Advertising sometimes says more than intended

HT: Dan Phillips

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Bank Irresponsibility

At a time when the world economy is in recession, and especially here in South Africa where we already have an economy that can certainly not be seen as one of the strongest by a long shot, banks should encourage people to save and not to extend themselves too far. Yet, banks in South Africa are encouraging people to live more in credit and to become bound to those banks! This is simply irresponsible!

First National Bank, one of South Africa's biggest banks, is currently having a competition, running between 15 Nov 2009 and 31 Jan 2010, through which a person can win back his weekly spend on his credit card up to a maximum amount per card category. To see how a person can win, see the graphic here below.

Based on the gold card category, if I am nuts enough (there are many such nuts out there), thinking that I could possibly win a week's spending back to a value of R6000, and I keep on trying, I could soon sit with a maxed out card with say, R40000 in debt. That means I bought stuff to the value of R40000 to win back R6000 and the bank owns me!

I know exactly what the bank would say. "You should know your limits! It is not our fault if you spend too much!" That is like telling a donkey not to over extend itself to get to the proverbial carrot on a stick. Many people are like that donkey, and while the bank holds out that carrot, the donkey will keep pursuing! Of course, FNB will not take responsibility for the donkey falling off a cliff while running after the carrot, which was held there by FNB, that was always just those few inches out of reach!

FNB, and other banks should be doing more to get people to save money and not to enslave them. That is essentially what FNB is hoping for, the enslavement of their clients! People will go out and swipe those cards more and more, ensuring FNB of a much longer period of higher income.

By having competitions like this one, FNB and other banks try to ensure its own long term existence without thinking what it does to the people they enslave through this unconscionable trap! The fact is that they are willing to give away R220000 while they will be making millions via people having to pay back their credit card debt! SHAME ON YOU, FNB!

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." - Proverbs 22:7

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one." - Ben Franklin

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Global Warming Hysteria: coming for you this month!

Where do you think this AGW hysteria is leading to? BTW, AGW stands for Anthropogenic Global Warming, man-made global warming. To learn more about the global warming hoax being foisted upon the people of this planet, see my post of links on global warming here. Remember http://tinyurl.com/agwlinks, because this is where I keep adding more links to articles debunking the notion of AGW.

So, have you wondered about the question I posed at the beginning of this post? If AGW wins the day in Copenhagen and in similar meetings in the future, then the future for humanity will be sealed… extinction! And to wit, at the hands of humanity itself.

China has already spoken up concerning their fool-proof method for stemming the AGW tide… population control! Even now, there are voices from countries like Canada pointing to this same solution.

Wesley J. Smith, author of the blog Second Hand Smoke, featured at First Things, highlighted the call for this solution to population control:

Global Warming Hysteria: The Potential for Tyranny
Global Warming Hysteria: The Potential For Tyranny 2

So, will you be standing first in line to show your commitment to the "cause," or will you rather keep standing against the tyrannical hysteria of the AGW proponents?

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Medical fraternity in South Africa may just destroy your life!

Without saying anything, I want you to visit these links which deal with the medical fraternity in South Africa and the care you could expect from them.

Mom dies in hospital "mistake"
Medical waste dumped in yard
Medical waste burnt at office
Wrong op costs baby her legs
Baby maimed during labour

These are just a few of the horror stories in South Africa.

Now this is not what it is like at every hospital and all doctors' rooms. There are some brilliant doctors out there and some really good hospitals, but the scenarios above are becoming all too common!

Could this be one result of affirmative action? I would like to see some statistics on this.

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Driving in South Africa - Pt 4

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 if you haven't yet.

What is it with South Africans and the right-hand lane?

Here in South Africa, since we drive on the left-hand side of the road as in England, the right-hand lane is considered the fast lane, unlike in countries like the U.S.A. where it is the complete opposite.

In this country, people just love the fast lane, even if they are slow drivers. What is it with that? Why is it that on our highways, where our speed limit is mostly 120km/h, there are always several cars travelling at 100km/h or less… in the fast lane?

The problem with this is that it causes problems with traffic flow. The end result of this, especially on busy highways is a major traffic jam on the highway. There is a definitive concertina effect on busy highways when slow cars pop up in the fast lane, eventually leading to complete stops.

Remember, here in South Africa the rule is: "Keep LEFT, pass RIGHT!" Click here for more South African rules of the road.

Another thing that keeps popping up, is people who know that they accelerate slowly will stop in the fast lane at traffic lights or stop signs. Then, when the light turns green, these people will accelerate at the speed of a coral reef! I see that so often when approaching a red traffic light and there are perhaps 2 cars waiting at the light in the left-hand lane. The next person to arrive is really slow, but insists on stopping in front in the right-hand lane. Of course, the people arriving after this assume that the right-hand lane would be quicker with acceleration.

What a surprise to find out that old Mrs. Coral Reef is standing in the front of the fast lane! Apart from messing with traffic flow, this also causes people to get upset with either getting away to slowly, or even being denied getting across the green light because Mrs. Coral Reef was to slow in the front, not letting more people make it across the green light.

Another thing is that many South Africans love sitting in the fast lane playing police man. They will refuse anyone to pass in the right-hand lane that is going faster than the allowable speed. There are others, going slow in the fast lane, who simply do not care and will sit there as if it is their right to stay in that lane.

If each of us drives where and like we are supposed to, we would all have a more pleasant driving experience. By being selfish, we cause others to be unhappy on the road, and at times it becomes so bad that road rage is the end result.

Here is an interesting page called Slower Traffic Keep Right. Of course, if you are from South Africa, read "left" for "right" and "right" for "left!" Wherever this site mentions left, you should read "right" and vice versa.

So, for safe driving in South Africa
(especially you South Africans)

Next, Part 5.

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Use tr.im to see how many follow your shortened links

I have just started using Tr.im for shortening web page links on my Twitter and Facebook accounts. What I like about Tr.im is that I can see how many clicks I get on a link that I shortened and sent on. Simply open a free Tr.im account, and use it to shorten links while logged in. Then use that link in Twitter or Facebook or your blog (anywhere really) and you will be able to see how many clicks you got on that link. The following screen capture shows three links that I shortened and the results within an hour of sending them out.

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Education in South Africa is in trouble

The following graphic comes from the You magazine, 19 November 2009. It makes one think, doesn't it?

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Gauteng gets new vehicle number plates

As it goes in South Africa, the government (whether provincial or national), always finds ways to make more money from its citizens. That is how it seems with the new number plate scheme.

The blue BB00BB GP plates are the standard issue plates. The black PB00BB GP plates are most likely for police services. The green HEITA GP is for personalized plates such as HOTROD GP. Finally, the red GB00BB GP plates are for government vehicles.

It is not that I am against new number plates, since Gauteng will run out of numbers by mid-2010 on its current BBB000 GP number scheme. Vehicles can keep their current numbers beyond that time, but they have to get those numbers re-stamped on the new metal plates. Even though the the new plates will be "equipped with a 2D barcode and a passive electronic chip," ostensibly for security and to stop falsification of plates, it still seems to be another money making scheme. It just would have been so much easier if only newly registered vehicles would be issued with these plates.

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100 Open Courses and 100 Audio Books

A while ago Amber Johnson sent me a link to "100 Awesome Open Courses for Bibliophiles." Here you will find all kinds of open courses to do online. They have courses on literature, foreign literature, linguistics, books and manuscripts, poetry and drama, ancient texts, non-fiction and more.

