Comments on: How happy are you?

By: old, female

old, female — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:43:41 +0000

@ Mandy –
No doubt it is too obscure in our country that excels in obfuscation. I apologise for offending you
“RSA is dying (Aids/poverty) on its feet midst obscene wealth.” I would say you need
……..to clarify that statement.”

My comment is a METAPHOR for the present condition of our country – its happiness and self-esteem.
I’ll analyse it for you.

“dying in its feet:: soon to be extinct as the dodo (Once the Engine of the African Continent.)
i.e. “walking dead people” (no expectations) who have aids and – die daily from starvation.
i.e. extreme poverty and disease of the masses,
MAJORITY at the lowest spectrum of misery apropos your index.

“midst “: surrounded by, whilst there is, its occurring
“obscene”; offensive in RSA circumstances of the majority
“wealth” : meaning money, possessions, power, status
i.e majority would be HAPPY with lowest basic necessities as per Maxwell pyramid.

The sentence :
DESCRIBES disparity between people in the same country !

The ‘dead horse’ flogging concept – in which you did not see the relevance:
explains the cause of a “dying” RSA – a country that has so much wealth and skills which could be used to
- bring happiness to our people
- with an efficient government with the power to do so
– that is not as self-serving as our leaders

Dead horse is the “blame game” of others’ guilt not ANC
- previous regimes,
- present racist attitudes etc. etc. etc.

ANC “flogs a dead horse” – its tiresome and overused.

By: Ladyfingers

Ladyfingers — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:17:35 +0000

Bhutan does spectacularly well at a standard they, a country with a not-so-great human rights record, came up with?

By: Mandy de Waal

Mandy de Waal — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:12:41 +0000

Justice – the fact that Zimbabwe is miserable is not my own opinion, but the basis of research done by The Happy Planet index, and which is based on Gallup Polls and other research. You can read more about the research here: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/

By: Vonney

Vonney — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:46:55 +0000

@ Justice! You certainly took the words out of my mouth. I am also a ZImbo in the diaspora and I am always amazed at the strength that people back home display. Granted the situation has not been the easiest but you don’t find people feeling sorry for themselves.. Zimbos make some sort of plan to survive and thats the reason why that country is still standing today.

By: Llewellyn Kriel

Llewellyn Kriel — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:27:15 +0000

Huffington Post created the RMI (Real Misery Index). Like most tongue-in-cheek “indices”, it has more than a modicum of truth in it. Much, much, much more. Basically it measures how truly miserable people (in it’s case, Yanks) are by multiplying GDP with percentage drops, times CPI, times drops in housing prices, times health costs, times unemployment levels, times insolvencies and so on.

The USA clocks in at around 23.3 while SA recently topped out at 69.7.

At the end of the day though the suicide rate is disturbingly accurate measure, if not of general levels of unhappiness, then most definitely of the levels of unhappiness that drive good, decent, rational, normal folk – like top Afrikaans journalist, Chris Louw – to see no future other than death. Against this measure, South Africans are among the most unhappy, disillusioned and suicidal nations on the planet. Someone tries to kill himself/herself every 30 seconds (more women than men) and 18 succeed EVERY DAY (more men than women, because of choice of method) Chris chose an AK-47 – pretty decisive and his reason as recorded in a note left behind – he was “gatvol”.

That’s a very common complaint in SA today. Given that there’s so very little to be joyful or optimistic about in SA, the numbers of us who are gatvol to the point of complete despair and hopelessness are growing faster than they should. Faster than any country has cause to be proud of.

By: Fran

Fran — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:31:35 +0000

MLH…get off your high horse!

By: justice

justice — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:04:11 +0000

i am a zimbabwean i want to tell Mandy de Waal we a not miserable even though we haven been in a tight position the past couple of years we have never been miserable we jus live life the way it is the way it comes if you a miserable in your own rights and life dont compare your own life with us cause you dont know us and you will never know us live us alone.

By: old, female

old, female — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:51:26 +0000

WHEN BROKEN GO ON SPENDING SPREE !
” The City of Johannesburg has written off a staggering R2.8-billion in debt – or a 10th of its 2009-2010 budget.
Miss World contestants arrive in SA
Despite this shortfall, city mayor Amos Masondo led a 16-member delegation on a costly 10-day trip to four countries last month as part of a “study tour” aimed at bolstering “service delivery”.

Johannesburg has also come under fire for spending R45-million to host the Miss World pageant for the second year running, amid accusations that the city is cash-strapped. ”

This is Times original to whom I owe my thanks and Mayor for proving a POINT.

By: old, female

old, female — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:42:31 +0000

NO – it is not my composition but I also thought it so clever and accurate; that I had to pass it on. The young people today astound me with such brilliant lateral thinking.
I am delighted to see names of new readers and bloggers, as that means my nation is waking up to reality of a failing state-in-being.

Its the new generation who has to carry the torch to save our most beautiful, beloved birth, and homeland of our forefathers.
Force your government to provide you with the happiness you deserve by giving your vote – that also has to be deserved.

By: Anthony Krijger

Anthony Krijger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:51:51 +0000

“Overcoming poverty” is a phrase that should read “politicians should plunder less”. This continent is the richest on the planet in terms of mineral wealth; oil, gas, gold, platinum, chrome, coal iron ore, nickel, you name it Africa has it, in absolute abundance.

So why do we also have the poorest people on the planet? Ask a politician/dicatator and listen to him blame colonial oppression, never mind that it has been gone for decades, only to be replaced with civil wars, fat cat gravy trainers, crooked business etc. We, the man in the street and the major ta payers have fuck all to make us happy….enlighten me if I’m wrong, please!