Political Risk: The Game of Understanding Politics in the Places You Wander

Robert Mugabe Votes 2008.jpg

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In college there was a crew of us who played Risk most Saturday nights, Milton Bradley’s game of world domination. I wish I had a set today to compare the world view and country names from the board back then to the geographic deliniations today. I’ve been pondering politics of late: not the cat and mouse game of Obama and Hillary here in the States, but the colorful characters vying for power in countries you may or may not of heard of. Places future vagabond wanderings may take me.

Besides learning a bit of the language, cultural norms and modes of getting around, understanding the political landscape is important. The violence after Kenya’s election at the end of 2007 highlighted the tenuous threads many democracies stand on. I had no idea until I went to Madagascar in 2006 of the political unrest preciptiated by that nation’s 2002 elections. For awhile the country had two men declaring themselves president, resulting in a spilt country where supply lines were cut. The new friends I met told harrowing stories of threats from opposing factions. People hiding in back rooms while soldiers/rebels searched their homes. Monies kept from regions who didn’t support the president sitting in the palace in Tana, the infrastructure of roads and railways are still in disrepair because of it. Four years later, another election looming, there was concern more unrest was possible, if not probable. I’m glad to say there was no encore of civil unrest in a land associated primarily with lemurs and baobobs.

The latest case in the headlines is Zimbabwe, where Robert Mugabe appears to be pulling well worn strings to stay in power. Zimbabwe’s ongoing instability was a major factor in me foregoing work with African wild dog researchers in one of their game parks. But even in more developed nations, a change of leadership can have trickle down effects to anyone within it’s borders. Opposition to the policies of President Nicolas Sarkozy resulted in public transit stikes in France last fall. The constant shifting of borders in Eastern Europe, debates on who will be in NATO, who won’t, can have impacts on anyone’s traveling itinerary, fixed or fluid.

So a bit of political study should be on the checklist for any coming adventures.  Personally I subscribe to The Economist and listen to BBC World News in the wee hours of the morning,  From there I can track countries, entire regions, on the Internet from a widely balanced perspective. At the least it’s rather interesting, serving my insatiable curiousity, at the most an excellent way to understand the internal pinnings of the places I long to see and avoid trouble when I’m there… if I choose to.