I also saw that Dan Phillips wrote a note on "100 Free Audio Books You Should Have Read By now." Here you will find audio books from the UK, Europe, classic mysteries and thrillers, biographies and autobiographies, children's literature and poetry. Have you ever wanted to read Moby Dick? You can listen to it now! What about The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin? It is there too! You will find Black Beauty, The wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, The Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen and even History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol I by Edward Gibbon.

Go, educate yourself! Go, read!

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Are these pictures photoshopped?

For more of the same, click here.

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Famous pictures manipulated

Pictures we see in magazines and newspapers aren't always what they seem. See the following two pictures.

Now visit Amazing Facts for the other 9 famous pictures that were manipulated!

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Is this the level of South African politics?

Sorry for the one harsh word somewhere close to the end.  This is funny and portrays our perception of South African politics really well!

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Julius Malema to be South African president after Zuma?

I know, I know! The thought of Julius Malema becoming the next South African president after Zuma is quite revolting, but it is a reality that we may have to face.

Zuma, over the weekend, praised Malema as a good leader worthy of "inheriting the ANC." Julius Malema is probably the most divisive politician since "one settler, one bullet!" The man has an uncanny knack of alienating anyone willing to think for himself. He has this way with the masses to turn them into rabid wolves ready to devour at his command.

The problem with Malema is that he thinks that everything can be solved via a takeover by the ANC government. Note, I did not say "government but "ANC government."

The question is, would you be willing to live in a country with Malema as its president? I am not so sure I am.

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OBE in South Africa to be dumped

Outcomes Based Education in South Africa is set for a huge change in South Africa. A South African Education report revealed many difficulties with the revised curriculum of OBE in South Africa.

Now we all know that when things are written in newspapers we should take the information they present with a bag of salt. Well, it seems that this time the minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, really is fed up with the OBE curriculum as it currently stands in South Africa. I spoke to someone from the department over the weekend, and this person confirmed that the minister is going to get rid of this revised curriculum and it would probably take at least 18 months.

Well, this is good news since the demands on teachers are way too high and the curriculum drives children to the edge. My wife is a teacher in grade 1 (she is also head of department), and she works most nights till around midnight, and many times till 1-2 am.

Let's hope the new curriculum will have more sense to it, and that teachers are guided by it much more.

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ESKOM disses South African electricity users

ESKOM, as I have written before, is a grossly mismanaged public enterprise, that also has an energy monopoly in South Africa. As a para-statal, and the only energy provider, it could have been mistakenly thought that ESKOM would have the integrity and moral courage to think of the South African electricity user before turning itself into a dung heap of morons that have no inkling of an idea what they are about to do to South Africans and the economy.

Just a few months ago, an electricity price hike of 31% came into effect. Suddenly, now, ESKOM wants to go into overdrive when it comes to price hikes. Can you believe that those nincompoops running that institute of insanity want a price hike of 45% per year for the next three years? What are they trying to achieve? Running South Africa and its citizens financially into the ground? That is exactly what they will achieve! ESKOM is fast becoming a economic black hole.

Let's look at this in actual monetary terms. If a person paid only R100 per month for electricity before the last 31% tariff hike, he will end up paying R399.37 after the three 45% tariff hikes proposed by ESKOM over the next three years. That is almost 300% higher per month! Have a look:

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Obama… Nobel peace Prize? Ha! Ha! Ha!

When I heard on Friday, 9 Oct 2009 that Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize from the Norwegians, I did a quick tweet about it.

Like Mark Steyn wrote in his commentary at the ocregister, nominations had to be in by February 1, only 12 days after Obama was inaugurated as U.S. president. What in the world had Obama accomplished in those 12 days?

My question is this: Based on this award given to Obama, what is a Nobel prize actually worth?

The Norwegians, like the other Scandinavian countries have gone from fierce Vikings, to believers in Christ. Yet, for some time now they have rejected God and have become complete liberals. It is this liberal, or more correctly, leftist stance, that delivered the Nobel Peace Prize into Obama's sweaty palms.

And so, Obama marches on in infamy! What else?

HT: Dan Phillips (for Mark Steyn article)

UPDATE (Interesting links on this issue):
Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize by Daniel Pipes
Their Nobel Savior by Jacob Laksin
Obama Wins Nobel Prize, Exported Tax-Funded Abortions at Time of Nomination by Steven Ertelt
The Affirmative Action Nobel by Pat Buchanan
Noblesse Oblige by Hassan Nurullah

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Use Kosmix for a while and then take the poll!

I read an article on ZDNet by Jennifer Leggio called Google: It's not me, it's you. She has been using another search engine called Kosmix. In the article she explains why she likes Kosmix more than Google.

Now, who hasn't heard of Google yet? Maybe some cave dwellers, I suppose. Who has heard of Kosmix before? This was the first I ever heard of Kosmix.

I would personally like to know what you think about Kosmix, that is why I set up a poll on my blog. Please use it for a while and then answer the poll.

Happy searching!

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Pitching in baseball

My wife and I, together with our kids lived in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. the whole of 1999-2000. It was during that time that I met Kent Justice, who was a radio sports announcer some years before in California, and at the time was a morning news anchor at NBC-4 in Columbus. The reason that I met him was that he was our next-door neighbour.

Our families quickly became close, as we had quite a bit in common. Our daughter and their daughter were the same ages and the same was true for our sons. Further, we were all Christians.

One day Kent invited us all to a local minor league baseball game between the Columbus Clippers and another team. Right through the game he explained what was happening on the field, strategies and how the scoring worked. Well, needless to say, I walked away there with a new vision of baseball. It is here that I received my love of baseball. Of course, it is unusual for a South African to love anything other than rugby, cricket and soccer. In fact, I like baseball more than these sports.

Kent was my buddy when we lived in the U.S. and I thank God for him and his family.

Of course, when we came back to South Africa in December 2000, I entered into my baseball winter, and was unable to watch any baseball until this year when I finally decided to hook up to DSTV. It is on ESPN that I now get to watch baseball. Usually the games are on when we are sleeping (01:00). Then a replay will be on in the afternoons here in SA when I am at work. So, I would usually get to see the last hour of a shortened version of the game.

Then came last night when the Rockies vs. Phillies game was on from 20:30 SA time (14:30 in Philly). I got to watch a game as it was being played. I sat there with my laptop and tweeted my thoughts as the game went on. I really enjoyed it. However, what disappointed me is that right after that game, the Yankees/Twins game came on. I just couldn't keep on watching, as it would have kept me awake till 03:00!

Anyhow, I have waffled enough for now. I found two neat online pages on baseball pitching.

Baseball Pitches Illustrated is simply a guide to identify pitches when they are pitched.
How To Grip And Throw Different Baseball Pitches gives descriptions of several grips and throws in baseball pitching.

Next time you watch a game, see if you can identify those pitches!

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Remembering that dreadful day!

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Whose choice is it anyway?

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Is RICA (sim card law) a good thing?

As South Africans, we don't always keep up with new laws and new amendments to the constitution. For those who do not know, the Constitution of South Africa has been amended 16 times already. Have you read any of our Acts or Bills?

The next question would be: Have you heard of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act 70 of 2002 (RICA)? Well, the fundamentals of this law is that each SIM card, whether that card is for prepaid, contract or data use, must be registered against your name and identification. To find out more about this act without having to actually read the act, you can read Cell Phone SIM Cards and RICA.

The purpose of RICA, which came into effect on 1 July 2009, is "to regulate the interception of certain communications, the monitoring of certain signals and radio frequency spectrums and the provision of certain communication-related information." The two troubling words here are "interception" and "monitoring."

