I remember talking to someone from South Africa in the gym locker room once. I asked him about the Boer War, and he actually seemed embarrassed about it. He kept on telling me that the US had it's own civil war, so I had nothing to brag about? I was just trying to get the opinion from someone who lived there, not just reading about it in books. I was very surprised by his reaction, thinking that he would trash talk to Anglos for crushing the Dutch and German Boers. I didn't even get a chance to ask him if he thought his country was getting better because of Mandella or not. This was about 10-12 years ago. Just for the record, I believe the wrong side won in each conflict discussed.
I would wager that barry orders flags at half staff, and a plane load on Air Force One and lord knows how many other USAF transports for the funeral.
Dunno about sending a delegation, but he did order flags to half staff. I am not so sure that is within flag protocol. As great a man as some think Mandela was, I ain't so sure he rises to the level of half staff honors. No matter, it pissed me off when I read that he had so ordered.
I have no problem with Mandela being shown some respect. Whether one agreed with all of his politics or not, it takes a character far better than I fear mine is to suffer the discrimination, imprisonment, and abuse that he did; and emerge with as little vindictiveness toward his tormentors as he displayed. He was a screaming liberal in his politics; but I think that he was an unusually decent human being. I think his humanity can be respected, without necessarily embracing all of his politics.
I was listening to NPR just for the hell of it yesterday and a guy was comparing EDIT: likening Obummer to Mandela. I was sickened.
Nelson Mandela was… well, a communist and a terrorist. Mandela was a member of the South African Communist Party. He co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, a terrorist organization that killed civilians, including children. Fast food outlets and supermarkets were favored targets. In addition to terrorist bombings, the military wing of the African National Congress tortured and executed suspected government agents. Post-apartheid South Africa is ruled by the ANC and the South African Communist Party. The ruling ANC defines itself as a “disciplined force of the left.” Read more: » Obama and Nelson Mandela: George Washington a Communist? Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!
Lets not forget his wonderful and caring wife and her necklacing.... ........................................... The "Winnie Mandela necklace" unfortunately has nothing to do with jewelry, it is a cruel and gruesome way of executing people and was used during Apartheid by the ANC and others their own black brothers & sisters who were suspected of being friendly to whites. ANC 'freedom-fighters' and 'liberators' would take black people and hack off their hands or tie them behind the person's back with barbed wire. Then a gasoline-filled tyre would be set alight around the victim's ("traitor's") neck and they would slowly and very painfully burn to death.The following video shows a necklacingt towards the end (not for sensitive viewers): Blogger burning video (warning: extremely graphic, not great quality):
Well, you can't watch nudity or adults having sex on YouTube, but we sure can watch a man beaten to death and burned alive... What a world.
Being born white, to a middle class family, in the most powerful nation on earth, and arguably one of the most free nations on earth; I try not to judge those of less fortunate birth too harshly without at least considering the shoes in which they walked the steps of their lives. I ask myself what would I have done, born into their circumstances, having had their opportunities (or lack thereof), and having faced the challenges that they faced. I'm not always heartened by the answer I give myself. When someone attempts to step on me and mine, I react harshly; and if I had grown up being stepped on, watching my family be stepped on, I'm quite sure that I would have collected some negative labels myself (in addition to the ones which I did collect). Nelson Mandela associated with communists, he belonged to a terrorist organization; but I don't believe that he was ever convicted of, or charged with, directly murdering anyone. His ex-wife Winnie, was another matter entirely; and was, I believe, a power hungry, murderous fiend. (I truly hope that no one looks at my ex-wife's character and thereby judges me. There's a reason that some wives become ex-wives.) Associating Mandela with Obama is dubious, to say the least; but it's an easy way to shed an unfavorable light upon him, I suppose. I try to look at people individually, and at the actual facts of their lives. Some of the facts of Nelson Mandela's life are that he was born into a nation which embraced a political system that made non-whites second class citizens - a worker class. He was the first individual in his family to attend school. He spent seven years as the only black law student at his university. He became an attorney. He joined a political organization which agitated for equality for his people. He was arrested in 1952 for a peaceful protest, a new law having been enacted which forbade any protests against the government, labeling any such protest "communist subversion." The presiding judge said that it didn't appear to be communism as it is commonly known. After the trial, Mandela founded the country's first black African run law firm. In 1956, he was arrested again. The case took five years to finally be heard, by which time, Mandela's law firm, along with his first marriage, was destroyed. In 1960, police opened fire into a crowd of black demonstrators, killing 69 and injuring 180; most of the dead having been shot in the back. Following this incident, the ANC went from being primarily a peaceful organization to a violent one. Mandela was never convicted of carrying out any of the violent actions attributed to members of the ANC and, in fact, expressed horror at the deaths of innocent civilians killed in some of these attacks. He was arrested again in 1962 for inciting a work stoppage. He got five years hard labor. While in prison he, along with other ANC members, was charged with sabotage, and sentenced to life in prison. He spent twenty-seven years in prison. By the time he was released, the nation was in chaos, and the ruling elite were rapidly losing control. He was released, and instead of fanning the flames of hatred, he used his influence and credibility to call for reconciliation and respect for human rights. I'm fairly sure that I would not have been so magnanimous. For any who wish to learn more about Mandela's life, and not rely upon Fox News pundits, and right wing hate mongers, here are a couple of decent articles to consider: Don’t Sanitize Nelson Mandela: He’s Honored Now, But Was Hated Then Mandela: The Miracle Maker
You're not actually suggesting that people should know more than headlines, before condemning someone, now are you? That's not the mainstream media method! Why, what would people think if you got to know the whole subject at the same time?
