Zimbabwe hanging on by threads; U.S. involvement is crucial

Final draft of Editoral #1:

The United States may be in a flailing economy, but Zimbabwe is hanging on by only threads. Inflation of 231 million per year (the highest in the world), a politically unstable environment and a breakout of cholera have Zimbabweans crying for help. Zimbabwe is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that is only getting worse by bickering politicians and severe food shortages.
UNICEF, the Red Cross and other organizations have attempted to help Zimbabwe, but it simply is not enough. No woman, man or child should have to beg for something to eat or watch a loved one die of cholera. In 2009, President Obama and his administration must get involved in order to stop the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe.
The main politician at the head of the crisis in Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe. Ego-driven Mugabe refuses to give his power to anyone else, and cannot share his power with Morgan Tsvangirai to see this country succeed. Mugabe blocked aid to Zimbabweans at the end of 2008 but let them back in shortly after. Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are left with little food, no shelter and an economy just short of total disaster.
We can relate the current humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe to the oppression of the Iraqis by Saddam Hussein before his death in 2006. Although Hussein’s sanctions against the Iraqis were much worse than Mugabe’s are in Zimbabwe, who is to say that Mugabe could not go in that direction. If Zimbabwe moves in the governmental direction of old Iraq, Zimbabwe will become a dangerous threat to other countries.
Many Zimbabweans are now trying to escape their country to find better opportunities. Musina, South Africa has now become the town through which Zimbabweans are trying to escape. Many men, women and young children try to cross this border everyday. However, without the right permit from the Zimbabwean government, these people are beaten and abused by gangs who lure on the border. Only 300 permits are given out daily by the government, leaving many waiting for weeks to cross into a better life.
Although Mugabe is not forcing people to relocate, he is sure not making conditions in Zimbabwe favorable for staying. In old Iraq, Hussein destroyed villages which forced people to relocate outside of Iraq. Hussein’s actions were more violent and obvious while Mugabe’s are more of a slow torture; making the Zimbabweans struggle for months on end. At the end of the day, bad living conditions are bad living conditions, whether they happen quickly or over a long period of time. Hussein did not make the living conditions favorable for the Iraqis, and Mugabe is surely not making them favorable in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe has been urged by critics around the world to step down off his ego platform and leave Zimbabwe alone before the country slides into disaster. The critics believe it is Mugabe alone who is making this country destitute for even the basic needs of survival. However, any military involvement would be disastrous to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs help, not a war.
In order to get Zimbabwe back on its feet, President Obama must aid Zimbabwe in a non-forceful way before it slides into ruins. Zimbabwe is in a humanitarian crisis bigger than our economic crisis. People are being starved, beaten and stricken with cholera daily. The new administration needs to take Zimbabwe into account when handing out aid in 2009. We must help Zimbabwe before it slides into ruins or becomes the next big threat.