The apparent reason for this act is to assist in fighting crime. Criminals use cell phones to commit crime, and so the government wants to be able to listen into cell phone connections in order to find out where such crimes will be committed. So, the theory behind this act is that criminals will no longer be able to use cell phones to assist in their dastardly crimes. The question is how the government will be able to know whose conversations to listen to. Will they have a suspicion about a person, and then listen into his conversations? How does this help if by the time of the suspicion, the incriminating conversation is already finished, and the planning of the crime already concluded? That is too late! What if the suspicion is wrong, and a person's privacy has been violated?

The effectiveness of this law can only be guaranteed if all calls are monitored and certain keywords are used to intercept specific conversations. However, that will be a blanket violation of all citizens' privacy rights. In fact, I wonder how the government will ensure that our constitutional rights aren't violated in this regard. Section 14 of the constitution, dealing with privacy, says the following:

14. Privacy Everyone has the right to privacy, which includes the right not to have ­ a. their person or home searched; b. their property searched; c. their possessions seized; or d. the privacy of their communications infringed.

Any law, including RICA, is subservient to the constitution, therefore, if RICA violates point 'd' then this law will have to be amended or even scrapped.

Having said all this, how effective will this law be? The Abortion Nepotism and Corruption party, ANC, has a very sorry track record when it comes to fighting crime. In fact, it does not seem like they are serious about fighting crime at all. The fact that the police is ridiculously under-funded, and in many places they do not even have enough vehicles for fighting crime points to the government's flippant attitude towards the crime problem in this country. Also, the fact that it has become so much more difficult to continue owning personal firearms, never mind purchasing new firearms, perhaps points to a more sinister reason for disarming law abiding citizens! Citizens without the capability of actually defending themselves against gun-wileding criminals are simply open targets for criminals. The reality of the situation is that criminals will not bother registering their weapons, since they are criminals, and as a result no law will stop them from having weapons.

We already have enough laws against crime. These laws are not applied! A law that is not enforced is no law at all! Laws have meaning when they enforced. If our crime laws were actually enforced, silly laws like RICA would not be needed! In fact, based on what we already know about South African law enforcement, my guess is that RICA will amopunt to nothing. Most probably, RICA will get challenged in the Constitutional Court sooner or later.

Lastly, I do not trust this government at all They have proven to be unreliable in how they treat its own citizens. They ignored the voice of the people with regards to abortion, pornography and same-sex marriage, and legalized them all. The people overwhelmingly stood against these heinous evils by a great majority, yet the governnment legalized them anyhow. The ANC cannot be trusted, and with regards RICA, and the technology at hand, our constitutional privacy will soon come to an end!

NO PRIVACY
Intercepting your calls daily!
coming to a cell phone near you on 1 January 2011!

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Nomination process for Commissioners to the South African Human Rights Commission is open

Human Rights must always be balanced by simple common sense, of which there is little in the world these days, and built upon the privileges of life that God established in the Bible. Rights should also be counter-balanced by responsibilities.

Please nominate Christians to this commission!

The following arrived in my Inbox from the Parliamentary Monitoring Group:

---

Nominations: Commissioners to the South African Human Rights Commission

Advertisements were placed in the media  in May 2009 calling for nominations  for five full-time Commissioners to the  South African Human Rights  Commission (SAHRC). The closing date for those nominations was 8 May 2009.

The  Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, which has  been  tasked by the National Assembly with making recommendations on the  names of  persons to fill the vacancies in the Commission, has decided to  reopen the  nomination process. This is because the National Assembly may  decide to nominate  more than 5 Commissioners and may also decide to nominate  part-time as well as  full-time Commissioners.

Nominations are, therefore, invited from  individuals, organisations,  institutions and civil society for suitable persons  to be appointed as  full-time or part-time Commissioners to the SAHRC.

The  nominees must:

• Be South  African citizens who are fit and proper to serve on  the  SAHRC
• Comply  with any other  requirements prescribed by national legislation, in particular  the Human  Rights Commission Act, 1994
• Possess  suitable  qualifications, expertise and experience in the area of human   rights,
  

In accordance with the  provisions of  the Human Rights Commission Act and Constitution, the National  Assembly may  recommend persons for appointment for a fixed term, as the  President may  determine at the time of such appointment, but not exceeding  seven  years.

The persons recommended for appointment as Commissioners must:

• Promote  respect for, and a  culture of, human rights, including rights to information and   equity
• Promote  the protection, development and attainment of human  rights
• Monitor  and assess  the observance of human rights
• Act  impartially and  independently, without fear, favour or prejudice, in the conduct  of their  duties
• Actively  promote public  awareness of and education on human rights and assist members of  the public  in accessing their rights
• Be  involved in the investigation of alleged human rights abuses  or violations and  recommend measures for redress
•  Contribute to the research  and  reporting functions of the SAHRC.
  

Nominations must  contain the full  name, postal/e-mail address and contact details of the  person or organisation  making the nomination, a signed acceptance of the  nomination by the nominee and  a Curriculum Vitae (CV) providing the  nominees:

• Full  name, ID number and gender
• Contact  details, including  physical address, telephone/cell number and e-mail   address
• Relevant  previous experience (including relevant dates and  organisations  concerned)
• Academic  qualifications.
  

Nominations  can be emailed to Committee Secretary Mr Vhonani  Ramaano at vramaano@parliament.gov.za by no   later than Friday, 4 September 2009 at  17:00.

NB:Nominees who complied with all the  requirements set out  in the advertisement of May 2009 need not reapply, as their  nominations have  already been accepted for consideration.

Enquiries: Mr V  Ramaano tel. (021) 403-3820, cell: 083 7098427

Issued by Mr Ngoako  Ramatlhodi MP: Chairperson: Portfolio Committee on  Justice and Constitutional  Development

Thank you,
 
Mlulami Dodo
Parliamentary Monitoring  Group
 
Website: http://www.pmg.org.za
Access to all  Parliamentary Committee information
Email mlulami@pmg.org.za
Tel 021 465  8885

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Nomination process for Public Protector in South Africa is open

Nominations for Public protector in South Africa has been opened again. If you know someone who would do well in this position, please nominate that person! It would be excellent to get a godly Christian in this position!

Nominations must be in by Friday, 4 September 2009 at 16:00.

I just received the following from the Parliamentary Monitoring Group:

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Nominations: Public Protector

The Office of  the Public Protector is an institution supporting  constitutional democracy,  established in terms of sections 181 to 183 of  Chapter 9 of the Constitution.  Although it may not investigate court  decisions, the Office of the Public  Protector must investigate matters  related to maladministration in relation to  the affairs of Government,  improper conduct by persons in the Public Service,  improper use of public  money, improper or unlawful enrichment of a person  performing a public  function, as well as acts or omissions by a person  performing a public  function that result in improper prejudice to another  person.

The Public Protector must accordingly seek to strengthen and  support  constitutional democracy through conducting investigations into alleged   improper conduct by organs of State, facilitate resolution of disputes,  reports  and recommend remedial action and raise public awareness about its  role and  responsibilities. The Public Protector must be accessible to all  persons and  communities and must be efficient and effective in the execution  of its duties.  The Office of the Public Protector must be broadly  representative of the  population of South  Africa in both race and  gender.

In  accordance with the provisions of section 193 of the Constitution, the  National  Assembly hereby invites nominations from individuals,  organisations,  institutions and civil society for a suitable person to be  appointed as Public  Protector.

