Quote[s] of the Day

There is also a strong drift of our society towards corruption. One sign of this is the fading power of the law.

Looking back, Bernanke said the world came close to a financial meltdown. Asked how close, Bernanke responded: "It was very close."

America's recession "probably" will end this year if the government succeeds in bolstering the banking system, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Sunday in a rare television interview.

NVDL: Does that make sense to you? Bernanke (aka Bullshitter) one moment says the world's finance system came within a whisker of melting down, next moment he says we'll be recovering soon, back in the black, all things go, whoopedydoo, later this year? Er...does he think we're a herd of fools?


Returning to Soweto after a day's work, some people have to make two or three additional taxi connections to get home through the sprawling townships. Many cannot afford this and the shoulders of the connector highways off the freeway in Soweto were filled in late afternoon with streams of people heading home on foot, some burdened with bundles, some carrying things on their heads.

The sheer monetary expense of doing all this must be out of this world for people with not much to begin with. Somehow, the insanity of it has been established as "normal," and there were few signs that the government -- now black-majority, after all -- was planning to rectify the situation. There are plans to run a new subway line across town, but at this point it is conceived mainly as a connector to the main airport. The South African rail system -- like America's -- is completely inadequate, and the mandatory motoring program so deeply ingrained -- and associated with the extremes of security and fortification -- that no workable consensus for getting beyond the current situation can be formed. - James Kunstler on South Africa

"This is how liberty dies - to thunderous applause"

Benjamin Franklin told people that America was "to be a Republic, if you can keep it."

So you want to know how to unravel a Republic? Well, the first thing is that the best predictor - I'm afraid to say - of future behaviour, is past behaviour. Hence, if you're considering getting married and you haven't been faithful to girlfriends, if you don't have that track record, odds are, you will remain a letch. In the same way, if you're not yet a Big Time politician and you're already being prosecuted for corruption, chances are, when you (think you) can get away it, being in a position of greater power, you'll go for it again.

For a while there I had given Zuma the benefit of the doubt. Now I am back to thinking it is craziness to elect someone who has already proved himself to be, well, unacceptable as a leader. The same can be said for members of SARU. Nonetheless, in South Africa, we seem incapable of facing the obvious, and not only that, doing something about the obvious.

A great everyday example is this: In Johannesburg I fairly often find myself driving by the scenes of car accidents. Without fail, within seconds of this glaringly obvious public demonstration of the consequence of recklessness, a driver will do some daring (and unnecessary) manuoevre to get ahead. I rest me case. We get the leaders we deserve, because at the moment we don't deserve better than we are getting, or giving.

For the movie version of what I am saying - and I am very serious - watch Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith. People are highly susceptible to being stirred by their own passion. It is how we drown reason, and deliver ourselves unto evil. You have been warned. The race is now on to see who gets there - to a state of Empire - first, us or the USA.

SA's Crime Question(s) - SOLVED!

Why does South Africa have such a high crime rate? Why are more people murdered and raped in South Africa per capita than anywhere else on the planet? Because the people in charge of crime - like the police commisioner - are also criminals. It stands to reason that the land of milk and honey for criminals is a land where those who prosecute and arrest are fellow criminals. That wasn't such a long walk in the park was it?

And since crime is such a profitable business (the insurance companies have to agree), why do anything about it?

Well, for one because the majority of people (called voters) are the main victims of crime. Another reason to perhaps start to think about looking at murder investigations - you know where someone is found dead, with a knife in their back and then you try to find out who did it and make sure they go to jail - is that, well, this country is hosting the world's biggest international sports festival. Yes, you may have heard of it: it's called the Soccer World Cup.

A lot of businesses, see, want to profit from this. And government could do well too. So there's this idea that if we do something - something real that is is, beyond fudging statistics - some people stand to make lots more money. It's a tough one I know. The easy money from ATM heists, the constant streams from petty crime, or the jackpot from luring overseas business. The one is easy money, the other - tourism - is even easier. I know, it's a tough call.

But going after crooks is a good start. And starting at the top probably makes more sense than starting at the bottom, with the symptoms of corruption in this country.

For those on the ground, here's a useful tip for combatting crime in your area. If you see beggars, layabouts, drifters etc roaming around, don't reward their presence by giving them money or food. When you do, they will stick around for more handouts, and scobe out the neighborhood while you're at it. If you care about the poor, set up a safety house somewhere and have people put money and effort into soup kitchens, that sort of stuff, in designated areas.

Disgusting: Massive Housing Scam

From Sowetan.co.za:
By Vusi Ndlovu
19 September 2007

INVESTIGATION: Thousands of people are still homeless due to corrupt officials while some get shabbily constructed RDP houses like this one. Photo: MOHAU MOFOKENG

The Scorpions are investigating more than 30 000 civil servants for fraudulently receiving housing benefits. A team of a special investigations unit headed by Willie Hofmeyer, including Scorpions and housing officials, has identified 31 259 bureaucratsa (from a list of 53 555 government workers) believed to be involved in the massive housing scam.

The team examined whose names appear in a database of subsidised housing and found that 31 259 did not qualify.

NVDL: While the above is disgusting, I think the whole Housing Rollout needs to be re-thought. Obviously I don't expect government to consider this option, but developers in general ought to pursue the New Urbanist approach to the massive housing project underway.

What this involves is instead of converting shanty towns into endless one-house x one-house sprawl (monotonous and ugly), there should be a 3 storied approach, and an attempt to lock these developments into organic systems (streams etc), and an effort made to create friendlier, more attractive walkable communities.

Why not make these areas inhabitable, not the sort of places people want to get away from. Are they just dormitories, or will people want to live there?

The poor get poorer, but their poverity impoverishes us all. Those profiteering out of this do so also at the expense of plenty of entreneurs, not to mention the homeless masses.