Mandela was a lesson for us all in at least two ways. The first way is the obvious one--if you fight hard and honourably for what you believe in and never give up, you may end up with success despite great odds.
The second way is more cautionary--if you succumb to fatigue in the hour of victory you can end up giving much of it away to vultures. South Africa today doesn't have Apartheid--but the blacks are still as impoverished, maybe more so, in good part because Mandela, having been indomitable against the white overlords of South Africa itself, sccumbed to the threats and blandishments of the IMF and the World Bank and agreed to continue business as usual economically rather than ramming through the ANC's programme of restitution, nationalization and so forth. As a result racial apartheid is over, but class apartheid is stronger than ever. Global imperialism turned out to be a wilier, more vicious and more powerful foe than the national oppressors. I don't fault him. He'd been through more than most could bear. Others should have taken up that torch and didn't; instead much of the ANC leadership took up comprador corruption for fun and profit. It's just a cautionary lesson: Even the best can let their guard down when it seems like the battle is won.
Really repugnant sanctimonious behaviour from Harper and his flying monkeys.
And as usual not one national media organization will call them out on it.
And the mother corp pitches in with stories about how Mandela found inspiration in Canada and not one word about how that Canada is dead and gone (if it ever really existed).
6 comments:
The world has lost a hero, but his example gives us hope.
The SA apartied regime was a branch of the Dutch Reform Church who, in Canada, gave us the Reform Party.
And we get Rob Anders. Seems somehow fitting.
Mandela was a lesson for us all in at least two ways. The first way is the obvious one--if you fight hard and honourably for what you believe in and never give up, you may end up with success despite great odds.
The second way is more cautionary--if you succumb to fatigue in the hour of victory you can end up giving much of it away to vultures. South Africa today doesn't have Apartheid--but the blacks are still as impoverished, maybe more so, in good part because Mandela, having been indomitable against the white overlords of South Africa itself, sccumbed to the threats and blandishments of the IMF and the World Bank and agreed to continue business as usual economically rather than ramming through the ANC's programme of restitution, nationalization and so forth. As a result racial apartheid is over, but class apartheid is stronger than ever. Global imperialism turned out to be a wilier, more vicious and more powerful foe than the national oppressors.
I don't fault him. He'd been through more than most could bear. Others should have taken up that torch and didn't; instead much of the ANC leadership took up comprador corruption for fun and profit. It's just a cautionary lesson: Even the best can let their guard down when it seems like the battle is won.
An Epiphany moment for Bibi?
Hopefully...
A..non
Really repugnant sanctimonious behaviour from Harper and his flying monkeys.
And as usual not one national media organization will call them out on it.
And the mother corp pitches in with stories about how Mandela found inspiration in Canada and not one word about how that Canada is dead and gone (if it ever really existed).
Self satisfied twaddle.
Llittle Tony Clement has tweeted that he never hated Mandela funny that...
As much as I loath Brian Mulroney, he seemed to have been correct in his actions.
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