Being human is so damn hard…

Just when you think you have things all figured out, you soon realize that you don’t. Or worse still – that you probably never will…

We formulate our opinions on life based on the quantity and quality of the information we receive, or allow ourselves to receive in the absence of any inhibiting factors such as censorship. However we may also be prone to wilfully self-censor because of inculcated beliefs, ideologies and even prejudices, which off course leads to the formulation of rubbish opinions.

Let’s assume that in most cases censorship is non-existent or very limited, which would mean that our opinions are limited in their [truth]value only by the paucity of information available and our own inherent limitations in comprehending and reasoning, or by wilful ignorance.

In either case most people who formulate opinions on life should be assumed to have good intentions. Or at least, that’s how I’d like to assess all humans.

So, as of last week I thought I had the Libyan situation all figured out. There was a leader ruthlessly killing his own people, behaving like a madman…or so most of the media reports and opinion pieces published, led you to believe. Having a strong respect for the sanctity of life and an aversion to genocidal tendencies, I supported the UN measures to impose a NO-FLY ZONE in Libya and the subsequent military action that followed. My argument in support was based strongly on Objective Morality.

However, with new information available this week, I realise that maybe the whole decision to intervene militarily in Libya may have been wrong. And while I concede that the intentions of the ring-leaders the USA, Britain and France in formulating that decision, may have been somewhat honourable, is in fact very wrong on many other levels. I now have to concede that the net bad that will result, outweighs any good that can be gleaned from this whole wretched affair.

Off course, I may have gotten it all wrong once again. It’s so tough being human…so much easier being a politician!

Human thieves fine, animal thieves not…

Assuming there is indeed a god, HE is a real twat. I say HE because I cannot visualize a female god being such a vicious bastard; vindictive and scornful yes, but not so sadistic as to cause harm to an animal, but tolerate gross human misconduct.

Off course, if we consider that there is no proof of a supernatural being, then the often assumed highest form of evolutionary life, namely HUMANS, have a long way to go on their evolutionary journey.

By now, you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m ranting about?

Well, you see there is a baboon in the Cape Province of South Africa, nicknamed Fred, who has become infamous for “opening closed car doors and robbing tourists of their bags and food.” Fred does this for a living. However Fred’s idea of living is very basic – he just wants to survive from one day to the next. He views the tourists who venture into his domain as nothing more than his next meal ticket.

Fred gave up his natural diet because silly humans who encroached on his territory, thought it would be fun and amusing to feed him their carbohydrate rich food. Since Fred took a liking to this food source, the humans have not been as generous. Frustrated, Fred became a tad more energetic in his determination to get at this food source.

The silly humans cried foul and lodged many complaints about the behaviour of Fred, which as you know was directly caused by human stupidity in the first instance.

This led to the team responsible for managing the baboon population in the Cape Peninsula The Baboon Operational Group (BOG), making a shitty decision to capture and euthanize* Fred.

The moral of this tragic but true story is that it is okay to be human and steal from the treasury as our government leaders do, but you’re fucked if you’re a baboon. Breaking it down further, it implies that stealing to enhance your lifestyle is cool; stealing to fill your stomach as even some humans are forced into doing, is punishable with imprisonment and even death.

Fred’s gonna be dead; the human scum ahead…

*March, 27: Latest news reports suggest that Fred has already been captured and put down. If only I could read the same about some of our politicians…

From Wikipedia

Human Rights Day? What for?

South Africa celebrated Human Rights Day today. Well actually, some of us just celebrated a free holiday and took time to do stuff that had nothing whatsoever to do with human rights.

Personally, I can’t see the point to Human Rights Day – in South Africa, that is. It was put in place by the post-Apartheid government to commemorate the shooting of 69 people by the police in Sharpeville, South Africa in 1969. The same police kill many more people in post-Apartheid times – their Commissioner is a member of the ANC, so I guess that makes it all RIGHT. Is the government going to give us a holiday for every 69 people his policemen kills?

