Ian Smith, last PM of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), dies

[tolbiny]

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It's the generalization I object to

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What generalization, that repressive regimes have negative effects many years after they are out of power?

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That said, I don't think it's shown that Smith caused Mugabe.

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Mugabe built his reputation and popularity fighting against the minority government, considering Smith was the face of that government for 15 years, you would be pretty hard pressed to come up with any argument whereby Smith didn't play an extremely important role in Mugabe's rise to power and the limited options of Blacks in the first mixed elections.