Standing up

Personally I don't consider my self either conservative nor liberal. The closest political word for my beliefs is Right-Libertarianism. I believe in freedom. I believe in small government. I believe, like Ronald Reagan, that government is the problem not the solution.

I don't want Gay-rights limiting my opinion. If homosexuals want to have the same rights as heterosexuals- fine. Just don't make me have the same opinion as you do. Give me the freedom to disagree and protest without labelling me a bigot.

I don't want the NRA limiting my opinions either. I don't support the gun laws. I want the right to say so. I also don't support the anti-gun movement. I want the right to say they are both ridiculous.

I don't support abortion. I believe that babies have rights. But I believe that if it's legal, I want the right to say I think it's wrong, just as if it's illegal you want the right to protest about the woman's choice.

I don't like President Obama and the socialist practices he is implementing. I don't approve of President Zuma and the communist policies he is shoving down our throats.

I wish to reserve the right to disagree. And this right is so slowly dissolving under the word "tolerance" and the dogma of being narrow minded.. What is narrow-mindedness? According to Merriam- Webster narrow-mindedness is lacking in tolerance or breadth of vision. According to many, I am narrow minded because I don't agree with popular opinion.

But real narrow mindedness is placing your opinions above others. Being narrow minded is the lack of width in your vision, that you can't see that all this mumbo jumbo is truly just that. Mumbo Jumbo.

Isn't that what tolerance really is? It's not supporting gay rights. Nor is it supporting liberal ideals. True tolerance is respecting opinions, both those that support your view and those in disagreement.

Free Speech as a constitutional right is slowly disappearing. God forbid that Facebook refuses to shut down Aryan Supremacist groups! Where has the freedom to state unpopular opinions gone?

I support a new kind of tolerance. Not of the popular Obama catch phrases but of the respect of differences.

Martin Niemoller said: "In Germany, the Nazis came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me."

The same can be said for our constitutional rights. First they came for Gun rights and I didn't stand up because I didn't own a gun...

The 'tolerants' are coming for Free Speech and I am standing up.

What are your thoughts?

I can't get no Satisfaction.

You know things are in a bad state when Political leaders are shot during voting...

Somehow this is peaceful.

Somehow this warrantes a single sentence inside a story about how the ANC is winning...

Is there a problem here? I think so.

Ugh. Sad Day.

Apparently I blog about South African politics a lot.

I like South Africa. Honest.

And I like politics. Double Honest.

Politics in South Africa scare the crap out of me.

It scares me that Jacob Zuma is predicted to be elected on Wednesday as the next president of South Africa. btw... read that link above any other link on this post.

Next election I want to be president of South Africa. Oh wait. I can't.

Maybe if I just get a criminal record first, then I will be applicable.

This is a crock.

The South African so called democracy is such a bunch of flooey.

Pity. Because I like this place. Honest.

Zapiro is my hero

I love Zapiro.

Today he has come into hot water yet again because of a cartoon published by the Sunday Times earlier this year. Jacob Zuma is suing Jonathon Shapiro (Zapiro) and the Sunday Times for R7 million. The claim consists of R5m for alleged damage to Zuma's reputation and R2m for alleged damage to his dignity (as said by NEWS24).

The cartoon, posted below, shows lady justice being pinned down by political leaders and Zuma preparing to rape her.



Has Zapiro crossed the line?

I personally side with Shapiro. The elitism of the South African government is disgusting. The disregard for justice is more than merely concerning. This is a blatant and shocking image that accurately reflects my own shock and disgust. The fact that Zuma has recently been acquitted of rapes charges is moot. This is clearly a separate issue.

Pity, because I wouldn't mind writing another post about how much I despise Zuma and the ANC. I am ashamed of you ANC. I am ashamed of you Zuma.

Modern Sexism?

Last year I was jobless and desperate. I was so desperate I was ready to go into....


Retail.


I figured I knew music better than average folk, and so when I walked by the local music shop and noticed it was hiring I walked in to ask for an application.

Do you know what I was told?

No.

I asked why. (apparently pending humiliation does not act as a strong deterrent.)

We don't hire girls.

I asked why again. (I have no shame)

The hours are long.

Sir, I currently work 12 hour night shifts. I can work. (No I do not know WHY I remained there.)

The shifts are dangerous.

I am hardly someone people mess with. *insert angry eyes*

We have a policy to only hire men.

So me and my curvalilciousness marched right outta there.

I vowed to never ever buy anything from there ever again. No matter how great of a deal it was.

But I failed.

The Fi took me on a date on Saturday and before the movie we ravaged this shop like never before. The sale... was astonishing. R10 per CD. That's $1. Per.CD. *sigh* and they weren't terrible CDs. We scored. And I gloated. In front of the the very man who told me last year I couldn't work there. I have no problem helping him lose money. Surely after this sale, the products that don't sell will be put back on the rack for R180. That's R170 you lose dumb Afrikaans chauvinist. Suck on that!

