The blame game.
How many times in the past week have you blamed someone or something? The blame game has been around since the arrival of humans. Blame is the timeless way of diverting one's problems to another. Can you think of a period in history when blame was never the cause of something? The answer is most probably no. This is because blame is a human flaw, embedded in us so that we can never be perfect.If you think about it carefully, most (if not all) negative things stem from blame. I shall now discuss a few aspects of how blame works in today's society:
A major problem in South Africa today is that people are always blaming each other about the past. Politicians in South Africa love to use the blame game in order to sway their mindless supporters. The poor blame the rich for having to much money and the rich blame the poor for all the country's problems. If you had to link South Africa and "blame" on a subconscious level, the conclusion will most likely be synonymous with Apartheid or the degenerating situation of our country. Each race group blames another for problems that can be solved if everyone worked together in an efficient, effective, anti-racist way, in a society the was free of corruption and hatred. Although this will never be possible due to certain peoples' mindsets and attitudes, people should strive to find some sort of equilibrium. If there were no blame, there would be far less problems than what we are currently stuck with.
If you want to see it in another way, parents mostly always blame technology as being the cause of family problems, anti-social behaviour, violence etc. Parents sometimes fail to see the underlying factors that contribute to this "technology addiction". Firstly, the parents supply the children with the technology. Secondly, social problems could be the cause of this so called "addiction". Blame is our flaw as humanity. Why blame technology when it is the people who use it that determine if it is perceived as good or bad? Maybe, you are such a shocking parent who cannot connect with your child so he/she prefers the company of technology. Don't pass the blame to something else because it shows a flaw in your character. Rather, find a solution for the problem instead of blaming something else for your problems.
I know this is a mostly an overseas problem, but the gun control debate is another example of how people blame relentlessly without finding a proper solution. Guns are not to blame, it's the people who utilize the weapons. If you give a good, mentally stable man a gun, he will most likely not go on a killing spree or abuse the gun. He would use it to protect himself and his family if the need arises. On the other hand, giving a gun to a crazy kid, he will most likely end up killing innocent people in a crazed shooting spree. A gun is an inanimate object as we all hopefully know, which has no bias, no discrimination, no prejudice. People who are against gun control often blame guns which is, quite frankly, nonsense. You cannot blame a banana peel for making a person slip and die when it was a person's fault for throwing the peel on the floor. Blame is a form of escapism for many people who need to find a way to blame something for society's problems.
It all comes down to a harsh truth. We are all to blame for blaming. Find a solution instead, it will make the world a better place, one person at a time.
Follow @NondePlume777 for more tweets and blog updates.
Anonymous
NondePlume.
Tuesday 27 May 2014
Monday 26 May 2014
Why people think South Africa is a failure.
Why people think South Africa is a failure.
I am sure that most people around the world can agree that South Africa is a beautiful country with amazing wildlife, scenery and diversity in all aspects. However true this advertising may be, they forget to advertise the overwhelming poverty, the ever increasing racism and the fact that most people in the country are voting a party in, who is destroying the country bit by bit. Most foreigners are oblivious to the problems and realities in South Africa.
From my time overseas, there are 4 common views shared by most foreigners:
1) South Africa is a failure.
2) South Africa is being destroyed by the blacks.
3) South Africa is still financially dominated by racist whites.
4) "Don't go to South Africa, you will catch AIDS".
Only 2 of these opinions are remotely true. First of all, South Africa is slowly becoming a failure due to certain factors in our society which stem from the lack of moral judgement and ethical values. Secondly, you cannot catch AIDS. If you are that ignorant, please go to this website for an education:
( http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/).
You also have a high chance of getting HIV/AIDS if you have unprotected sex in South Africa as it has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.
