TJ – can I call you TJ? Where is your evidence that he is not popular with many rural poor in Africa. I offered my personal experience having lived in Southern Africa were I studied politics and carried out research in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Tanzania. I visit family in Africa for three weeks every year. I provided a link to an article in the Indepent and to a Zimbabwean Chat forum. You can chose to disregard my professional and personal opinion as anecdotal. If you chose not to accept this as evidence, that’s fine. Let’s see yours.

ernie_lynch You can’t help yourself can you. Have a trawl through this forum http://www.topix.com/world/zimbabwe/2012/04/robert-mugabe-dead . Plenty of people hate Mugabe, but many others support him. You may be interested in many of the anti-colonial comments – stoked up by the likes of Mugabe and Malema.

Great bit of kit – gets less painful with use.

ernie_lynch. I apologise for referring to you as ‘el Che’ – now that I now that it offends I will desist. I was trying to be humourous – a sort of in-joke. Sorry. I enjoy reading your contributions and you’ve definately made me rethink many issues. You are clearly very intelligent and articulate. However, you are not wise. Your guerilla tactics alienate others – you are devisive, condescending, disingenuous and sarcastic. You would add more value if you turned your talents to persuasion rather than being abrasive.

Ok, so you are not an expert on Africa. It appears that you’ve never been there nor have you spoken to the rural poor. You’ve based you opinion on ‘received wisdom’ which you appear unwilling to challenge. You’ve offered no evidence of your own. All you have provided is vitriol.

We find it difficult and counterintuitive to believe that evil tyrrants can be popular. Perhaps this is because we equate popularity with legitimacy – a tenant of democracy. Mugabe and other dictators can’t rule on their own. They need support. Mugabe is the tip of the iceberg – there are layers of corrupt cronies propping him up, mostly from his own Shona tribe. Such dictators can often control the national media and provide the dominant narrative – many poorer and less educated people don’t have accesss to contradictory evidence or views. I know what its like to live under such a regime. Educated by the apartheid regime I was a racist until I went to university and discovered brilliant black students and academics – I knew nothing of the anti-apartheid movement overseas. It turned my whole world view upside down. Therefore it is easier for me understand how people’s opinions, norms and beliefs can be distorted by an evil regime; how many Zimbabweans can be conned by the truth told badly.

It’s important that we understand Mugabe’s position in his society. We shouldn’t be naive and think that his death will instantly make things better. We’ll need to influence his successors, rather than alienating them by dancing on Mugabe’s grave.

I’d say yes – In fact it’s a major regret of mine that I didn’t get into trials or BMX when I was younger. My mates who did are significantly better at technical stuff and DH than I am. Perhaps it just gives you more confidence and improves general handling skills. It might not be too late for me either…

*wonders off to have a look at trials bikes/skills courses*

Konabunny – I concede that you make some excellent points. Perhaps genocide is too strong a term. You are also correct about the brutality of crime in South Africa that affects all races. However, it is clear that some ANC leaders have encouraged their followers to attack whites. Jacob Zuma is notorious for singing his personal anthem ‘Bring me my machine gun’ to the delight of ANC supporters. Julius Malema has been found guilty of hate speech for singing “dubul’ ibhunu” (shoot the boer). Surely this is incitement to murder others because of their race just as Mugabe has done?

Tootall – what about this thread http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/being-tall ? Go on, play with someone your own size for a change. Anthem 29er only has 100mm of travel.

* goes off to research correlation between height and cyber bullies*

I need to ride more or change my routes! I’ve never seen anyone famous.

el Che – I welcome healthy skepticism and don’t expect you or anyone else to believe any argument on face value. However, you’re just being cynical. Actually, on some other threads your’re an arrogant brow-beating intellectual bully spoiling for a fight rather than a productive dialogue.

However, I would like to hear why I should value your opinion on this issue. I know that you are well informed about Latin America and I respect your views, but I would like to read how you became an expert on Africa too. Where is your evidence? I’m very open minded and regularly question my own beliefs and have no entrenched convictions. I stand ready to be corrected – this gentleman is for turning.

bwaarp – yes, even evil dictators have human rights. I just wish we could make the ICC into an effective deterrent. The press have spent 2 decades demonising Mugabe by exposing his crimes against his people. Therefor, it may be difficult for us to see the whole picture or at least an alternative perpective. Also, there may be an aspect of Group Think on our part – it’s not the received wisdom that Mugabe is popular. Let’s not forget that Saddam Hussein was popular throughout the middle east while being despised by the West. Just look where that Group Think took us.

