Zimbabwe Election: Hopes for Change

It's tense times in the Zimbabwe, which has suffered under the regime of President Robert Mugabe since it became independent from Britain in 1980.

But since the time the British let go, the nation has devolved into chaos under the ruthless despotism of a senile old man hell-bent on holding power despite his horrific mismanagement of the economy. I'm not kidding, man. No place else in the world do they have 100,000 percent inflation. To put this into context, imagine paying $417 per sheet of toilet paper!



If the nation, which had once been called "Africa's Breadbasket" is to survive, it will need new leadership. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is claiming victory over Mugabe as rumors of his resignation swirl the streets of the capital, Harare.

But many watchers fear that violence could erupt over accusations of rigging by Mugabe, much in the way it did in Kenya. Either way it goes, if a new leader steps in, whoever it is will have an entire pile of political excrement to clean up and hordes of corrupt politicians to get rid of. Not an enviable job at all.

But think of the alternative: Mugabe gets in, and stays for what will likely be for the rest of his life, and Zimbabwe becomes yet another black nation riddled in poverty, war and corruption.