Nelson Mandela - Madiba

[Pangaea666]

Nelson Mandela - Madiba

The Great Man has fallen

I don't know what to write here, lost for words. Much has been written and said today, and nothing can describe what this man has done and meant for the world, and in particular South Africa. If it wasn't for him, things could have been very different there, even today. It's rare for one man to manage to transform from non-violent resistance, to armed struggle, to political prisoner for decades, to presidency of a country, and then as the Great Unitor. He has managed so many roles, and despite what injustice befell him and not least 'his' people, he rose above all the hatred and injustice and managed to forgive and unite. It's an amazing story to which we can all learn.

There are very few people I truly look up to as giants of our time, but Mandela was one of them, and now he is lost to the teeth of history too. It's a very sad day. It was a long time coming, but it's still a punch in the stomach when the inevitable happens.

Rest in peace dear Madiba, you have deserved it. May we all learn by your example (and not just say that we do).

 

[prince_of_nothing]

While I can say that Nelson Mandela was a strong man with noble aspirations, he did way too many bad things for me to truly put him up on a pedestal. Mandela is not in the same league as Gandhi, although many people would like to remember him that way..

 

[mrjt96]

While I can say that Nelson Mandela was a strong man with noble aspirations, he did way too many bad things for me to truly put him up on a pedestal. Mandela is not in the same league as Gandhi, although many people would like to remember him that way..

I agree with you there. Everyone has forgotten the bad things he did due in part to the blindingly bright light that the media portrays him in. Some would argue that what he did was necessary to fight against the apartheid but I don't think what he did should be looked at heroically.
At any rate, he certainly accomplished a lot in his life.

 

[GuyNwah]

"In a sense, Mandela completed what Gandhi started." South Africa as it exists today would be inconceivable without both him and Gandhi.

Looking closely at the life of anyone complex enough to have done something heroic against entrenched opposition will reveal what naysayers take to be feet of clay. I do not think it inappropriate to remember him as the father of a nation even as we do not whitewash the way he fought his battles.

 

[prince_of_nothing]

"In a sense, Mandela completed what Gandhi started." South Africa as it exists today would be inconceivable without both him and Gandhi.

I agree, but look at how both nations turned out? India despite it's endemic problems is much more of a success compared to South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest murder and rape rates in the entire world, and the justice system is corrupt and inefficient.. The unemployment rate is also extremely high, and white South Africans are either fleeing the country, or living behind gated neighborhoods protected by armed guards, as far away from the blacks as they can get since they are now targets.

It's not nearly as bad as Zimbabwe, but it might conceivably reach that level of deterioration in another decade or so..

 

[Reod]

I agree, but look at how both nations turned out? India despite it's endemic problems is much more of a success compared to South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest murder and rape rates in the entire world, and the justice system is corrupt and inefficient..

Well you are forgeting or do not know that in India rape rates are also very high and even maybe higher than in South Africa.Also in India "the justice system is corrupt and inefficient.. The unemployment rate is also extremely hig"

R.I.P. Nelson Mandela


Not one freedom fighter will remain clean , thats the nature of political or any fight.

 

[prince_of_nothing]

Well you are forgeting or do not know that in India rape rates are also very high and even maybe higher than in South Africa.Also in India "the justice system is corrupt and inefficient.. The unemployment rate is also extremely hig"

Yes, India is also very bad, but it's nowhere near as bad as S. Africa. India has one of the fastest growing economies in the World for instance. S. Africa used to be the most successful economy in Africa, but now it's in complete decline due to the corrupt one party rule of the ANC, Mandela's former party.

There is also an AIDS epidemic in S. Africa as well, and racial mistrust is just as bad as it was under apartheid.

Not one freedom fighter will remain clean , thats the nature of political or any fight.

There is a fine line between being a freedom fighter, and being a terrorist. Mandela crossed that line, as he knowingly targeted and murdered civilians, both black and white..

The fact that this is being overlooked by the media is astounding. Regardless of his good deeds, murder is something that cannot be washed away; especially mass murder..

The failures of S. Africa has a lot to do with the legacy of Mandela..

 

[vivaxardas2015]

There is a fine line between being a freedom fighter, and being a terrorist. Mandela crossed that line, as he knowingly targeted and murdered civilians, both black and white..

The fact that this is being overlooked by the media is astounding. Regardless of his good deeds, murder is something that cannot be washed away; especially mass murder..

The failures of S. Africa has a lot to do with the legacy of Mandela..

Well, the man is dead now. But he lived 95 years, so I do not get all this tragic vibe some people are projecting. All men are mortal, and everyone dies sooner or later. Mandela lived longer than 99.9% of human beings, so he was more fortunate than probably everyone of us.