When Mugabe’s time comes, we need to be ready to help Zimbabweans move towards democracy and prosperity.

Too tall – thanks for the first patronising comment of the day. Have you had any thing to say on the ‘bikes for taller riders’ thread yet?

Just discovered strava segments. May have a go around Glentress tomorrow to see how I do – damn, addicted already!

My eyes!

MT75 £249 at On One http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/WPSHXT29-BLK/shimano_xt_29er_mt75_mtb_centrelock_disc_wheelset___black

Stevewhyte – nice one.

White rims please. I’m tempted.

I use a Camelbak Octane 18x – it’s light and can be expanded from 13 lt to 18 lt when needed. Comes with a 2 lt bladder.

ShimanoMT75 – been using them for a year with no problems.

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a70637/wh-mt75-disc-29-mtb-wheel-set.html?lg=en

£249

Sounds like fun. Who has some ideas?

Countzero – dehumanisation is one of the steps towards genocide. These are bad, immoral, evil humans who should be dragged in front of the International Criminal Court to stand trial.

el Che – wait till he dies. Then you’ll see what I mean.

el Che – I’ve spent 30 years years in South Africa and have travelled throughout the region and know many Zimbabweans. In my experience, many poorly educated Africans still revere Mugabe as an anti-colonial freedom fighter. It is true that his stock has waned in many urban areas, but he remains popular with the rural masses. His eventual passing will be mourned by many Africans, particulary by his Shona tribe. Many of his critics, myself included, find this uncomfortable and irrational. See this article published http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-mugabe-won-over-a-nation–again-7574466.html The comments it below make interesting reading.

They are welcome to their wealth of statistics. I’d prefer to be short and financially loaded.

No white rims?

The ANC is complicit through negligence. Many of the farm murders are far more brutal than needed if the motive was theft. The aim is to intimidate others and to ethnically cleanse the area of European land owners. The ANC is embarrassed by its failure to redistribute the land to blacks as promised in every manifesto since 1991. This is why a Mugabe worshipping thug like Julius Malema enjoys the support of millions of poor South Africans. The ANC has only expelled him when his rhetoric to nationalise the gold mines and industry made foreign investors nervous.

I will cry the day Madiba dies. But he and his successors have not done enough to prevent the politically motivated mass murder of white farmers when the World condemns Mugabe for lesser evils.

What about the 3,000 white farmers killed on their land in South Africa since 1991? Everyone dislikes nasty Bob, but no one cares about the genocide happening south of his borders. I don’t see anyone rushing to condemn Mandela or his successors.

Have a look at:

And
http://www.genocidewatch.org/southafrica.html

Do you have the required circlip pliers? Makes life easier. Oh, don’t push down hard on the bridge to get the lowers off. Also, don’t be afraid to give the bolts at the bottom a good hard tap as instructed. Depressing the shrader valves can help when sliding the lowers on and off. Have fun.

Which is why we shouldn’t be queuing up to deliver the coup de grace with a set of bombers…

Konnabunny – Perhaps, but even Fidel Castro had to step down due to illness and old age. I’m not giving up hope yet.

Yup, puts things into perspective.

Spare a thought for the 4,375 people who died on the MV Doña Paz In 1987. Not much talk about that.

Our tax laws and regulations are far too complicated with too many loop holes for clever tax lawyers and accountants to exploit. Come on George, sort it out!

Mugabe dies and then what? He has millions of supporters and is revered through out Africa. I don’t like him or his policies, but I’d prefer a political and peaceful transfer of power than a mad scramble amongst his minions. As for dancing on the grave of an old women with dementia who has been out of office for two decades during which labour ruled for over a decade is beyond the Pale.

Could you vertically gifted riders please move over to http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/big-bike-for-bigtall-rider ? Many thanks.

Clubber – are you trolling to? Shame on you.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

Tootall and rocketdog – here’s a thread for you guys http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/big-bike-for-bigtall-rider . I’m sure they would appreciate your advice.

Boothspeedmini – In the words of the great Eddy Merckx, “Ride lots.” However, please ignore his other famous quote, “I won! I won! I don’t have to go to school anymore.”… after winning his first bike race.

This thread is about bikes for shire folk, not trolls. Thank you.

What!? I need a new snow board! What’s the latest niche? I’ll have one in red please. Nice bike by the way.

Too Tall – the benefits of bigger wheels is in the way they roll over obstacles and by providing greater traction. This applies to riders of all sizes.

Not a self portrait of rocket dog climbing on his bike after all. My feelings were hurt…until I saw a picture of rocketdog. Now I can safely disregard his opinions based on the way he looks…

Self portrait?[