Why bother commemorating Human Rights? This government supports some of the worst violators of human rights across the African continent and abroad. They are friendly with and openly indulge in the favours offered by the slimiest politicians to sully this planet - Robert Mugabe, Muammar Gaddafi, Kim Jong-il, Obiang Mbasogo, Omar Al-Bashier and Paul Biya, to name a few. This government’s own conduct in the general administration of its mandate is not far off from that of the evil tyrants already mentioned - it is only just picking up steam.

And today, they used the Human Rights platform to pay lip service to Human Rights, and perform the more pressing task of electioneering in the Western Cape; the only Province they don’t control politically, the only one in South Africa functioning reasonably well.

How about talking about and showing some responsibility for a change, instead of beating that monotonous RIGHTS drum every time you need to seize the attention of the people?

It’s only a matter of time when that tune goes out of favour with the people, and you need to dance to the sound of anger.

South Africa on the verge of becoming another dysfunctional State?

Image via Wikipedia

A South African constitutional watchdog body, the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) has cautioned that the country is on the verge of becoming just another dysfunctional state.

Sipho Pityana, the chairperson of CASAC stated today in no uncertain terms that:

It is now beyond doubt that corruption and patronage are so pervasive, rampant and crippling in our society that we are on the verge of being deemed a dysfunctional state …

Perhaps South Africa is already a truly dysfunctional state. Like a dysfunctional family that somehow manages to stay together, the country is tottering along, with everything seemingly functional to the casual observer. There are the contributors who ensure a constant supply of funding to the state’s coffers, and then there are the politicians and their cronies who siphon it off, ever so smoothly. An ugly un-symbiotic relationship that works!!!

Underneath the visage of normality however, the ugly rot that embodies the patronage, corruption, looting, disdain and incompetence, is starting to break the surface. Those who care enough to notice and speak out are reviled and castigated for being racist or impudent or both, or in most cases simply ignored.

But those who stand the most to lose when the rot finally consumes the entire country, remain amazingly silent. Are we experiencing ignorance on a massive scale, or have Africans [people of Africa, not race] become immune to being persecuted?

Shame on Europe and the USA

While European and Western leaders dither over taking decisive action in Libya, the death toll at the hands of the madman Gaddafi, rises steadily.

Leaders of the revolt against Gaddafi estimate that he could massacre around half a million people within days, if the West and Europe don’t do something soon.

What’s the matter Obama and company, not enough oil in Libya for you disgraceful lot?

The ANC: The rot within breaks the surface

Image via Wikipedia

There have been many times when I bought a rosy apple, only to later find the ugly rot that lay hidden under the surface. Such is the ANC in South Africa today.

The only difference is that apples don’t try so desperately to hide its rotten core…

I think I’ve now finally seen it all. There is no stunt that the ANC can pull that will ever surprise me again. They just keep getting worse…only now I expect only the worst. You’d have to be one of their really ignorant supporters to not have noticed that the inner rot that is slowly decimating this once-proud liberation organisation, is starting to break the surface in an ugly inflammation that threatens the fragile new order of attempted democracy. The only question is, will the end of the ANC be a dull implosion or a spectacular explosion.

The liberators have become afflicted with the disease they fought so valiantly (so we thought) to destroy – the multi-headed beast representing hegemony, corruption, larceny, self-interest, cronyism, deception, contempt, abuse of human rights. Only now, they prefer to be known as revolutionaries; or is that just the mugs in the Youth League. One never can tell, because the elders work hard at being bigger mugs.

The liberation dreams of Nelson Mandela turned into a Orwellian nightmare by the current leader and his cronies.

Such is the stuff of Hollywood movies, but Africa is living it daily, from Swaziland and Zimbabwe (and now South Africa) to the Mediterranean Sea; the African Peoples both indigenous and settlers, are at the mercy of a coterie of unfeeling, unthinking, self-indulgent, self-interested monsters who masquerade as leaders.

But I digress.