The nominee must:

• Be a South African citizen
• Be fit and proper to hold the office of the Public  Protector
• Comply with any other requirements prescribed by national legislation, in. particular the Public Protector Act,  1994.

In  accordance with  the provisions of the Public Protector Act and Constitution, the  National  Assembly may recommend a person for appointment by the President for a   non-renewable term of seven years. The person recommended for appointment as   Public Protector must

• Be  suitably qualified and experienced with a reputation for  honesty and  integrity
• Be  subject only to the Constitution and the  law
• Be  impartial and must exercise his her powers and perform his /  her functions  without fear, favour or prejudice thus preserving the Office's   independence
• Maintain high standards of trustworthiness
• Account for decisions and actions
• Display courtesy to all, treating people with dignity and   respect
• Be  sensitive towards and understand stakeholders' needs and   feelings
• Strive to execute responsibilities fairly and consistently with  due  regard for the facts of each matter
  

Nominations  must  contain the full name, address/ e-mail address and contact details of the   person or organisation making the nomination, a signed acceptance of the   nomination by the nominee and a Curriculum Vitae (CV) providing the  nominee's: 

• Full name, ID number and gender
• Contact details, including physical address, telephone/cell  number and  e-mail address
• Relevant previous experience (including relevant dates and  organisations  concerned)
• Academic   qualifications.
  

NB: Persons who submitted nominations by 8 May  2009, in  response to the earlier advert, need not resubmit.

Nominations must reach Committee Secretary  Mr Thembinkosi Ngoma  at tngoma@parliament.gov.za    by no later than Friday, 4 September 2009 at 16:00. 

Enquiries: tel:  Mr Thembinkosi Ngoma (021) 403-3733, cell: 072 145   9368

Issued by: Adv TM Masutha, MP:   Chairperson of the ad Hoc Committee to Nominate Person for Appointment as  Public  Protector.

Thank you,
 
Mlulami Dodo
Parliamentary Monitoring  Group
 
Website: http://www.pmg.org.za <../../../../../../>
Access to all  Parliamentary Committee information
Email mlulami@pmg.org.za
Tel 021 465  8885

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Weeding as done by the Topgear presenters: KABOOM!

Top Ground Gear Force: Clarkson Vs. Weeds! - The funniest bloopers are right here

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I do not want these thugs to defend my country!

Ill-disciplined! No national or military honour! That is my opinion of these soldiers that should have the character to do battle for our country against evil foes!

But, no! These thugs would rather take to the streets with all kinds of hand weapons, destroying private and public property as they march on. Soldiers, who have sworn to fight for this nation and to die for it if necessary have no business taking to the streets marching on the capital, acting in the exact opposite manner in which they have sworn to act. This is dereliction of duty! Our own police department had to shoot at these thugs with rubber bullets to restore order. What does that say about the men in our military?

My question would be why these thugs joined the military in the first place! Was it to get a salary, or to become defenders of our country? If it was for the former, then they have made the wrong choice! These are the kind of people that will desert their country in battle and difficult times, because they do not have the strength of character, nor do they serve this country with honour!

When I was in the army we only received about R60 per month, and when we fought in the Angolan Border War we were paid about R150 per month. Here we fought for the honour of our country! Our men died there, yet we pressed on to battle evil.

These so-called soldiers behaving like thugs have no battles! They do not face death every day! They do not march in the bush for weeks, many times without food, still facing the enemy! The only enemies they face today are their bank balance, their dishonourable conduct, their criminal behaviour! In the proverbial story of mice and men, they do not even qualify as mice! They are cowards who do not deserve to serve in the military. They are a disgrace to this nation and should be punished accordingly.

Oh, that our country would be defended by men of honour and not just men with the mentality of boys looking for a salary. It is time that the real men in our military deal with these thugs!

With people in our military like this, it will indeed be a dark day when real war comes back to our doorstep!

Let's pray that day never happens!

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Do you use Google Alerts?

Have you heard of Google Alerts? It could save you lots of time searching for relevant topics.

I have been using Google Alerts for some time now. There are certain topics that I like to keep track of, and without having to constantly search for it on Google, I let Google Alerts inform me when a new article/blog post has appeared on the web that uses the term or phrase that I want to be kept informed about.

As an example, let's say you would like to be kept informed about a certain political party (I keep and eye on two political parties: the African Christian Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Alliance). Whenever something about that party is said on the internet, and Google has found those articles and indexed them in its search system, it will email you with a link to the article, and the first few sentences in that article. I use the phrase "African Christian Democratic Party" and "ACDP" to maintain my alerts about the African Christian Democratic Party.

Of course, if you are an entertainment junkie and still think that movie actors and singers are stars and heroes (shame on you!), you can ask Google Alerts to inform you when something new has been written about those fallen stars.

You can set your alerts up in different ways to keep track of the same thing as I showed in my example about political parties above. For instance, if you would like to be kept informed about that ultra-leftist, liberal communist, Barack Obama, you can set up alerts on the following: "Barack," "Obama," "Barack Obama," "The One" (dripping with sarcasm here), "Barry Soetoro," "ObamaCare" and many more. In this way you will be able to keep tabs on the man who has never had a real job apart from his political mis-carriageeer. He also taught some un-constitutional law on the side.

So, make life easy on yourself, and start using Google Alerts!

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Modesty, beauty pageants and hypocrisy

Like most people you have probably heard about the Carrie Prejean, Miss California, Miss U.S.A. debacle. There are differences on both sides of the church aisle on this issue. Stan Guthrie wrote an interesting article called A Modest Proposal: Truth, Grace, and Carrie Prejean.

Of course, the whole issue made me think of the cartoon above. It is amazing how the liberal left likes to point fingers at conservatives. Whenever a conservative messes up, he would get tagged as a hypocrite. That is very rich coming from the left. The only reason why the left thinks that they are so wonderful is because their standards are so very low. It is so easy to keep to those standards.

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Using the Flock web browser

I have been using Flock for some time now. What is Flock? Good grief! You must be living under a very heavy rock that has you stuck in a very deep, muddy groove!

Flock is a web browser. Ha! But, it is not just a web browser. It is a browser on social steroids!

With Flock, you can be connected to several social networks at once, such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more. You can also be connected to various media sites such as Youtube, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and more. Further, it hooks you up with your blogging site, such as Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, etc. Yet further, you can also be connected to your webmail service such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL Mail. All of this while you do not have one of these sites open as a web page in your browser.

In Flock, you will see all your new feeds from Facebook, Twitter, etc. You will even know when you have new mail.

You can also blog using Flock's own blog editor. In fact, this is the first time I am using the Flock blog editor with this very post. For instance, I simply dragged the Flock logo below from the Flock website to this editor. Voila!

Just like Firefox, Flock is also powered by Mozilla. So, what you think you have in Firefox, you will get tons more in Flock. Many of the Firefox add-ons also work in Flock.

Anyhow, I have done enough plugging for Flock now. You actually need to install it and use it to see what a great browser it really is.





Finally, I also dragged this Youtube video straight from Flock's Media Bar onto the blog
editor.

Cool, huh?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

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Obama is confused about his enemies and friends

Perhaps Obama has a different agenda...

HT: Alan Caruba

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Looting just the beginning: South African government starts reaping

When people in this country get angry, the first thing they do is break the law. They burn trains, kill foreigners, have violent strikes and now simply walk en-masse into supermarkets, helping themselves to food and other goods.

