Robert Reich on why the GOP going down the shitter is bad for the US

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/republican-party-newt-gingrich-_b_1162539.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

Its the end of the world as we know it

Nadine Gordimer, a Nobel laureate and South African treasure, has accused the ANC of taking the country "beyond Apartheid" with the Protection of Information Bill. These are seriously worrying times ahead. Read the full article here`;
http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/11/21/anc-taking-sa-beyond-apartheid
and when you're done, check out the Black Tuesday movement, where all South Africans have been urged to wear black on Tuesday 22 November in protest against the passing of the monstrous bill.
search for #blacktuesday on Twitter, and then pray to whatever god you believe in for the future of this country

Just another day in South Africa

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/11/18/mac-maharaj-gags-mail-guardian

Malema is gone, but the youth are not

It was a bittersweet moment when I read of Julius Malema's suspension from the ANC and his axing as president of the Youth League. Why bittersweet, you may ask. Surely this is a huge relief for all South Africans? Julius Malema was a demagogue, a decisive figure who exploited his power to not only enrich himself, but also do sow the seeds of racial violence and incite hatred amongst the young black population towards the "imperialists" who, as far as I understood, were last involved in South Africa in 1910, when the Union was established.

Yes, Malema was a dangerous individual. As i have written before, he showed very obvious signs of being a Robert Mugabe-in-training, and the sooner he is completely out of the picture the better. If he was allowed to continue spitting his vitriol whenever and wherever he pleased without any sort of consequence, one could reasonably assume that eventually he would become leader of this country. Which, I am afraid to say, would be the end of South Africa as we know it. So, good riddance Julius. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya, don't let the door hit you on the way out, and all that jazz.

I'm sure you must still be wondering then, why on earth would his demise be bittersweet? The reason is simple. While Malema himself is a pompous and hate-filled idiot, a lot of what he says is all too true. The millions of young, black citizens who are unemployed and living in abject poverty is the biggest problem our country faces, and they're plight is not only a tragedy, it is a ticking time bomb. While Malema may have had ulterior motives in appealing to these young people's sentiments, his statements were very real.

The saddest thing of all of this is that it had to be Malema who tapped into the psyche of the youth. Why oh why could it not have been someone else? The youth of this country need a saviour. Someone who will stand up for them, represent them, and take on the struggle. Unfortunately, the one person who did was the one none of us wanted.

While we all rejoiced at the end of Malema's reign of terror, we need to step back and take a minute to understand why so many youths jumped on his bandwagon. We must realise that these millions have lost all hope in bettering themselves, and therefore would go to the ends of the earth for anyone who made the smallest of promises to deliver them from hell. Malema is gone, but the youth are not, and they will not disappear, no matter how much we wish them to. We need a new Malema, albeit one who does not harbour the same evil aspirations. Someone who REALLY has the youth's agenda at heart. If not, we risk suffering from a worse fate than Julius himself could ever have delivered.

7 Modern Dictators Way Crazier Than You Thought Possible

A while ago, I wrote an article on some of the crazy old bastards that run things in Africa. In lieu of that, here is an article I stumbled across, with 7 dictators, not all African, who's antics and high jinks are frankly, unbelievable. This shit could not have been made up. Enjoy
http://www.cracked.com/article_18850_7-modern-dictators-way-crazier-than-you-thought-possible.html?wa_user1=5&wa_user2=Weird+World&wa_user3=article&wa_user4=recommended

Dilly Dalaing comes back to bite the Comrades

I have delayed talking about this for some time, coz I needed to calm down. I didn’t want to write anything rash that I would later regret. As they say, what you write on the net stays on the net. But although I am still fuming, I think I’ll manage to get through this without completely losing it.

When most South Africans are asked who their hero is, they invariably say Nelson Mandela. And although I love Madiba as much as the next man, I have a different hero. A strange hero at that. I am an atheist, and my hero is the epitome of a man of God. But although we have differences of opinion on the matter of religion; for his compassion, humility, empathy, wonderful sense of humour and love for every person on Earth, regardless of gender race, religion or sexual preference, as well as his ongoing fight against injustices done to the innocent, my hero is Desmond Tutu.

A few weeks ago, my hero celebrated his 80^th birthday. It was a huge milestone that he should have been celebrating with those closest to him. Instead, it turned into something bittersweet, as one of his closest friends and a fellow spiritual leader, was not able to attend, thanks to the best efforts of the South African government.

Now, I’m not a (professional) political analyst, so I’m not going to speculate on if China was the reason for South Africa’s decision. I don’t know if the Chinese government put pressure on South Africa to not grant the Dalai Lama a visa, or if they did it on their own accord, trying to curry favour with the Chinese, and frankly I don’t think the details matter. The fact is, Desmond Tutu is one of our proudest sons, he is revered the world around and is thought of in the same way as the ANC’s favourite person- Nelson Mandela. To treat him with such gross disrespect is a travesty and the government should be ashamed of themselves. Tutu is an old man, as is the Dalai Lama. What harm could his visit possibly have done to any sort of relations between South Africa and China?