Let’s get back to the ANC and how the rot is finally breaking the surface. In a matter of a few weeks:

1. The President of the country reveals what a religious retard he is by claiming that a ticket to heaven can be secured by voting for the ANC.
2. The ANC-appointed Commissioner of Police is found to have committed some serious transgressions in his management of the Police Services, which the Public Protector, in her wisdom declined to label as criminal. The thinking public however know that when something smells this bad, it sure as hell is not dead roses.
3. Elements of the police try to intimidate the Public Protector in apparent retaliation, but we’re not supposed to make that kind of conclusion.
4. The official spokesperson of the ANC-government demonstrates that racism is not just confined to the pale skins.
5. A senior, but well-respected  Minister in the ANC government has to publicly rebuke the spokesperson for his blatant racism and stupidity.
6. The war veterans of the ANC, popularly known as the MKMVA engage is a war of words with the Youth wing of the ANC, the ANCYL, over the President’s rather dubious relationship with some rich, but seriously dodgy Indian businessmen, and their rather obvious influence over the government. It’s a classic case of the ANC’s waning geriatrics versus their kindergarten delinquents. Off course it’s not hard, for thinking, even non-thinking people to suspect that where there’s smoke…
7. The President still refuses to speak out explicitly against known despots around Africa [one very noticeably on our doorstep], even one that is facing a revolt from his own people who is likely to topple him quite soon. Instead he prefers to bury his head in the sand, refusing to acknowledge that a popular revolt is certainly entirely possible in South Africa – because he has this spectacularly ignorant (or is it naive) notion that we are different to the rest of Africa because we have regular democratic elections.

The last item perhaps is an indicator of why there is such blatant disdain for the citizens of South Africa, from the ANC. They have this arrogant belief that since they were voted into power by the majority of the population, that fact alone lends credence to their claim to “rule until Jesus returns,” and perception of invincibility at the polls. Until such time as more people taste the emancipation that real education delivers, the majority of the South African public are supposed to buy such delusional utterances as that of the Libyan leader, that the  ”people love their leader.”

In the South African context, democracy is but an illusion. The fact that we have different leaders who rule govern makes no difference; the ruling Party still pulls the strings here, including those that control the ruler. Why can’t all the people see that – different ring masters, same circus?

Is it possible that Gaddafi will be the next to fall?

Image by BlatantNews.com via Flickr

These are certainly exciting times in North Africa. With Mubarak and Ben Ali, freshly deposed, the recent unrest in Libya may just be the precursor to the final obliteration of 4 decades of autocratic rule by Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi, Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution who it has been said, had dreams of becoming the ruler of the African Continent, may soon become just another statistic of the recent awakening of the people’s of Africa. Except for the other despotic regimes in Africa, and misguided supporters in the South African ruling elite, I have no doubt that many people across the entire world will be relieved to see the back of Gaddafi…hanging from a noose preferably.

Recent reports by Human Rights Watch that the death toll from the unrest has passed 100, is cause for concern as it points to Gaddafi digging in to hold onto power. One can only hope that there are no further deaths. Unfortunately the reality of these situations indicate that more deaths will follow, before this monster steps down peacefully, or is taken down forcefully.

The ramifications of these revolts are being felt across the world by all politicians who have adopted similar positions of inhumane leadership. While our leaders in South Africa have not plumbed the depths of tyrannical rule yet, the warning signs of them having set foot on that shameful road, are visible to all but those with their heads up their backsides. For now our ANC leaders, even those in the ANC Youth League who are aspirant future despots, have convinced themselves that they are safe.

Already there is discontent and upheaval across the country due to lack of service delivery and transparency on how local leaders are selected by the ruling Party. It’s only a matter of time before their safety bubble is burst…

Getting and spending…

Just recently I was prompted to write about William Wordsworth’s famous sonnet, The World Is Too Much With Us. I now understand why this particular piece of poetry sticks in my mind.

It has much more significance than the materialist tendencies of man and the destruction of nature. One line in particular stands out for me when it comes to the ugly world of politics:

getting and spending we lay waste our powers…

But when it comes to politicians the line might as well read: getting and spending we lay waste our tax revenues.

