Immigration policy 🧵👇
That sounds great, but how did they get there? How did a formerly company-run country in the middle of Africa become so British?
Immigration policy 🧵👇
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And read more about Rhodesia here: theamericantribune.news/p/why-rhodesia…
