Abbreviated timeline: Mugabe blames the West for Zimbabwe’s plight. Mugabe asks the West for aid. Mugabe kicks former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his humanitarian group in the teeth by denying them Zimbabwean visas.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who at 84 clings to power after 28 years in office, barred another famed 84-year-old, former President Jimmy Carter of the United States, from entering the country Saturday.

“It seems obvious to me that leaders of the government are immune to reaching out for help for their own people,” Carter said at a news conference in Johannesburg. Carter said Zimbabwe’s ambassador in Washington had advised him he would not be issued a visa after he applied for one several weeks ago.

(IHT)

These fucking guys just don’t get it. They’re just like the execs at AIG who dropped $400k at a spa in California last month. CNN.com:

Some lawmakers lashed out at the CEOs of the Big Three auto companies Wednesday for flying private jets to Washington to request taxpayer bailout money.

“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the chief executive officers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee.

“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious.”

He added, “couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, asked the three CEOs to “raise their hand if they flew here commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up. Second, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand if you are planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up.”

Jude and I are planning a stop-over in Dubai on our way to Africa in a few months, and these photographs from The Big Picture make my mouth water. I can’t wait.

Q. So there are people who say they could potentially attack you?

A. Yeah [little laugh]. Yeah. There are directors of French teams who have encouraged people to take to the streets [long, meaningful pause] … elbow to elbow. It’s very emotional out there, you know, very tense. I get emotional about certain things but you know not this one. If I could sit across this table where we’re sitting and talk to this French director, or your cycling friends, you know what I would say? Just fucking relax. Just relax. We’re talking about bike racing here. We’re not talking about your mother. We’re not talking about God. We’re not talking about war. We’re not talking about you losing every dime that you ever had in your life. We’re talking about bike-racing. So get some perspective. I understand you’ve got your feelings but we’ve got to move forward here. And we will. But I have to face that reality. And it’s a shame because I have such fond memories of the Tour. You know you look around this room and you see all these cups. There’s only space for six of them up here – but the seventh one is over there. I have a lot of fond memories and I just don’t want to deal with drama.

(via The Guardian)