Comments on: Mandela or Madiba, which one do you want?

By: Stephen Browne

Stephen Browne — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

@Leon: How is this for a ‘message’: Even great people make mistakes, so don’t be afraid to step up and admit them. In fact, EVERYTHING you do becomes part of your message, not just the bits you like – ask any parent.

How misplaced is a ‘message’ which tells us that its possible to cr*p gold and piss Johnny Walker Black.

Personally I have more respect for historical figures who could see their own flaws and weren’t afraid to point them out to others.

In Smith’s words: “All I want is their story. I want the moral of it and how that will improve my life.” Really? You only want their side of the story? I begin to see why history moves in such tedious circles …

So no, I don’t think I’ve missed the point.

By: The future

The future — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:58:50 +0000

Its easy for D Smith to make these statements since he is not the one suffering as a result of the mistakes made.

By: Hugh Robinson

Hugh Robinson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:49:35 +0000

@The Creator. Well said. Only an unread fool can be so blinded by untruth that satisfies the soul. The problem is that these same will tell you that they hold dear the Madiba / nelson Mandela myth.
That we should over look the shortcoming.

However when it comes to SA history they remember all 300 mythological years of short coming in detail and forgive nothing.

By: Murray

Murray — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:28:20 +0000

We can but hope that the children wearing the T-shirt better understand the icon than those who sport(ed) Chez Guevara.

By: The Creator

The Creator — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:45:25 +0000

The problem, Mr. Smith, is that the story happens to comfort and console you and so you appreciate it.

But it is a lie put there to fool you into supporting people and policies which are against your interests.

Maybe you should pay more attention to reality and less to spin-doctors.

By: halfhalf

halfhalf — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:42:19 +0000

“He could have been a prick for all I know but he teaches me that a man with a vision and a couple of friends can achieve a world of change. Done. End of the story.” Only when the vision gets fuddled or hijacked by greed, you’re left with a prick.

By: BoyUninterrupted

BoyUninterrupted — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:48:18 +0000

Bless. Wipes tear. That was b-e-a-yoooudiful. I’m not being sarcastic.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:20:46 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by wrldfmsartst: My new thing on TL: Mandela or Madiba, which one do you want? http://tinyurl.com/yheemkr truth vs myth. give me myth….

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:20:10 +0000

Again, nicely put, DJS. A good dose of realism in our world. Stephen Browne, you miss the point – completely. It is not the person, it is the message that gets carried out. Madiba brings hope. That is why people will be wearing his image on T-Shirts 50 and 100 years (and perhaps even thousands of years) from now. It is the message, not the person, that inspires.

By: Yeta

Yeta — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:07:32 +0000

Great article!