With great thanks to the Fi, I realised my own hypocrisy. I worked as a cocktail waitress previous to this conversation. I was hired on the spot as most waitresses are and I happened to be one of the longest working female waitresses there. For good reason. But I digress.

I overheard one of my managers turn down a girl because she wasn't pretty enough. What kind of discrimination is that? It's crap and I knew it. At that moment I should have quit. I should have waltzed right outta there. But I didn't.

So as I complain that I was born the wrong gender, I myself removed the rights of the other girl by staying there. By enabling those men to pick and choose and even getting an ego trip out, I became no better than the company who refused to hire women.

So while the man sucks on my wicked deal, I gotta suck on my own inadequacies.

*sigh*

Even I contribute to the discrimination in society.

Why I will not be voting

The US elections are just around the corner. Living in South Africa I hear more about the Zimbabwean crisis than the US elections. But...

The United States and what happens there effects the entire world, especially Africa. I have heard the debates and read the articles. Honestly, I will be voting for Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls this election. She would be better than either canidate.

There is something fishy about Obama. He makes me very uncomfortable. I know it isn't the wisest way to dismiss a canidate but I truly believe the more smoke the greater the fire. Plus I am a staunch pro-life supporter. However, McCain isn't much grander. He has flip-flopped depending on his mood it seems from democrat to republican. He still supports the war and I want our troops home. I have friends over there. I support our troops by wanting them home and safe. If there was a third party, maybe I would vote for him. This election however I am not voting. I know thats uncool but neither person represents my views, my voice.

Give me better options. I want more.

Political Venting.

Today I went to the oriental plaza. It is a market with items supposedly imported from the orient and is sold to you by Indians. Most of them have never seen the Orient despite their ancestors being from India, but heck, who would notice, right?

Anyway, I am walking down the plaza strip and something catches my eye. It's a green flag with a picture of Thabo Mbeki on it. In case you don't follow SA politics, here is what has bee occurring recently:

Mr. Mbeki is the ex-president of South Africa by like 2 weeks. He was recently unceremoniously ousted from presidency because it was discovered that he was neck high in corruption bullshit. A few hours after the 'resigning' of Mr. Mbeki, a new president was sworn in to serve the remaining time of Mbeki's term. No one who this guy was, nor did they know how to pronounce his name. Kgalema Motlanthe is now the newest, non-elected president of South Africa.

Why was some random sworn in instead of a 'vice president'? The short answer: because this is Africa. South Africans do not vote in a person, they vote in a party. The ANC is the political party in power since Apartheid and the president of the ANC should be the next in line. But this wasn't the case.

Jacob Zuma is the president of the ANC. Unfortunately, he was unable to be sworn in due to his... being in court. Zuma has been in court numerous times. Once for rape and was strangely and almost OJ Simpson-like acquitted. During this particular case he made a statement that will forever and ever cast him in the stupid box. After having unprotected sex with an HIV positive woman, Zuma claimed he would not get the HI virus because he...wait for it... took a shower afterwards. A second time Zuma was charged with fraud and corruption. And was strangely and almost OJ Simpson-like acquitted. Recently he was again charged with corruption except this time in the same 'deal' that Mbeki was ousted for. Yet Zuma was acquitted on a legal technicality.

So enough of the (somewhat biased) politics 411. Back to the green flag... under the Mbeki flag was the exact same flag reading 'Long live Zuma, South Africa's next president'. The shop owner was a Zulu man with obviously strong communist leanings. It just echoes the thousands and thousands who rallied outside Zuma's court cases, violently protesting the apparent misrepresentation of Zuma. The ANC Youth League President even stated publicly, "I will kill for Zuma." In Africa we do not take such statements lightly.

What I do not understand is why so many people of colour choose to continue voting for the same party that continues to screw them over. The economy has plummeted (yes I know that recent economic struggles are due to worldwide issues) since the fall of Apartheid. Less indigenous people have decent paying jobs than during Apartheid. The ANC promised housing for every previously disadvantaged (ie Black) person in South Africa and has barely housed 100 000 Black families. The electricity shortage has not improved in the least as now 10 years after Aparteid there has been little maintenance done on the power stations and little planning on the consumption thus, the only power company is increasing the electricity to up to 60% with 3 hour blackouts weekly. Uncool guys. Very uncool.

Ultimately, the only joys I get out of thinking about politics are, local cartoonist, Zapiro's satirical cartoons found in the Mail and Guardian. This cartoon was published Oct 3 2008. It features the new president Kgalema Motlanthe at the desk and Jacob Zuma (the man under the infamous shower) in the shape of an iguana with the ANC youth League riding his back.
Yes. Politics stink. Bullshit stinks more. And that's all I have to say about that one.