Bleeding Heart

Blog Mid Aug 08

Bleeding Heart!

I've taken the liberty, and without permission, of including as I have before, political cartoons of our ever so fine and internationally recognized cartoonist, Zapiro. His sketches and insights always say more than a thousand words. To see a vast compilation of his work, visit: http://www.mg.co.za/

I confess. I am a bleeding heart, its true. In the west where I hail from, the term often as not refers to a ‘bleeding heart liberal’ (as in politics). Effective political PR spin deliberately twisted the label to mean something else altogether, implying that a bleeding heart, a liberal, is politically immature, naive, dangerous embarrassing, even traitorous, someone to look down upon, as though active compassion for the unfortunate members of our national and world society is a waste of time, undesirable. "The poor will always be with you." Jesus.

It’s amazing how words can be turned around with the spin and smoke and mirrors of the debauched, all from folks with agendas or witless ignorance.

I was raised in a truly democratic country, Canada, where it was and is expected that individuals raised to political power and government are selected by the people en mass. Election by free and fair vote was acknowledgment, but also expectation by the community that the elective would strive with passion to raise the bar for our country, society and the world, our global village, and for the greater good of all.

That successful misinforming of the words, ‘bleeding heart liberal,’ as someone to be ashamed of, has had a dramatic impact on the West’s legislation for too many years. Is one to be ashamed of being a bleeding heart? I think not!

Why does my heart bleed? It bleeds for the fiasco taking place around our globe, and as I live in Africa, it especially bleeds for the fiasco taking place in the Sudan, in Zimbabwe, other African countries, but also here in South Africa, the miraculous home of Madiba and evolving democracy. My heart bleeds; it's skewered by the crime, corruption and violence that day by day afflicts the people. It bleeds for the lack of implemented legislated services which rarely ever reach those in desperate need. Were you to know of how many instances we suffer with corruption within government, the public service and businesses of South Africa, it would boggle your mind. And its getting worse.

I bleed for this overwhelming criminality which has taken our South African businesses, government and civil service by storm. I cringe with shame on seeing governments’ guilty self interest, then their self defensive spin statements (as though it were truth, repeated often enough) and actions, then their aggressive attacks on all our valued democratic service instruments good and promising, the judiciary, the media, our freedoms, striking against the very foundations of democracy and freedom, and ever so aggressively.

They attack even our praised (and justifiably world wide) Constitution as counter revolutionary. The man who would be king, our likely future president, Jacob Zuma, he with the shower head on his cartooned head for saying showers prevent HIV, is a man who will not swear allegiance to our Constitution. Can you imagine? He plans to change it, this lofty Constitution, so that no leader in the ruling party can be investigated or charged with a crime. Failure in that, he will pardon himself.

This man was charged with rape, (granted, he was acquitted - his accuser swiftly led away to safety in Europe for fear of her life). His corruption is really not even in question for those of thinking or legal minds. His financial adviser is already in jail. After all, who but the corrupt would attack the Constitutional Court which has a sterling record, or the incredibly successful Scorpions of the National Prosecuting Authority who battle corruption with 85% success levels, or the Media who reveal his misdeeds so successfully, all of whom are in his sights. And remember, as I stated before, his political calling call, his song which is sung so often by the emotional immatures who long for wealth through government, is 'Bring me my machine gun!"
Its sexual connotation, it violent connotation, its criminal in a society ruled by a constitution which stresses the rule of law.

As a Canadian South African I bleed for the continuing and ruthless impact on the people in need, by the unassailable greed which rules our government and businesses, and I bleed for the not so silent or bloodless coup which has unfolded here within the ANC, and which now is about to rule and loot the country as whites have so feared for so long.

I sincerely hope the world, and that is the world of the UN, the world of national governments with global reach, the world which hopes, for various reasons, that South Africa will remain the spring board for our continent, Africa, that they note what has and is happening here at the southern tip of Africa.

I deeply wish that the Euroopean world recognizes, admonishes, and charges those foreign international arms companies who offered and gave so many bribes to South African politicians, that they in their greed, their criminality and lack of ethics, have set South Africa on a decent which may well destroy this incredible country and reverse all hope for the continent. This is no small thing. Remember Reagan's trickle down theory. Well here, that trickle will be a drought.

The arm sellers’ national Governments must see the damage these companies have brought to South Africa, possibly nation breaking damage. If even in self interest, France and Britain need to see that their citizens’ and Government’s investments in South Africa will diminish significantly, possibly even be lost. More importantly for a bleeding heart, I wish them to see the impact on the poor of sub Saharan countries and their worsening suffering. Perhaps these governments would consider the inevitable future expenses to sort out the unfolding ramifications of their arm companies’ criminal dealings which are already in play.

Mostly I bleed for the people, the vast majority in Africa who are poor, who have almost nothing, often not even shelter or food. I know many who go to bed at night hungry, especially the children.

South Africa must succeed in its democratic non racial rainbow community for all who live here, regardless of skin colour or culture, citizen or foreigner, for sub Saharan Africa to establish true democracy. For without democracy the majority will continue to suffer and die unnecessarily, too early, and often cruelly. Zimbabwe’s life span is now 35 for women; let’s imagine something longer.

After Madiba,the saint, stepped down the ANC spun into uncontrollable greed which has grown incredibly fast, exponentially. Aligned with incompetence, a seemingly complete lack of compassion or understanding that as government and civil servants, their role is to serve, and for which they are paid, they have instead served themselves at the proverbial trough with one goal in mind, to enrich themselves, and to hell with everyone else, which is exactly where the poor remain.

The poor get poorer. And Hell gets larger.

There are many good people in South Africa wanting the best for all South Africa’s people, this Mother site of the world from whence we all originally traveled.

I have the greatest respect for many South Africans. I see them as a truly amazing people. And it is no surprise to me that four South Africans have won the Nobel Peace Prize, (has any other country produced that many) and of course there is Gandhi who spent many years here. Great challenges produce great men and women. So it has been in South Africa.

These good people believe South Africa is for all who live within her boundaries.

But we are being overwhelmed….

From within.

They, the criminals, the nation killers, must not succeed.

Cause it all trickles down.

Solinus, Aug 17, 2008