Speaking of Nelson Mandela, when he was president he himself invited the Dalai Lama to our country, China’s opinion be damned. He also invited Cuban leaders to his inauguration, the US be damned. He stated unequivocally that these superpowers were more than welcome to bring their business to SA, but we are a sovereign state and our foreign policy will be conducted how we best see fit. Instead of vilifying him, they gained even more respect for him because of his stance.

South Africa has cut off its nose to spite its face. They may or may not have appeased China, but in the process have been ridiculed by the rest of the world. And as for South Africans themselves- they will put up with a lot of shit from their government. I mean, our president is a shuckster who has more wives than I’ve had dates and still finds the time to have children out of wedlock, and we just shake our heads and sigh. But when they blatantly insult one of our national treasures and two Nobel Peace Prize winners, we say enough is enough. They will live to rue this decision for a long time, because we as a nation will not forget.

A call to Arms

Late last week, our honourable president announced a fresh probe into the Arms Deal. He said that his reasoning was because it was finally time to put the issue to bed. What he failed to mention is that Arms Deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne had applied to the Constitutional Court for a judicial commission of enquiry. If his application had been successful, Zuma would have been forced to set up a commission, and he would not have been able to choose who would head the commission, and what the terms of reference would be.

So, at the last minute, and before the matter could have been referred to the court, he announced that he would open a commission which he would then have control over. He has also said that he is not bound by law to act on the findings of the commission, essentially rendering it worthless. The fact is, BAE and Ferrostaal have openly stated that they gave bribes to ANC officials in order to receive contracts. This is a matter of fact. The only thing left to find out is who received the bribes. I have a sneaking suspicion that Zuma knows who did, and they know that he knows, and there is no way he is going to let them be found out. Because I also have a feeling that these guilty members know a lot about Zuma’s goings on, and will not go down alone.

The one good thing is that Terry Crawford-Browne is not going to let this go. He will fight this until the truth comes out. He has been relentless in his pursuit of the truth and the ANC should be very wary of him. Crawford-Browne is a former executive of Nedbank who has bankrupted himself in the search for truth. So, if he feels that the commission’s findings are not satisfactory, he’s going to continue the fight until he is satisfied.

There is a horrible cliché that says that to make an omelette you have to break some eggs. Jacob Zuma, not known as the most astute citizen of this fine land, needs to realise that if this country is to ever start moving forward, there needs to be some casualties along the way. Those who profited from the Arms Deal, whether or not they are Jacob Zuma supporters, need to be brought to book. The support he will receive from the country as a whole for doing the right thing for a change will far outweigh the backing he gets from a few crooks.


Zuma’s presidency has been characterized by a complete lack of decisiveness and leadership. If he is to remembered in any sort of positive light, and make any meaningful contribution to the future of this country, the time to act is now. As Matlock, the awesome lawyer from the 80’s tv show said- “This time, only the truth will do”.

A GOP (Grand Old Problem)

I feel sorry for Barack Obama. And not just because he has to lead a country as Islamaphobic as America while having Hussein as a middle name. If there is a God (which I highly doubt) that must be one of his cruellest jokes yet. No, I feel sorry for Barack because no matter what he tries to do as president, he just can’t seem to get it right.

Obama is a highly intelligent, articulate, thoughtful, level-headed person whom any country would be lucky to have as its leader. But unluckily for him, he was born in America (he had to produce his birth certificate to prove it) and therefore has to be president of that most backward of places.

Despite what she might say, America is still inherently racist. Sure, in the big cities like New York, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas etc, they’re more open and liberal minded. OK I lied, not Dallas, or Salt Lake City, but you catch my drift. Rural America however, is a very different story. The hicks that occupy the Mid-West and the Deep South blerrie hate anyone who isn’t Christian, white, straight, a bit inbred and Republican. If anyone has seen the episode of Top Gear where they drive though Mississippi with pro- gay and pro-Hilary slogans painted on their car and almost get lynched will get what I mean.

Unfortunately for Obama, this constitutes most of America. America is more right wing than a bald eagle that has had its left wing amputated and subsequently mated with Mussolini. And unfortunately, the GOP (Grand Ole’ Party) has become more and more right wing in the last few years. They despise Obama because he represents all that they fear. A liberal, intelligent, BLACK!!! Democrat. They only thing he could do to increase their hatred would be to come out as a gay communist. The Republican Party has publicly stated that they will oppose every policy Obama tries to implement, even if their actions are to the detriment of the US. How very patriotic of them.

And don’t even get me started on the Tea Party. Ron Paul, Michelle Bachmann and rest of their cronies are another, scarier story completely, and the less said about them the better. Their only policy seems to be- “whatever that clever negro wan’ do, we gon’ do the opp’site”. That’s presidential material right there. I mean, that’s definitely who you want leading the (supposedly) free world. You guys think Malema is bad? Google Bachmann, you’ll lose your fucking mind.

I mean, no matter what Obama does, he gets criticized for. Free healthcare? - “We can pay for our own healthcare goddamit, and if we can’t, it’s all you damn Democrats who’re to blame”. A financial stimulus to the flailing economy that George Dubya and the Republicans caused? - “This is America godammit; we don’t want no commie policies”. A level-headed approach to the situation in Libya? - “You yellow-bellied sonabitch, lets git ta’ bombin’ the shit outta those Moslems already!” Catching motherfucking OSAMA BIN LADEN??? – Grumble grumble grumble cough “well done” cough.

