One Despot Down, Five To Go

The only (slightly) elected despot in yesterdays’ gallery has cracked.

President Robert Mugabe has mobilised Zimbabwe’s army to build new houses for those made homeless by his “clean-up” operation that flattened and burnt shanty towns across the country.

In a policy U-turn following a seven-hour meeting of his politburo, he announced that the military had been ordered to lead a task force to begin reconstruction. “Building brigades” would start work immediately to build houses, shops and markets to replace those destroyed by the police in Operation Murambatsvina (Drive out the Rubbish).

According to human rights groups, more than one million of the poorest Zimbabweans have been turned into the streets by special police units bulldozing and setting fire to townships.

Many, including the very elderly, women with babies and the disabled have been forced to spend freezing nights in the bush without shelter. At least 46,000 have been arrested.

And two little kids were bulldozed in their beds.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change described yesterday’s move as “a panic reaction by Mugabe” to the international outcry over the destruction of the shanty areas.

I suspect that like most African leaders, he’s more worried about the West funding his transportation. This is from the print edition of today’s Spectator (Brit not American).

Mugabe has a custom Mercedes Benz S600L, armored to “B7 Dragunov standard”. At 5 tons it does two kilometers per liter of fuel, and has to be followed by a petrol tanker in a country running on empty. He also has a pool of M-B S320s and E240s for his wife, vice-presidents and ministers.

Vada Facile Sul Grappa

The Italian judiciary has a diction problem – instead of being nice to tourists (turisti) and nasty to terrorists (terroristi), they’re doing the reverse. Guys, go easy on the grappa!

Turisti

On-the-spot fines of 10,000 euros have been imposed on three tourists for buying fake designer goods on the Italian riviera.

The first of the tourists to be caught, a 60-year-old Dane, had bought a pair of bogus Dior sunglasses. Another victim, a 27-year-old Frenchwoman, nearly fainted after being handed the fine by uniformed police for purchasing a fake Louis Vuitton handbag..

Terroristi

An Italian judge has ordered the arrest of 13 people linked to the CIA for “kidnapping” an Egyptian terrorism suspect in Milan and flying him to Egypt where he said he was tortured, judicial sources said on Friday.

“In the judge’s order, it (the abduction) is clearly attributed to the CIA,” a source said.

Foreign intelligence officials believe (the suspect) had fought in Afghanistan and Bosnia before arriving in Italy in 1997 and obtaining political refugee status. When he disappeared, he was under investigation in Italy for suspected ties to terrorism, including recruiting militants for Iraq.

Property Rights: US v UK

Brits have restrictions on their property rights, inherited from their socialist past. But they are not as extreme as the new US law.

Here’s what my local government (Council) says about Taking (Brits call it Compulsory Purchase):

What are compulsory purchase and statutory rights?

This is when the government, local council or utility company has the legal right to buy or take rights over your private property if it falls within a public or private construction project such as:

Airport expansions
Housing developments
Electricity pylons and cables
Flood defence works
Sewer, water or gas pipe schemes
Rail or road building projects

Different compulsory purchase or statutory powers are needed to implement the above schemes. For example, water pipes are laid under statutory rights under the Water Industry Act 1991 and a road bypass will have its own compulsory purchase order through the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.

In all cases, the owners and occupiers of the properties to be acquired or affected by the scheme will be served Notices, with differing expiry times. All the schemes provide compensation to owners and occupiers directly affected by the scheme.

The kicker is the “private housing development”. But the Brits have extensive legal recourse:

The right of appeal against a certificate under section 18 of the 1961 Act, exercisable by both the acquiring authority and the person having the interest in the land who has applied for the certificate, is to the Secretary of State.

Any person aggrieved by the Secretary of State’s decision on the appeal may challenge its validity in the High Court within a period of six weeks from the date of the decision.

And if the owner’s claim is upheld, the loser pays all legal fees.

So in both the US and UK, middle class people with money are safe in their homes. Poorer people are at risk in both countries. But Brits only have to worry about their property being taken for housing, whereas Americans can now lose theirs to any organization that promises to pay more property taxes – like Pfizer Inc.

The saving grace is that some US states limit eminent domain:

Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming (have never allowed) land taken by eminent domain for private use.

However:

…the worst record of abuse of private-use takings are California, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan and Ohio.

Kansas is explained by its infestation by lefty judicial despots (they just mandated a tax raise). Ohio seems odd – I thought it was a decent red state.