I’m not much of an international-news buff. But something about the hellish descent of Zimbabwe has captured my interest for months now.

Partly it’s the sheer horror of that nation’s fall into the abyss. Partly it’s the riddle of national liberator Robert Mugabe turned murderous tyrant.

But it’s also about elections and politics.

We complain in America about politics being too negative and too rough. Voters whine about the candidates not talking about issues when their computers give them instant access to more issue information than they could ever read.

And people don’t vote.

At least in America you don’t have President Bush or President Clinton ordering thugs to kill opposition politicians, burn them alive, maim their wives and cripple their children.

At least in America you don’t feel compelled to vote and get your finger marked with ink so you’ll be safe from rampaging police and soldiers.

We’ve had our moments in America. Like in Wilmington in 1898.

But we forget how lucky we are. And we wonder how thin is the veneer of civilization.

So, this Friday, raise a glass to American politics. Flawed it may be, but nobody’s trying to kill you.

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