Each of these actions, performed mob-style, is a criminal action. To burn property, commit violent acts during strikes and taking what is not yours, is criminal. When people commit such crimes they should pay for those crimes. Especially those that instigate such actions. Nozipho Mteshane, chairperson of the South African Unemployed People's Movement (SAUPM), should be charged for instigating theft on such a scale. It is one thing to say that people are hungry and can't make ends meet, but it is a whole different issue when those people are instigated to commit crime.

When you look at the pictures in the gallery at IOL, it doesn't seem like these people are that bad off. Certainly, these are well-dressed looters. Apart from instigating people to steal food en-masse from food stores, SAUPM also wants the government to pay each unemployed person R1500 ($187, €136, £118) per month.

South Africa has 17.87m people that are employable. Of these, 23.5% or 4.2m are unemployed. That leaves 13.67m that are employed. Based on the R1500 that SAUPM is demanding for each unemployed person per month, the South African government will need an additional R6.3b per month. That means, R75.6 billion ($9.45b, €6.87b, £5.9b) per annum! This is simply ridiculous!

On the other hand we have the ANC-ruled South African government. Their policies have brought this type of action on themselves. They have kept pushing up the minimum salaries that people are supposed to be paid, and in the domestic worker market, some people can simply not pay the minimum salaries anymore, with the effect that some have lost their jobs.

Furthermore, the ANC bred a people of strikes and violence pre-1994, and the children of those people learnt from their parents. As a result, we have a people today that know only one way of dealing with problems: violence and looting!

The ANC has a lot to do before this country can ever be normalized, and my guess is that they don't know how to do it! The question is, will that drive us back into becoming a socialistic nation?

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Annual Review of South African Constitution

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group has issued an invitation as follows:

---

In terms of Section 45(1)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the Constitutional Review Committee must review the Constitution annually.

Therefore, members of the public are invited to make written submissions to the Constitutional Review Committee on specific sections of the Constitution that they feel need to be reviewed.

Submissions can be emailed to Ms Pat Jayiya at pjayiya@parliament.gov.za by no later than Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Issued by Adv SP Holomisa, MP and Mr BA Mnguni, MP: Co-chairpersons: Constitutional Review Committee
 
The document is also here: www.pmg.org.za/policy_docs?page=1
 

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Should Prostitution Be Legalized? Open Public Debate - Wed 29 July

The Public Square Foundation will be hosting a debate on SHOULD PROSTITUTION BE LEGALISED? between Cheryllyn Dudley, Member of Parliament for the ACDP and Eric Harper from the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT).
 
When: Wednesday, 29 July, 19:00
Venue: UCT Upper Campus, Richard Luydt Room, Cape Town.
 
All Welcome.
 
For more information contact Gaynore Cele: 021-7026000 or 0741044136.
 
Sent out by:
Africa Christian Action
PO Box 23632
Claremont
7735
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: 021-689 4481
E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za
Web: www.christianaction.org.za

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Driving in South Africa - Pt 3

Read Part 1, Part 2 if you haven't yet.

Intersections

Who does not get frustrated at an intersection where you have to wait for oncoming traffic before you can turn, especially when that intersection does not have a green flashing arrow to allow you freedom to turn while oncoming traffic must stop for you? Of course, then you have to wait for the oncoming traffic to pass before turning and, in the event of the traffic light turning red, then you quickly have to turn before the traffic starts moving on the road perpendicular to your own.

In this scenario, South Africans are not very disciplined. Since many of these intersections without a flashing green arrow on the traffic light only allow about 2 or maybe 3 cars to go through after oncoming traffic has to stop for the red light, many people take the liberty of quickly "slipping" through.

For those who do this "slipping" through the red light in order to turn, without mentioning the obvious accident scenario, there are other problems with this. One of those problems is that "slipping" through like this on a red light causes a slowing down of the traffic coming from the sides. Now they have to wait for Mr/Mrs Selfish before they can go, slowing traffic down at the back, ensuring that the number of cars that should have made it through that green light could not make it. What this causes at the previous traffic light is a heaping up of cars, many of whom now get stuck in the middle of that intersection, blocking traffic from the sides. I hope you can see the cumulative effect of "slipping" through!

Even though some lights do not allow for many cars to make their turns, it doesn't give the driver the right to to make his turn when the light has turned red!

So, how should this scenario be approached in an equitable way? When you are at such an intersection waiting to turn across oncoming traffic, move your vehicle as far forward as safely possible. This way, more cars (1 or 2) can also get across the solid white stop line at the traffic light. As a result, all the cars that have crossed that white solid line can turn. The problem comes when the light has turned red. All cars that are still behind the solid white stop line should stay put. That means if you are behind that line and the light turns red, you may not go any longer! You are jumping a red light and should be fined for doing so! Do not see this as an opportunity to stick to the tail of the car in front of you and so "slip" through! By "slipping" through like this, you affect the lanes where the light has just gone green.

Lane changing

The question, of course, is which lane should you enter if you turn into a double-(multi) lane road? This is simple, really. The picture here explains it in a visual way. If I am travelling from north to south and I want to turn west, I should enter the lane on the right of the double lane road as indicated by the green line in the image. This means that if there is a flow of vehicles north/south, and there are vehicles both from north and south wanting to turn west, then those vehicles from the south should keep to the left-hand lane and the vehicles from the north should be able to use the right-hand lane. That is what the green lines portray. That means that the red line in the image becomes a no-no for the person coming from the north wanting to turn west. The simple rule here is to turn into the lane closest to you.

Why is this important? Well, the obvious reason for this is traffic flow. In this way, cars coming from the north turning west do not have to wait for cars coming from the south to first turn before they can go, helping with traffic flow. Obviously, when 2 lanes are allowed to turn, as is the case coming from the south, then those coming from the north must wait.

Once you have turned into your lane, you then change to the lane that you need to be in, after you have indicated your intended lane change with the relevant indicator.

Driving is all about ettiquette, and agressive driving is pure selfishness. Rather than making it easier for yourself by being a rude and crude driver, think of those around you. The roads in South Africa do not belong to a certain group only. It is part of an infrastructure built for all South Africans.

In essence, be a thoughtful and kind driver, not an oaf!

Continue with Part 4.

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"Chicken Catcher" has talent in America's Got Talent

It just happens that every now and again someone knocks your socks off with their talent. Especially when it is not expected at all! Be sure that "Chicken Catcher" will do just that. Just watch how many people are absolutely dumb-struck and with their mouths agape.

Once again, do not judge a book by its cover!

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Democratic Party: de facto party of racists

Hassan Nurullah has written a very enlightening short blog post on how the Democratic Party lived out their racism before the 70's and how they have changed their still-racist policies since.

You can read his post, The Truth Is Out There, at his blog Digital Publius.

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Bunch of Pe(t)anuts!

There are people all over the world that are clearly nuts. But, then, you get the PETAnuts. Humane treatment of flies, cockroaches and weird new names for fish! Nuts, just pe(t)anuts!

Chuck Colson writes:

"There was a lot going in the news last week—riots over the election in Iran, North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling.  But the biggest story of the week, it turns out, was—drum roll, please—the story of President Obama swatting a fly.

"'I got the sucker!' Obama told CNBC correspondent John Harwood after killing a fly that had been buzzing around his head.

"Harwood laughed and the camera crew applauded. But the sight of the fly’s corpse lying on the White House rug was too much for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—and insects, apparently. They sent a letter to the Fly Swatter in Chief, expressing their disapproval."

Read more in Colson's short commentary, "'I Got the Sucker': Obama, PETA, and the Value of Human Life."