I can see from a foreigner's perspective why the other 2 above-mentioned points may seem true. Blacks are not destroying South Africa. That is just stereotypical and racist. It is a single political party which is destroying our country. The ANC, the ruling party, has disgraced Nelson Mandela's legacy by being an extremely corrupt, racist party with very little moral or ethical values that were in its original manifesto. Foreigners only see this and not the other side of the story. There is another political party called the DA (Democratic Alliance) which is slowly but surely gaining support due to the increasing failures of the ANC. The DA, with many black members, strives to eliminate corruption and to instill an efficient and effective system of governance in South Africa. Contrary to what foreigners may think, there are black people in South Africa who are trying to make it a better place for all. As for the second, other point that was not discussed, there are a lot of wealthy white people that have worked hard for their money (Unlike the BEE babies). Most white people in South Africa are not racist, however, the portion who are, give all whites a bad name. Many white people may seem to be racist to foreigners because of personal incidents that have affected them in which they hold a grudge. Many whites are victims of crime and as a result are very fearful of the black population which sometimes comes across as racist. Another point I would like to add is that the rich black people in this country are more wealthy than the rich white people, so it is absolute nonsense to say that white people have a financial dominance. Another critical point I will make, is that in order for foreigners to respect South Africa, South Africans need to get rid of the negative aspects of our society and enforce a system of good governance and anti-corruption.
I urge all foreigners to come to South Africa and experience the reality of what is actually happening. Any comments will be gladly welcomed on this blog or at@NondePlume777.
Always and forever the realist,
Anonymous
NondePlume.
I am sure that most people around the world can agree that South Africa is a beautiful country with amazing wildlife, scenery and diversity in all aspects. However true this advertising may be, they forget to advertise the overwhelming poverty, the ever increasing racism and the fact that most people in the country are voting a party in, who is destroying the country bit by bit. Most foreigners are oblivious to the problems and realities in South Africa.
From my time overseas, there are 4 common views shared by most foreigners:
1) South Africa is a failure.
2) South Africa is being destroyed by the blacks.
3) South Africa is still financially dominated by racist whites.
4) "Don't go to South Africa, you will catch AIDS".
Only 2 of these opinions are remotely true. First of all, South Africa is slowly becoming a failure due to certain factors in our society which stem from the lack of moral judgement and ethical values. Secondly, you cannot catch AIDS. If you are that ignorant, please go to this website for an education:
( http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/how-you-get-hiv-aids/).
You also have a high chance of getting HIV/AIDS if you have unprotected sex in South Africa as it has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.
I can see from a foreigner's perspective why the other 2 above-mentioned points may seem true. Blacks are not destroying South Africa. That is just stereotypical and racist. It is a single political party which is destroying our country. The ANC, the ruling party, has disgraced Nelson Mandela's legacy by being an extremely corrupt, racist party with very little moral or ethical values that were in its original manifesto. Foreigners only see this and not the other side of the story. There is another political party called the DA (Democratic Alliance) which is slowly but surely gaining support due to the increasing failures of the ANC. The DA, with many black members, strives to eliminate corruption and to instill an efficient and effective system of governance in South Africa. Contrary to what foreigners may think, there are black people in South Africa who are trying to make it a better place for all. As for the second, other point that was not discussed, there are a lot of wealthy white people that have worked hard for their money (Unlike the BEE babies). Most white people in South Africa are not racist, however, the portion who are, give all whites a bad name. Many white people may seem to be racist to foreigners because of personal incidents that have affected them in which they hold a grudge. Many whites are victims of crime and as a result are very fearful of the black population which sometimes comes across as racist. Another point I would like to add is that the rich black people in this country are more wealthy than the rich white people, so it is absolute nonsense to say that white people have a financial dominance. Another critical point I will make, is that in order for foreigners to respect South Africa, South Africans need to get rid of the negative aspects of our society and enforce a system of good governance and anti-corruption.
I urge all foreigners to come to South Africa and experience the reality of what is actually happening. Any comments will be gladly welcomed on this blog or at
Always and forever the realist,
Anonymous
NondePlume.
Sunday 25 May 2014
The disturbing/intriguing business of "Hawking".
The disturbing/intriguing business of "Hawking".
Today, whilst walking to a local shopping centre to have lunch after church, I was approached by a middle aged African man. He was obviously a "hawker", selling an assortment of straw brooms and ironing board accessories. (How many brooms does one need?) I decided to listen to what he had to say as his body language looked like that of a desperate man. I greeted him with a warm smile and shook his hand while watching his body language. I like to think of myself as someone who can read people very easily.
