Comments on: Hey, Zuma, you can’t buy your way out of this one, old chap

By: jay

jay — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:03:31 +0000

@Kay “I SAW THE LIGHT. Absolute Power corrupts”
Sorry to correct you – but the correct saying is: “Power corrupts – ABSOLUTE power corrupts absolutely”

@Llewellyn Kriel – and in Australia and New Zealand as well.

@Old, Female – sorry but the link are no longer valid – any newer ones?

By: Piet Opperman

Piet Opperman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:02:19 +0000

@ Dave Harris “All white South Africans are beneficiaries…?” Really? Does that include the 10-year old boy, born of uneducated and dirt-poor parents (just as one example).

You are a racist, Dave Harris. You generalise, and you stereotype based on the colour of people’s skin.

As I said before, you are entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts. Calling your facts “indisputable” and capitalising them does not make them real facts. It just makes you look like an emotional bully, which I am sure you are not.

By: Dave Harris

Dave Harris — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:20:59 +0000

@Chris E
“..but you cannot paint every critic with that brush…”
Its not every critic but SOME critics like Llewellyn Kriel need to be exposed in the harsh sunlight – just read his previous mean-spirited blogs. Just like apartheid, the nature of his blogs seeks to divide, demean and destroy rather than unify, uplift and create a new SA.
On the other hand, Breyten Breytenbach is one of South Africa’s true patriotic sons. As a poet and anti-apartheid activist he even has the courage to criticize Mandela in his his essay “Mandela’s Smile” http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=9848 where he tries to focus attention to the abnormal nature of violent crime in our country.

“…when you start to talk about the racist previously imperial white people it detracts…”
ALL SA whites are direct beneficiaries of centuries of white supremacy and imperialism – this is an INDISPUTABLE FACT yet the majority of whites vehemently oppose AA and deny voting for the Nats – How can whites and blacks move forward as a nation with such blatant hypocrisy?

By: Llewellyn Kriel

Llewellyn Kriel — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:54:52 +0000

Give praise where praise is due, Bart. With no heroes, leaders or morality in the ANC and strukshas, those rare individuals with morality, integrity and courage have earned to right to support. Keep shining – without the likes of you SA is lost.
BTW this blog has been picked up Der Spiegel, NYT and Washington Post, so we’re obviously doing something right.

By: r mayer

r mayer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:44:41 +0000

Re the race and corruption issue, if you leave the hen-house open the foxes of all colours and nationalities will be there in a feeding frenzy.

By: Bart Henderson

Bart Henderson — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:06:44 +0000

@ Llewellyn.

? Thank you for your contribution to lifting flagging spirits. What a welcome and generous surprise.

Warm regards

Bart

By: Chris E

Chris E — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:54:16 +0000

oh my bad for not replying. Piet sort of said what I had in mind.

Dave i actually agree with some of what you say and I can see where you are coming from but I still have a problem with how you do it.

“White” South Africans are not a hegemonic group. Firstly there is a language divide and an age divide.
I agree there are lots of “white” racists out there but you cannot paint every critic with that brush as it detracts from discussing the issues.

I agree with Bart’s comments too.
I am actually semi-hopeful about the Zuma government they have taken some good steps in the right direction and this is not an issue of race.

It is just some people within the government who display actions that mirror other post-colonial states. (Yes i know SA is not STRICTLY post-colonial but it damn near close enough).
It’s the extravagant spending, the highly racial and violent discourse spouted by some. (Mostly youth but also by some ANC and ANC affiliates).
It is also the biblical and god-like references attributed to leaders. (ANC will rule until Jesus returns and the JZ/Jesus comparison).
Oh and the corruption.

I’m not a racist white person and it is irksome to deal with friends and others who are. So when you start to talk about the racist previously imperial white people it detracts from discussion and it alienates all non-racist white people.

By: Bart Henderson

Bart Henderson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:15 +0000

Thank you. For the record I am neither brave nor stupid. I am not a racist because truthfully I actually don’t with absolute certainty know what I am (racially speaking) and hypocrisy isn’t my strongest suit.

Having said this some perspective on perceptions expressed here is required. For the record a great deal of the current malaise was engineered under Mbeki. It’s President Zuma by the way, deserves a chance. The ANC is in power.

Deal with it.

When I wrote that article I aimed it at whites.

There are as many white (per capita) sponsoring fraud and corruption as there are blacks giving or taking. This is NOT A RACE ISSUE! It is AN ISSUE that is tearing at the very fabric of an entire society! Where are my people?

Black and white that made me so proud?

For those of you that have expressed such warm uncluttered support… I am absolutely stunned and deeply humbled. Thank you.

By: Llewellyn Kriel

Llewellyn Kriel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:51:36 +0000

Dave Harris for Emperor of the Milky Way. The guy is just awesome for blog ratings. Thanks Dave – I love you comrade ubergruppenfuhrer gauleiter lord grand inquisitor commissar hero of the people and paramount chief. You rock man (or I think it’s “man”).

By: Piet Opperman

Piet Opperman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:32:26 +0000

@Dave Harris

If you want to speak to Chris E privately, I suggest that the two of you get a room.