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The conquest of Aztlan: South-West United States

The illegal immigration problem in the U.S., especially from Mexico, seems poised to become a problem way bigger than could have been imagined.

Read all about it here!

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What involvement should governments have in central banks?

Samuel Gregg of the Acton Institute wrote a short but thought provoking article that gives us a peek into the issue of government vs. central bank.

"One of the financial crisis’ long-term effects will be to raise questions about central banks’ ability to maintain an independent monetary policy during periods of economic stress: that is, precisely when such independence is most important. Of course, no institution can be rendered completely immune from political and public pressures. But over forthcoming months, central banks are going to be faced with making decisions unlikely to please governments and legislatures worried about being reelected....

"The bigger political question, however, is the place of central banks in democratic political orders. Insulating central banks from excessive political influence reflects recognition of the truth that even in a democracy there are many public-policy decisions that should not be made by legislative or popular votes. Most democracies, for example, embody constitutional limits on the ability of governments and legislatures to interfere with the judiciary’s operations. This is usually derived from awareness that the common good normally requires some separation of powers in order to prevent excessive centralization of power."

Continue Samuel Gregg's "Can Central Banks Be More Insulated from Politics?"

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Reverse racism advanced Sotomayor

Racism is evil, no matter what euphemism is used to advance its cause. Here in South Africa it is called BEE (Black Economic Empowerment), elsewhere and in South Africa it is called "affirmative action." When one group is advanced over another because of skin colour or culture, it is RACISM!

Well, it seems that Sonia Sotomayor has advanced in life, purely through the machinery of racism, albeit reverse racism. Read about it in Pat Buchanan's "Miss Affirmative Action, 2009."

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South African Broadcasting Corporation hopeless!

It seems like institution after institution related to the state in South Africa finds itself in deep trouble. This time the SABC is in such deep trouble that they have asked the government to bail them out to the amount of R2bn! With this request for a R2bn bailout from government, they will ensure that the citizens of this country have paid twice for their TV licences. Mismanagement is the rule at the SABC, as at many other state entities.

The SABC is the owner of 3 TV channels and several radio stations. The slogan of the SABC is "Broadcasting for Total Citizen Empowerment." My problem with them is that the they are a completely mismanaged institution, sucking citizens dry of their hard earned money. Ok, it really isn't expensive to have a license to have TV in your home, but then you would expect better use of your money! That is not what you get from the SABC!

My solution for this dinosaur of a corporation is to scrap it completely! Get rid of state owned television completely! The SABC was a propaganda machine of the National Party government before the 1994 elections when Nelson Mandela became president, and now it is the propaganda machine of the ANC government! Nothing has changed. It still remains the voicebox of the ruling party!

Instead of having one corporation handling 3 different channels, each of these channels must become independent, non-state television channels. Each channel must have complete autonomy over its own programming, and must be privately owned. Further, each of these television broadcasting companies must become profitable by themselves. There must be no reliance on government funds. This will ensure that the state will no longer be able to prescribe to these television broadcasting companies what programming to show apart from preventing indecency, etc.

Lastly, TV licences must be done away with! Radio licences came to an end many years ago. The time has come for these archaic TV licences to go. Advertizing is sufficient to pay for these television broadcasting companies to run successfully.

Maybe, just maybe, if these television broadcasting companies start standing on their own feet, working hard at their own profitability, then perhaps we will get better programming and better managing of funds. But, only maybe!

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Lost in a cachophany of sound

What do you experience when there is just silence around you? No TV, no radio, no computer, no aircon, no cars, just silence! Do you become anxious? Maybe you even panic?! Or is that a moment in which you can think clearly, reflecting on the events of the day? Perhaps you use such time to reflect on deeper things, like the meaning of life, or your faith in Jesus Christ! As Dr. Albert Mohler writes:

"Our culture now assumes noise and the constant availability of
music, electronic chatter, and entertainment. In many homes, there is
virtually no silence -- at least during waking hours. In some homes,
family members live in isolated environments of independent sound, with
iPods, televisions, radios, and any number of other technologies
providing a customized experience of noise.

"All this takes a toll upon the soul. Psychologists argue that the
development of individual identity requires extended periods of
solitude, reflection, and silence. The Christian tradition has honored
silence as a matter of spiritual discipline and an intentional effort
to flee the noise of everyday life in order to hear what that noise
cannot supply.

"The life of the mind and the shaping of the soul require the ability to
hear, recognize, and understand what would be lost in a cachophany of
sound."

You can read more about our need for silence in Dr. Albert Mohler's commentary, "'Where Do All the Colors Go at Night?' -- Children and the Need for Silence."

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Obama bows before tyranny and evil, unlike Reagan

If ever there was a U.S. president out of his depth it is Barack Hussein Obama. He is not a man of conviction, standing on moral high ground demanding that evil and tyrannies be brought to an end. No, he will be remembered as the groveling president, the grovobama!

"As for Barack, he behaves on the world stage like some Ivy League kid ashamed of the people he came from, letting one and all on campus know that he is nothing like his benighted family with its sordid history.

"In Cairo, he confessed that America had a hand in dumping over the regime in Iran in 1953. He did not mention that the United States forced the retreat of Joseph Stalin's army from Iran in 1946."

Read Pat Buchanan's article on the grovobama as The Anti-Reagan!

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Homosexual parents produce homosexual children

New revelations from past studies reveal that the children of openly homosexual parents "are seven times more likely to develop 'non-heterosexual preferences' than other children;" however, lawmakers are in the dark about this since researchers have concealed their discoveries.

"The 'studies thus far find that between 8 percent and 21 percent of homosexually parented children ultimately identify as non-heterosexual,' the psychologist wrote. 'For comparison purposes, approximately 2 percent of the general population are non-heterosexual. Therefore, if these percentages continue to hold true, children of homosexuals have a 4 to 10 times greater likelihood of developing a non-heterosexual preference than other children.'... However, those researchers who found such differences 'nonetheless declared in their research summaries that no differences were found,' the report said."

Read more about this in Bob Unruh's article, "'Gay' family kids 7 times more likely to be homosexual: But report shows researchers concealing information."

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Will your taxes pay for healthcare you may not use?

The ANC is very secretive concerning a report on a newly proposed National Health Insurance (NHI). The report has not been made public yet. The question is, what is the big deal about the NHI?

When the idea of the NHI came to light some years ago, there was a lot of speculation concerning how it will work. So far, it seems an additional R100bn will be needed annually in the national budget to run this monster.

Will the NHI be added as an additional health tax to pay for the health care of the poor? Of course, the question that follows on this is, Who will benefit from the NHI? Is this going to be a case of the "rich" having to pay for something they will not be able to make use of?

Of course, if the ANC wants the "rich" to pay for something they cannot benefit from, it can clearly be classified as stealing from the "rich" to give to the poor. This would be extortion if it becomes a reality.

Health economist Alex van den Heever, revealed that the funding of the NHI would come from both those already belonging to medical aid schemes and those not. Van den Heever told the Hospital Association of SA's conference in Durban recently that members of medical schemes will pay 85% of their contribution to the NHI which would pay both public and private sector providers. Those without medical schemes will have to pay 5% of their income to the NHI.

Now here is the kicker, if Van den Heever is right, medical schemes will not be able to cover benefits that are covered by the NHI!

As a member of a medical scheme, would the 15% remaining of my usual contribution to my medical scheme, cover benefits that are worth being covered? Is the government orchestrated, socialistic NHI going to cover anything significant? If that is not the case, how will it impact the benefits I get from my medical scheme?