There was a REASON. the SA.Gov kept Mandela in prison for so long, and his NAME was Robert Mugabe..... The SA.Gov was very afraid that Mandela would do the same, as Mugabe had done, in Zimbabwe, if he were to be released in SA. Very simple Logic, for them.... HOWEVER, when Mandela was released, he immediately distanced himself, and abhorred any connection to Mugabe, and personally spoke out against him, and his Policies. .....
From Drudge....give me a F%$#&^%$@* break. WORLD PREPARES FOR BIGGEST FUNERAL SINCE CHURCHILL Churchill compared to mandela? wrong on every level!! BTW the USA will finance some of this .... bin laden funeral from the deep next.....
As barry parleys factor with Air Force One as a cheap charter flight to SA.,. One old terrorist guy dies in South Africa 24 hour coverage and Barry flying in.... many die elsewhere and? ..................................................................................................................................................................... BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Thousands of Christian civilians sought refuge at an airport guarded by French soldiers Friday, fleeing from the mostly Muslim ex-rebels with machetes and guns who rule the country a day after the worst violence to hit the chaotic capital in nine months. Related Stories Report: Central African death toll up to 280 Associated Press Many flee in fear to C. African Republic airport Associated Press Clashes sweep CAR capital ahead of French troops Associated Press After Central African Rep. clash, France moves in Associated Press France to send 1,000 troops to C. African Republic Associated Press When several French helicopters landed at the airport, people sang with joy as they banged on plastic buckets and waved rags into the air in celebration. Outside the barbed wire fences of the airport, bodies lay decomposing along the roads in a capital too dangerous for many to collect the corpses. Thursday's clashes left at least 280 dead, according to national radio, and have raised fears that waves of retaliatory attacks could soon follow. "They are slaughtering us like chickens," said Appolinaire Donoboy, a Christian whose family remained in hiding. France had pledged to increase its presence in its former colony well before Christian militias attacked the capital at dawn Thursday. The arrival of additional French troops and equipment came as the capital teetered on the brink of total anarchy and represented the greatest hope for many Central Africans. About 1,000 French forces were expected As night fell across the near anarchic capital, Christians fearing retaliatory attacks by the mostly Muslim ex-rebels crowded as close to the runway as possible, laying out their woven mats in front of a barbed wire coiled fence. National radio announced that at least 280 people had died, citing figures from local Red Cross officials. The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply concerned" by the violence and praised France's quick intervention. France signaled its amped up presence in its former colony on Friday by sending out armored vehicles to patrol the streets. A French fighter jet made several flyovers, roaring through the sky over an otherwise lifeless capital as civilians cowered at home. Britain also flew in a C-17 plane Friday loaded with equipment to help with France's intervention. As many as 250 French troops are carrying out permanent patrols in Bangui, and "we didn't notice any direct clashes between armed groups today," said French military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron in Paris. On Thursday, however, 10 armed attackers in a pickup truck fired on a French position at the airport, including with a rocket-propelled grenade whose charge did not detonate. French forces returned fire, killing four attackers and wounding six, Jaron said. View gallery French forces return from a patrol at an undisclosed location in Bangui, Central African Republic, F … A planned vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution Thursday allowed France to proceed with its mission. It coincided with the worst violence to roil the capital since March when the mostly Muslim rebels known as Seleka overthrew the president of a decade. On Thursday, Christian militias believed to be loyal to ousted leader Francois Bozize attacked the city, and hours of gunbattles ensued. The conflict in one of Africa's poorest countries has gathered little sustained international attention since the government overthrow in March, and the dramatic developments were overshadowed Friday by global mourning for South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who died at the age of 95. "Thanks to France and the United Nations