Granted, Obama isn’t perfect. He concedes to the lunatic fringe far too easily, and some of his policies I don’t agree with- such as opposing gay marriage, but he is trying his best to fix the mistakes made by the past regime and he is finding resistance no matter what he tries to do. Let’s all hope he manages to overcome these challenges and gets to stand for a second term. Or heaven help us all.

A change is gonna come. It has to come

“I am an African”. These words, uttered by Thabo Mbeki, are part of a speech give before the UN, a speech that is regarded as one of the most iconic of all time, up there with those given by Haile Selassie, Martine Luther King. Jr, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. It was a speech that defined the man, and despite whatever pitfalls he experienced later in life, he will forever be remembered for his brilliant oration before the UN General Assembly.

I too, am an African. Although many African leaders would regard me as a European who has no right to be on this continent, I am a fifth generation South African, and I have just as much right as anybody to be here. This continent is my home. I am a son of the African earth. I have no desire to leave this place, but if I ever do, this country and continent will always be the place where I belong.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the death of Steve Biko. There were segments of society that said that, as whites were responsible for his death, we had no right to commemorate this day. What a load of crap. Whites weren’t responsible. An apartheid hit squad was responsible. I wasn’t even alive when he dies, so how can I be blamed for this tragedy? Steve Biko, Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu were South African, as am I. I have just as much right as anybody born on this country’s soil to celebrate their lives and mourn their deaths. They belong to every single one of us.

Nelson Mandela, in his closing argument during his treason trial, said- “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”.

The phrase I’d like you to notice here is “I have fought against white domination AND I have fought against black domination.” Therefore, when some idiot minister says that he doesn’t care who replaces Willie Hofmeyer as head of the NPA, as long as they are black, not only are they being openly and vehemently racist, they are also abandoning the ideals of their party’s- and our country’s- greatest leader.

South Africa is a young democracy that faces everyday struggles to overcome the vast difficulties of the past. The only way that we will survive and flourish is if we all stick together and tackle our problems head-on. United we stand divided we fall and all that jazz. Of course there are problems and injustices. But if we continue to make every issue a race issue, make every argument a case of “us against them” we will never move forward as a society and the problems caused by apartheid will never be erased.

Beer oh Beer, this is about to get ugly

In the not too distant future, alcohol advertising in South Africa will be nothing but a distant memory. The government, having banned the advertising of cigarettes ages ago, have decided to go after my other favourite vice and will prohibit any form of advertising involving the booze.

I have a serious problem with this, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I will directly be affected professionally by this law. Okay, I admit, it does have quite a lot to do with the fact that I won’t be able to be involved in any beer commercials when I eventually get into the ad industry. No glamorous shoots with amazing food, no business class flights to far-flung places, no five-star accommodation. But my issues run deeper than my selfish interests.

John Nash,  who you may remember as the crazy played by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, came up with a theory called Game Theory- the bane of economics students the world over- which, when applied to advertising, kind of goes like this: when, for example, all cigarette companies were advertising, they were on a level playing field. When the advertising of tobacco was disallowed, the tobacco companies skrikked, but actually found themselves in the same position as before. The playing field was still level, and people still smoked the brand of entjies that they always had, and there was no discernible drop in sales.

When Game Theory is applied to the South African alcohol industry, it means that SAB, the hugely dominant market leader, will forever be enshrined in this position. The only people who will be affected will be the micro breweries of this country that are trying their hardest to chip away at SAB’s monopoly by producing quality beer. How can Darling Breweries, Mitchells, Napier Beers, Jack Black and the rest hope to compete when the South African public won’t know that they exist?

Sports teams who are sponsored by different booze brands will also be adversely affected. Castle Lager is a huge sponsor of sports in this country. Who will step in to replace them when they can no longer provide the vital funding that these teams rely on to be competitive?

The banning of advertising will not stop people drinking. Even the banning of alcohol in 1920’s America didn’t halt the consuming of alcohol. People will drink if they want to drink. The decision to stop the advertising is short-sighted and will not have any good consequences.

When I was 18, I worked at the KKNK in Outdshoorn. One night, some friends and I met the reps from Peter Stuyvesant and got friendly with them. The next day they took us out for lunch at a fancy restaurant, followed by a trip to the Cango Caves. That night we were again treated to a fancy shmancy dinner, and then hit the town, which meant free entrance, free drinks and free cigarettes the whole night. This went on for 3 nights straight and needless to say, by the week’s end, we were all devotees of Peter Stuyvesant.

I know of many people who have experienced similar VIP treatment courtesy of the tobacco companies. Although I had a great time, I cannot condone the behaviour of these companies. This guerrilla marketing is so much worse than seeing a logo on a team’s jersey, and to employ these tactics with impressionable young minds is abhorrent and you cannot tell me that SAB, one of the most immoral companies around, will not employ similar tactics to ensure that the masses keep buying their beer. South Africa, get ready, this is about to get dirty. Real dirty.