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[Arx]

Once again, I am left wondering whether people outside this country realise the irony in considering us the standard for an African hellhole because we're the only African country they really know about.

Our government is horrific, and I will never deny that unless there are major shifts, but it's really absurd to claim we have the most corrupt officials in the world when we are, in fact, a functioning democracy. There's also a nice side helping of the fact that much of the corruption is only known about because of how aggressively it's tackled and dragged into the light.

It's easy to point at scandals emerging and go "oh, look at South Africa. There's so much corruption and all the time you hear new stories about it." Most of those are things that have been happening for a while, and are increasingly being exposed and cracked down on.

[Reudh]

Once again, I am left wondering whether people outside this country realise the irony in considering us the standard for an African hellhole because we're the only African country they really know about.

Our government is horrific, and I will never deny that unless there are major shifts, but it's really absurd to claim we have the most corrupt officials in the world when we are, in fact, a functioning democracy. There's also a nice side helping of the fact that much of the corruption is only known about because of how aggressively it's tackled and dragged into the light.

It's easy to point at scandals emerging and go "oh, look at South Africa. There's so much corruption and all the time you hear new stories about it." Most of those are things that have been happening for a while, and are increasingly being exposed and cracked down on.

Umshimi wam, says Jacob Zuma.

[wierd]

While there are certainly worse places to live, the operative word there is indeed "Government" in "government officials".  Sure, there is your quinitessential strongman and his child army-- or the religious dictator-- but can you really call such establishments "government", and can you call the monsters that are used as enforcers "officials"?

What I am getting at there, is that there is a maximum on what can still be called a "government official", in terms of corruption and decadence, after which those words cease having applicable meaning.  That South Africa has a functioning government, and has actual officials, is kinda the point there Arx.

I realize I never actually said "government officials" in the rhetoric, but it really was implied. 

[Arx]

Sure, we can redefine what a government is so you're correct, I guess.

Umshini wam, says Jacob Zuma.

Funny thing how that's stopped, and Dubula iBhunu was banned as well. It's almost like we actually discourage hate speech around here...

[Reudh]

Sure, we can redefine what a government is so you're correct, I guess.

Umshini wam, says Jacob Zuma.

Funny thing how that's stopped, and Dubula iBhunu was banned as well. It's almost like we actually discourage hate speech around here...

Yeah, fair enough. How about the case of Schabir Shaik, and associated corruption trials of Zuma? Mbeki sacked Zuma as deputy leader of the ANC, but it seems like Zuma got a slap on the wrist for soliciting bribes from Shaik.

[Arx]

That's a major issue and a big part of the reason I will never deny we have massive problems. Nonetheless, acting like South Africa has the world's single most corrupt government is silly.

[Reudh]

That's a major issue and a big part of the reason I will never deny we have massive problems. Nonetheless, acting like South Africa has the world's single most corrupt government is silly.

Yeah... I guess a lot of the West feels like South Africa could be so much more than it is currently. I dunno, man. It's by no means the most corrupt in the world, nor in Africa. I grew up in an area with a lot of SA new migrants, and most of them were all too happy to tell you what a shitshow it was, but I have hope that South Africa improves. It ain't gonna happen as long as Zuma is in power, though, and that gargantuan HIV infection rate is going to stymie economic growth.

[Yoink]

I've not yet even finished the introduction of the Bhagavad-gītā, but already I feel as though I am taking away a rather different opinion than whatever its various authors intended. These "Pāndavas" seem like slow-witted buffoons reliant upon divine intervention, and I see very little that is "rightful" about their struggle against Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, who won their kingdom from them through superior cunning and intellect - yet the latter are seemingly painted as the villains for refusing to return control of the kingdom to the Pāndavas when asked, despite their father having been cheated of his kingdom in the first place merely due to being born blind.    

(Btw what kind of name is Dhṛtarāṣṭra? How the heck does one pronounce that?! Judging by the number of accents I suppose Pāṇḍu isn't much better - half of them aren't even supported by the alphabet in which I am typing.)


Oh well, at least this book apparently starts off with a battle scene (once you get past the introductions etc.) as opposed to some twat's long-winded family history, so I suppose I have a better chance of sticking with it for a while. I still don't have very high hopes of gaining much in the way of entertainment or enlightenment from the read, though.

[Arx]

Yeah, what I'm trying to say isn't that I think the country's in a good spot. I think it's in a pretty bad one, all things considered. I just think saying we have the most corrupt government in the worlds relies rather heavily on arbitrarily defining anything more corrupt as "no longer a government".


I found the parts of the Bhagavad-gita I read quite interesting, but I think I know what you mean. I should probably re-read that some point.

[Rose]

Dhṛtarāṣṭra = Dhritaraashtra as far as pronunciation goes.

Can't really speak for the rest of it.

[scriver]

Bagavadhita-Kung Fu Pandava crossover when?

[LordBaal]

Corrupt politicians you said? Pff... I raise the hand to "I'm from Venezuela". Now show me tour cards rookie.

[Reudh]

Corrupt politicians you said? Pff... I raise the hand to "I'm from Venezuela". Now show me tour cards rookie.

Phwoar mate that's rough

[hector13]

You'd think, of the things you could lose, an ID would be the one that made it easiest for a government organisation to contact you.

Ah but you forget; if a task, no matter how trivial, isnt explicitly in the job description of a given department, they will not do it. This includes informing departments whose job it would be to perform this task. Tax dollars at work.

Can confirm. Filled out immigration documents, ticked box for immigration people to send information on to social security people to ease getting that.

3 months hence, got in touch with social security people to ask wtf, they say immigration people often "forget" to pass on information.

[Tawa]

I can't seem to change my avatar. Any address I put in the box besides the one for my current avatar causes the option to be reset to "no avatar".