Am I going to lose significant benefits because my 15% contribution to my medical scheme simply cannot pay for those benefits? Will the government health scheme really pick up the slack on those benefits, or are we going to sit with a huge gap in benefits that cannot be covered because the government has thought up another lame entitlement scheme that one group of people must pay for so that the other group could reap the benefits?

Apart from benefits lost, what about all the jobs that will be lost because of this hare-brained idea? Medical schemes currently must make use of 100% of contributions for medical issues and salaries for staff. How will they accomplish this now with only 15% of those contributions? Sure, they will cover less benefits, but that means that less people can accomplish the job too.

The problem with this government is that it has created an environment of entitlement in the masses. Whatever one group has, the other group is entitled to that. This is an unhealthy environment. This will recreate Zimbabwe right here in South Africa where one group can take from another group simply because they have this false "right" to it.

How much of the NHI budget costs will pay for sicknesses and diseases that will come from behaviour that individuals have chosen? These would be health costs related to obesity, drug and alcohol abuse, STDs, HIV/AIDS, etc. Would it be right for one person to pay for another person's indiscretions? I think not!

Personally, I do not think that the ANC has thought this through. Of course, that would be a whole new experience for this country!

But, then again, tax those with money enough and they will take their money and expertise elsewhere!

Also read:
Concern over govt health scheme
Rights, responsibilities and health care

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Chairman Zero is a failure at history

Chairman Zero, aka Barack Obama, has once again failed a real test... a history test. Either he simply keeps on repeating leftist ideas, or he is fully aware of the falsehoods he keeps repeating. Is he helping rewrite this revisionist history? Why is it that the MSM is quiet about it? Why do they keep swooning at the feet of The Zero?

Visit theblogprof to learn about Zero's failure at history.

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Driving in South Africa - Pt 2

Read Part 1 if you haven't yet.

A couple of days ago I started writing a "series" on driving in South Africa. It concerned the issue of stealing while we drive. Driving in South Africa is not the safest thing to do, and when you have lived in a first world country you would immediately know what I am writing about here. In first world countries people have a greater respect for the rules of the road and for other drivers.

Today I would like to touch on the dangerous practice of South Africans changing lanes over solid white lines. "Big deal!", I hear from many corners of South Africa. Well, the next time a family member or friend is fatally injured because somebody did not keep to legal lane usage on our roads, you will probably change your mind. The problem is that too many people wait for something drastic to happen before they change their attitudes and behaviour.

As in my previous post, I would like to present you with a practical example. Looking at the picture on the left (Pic A), you will notice that a road joins a north-south double lane road from the west. The problem is that the double-lane only starts after the road joining from the west. The traffic moving from south to north are using a single lane that effectively becomes a double-lane just after the road from the west. So, what is the problem?

Well, vehicles coming from the west is presented with a yield sign when they arrive at the south-north road. After yielding, they may go, since they have a dedicated lane which joins the double lane road after the end of the SOLID white line in the middle of the road, separating the traffic coming from the south from the "joining" traffic. When you look at Pic A, you will notice the white lines I added. I also added red and green lines. Green lines represent legal driving and the red line represents illegal driving.

With the way people are driving down that road, it sometimes becomes a real hassle to join the road from the west, since cars come storming down that road and they move over to the left lane across the yellow chevron lines and solid white lines preventing cars from using the dedicated "joining" lane from the west. This is a serious risk, since drivers simply ignore the rules of the road!

The simple unbridled selfishness of South African drivers astound me. 9 times out of 10, if an error such as this is pointed out to an offending driver, you would probably have to endure foul language or rude hand signals or both.

My bet is, if South African drivers could retain their driver's licenses based on the way they drive, hordes of them would forfeit their licenses because of their bad driving and disregard for the law.

Continue with Part 3, Part 4.

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The Battle for the mind in the news media

Dr. Peter Hammond from Africa Christian Action has written a thought provoking article on the reporting abilities of the MSM. I have said for a long time that the modern MSM has lost its ability to report without being biased one way or another. Pick up a newspaper or watch the news or some so-called investigative TV news programme, and you will soon realize that it is not the truth that matters, but the point they are trying to make. Please, don't let the story be obscured by facts and truth!