If to look at his life and legacy realistically, the results are ambiguous, to say the least. Personally, I prefer Ghandi and Martin Luther King's approach. Whether the situation will change to the better in SA remains to be seen.

 

[ONLY_ONCE]

Rip

 

[RSIK_4]

May his soul rest in peace

 

[pomor]

Rot in hell, bastard.

 

[username_3581677]

Rot in hell, bastard.

dude? really? come on......

 

[otokage]

A friend of mine told me yesterday that there was a "dark part of the story" about Mandela, like he beating one of her spouses and stuff like that. Although the marvelous things he did are undeniable.

Rot in hell, bastard.

Yes I also lost my slaves because of him! I'm so angry right now...

 

[Jack_in_the-Green]

"In a sense, Mandela completed what Gandhi started." South Africa as it exists today would be inconceivable without both him and Gandhi.

Looking closely at the life of anyone complex enough to have done something heroic against entrenched opposition will reveal what naysayers take to be feet of clay. I do not think it inappropriate to remember him as the father of a nation even as we do not whitewash the way he fought his battles.

Mandela was indeed a great man.
As I see it, as a leader of his people, he has incredible, but again, he wouldn't ve acomplished anything in the end if all those many and organized people fighting òppression weren't there. That is how I see it, they will continue the struggle, in which he in some way, lives on.

Regarding the issue of violence-non violence... Non violence is great to keep the moral high-ground, but it's not always the better way in order to win (let's not forget people engage in these fights to win, not to be the cannon fodder of the oppressor).
I highly doubt that you could ve defeated the Nazis with non-violence alone... In that regard, as an example, you have those heroic Checks that killed Heydrich in 1942... For me it was great -some may regard that as a terrorist act />-, but that also meant the Germans took revenge and wiped out the whole area later...

So yeah, fighting for freedom is no pic-nic, it involves lots of blood, sweat and tears; and for me, freedom-fighters have only one real choice ahead of them; if it's going to be only their blood, or the oppressor's too... />/>/>

 

[daarkesorro]

I live in South Africa and trust me it is not that bad and no, racial mistrust is really not as bad as it was during apartheid.Trust me. I see blacks, indians, coloureds, whites etc all get along. Also, in our country, we are extremely tolerant of one another such as in the case of religions. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, we all mostly get along. Muslims aren't seen as terrorists in our country lol. The main problem right now is our economy and it's not Mandela's legacy that's the cause. It's our current shitty president ( that the whole country hates except for the mindless supporters), Jacob Zuma.

 

[pomor]

I live in South Africa and trust me it is not that bad and no, racial mistrust is really not as bad as it was during apartheid.Trust me. I see blacks, indians, coloureds, whites etc all get along.

I happen to have relatives in South Africa, and they told me quite a different stories.

 

[Pangaea666]

Amazing. The greatest leader of the last century has just departed us, and people in here are throwing dirt. Well, not so surprising perhaps....

As Jack in the Green says, non-violence is a great moral high ground and the ANC followed that for a very long time. But they were faced with a regime that met non-violent demonstrations with brute force and massacres, and in the early 60s the ANC finally changed their approach and started with sabotage operations against points of the regime. Maybe we should keep in mind what lead to the other, hmm?

He led a remarkable life and I for one am sad to see such a great man gone. The world needs more Mendalas, not less. To suffer what he and his people did and still come out of prison and be reconciliatory is amazing. Not many men would have done the same when in position of power. Look at other African countries. Look at other countries in the world. South Africa could easily have gone down a much more violent path, but didn't largely thanks to Mandela. If that alone isn't praiseworthy, then look at his fight against HIV/AIDS.

We're not like to see his like again, and I think we can be worthy enough to keep that in mind. There is sadly no lack of conflicts in the world, and each one of them could use a Mandela and a Gandhi.

 

[birkaviking]

What exaktly was so good with the Communist Nelson Mandela?
Today south Africa are in its way straight to hell with mass murder and most rapes in world.
The white populatin prepare themself for genocide as you can see here from Russia todays reportage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnuwXgtHDsc

 

[daarkesorro]

I happen to have relatives in South Africa, and they told me quite a different stories.

Well, in any country there's bound to be some form of racism. I'm just saying it's not so bad like people make it out to be and it sure as hell isn't as bad as it was during the Apartheid era.

 

[daarkesorro]

What exaktly was so good with the Communist Nelson Mandela?
Today south Africa are in its way straight to hell with mass murder and most rapes in world.
The white populatin prepare themself for genocide as you can see here from Russia todays reportage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnuwXgtHDsc

For fuck's sake, South Africa isn't gonna go through turmoil or genocides. Life's just gonna go on.