Zimbabwe

I've always felt that the best way to predict the future in international affairs is to expect the worst. This is why I wasn't surprised by the Burma crackdown after the so-called "Saffron revolution" (news flash to media: it's not a revolution until power changes hands). And it's why I'm not surprised that Zimbabwe's election runoff is descending into the abyss.

Assuming the worst, while a bit of a buzzkill, has its advantages, as I learned long ago by rooting for the Indianapolis Colts as a child. If things go badly, you expected it, so the hit isn't as hard. If things go well, you're ecstactic.

Likewise, if Mugabe somehow cedes power after the runoff and disappears to a quiet life in Riyadh, as Idi Amin did, I'll be thrilled, but I'm not banking on it.

The real injustice is that in a country where the average lifespan has dipped into the high 30s, Mugabe is 84 and still in good enough shape that as of last September he could pound forcefully on the General Assembly podium while blaming the United States for all of Zimbabwe's woes.