Nelson Mandela has died

[OumaFan]

What a life.

Actually just finished his autobiography a few days ago, really great memoir.

I would say very sad, but I honestly feel that's a bit of a cliche in this case. He lived 95 years, and packed about as much into a life as you possibly can. Watching the news, I like the celebration aspect going on. A life to be celebrated.

[greynotsoold]

Am I wrong? I understand that he was put in prison because he intended to blow up a school bus full of children. Is that correct?

[Violent Demise]

Who the fuck cares? Fuck him. They consider this clown great just cuz he was incarcerated? I know a lot of muthafukkas incarcerated. Some for life. Would not call them great

[Gandalf]

I respect him for saying that the society of the time was wrong and for being political about it. My only disappointment was that when he was President his impact was largely compromised by national debt and international finance. In essence it meant he adopted the same kinds of hideous policies adopted by extremists in America and the UK; thus the so called 'terrorist' as labelled by Thatcher actually become somewat akin to a reflection of the hideous creature who would call him a terrorist; at least in terms of actual policies as President. South Africa today is still a country with blacks much poorer than whites, has serious problems violent crime, and has massive inequalities of wealth. I have a hard time reconciling anyone becoming President and after all the struggle not standing up for what is right. The Western blackmailers kept the old system in as long as possible and then when change had to come, they made sure they kept it in their interests. In that sense Mandela was used a little like a puppet. Probably a very decent man, but politically very vulnerable and manipulated.

[Andre]

Who the fuck cares? Fuck him. They consider this clown great just cuz he was incarcerated? I know a lot of muthafukkas incarcerated. Some for life. Would not call them great

I suppose the biggest difference is the muthafuckers you know and the ones you dont wont be comming out to become the next the president of the US.

Like Miles says though, Mandela was the ideal puppet president.

[El Kabong]

The media and the world should tell the entirety of his story. A man who was frustrated and resorted to violence and then only after years in prison realized the flaws of his actions and sought peace.


This is a time to learn lessons about his life not to hold him up as a saint.

[El Kabong]

Also it was so refreshing to hear President Obama talk about someone OTHER than himself for a change....oh wait he didn't do that at all.

Everything relating to Mandela was "I, Me, My" even his fucking tweet "honoring" Mandela was ridiculous it was a quote by Barack Obama with a picture of Obama in Mandela's prison cell

[superheavyrhun]

Well, based purely on my twitter feed, it is depressing to see people who were 'truly shocked' and saddened at the death of Paul Walker making jokes about 'Has someone died? lol' when Mandela dies.
@smashup - It's easy to use the two wrongs don't make a right argument, but how much longer would apartheid have continued without the second wrongs that helped to bring the situation to its head and de Clerc having to bow to international pressure to end apartheid.

There's no such things as saints and as they say history is written by the winners, so there's no doubt that the negatives will be downplayed and the positives will be held up for all to see.

[Andre]

The media and the world should tell the entirety of his story. A man who was frustrated and resorted to violence and then only after years in prison realized the flaws of his actions and sought peace.


This is a time to learn lessons about his life not to hold him up as a saint.

The voice of reason .

[Beanz]

The hypocrisy lies with Dicks like Cameron who never took a stand against Apartheid
Cameron's freebie to apartheid South Africa - UK Politics - UK - The Independent and now can't wait to spout a soundbite. At least Bush who stupidly called anyone who wasn't a right wing conservative "a communist" seems to have kept his gob shut.It is lazy and self righteous to judge Mandela and his actions from the standpoint of a white person not living in South Africa when he began to stand his ground. Of course he is not a saint but few people finding themselves in his situation would have used that opportunity to do so much good. Ghandi's idea of a spinning wheel in every Indian house would have hurled it back into the dark ages but that does not negate the incredible achievements he initiated in taking on the British Empire. People seem to be in a rush to prove their own credibility in not being taken in by the medias spin. You have to willfully disregard so much to lend some of the comments here any credibility. Have some respect and try at least to look for some common ground while his family and country are in mourning.



Nelson Mandela, boxer: fought in the ring before he fought apartheid - Swide