Read Dr. Hammond's article below. Remember, the news you read or watch, is not all that it seems to be.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND IN THE NEWS MEDIA Without Fear or Favour “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour…” Ephesians 4:25 While claiming to be neutral, newspaper journalists and TV presenters often report the news from an anti-Christian point of view. At one time, especially in the 19th century, most leading newspapers were Christian. However, there has been a major shift in the news media on what is covered and how it is covered. Is There an Agenda? Instead of the wide-angle lens of context, all too often the zoom lens of selective focus has predominated. Is there an agenda? Or are we dealing merely with bias and prejudice? Misinformation on Mozambique My first mission field was Marxist Mozambique. Many asked why the mass media accounts of what was happening in Mozambique differed so radically from Frontline Fellowship reports. My answer was that there simply was no freedom of speech, freedom of movement or freedom of the press in Mozambique at that time. Most press accounts in Mozambique came from Frelimo’s Agency Information Mozambique (AIM). These press releases were distributed by telex and the wire services of SAPA-Reuter and others. Most articles in the print media and items on radio and TV originated with AIM, a Marxist, state-owned propaganda agency – hardly renowned for honesty and lack of bias. During the 1980’s very few journalists actually visited Mozambique, and those who did were normally restricted to the five-star Polana Hotel in Maputo. Their main sources of information were briefings by Frelimo officials, or guided tours and stage-managed interviews – all hosted by Marxist officials and translators. In a country with a history of concentration camps, torture, public floggings and mass executions, it was easy to find co-operative villagers and pastors who would espouse the desired party line. Those gullible and naïve journalists who then readily parroted the standard stock phrases, parrot cries and clichés no doubt received Frelimo’s approval, and further invitations to return for another propaganda exercise some other day. By way of contrast, our missionaries had continual contact with the people on the ground, in the rural areas. We got the feel of the country by personal experience, over long periods of time, and as the villagers unburdened their hearts to us and related what they had suffered. “An ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory.” Disinformation in Rwanda The ease with which the orchestrators of the genocide in Rwanda confused international journalists and abused their national media to mobilize the unprecedented concentration of carnage, raised uncomfortable questions. In it’s 1200 page report on the genocide in Rwanda, African Rights concluded that: “The response to the aftermath of the genocide was almost as shocking as the response to the genocide itself…Progress towards justice has been negligible. On the contrary, there is a concentrated attempt to distort or deny what has happened. The survivors of the genocide are not the beneficiaries of national and international compassion and support, rather they are almost wholly forgotten, while displaced people and refugees receive massive and indiscriminate assistance…The refusal to face the reality of what is one of the very worst crimes against humanity since the foundation of the United Nations…” The AR report found that the killings were meticulously organised in advance. The French-trained Presidential Guard, the Army, the Gendarmes and Civil Administrators were willing instruments in the genocide. The killings in Rwanda were no spontaneous outburst, but followed instructions from the highest level. African Rights condemned the gullibility of the international media for accepting the MRND party line that the killings were merely “tribal anarchy” and “uncontrollable tribal killing.” By portraying the genocide as “tribalism” and as a result of “the war” they provided a smokescreen of confusion, which allowed the killers to proceed with their diabolical plans. Central to the Hutu MRND government strategy was to sow confusion so that no one knew what was happening. They isolated their victims by imposing a news blackout, cutting telephone links, establishing a dense network of roadblocks, and imposing a nationwide curfew. These measures kept people in their homes and prevented most people from fleeing. By cutting communications and restricting travel they isolated their victims and sought to stifle the flow of news. When the genocide was launched on 6 April 1994, most African correspondents were in South Africa for the elections. There were, actually, only two international journalists in Rwanda at that time – and they were in Kigali, cut off from what was going on in the rural areas Following the assassination of the president the MRND government launched a campaign of disinformation. They portrayed the killings as a spontaneous outbreak of “tribal violence.” They sought to confuse the mass killings of defenseless peoples with “the war” and insisted that a ceasefire was the pre-condition for involvement. Thirdly they played “the humanitarian card” by pleading for emergency aid. All this deflected attention from the central issue of the genocide. The tenancy [sic] of most journalists to label every conflict in Africa as “tribalism” has become absurd. Many foreign aid workers fuelled this tendency with ill-informed comments such as: “Everyone is killing everyone!”; “It’s uncontrollable violence”; “the Hutus and Tutsis are killing one another again!” Having killed opposition politicians, Rwandese journalists, human rights activists and others who might present an accurate report on the bloodshed, the MRND government then pursued their second strategy of disinformation to confuse the issue with self-serving false reports. They portrayed the violence as “spontaneous rage” in response to the assassination of the president, even though it was the MRND government and military who were responsible for the assassination of the President themselves. In the first days, international attention generally focused on the plight of foreigners. Camera crews were, understandably, only prepared to travel with international troops – whose mission was to evacuate foreigners. This naturally led to a slanted and incomplete picture being portrayed to the world. The strategy of disinformation and terror so callously and effectively orchestrated by the MRND Hutu government in Rwanda was spectacularly successful. With most international attention focused on South Africa’s volatile elections, there were no journalists in the rural areas of Rwanda reporting on the massacres there. The rural genocide was effectively hidden from the outside world for almost three weeks. Aaron Makuba, whose whole family was wiped out complained: “The world persists in characterizing the bloodshed as ethnic clashes. We who have lost our families, relatives, colleagues and neighbours regard this as unfair, unjust and a source of immense pain.” “People should stop describing Rwanda to us as tribes who are in the process of killing one another,” Dr Jean Herve Bradol of MSF – France concluded, “I think it is really the final insult to the victims, to present the matters in this way. And I believe that this way of presenting things is not altogether incidental, perhaps in order to justify the passivity of various parties…” Focusing on Darfur and Ignoring the Nuba It is quite remarkable that such a vast amount of media attention has recently been focused on the suffering of Muslims in Darfur, while completely ignoring the vastly greater and much longer tragedy of Islamic Jihad against the Christians of Southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. Approximately 2 million people, most of these Christians, died in the 50 years Jihad against the Christians in Southern Sudan. Yet, the news media showed little interest and the UN and Western governments did comparatively little for the Christian victims of Jihad in Southern Sudan. However, for some reason, the five years of low intensity conflict in Western Sudan in Darfur has received enormous worldwide media and government attention. As a result it is has also received disproportionately more Church attention and aid. Darfur is a 99% Muslim area in Western Sudan. What had been going on in Darfur is Muslim-on- Muslim violence. It is typical Arab banditry that has been going on for centuries. In this case Muslim Arabs are fighting against Muslim Blacks. The Christians that we serve in Southern Sudan, Northern Nigeria and other parts of Africa, are somewhat cynical about this, pointing out that it seems the West is only concerned for Muslims and never Christians. The West was tremendously concerned for Muslims in Bosnia, Muslims in Kuwait, Muslims in Somalia, Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq and Muslims in Darfur. However, the West stood by while hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered in Rwanda and in Southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains. The point made is that it would seem that the world media, and the UN, would only mobilize international campaigns to support Muslim victims, never Christians. Another point worth noting is that the Black Muslims of Darfur have traditionally been some of the worst slave raiders, guilty of many of the worst atrocities committed against Christians in Bar-el-Ghazal, and the Nuba Mountains. When General Charles Gordon travelled to Sudan in the 19 th century, he saw that the worst slave raids came from the Darfur Muslims. At that time he noted that 7 out of every 8 Black people in Sudan were slaves. Villifying the Victims and Justifying the Villains Over the last 26 years that I have been serving as missionary to the persecuted in Africa, I could not help but notice how frequently the mass media chose to target those targeted by international communism. Is it just coincidental that during the Rhodesian War, the Border war in South West Africa/Namibia, the riots in South Africa, the Killing fields of Mozambique, the civil war in Angola, the massacre of Matebele tribesmen in Zimbabwe, the Red Terror in Ethiopia, the holocaust in Rwanda, the Jihad in Sudan, the wave of church burning in Northern Nigeria, or any other of the many calamities and conflicts in Africa, most of the mass media have chosen to confuse the issues, avoid the heart of the matter, villify the victims and whitewash the villains? Pro-Abortion Journalism After one interview with a journalist from The Argus concerning our work in Sudan, I asked: “Why is it that The Argus continually publishes Pro-Abortion articles, and ignores Pro-Life events such as the Life Chains and the National Day of Repentance?” The answer was astounding: “Well, we’re pro-choice.” “Yes, I understand that, but surely it is your intention to report events and present the facts, without fear or favour, from both sides?” She smiled and shrugged her shoulders: “Well, I’m pro-choice. Every journalist that I know is pro-choice. And, well, I guess we’re just biased!” she grinned broadly. That was a remarkable honest statement, but there is no doubt that most of the print media in South Africa is pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality. Selective Focus Although most journalists and editors will claim that they are objective, even the most objective journalist has to admit that they collect far more facts than they publish. There is the judgment on what to cover, how to cover it, and what facts, opinions or viewpoints that they have come across to include in the story and which to discard. Secondly the reporter or editor decides which of the facts should be included in the first paragraph of the story and thereby emphasized above the others. Thirdly the editor will decide whether the story is placed on page one, or page sixteen. On page one it will attract far more attention than it would on any other page. Spiking the Spiritual Although at one time, particularly in the early part of the 19th century, journalism emphasized God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, most modern journalists choose to spike the Spiritual. At one time newspaper articles pointed out that kings who disobeyed God were exposed and deposed. Those who engaged in duels were without true honour because they sought esteem amongst men more than following God’s commands. Lightning storms were seen to demonstrate Spiritual lessons. Lack of repentance was shown to have murderous consequences. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:50 To read the rest of this article, click here. The above article was published in the Christian Action magazine, 2009, Volume 2. Subscribe for only R60 a year. Published quarterly. Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4481 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za   Some recommended Christian Media : Christian News from Christians for Truth: mail@cft.org.za Frontline Fellowship News: P.O. Box 74, Newlands, 7725, Cape Town, South Africa, admin@frontline.org.za. Gospel Defence League: P.O. Box 832, Milnerton, 7435, Cape Town, dscarborough@mweb.co.za. JOY! Magazine: P.O. Box 2990, Somerset West, 7130, Cape Town, South Africa, E-mail: info@joymag.co.za, Web: www.joymag.co.za The Revivalist: 356-376 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, BT6 8GL, Northern Ireland Movieguide: 2510 G, Las Posas Road 502, Camarillo, CA 93010, USA, Web: www.movieguide.org World Magazine: P.O. Box 20002, Ashville, NC 28802-9998, USA, Web: www.worldmag.com Focus on the Family Monthly Magazine: Private Bag X1023, Hillcrest, 3650, Cape Town, South Africa, E-mail: correspondence@fotf.co.za, Web: www.safamily.org.za

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