Anyway, he asked me to buy his wares as he needed money to finish his final year of school. I do understand times are tough, but its no excuse to lie to someone. These "hawkers" and the ever increasing amount of beggars, actually have a very shrewd mindset. They play on our emotions in order to sell their goods. They use a principle of guilt also known as the "guilt complex". You could even say that these "hawkers" learnt this technique from ANC politicians! As a person who is reasonably comfortable, there will always be some sort of guilt when dealing with poor people. These "hawkers" use this to their advantage to get us to buy goods that we don't actually need.
After listening to his long, sob story, I tried to walk away only to have him walk after me persisting that I purchase his wares. These "hawkers" are not licensed and should not be encouraged by people who feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. I had finally had enough of his pleading and turned around to face him. I asked him a very clever (possibly nasty) question. "How much do you earn a day?". His answer was that he had not sold a broom or ironing board cover for months. I then proceeded to ask him why he had not gotten work elsewhere as he should have a certificate stating that he has passed Grade 11. Most people in South Africa agree that they would be happy to employ someone for a low wage job if they at least had a grade 11 certificate. He then stated that he could not find another job because the rich people had all the jobs and that the ANC only gave jobs to those who had connections and money.
I now proceeded even further into the land of the "not politically correct" and told him that I would buy a broom if he told me which party he voted for in the recent elections (I swear this obsession with politics will be my downfall). He told me he couldn't vote because he wasn't able to get to a voting station.This was another blatant lie which was soon discovered as I was walking away and hid behind a wall. The "hawker" got into an old car and drove away. I was so shocked that I actually laughed!
The moral of this article is to not be emotionally bullied by "hawkers" as most of them are actually predators who are disguised as innocents. It is truly a sad state of affairs as most of us cannot tell the difference between a genuine, poor "hawker" and a crooked predator that manipulates people to buy his wares.
Stay sharp.
Anonymous
NondePlume.
Today, whilst walking to a local shopping centre to have lunch after church, I was approached by a middle aged African man. He was obviously a "hawker", selling an assortment of straw brooms and ironing board accessories. (How many brooms does one need?) I decided to listen to what he had to say as his body language looked like that of a desperate man. I greeted him with a warm smile and shook his hand while watching his body language. I like to think of myself as someone who can read people very easily.
Anyway, he asked me to buy his wares as he needed money to finish his final year of school. I do understand times are tough, but its no excuse to lie to someone. These "hawkers" and the ever increasing amount of beggars, actually have a very shrewd mindset. They play on our emotions in order to sell their goods. They use a principle of guilt also known as the "guilt complex". You could even say that these "hawkers" learnt this technique from ANC politicians! As a person who is reasonably comfortable, there will always be some sort of guilt when dealing with poor people. These "hawkers" use this to their advantage to get us to buy goods that we don't actually need.
After listening to his long, sob story, I tried to walk away only to have him walk after me persisting that I purchase his wares. These "hawkers" are not licensed and should not be encouraged by people who feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. I had finally had enough of his pleading and turned around to face him. I asked him a very clever (possibly nasty) question. "How much do you earn a day?". His answer was that he had not sold a broom or ironing board cover for months. I then proceeded to ask him why he had not gotten work elsewhere as he should have a certificate stating that he has passed Grade 11. Most people in South Africa agree that they would be happy to employ someone for a low wage job if they at least had a grade 11 certificate. He then stated that he could not find another job because the rich people had all the jobs and that the ANC only gave jobs to those who had connections and money.
I now proceeded even further into the land of the "not politically correct" and told him that I would buy a broom if he told me which party he voted for in the recent elections (I swear this obsession with politics will be my downfall). He told me he couldn't vote because he wasn't able to get to a voting station.This was another blatant lie which was soon discovered as I was walking away and hid behind a wall. The "hawker" got into an old car and drove away. I was so shocked that I actually laughed!
The moral of this article is to not be emotionally bullied by "hawkers" as most of them are actually predators who are disguised as innocents. It is truly a sad state of affairs as most of us cannot tell the difference between a genuine, poor "hawker" and a crooked predator that manipulates people to buy his wares.
Stay sharp.
Anonymous
NondePlume.
Saturday 24 May 2014
Why political education is the key to a better South Africa.
Why is political education the key to a better South Africa?
2014, the year of the democratic elections in which the "born free" generation were able to vote for the first time. I, myself am a "born free". However, the term "born free" is misleading and quite frankly, just plain wrong. We are not born free. We were born into a South Africa where corruption had tainted so many aspects of our lives. The corruption and inefficient system of governance that still bind us, and keep us from becoming the nation that people can look up to and say, "This is my beautiful, prospering country which has truly moved on from the past". The African National Congress has for the past 20 years, been complaining endlessly about apartheid whilst dodging the real issues that affect our society. Whilst claiming that they have been moving South Africa forward, they have been running it into the ground just like the situation degraded in Zimbabwe. It is because of these uneducated attitudes that many people have lost faith in our country as a whole.
To get to my main topic today, I would like to start off with two quotes from people who I consider as role models:
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Consider these two quotes for a moment and think how you can relate them to South Africa.
In the 2014 election that we had recently, 18.402.497 valid votes were recorded. Besides the allegations of election rigging and voting poll violence, the ANC got 62,15% of the votes. This equates to 11.436.921 votes. Whilst the majority of people in South Africa suffer, the ANC and all their cronies seem to be living a life of extreme extravagance and luxury which these votes supply them with.
Political education should be mandatory in all schools across South Africa. Although this may be a bad idea due to teachers having their own political beliefs, I do believe that children should be taught to think independently from everyone. Critical thinking and techniques that stop the effects of political "brainwashing" should be taught to these children so they do not become legacy voters which cripple the country in the long term. If political education were to work, there would definitely be a massive drop in votes for the ANC as people would begin to realize that the situation is not about what happened in the past, but what happens to the future of South Africa.
With a new more effective government, efficiency will surely increase. Jobs will be available to all people who have qualifications regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. Our markets will expand and maximize productivity and we could surely strive to become a first world country. Basic services will be common place and education will be of paramount importance.
This may sound like a dream, but it can be a reality in the future if we start from a crucial point in our society. Political Education is the key to a better South Africa.
For further tweets add @NondePlume777 on twitter.
Anonymous
2014, the year of the democratic elections in which the "born free" generation were able to vote for the first time. I, myself am a "born free". However, the term "born free" is misleading and quite frankly, just plain wrong. We are not born free. We were born into a South Africa where corruption had tainted so many aspects of our lives. The corruption and inefficient system of governance that still bind us, and keep us from becoming the nation that people can look up to and say, "This is my beautiful, prospering country which has truly moved on from the past". The African National Congress has for the past 20 years, been complaining endlessly about apartheid whilst dodging the real issues that affect our society. Whilst claiming that they have been moving South Africa forward, they have been running it into the ground just like the situation degraded in Zimbabwe. It is because of these uneducated attitudes that many people have lost faith in our country as a whole.
To get to my main topic today, I would like to start off with two quotes from people who I consider as role models:
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-Albert Einstein
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Consider these two quotes for a moment and think how you can relate them to South Africa.
In the 2014 election that we had recently, 18.402.497 valid votes were recorded. Besides the allegations of election rigging and voting poll violence, the ANC got 62,15% of the votes. This equates to 11.436.921 votes. Whilst the majority of people in South Africa suffer, the ANC and all their cronies seem to be living a life of extreme extravagance and luxury which these votes supply them with.
Political education should be mandatory in all schools across South Africa. Although this may be a bad idea due to teachers having their own political beliefs, I do believe that children should be taught to think independently from everyone. Critical thinking and techniques that stop the effects of political "brainwashing" should be taught to these children so they do not become legacy voters which cripple the country in the long term. If political education were to work, there would definitely be a massive drop in votes for the ANC as people would begin to realize that the situation is not about what happened in the past, but what happens to the future of South Africa.
With a new more effective government, efficiency will surely increase. Jobs will be available to all people who have qualifications regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. Our markets will expand and maximize productivity and we could surely strive to become a first world country. Basic services will be common place and education will be of paramount importance.
This may sound like a dream, but it can be a reality in the future if we start from a crucial point in our society. Political Education is the key to a better South Africa.
For further tweets add @NondePlume777 on twitter.
Anonymous
NondePlume.
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