Friday, December 6, 2013

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 Jul 1918 – 5 Dec 2013)

Nelson Mandela, champion of the fight against white domination who faced up to the repressive apartheid government of South Africa, died yesterady at the age of 95. Well remembered for his passionate belief in humanity, he is equally renowned for his ability to motivate millions with his words. On subject of civil society, he was quoted saying:

“A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.” —International Press Institute Congress, 1994

Try explaining to the guys mangling the constitution for their own ends. Their interpretation of the constitutional right of free speech and expression is that it is limited by the necessity of protecting reputations of both private and public individuals. You know they are clutching at straws when they lump the judiciary with plastic surgeon Woffles Wu, who so obviously eluded a more severe penalty for breaking the law. Whatever happened to the laws of defamation and libel available for the protection of the private, or public, individual wrongly maligned? Lee Kuan Yew used them quite effectively, some will even say profitably, whenever he felt his reputation was in danger of being tarnished. And the judiciary was, rightly so, always maintained at arm's length.

Interviewed on Larry King Live, May 16, 2000, Mandela said, “I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what I normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their country are terrorists."

Mandela spent 27 years behind bars,  first on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. His record is broken by Chia Thye Poh, imprisoned for 23 years without charge or trial and subsequently placed under conditions of house arrest for another 9 years, during which he was first confined to the island of Sentosa and then subject to restrictions on his place of abode, employment, travel, and exercise of political rights. All because he disagreed with their definition of a "communist". Mandela had a better deal with P.W. Botha, the "Great Crocodile", the snarling embodiment of death and destruction in the apartheid era of white minority rule.

15 comments:

  1. 'I am prepared to die' speech.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/nelson-mandelas-i-am-prepared-to-die-speech-which-put-him-in-prison-for-27-years-2013-12

    Just look at how much loved this great man has by his people, and people around the world. His is a well deserving 95 years of a full life that has done good for humanity that everyone can agree upon.

    RIP, Nelson Mandela.

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    Replies
    1. Nobody said anything about Chia Thye Poh? Never proven guilty but spent 32 years in prison. Can we prosecute the old fart who did this?

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    2. @anon 12:56 PM,
      the MIW have to be rendered the minority in order to prosecute the old fart and his lackeys for all the unjustified incarcerations. Even then, this can be achieved only after the judiciary has undergone *stringent polygraph tests in tandem with psychological evaluations*

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  2. In terms of humanity, our greatest hypocrite pales in comparison to this great man. Hope this great leader will teach him a lesson about human rights when he finally meet him down there.

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    Replies
    1. That man is unteachable.

      But Mandiba is certainly a gift to all mankind... his passing is expected but he has given us perspectives that opens our hearts and minds. Truly a leader.
      Thank you Mandiba, may you enjoy the company of many great people and saints.

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    2. LKY is also a gift to mankind....in a different way, if not for him, the 40% singaporeans will never get to see and learn what it means to be self-serving, arrogant, greedy, incorrigible liar, cowardly, unrepentant to the very end.....

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    3. What is there to compare? It's like comparing day and night, the oppressed and the oppressor. One is a great compassionate statesman, the other an opportunistic bitter vindictive tyrant. While the world will moan Mandela's passing, many will rejoice when the other ups the lorry.

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  3. I wonder what Mandela would have think of the ACG vs Alex Au? He probably would have used the Nobel price trophie, or whatever tool, to slam our Kangaroo into a miserable pulp.

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  4. If Mr Mandela were a Singaporean, he would have ended up like Chia Thye Poh, or no difference like JBJ, bankrupted to the very bitter end.

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    Replies
    1. At least Nelson Mandela was charged. CTP was denied freedom for a longer period than Mandela and CTP was not charged in court.

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  5. What's the difference between our old fart and a bucket of shit?
    Answer: The bucket,

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    Replies
    1. Really sad, but it is the daft 60 % Singaporeans who represent the bucket.

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  6. It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between that great man and LKY. One a jailed man and the other the jailor. A humble compassionate and forgiving man against a cold calculating, unforgiving, deceitful power hungry self-serving person. The sour taste left in the mouth when you read his message to the widow. Et tu Brute?

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  7. The headline on Channel News Asia: "Singapore statesmen pay tribute to Nelson Mandela". Our self-serving deceitful politicians are all of a sudden elevated to the status of statesmen, by the PAP mouthpiece CNA. We may have little Lee Kuan Yews, but the outragous claim that we have little Mandelas is stretching credulity too far. What do you think?

    A politician and a statesman are not the same thing. A statesman is not a tyrant; he is the free leader of a free people and he must possess four critical qualities:
    1. A bedrock of principles
    2. A moral compass:
    3. A vision
    4. The ability to build a consensus to achieve that vision

    http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/01/30/the-4-qualities-of-a-true-statesman/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LKY: Mandela an "inspiration to an entire generation" and LHL: "You inspired millions with humanity, courage and life long fight for freedom."

      Obviously the Father and Son, our "Statesmen", were not of the generation or millions who were "inspired" by Mandela, because if they were, we would be a FREER, more democratic, country now. These words are your typical PAP "wayang", as they say here, and that makes them hypocrites.

      Men with principles and a moral compass? Vision and concensus? The consensus to achieve a vision is only among their own 77 MPs who rammed through their PWP in Parliament.

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