24 Comments
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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Bummer!

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Yeah, I'm bummed.

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Tracy Treloar's avatar

Brilliant 👏 work Mike,you've captured the how many South African's see and feel at the moment,listen to this guy if you get a chance,his language can be a bit salty,but at least he's waking people up. https://youtu.be/RMwjCQV7sy0?si=3D5H68MS4aKwI8wP

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Mike Hampton's avatar

All whites don't build, and all blacks don't destroy in South Africa, so I don't buy into generalisation. Tribalism is certainly evident, and I believe in that right, but there's a dangerous side i.e., there was so much inward-looking electioneering that I see it more as manipulation of people's desires and fears than representation. That's evident in the coalitions diluting their beliefs. It's extremely worrying that our politicians were not talking about our place in the world, especially our aims for the future. The world is in motion, and we're going to experience whiplash if we're not ready.

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Val D. Phillips's avatar

Oh, Brother, I feel your despair. And it is well-put. Rest. