The funeral courted dignitaries and leaders the world over, who dredged up story after story on the great Madnela's struggle against apartheid, which everyone agreed was one of the most despicable , repugnant and oppressive regimes to ever govern man.
Lost in the gushing sentimentality is the cynical truth that most of the leaders and dignitaries in attendance at Mandela's funeral are responsible for more deaths, more suffering and more oppression that little apartheid south Africa ever was.
Over apartheid's reign, 1948-1989 (41 years) the state was responsible for the deaths of 7000 people (black and white). That's 170 deaths a year.
In so far as the Nobel Peace prize is indicative of peace, the apartheid regime is more deserving of the accolade than Obama, for one. Barrack Obama's drone war in Pakistan has killed 2600 people since 2008. That's 520 deaths per year.
Both men combined have killed more people than Aparhteid |
What about Tony Blair? This man's endeavor to bring democracy to the Iraqi people has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. On what moral ground does Mr. Blair feel righteous in condemning apartheid? A ground under which hundreds of thousand lie dead. That is all.
The political struggle that broke out between competing African political parties in the period 1989-1994 cost the lives of 14,000 people. In only 5 years, black Africans in their struggle for power managed to kill twice as many people as Apartheid killed in its 41 year reign.
I believe in truth and justice. As such, I defend the right of peoples to live under their own terms, to have control over their own destiny. This is all apartheid was, far from the monstrosity it is construed as.
I think we would all be better off if a terrorist had obliterated that entire stadium. Come to think of it, it would not have been that hard to do given the incompetency of SA's police force and military. But this is another story for another post.