And in South Africa, one man stands out like an ugly train-wreck when it comes to gross profligacy. He’s none other than Jacob Zuma, the President [I say the President rather than our, because he does not represent me, nor do I suspect many others as well].

We’d hardly gotten over the fact that he spends upwards of R15-million of our taxpayers money yearly, on his multiple wives and children, when we were forced to accept the cost of the bloated, fuck-useless administration he concocted just to provide employment for an assortment of sycophants and other palm-greasers’. Now we learn that he spent around R17-million of taxpayers money on wining and dining 15 African leaders [term used loosely] before and after the World Cup held here last year. This oozing slime-fest was attended by a veritable who’s who in the despot zoo; Mad Bob and Teodoro leading the display of the worst that Africa offers.

I’m not even factoring in all the other idiotic schemes that Zuma wastes our money on, on a daily basis. This one however is the most galling. To think that my taxes are being lavished on the slime of the universe…aaarrrghh.

This particular act of piracy worked out at about R1-million per Head of State [which included their wives]. Apparently Zuma invited all 53 HOS’s from Africa. Should we be pretending that we were lucky they didn’t all attend? That would have put us out-of-pocket to the tune of R53-million? Perhaps not, because as sure as death and taxes, Zuma has pissed away that saving, somewhere else…

What is even more infuriating however, is that the taxpayer doesn’t seem too concerned with these acts of lunacy. Have we become that numb to government’s extravagant misuse of our taxes?

How to win elections and intimidate people

Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe may not have written the book yet on electoral manipulation, but its fundamental precepts are well-known all over Africa and other parts of the world that are afflicted by, and so easily succumb to, dictatorial rule.

And just like the blurb on the bestselling Dale Carnegie book, Mugabe knows: How to go after the election you want…and win it! Take the dictatorship you have…and make it more brutal! Take any situation you’re in…and make it seem like the fault of white colonialism!

It’s no surprise to learn therefore that:

After conducting an audit of the [electoral] roll, the ZESN [Zimbabwe Election Support Network] reported that 27% of people registered to vote were dead.

The computer test revealed that 2 344 people born between 1901 and 1909, therefore aged between 101 and 110 years, were on the voters’ roll.

Nine people born between 1890 and 1900, aged between 111 and 120 years, are registered voters.

The ZESN report found that 41% of voters had moved without updating their details

About 52% of men were registered, compared with 48% of women. This is unusual considering there are more women in the country than men.

Young people were underrepresented, with only 18% registered.

I don’t how the ZESN managed to painstakingly collate all this information, considering that the ZANY-PF government “maintained only paper editions of the [voters'] register,” but it makes for frightening reading.

It makes one wonder what sort of machinations the incumbent SA-government are up to, ahead of local government elections, and national elections scheduled for next year. With their penchant for dipping their fingers regularly in the public cooky jar, their love for power and the determination to keep it all costs,  crooking the books is not beyond them either…and yes, they’re very chummy with one Robert Gabriel Mugabe, to boot.

Tyrants beware, the people shall rise…

It used to be that the dearly beloved king ruled over his people for many prosperous, happy years. 23 years of stewardship in the fabled kingdoms of old, signified a content nation.

Coming back to reality and the oppression-dom of Africa, 23 years of stewardship only signifies that the ruler despot-in-charge is besotted with his hold on power and/or that the people have become used to the status quo with what could only be described as religious deference.

However, there comes a time when the people will rise up against tyranny, usually when they have nothing or very little left to lose. And usually the people who rise up tend to be motivated by rational necessity , but more often than not guided by some form of ideological cause.

And so, the 23-year reign of Tunisia’s repressive ruler, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali came to an end this week, when he chose to flee the country, rather than have his head paraded through the streets propped on a stick.

The people eventually grew tired of his repressive regime and living in abject poverty. However, it appears they were guided by a fairly significant extent by the growing appeal of Islamic militancy that is springing up among young people all over the Middle East and North Africa. And therein lies the problem. It creates a gap for the religious fundamentalist clerics to attain a grip on the affairs of state.

It would be sad to see Tunisia replacing political tyranny with a religious one…