Freedom in Zimbabwe

Not all things lie in your own hands.

Discussing "What If" scenarios in relation to theoretical situations usually can produce solutions or nostalgia, however "What if. . ." in politics can start up a heated debate with no end. What if president X had acted way Y? Then Z would have never happened. There is, of course, a fresh wound of "What if" in the collective memory of the world. What if U.S. intelligence agencies had paid more attention to threat signals? Then maybe these days we would still have the Twin Towers. But this is an old issue and nothing can be done about the past.

The future, however, is in our own hands, as they say. But is it really? What if you live in a country where the government and its leaders get to decide what's best for you? What if they decide on laws that are completely bad for you and force you to give up on your dreams? What if your dreams become a luxury you can't afford? Do you also have the future in your own hands then? Not in my opinion.

The future is determined by several factors, the government included. I think only a few people in the Western world realize how much a government can influence a person's life. Of course, when things are well and the government ensures a democracy with full attention to aspects such as freedom of speech and democratic elections and provisions for the poor, sick and disabled, the people are hardly aware of the "man behind the curtain" so to speak. The influence seems invisible and people have more room and space to fill their lives with their dreams and desires.

I have a penpal, Perpetua, who lives in Zimbabwe. For her, the influence of the government is as visible as a dark cloud hanging over her head. The current policy of reforms in ownership of farms is said to be sending the economy down the drain. It is such a deplorable situation that as an economist I can't even call it an economy anymore. In earlier days Zimbabwe was considered the food distributor of the region. Neighbouring countries depended on them for their food supply. Today, there is a great food shortage in the country. They have to hold out their hands to the charity of others, and are often left empty and hungry. On top of that, inflation rates are so high that a person's money evaporates in that same hand, together with their hopes.

Through my correspondence with Perpetua, I was informed bit by bit of how the government of her country is slowly leading the country to disaster. Halfway through the downfall I became ashamed. In one of my letters I complained about the introduction of the euro, which increased the prices of almost everything. Perpetua was very sympathetic with me and consoled me. When I found out about how almost on a daily basis the prices in her country skyrocketed, I did not dare say a thing again.

You haven't heard much about this situation? Not many have. There is a dangerous ban on free speech and the press going on in her country. Last week, there was even an attempt to let Internet providers regulate the content of the websites they were hosting.

Yet Perpetua manages to keep her dreams alive, no matter what. Despite all the hardships she has suffered and continues to suffer--things she has no influence on like the government's policy--she is a person that keeps going strong. I know she has been held back from doing a lot of the things she wants to do and that is why I wonder. What if she lived in a place where she had all the room and space to live her life the way she wanted, what kind of person would she be? No doubt she would still have the same sympathetic personality and humane attitude, because that is a thing that a government can't take away from you and which lies completely in your own hands. And fortunately for us, it is not bound by boundaries.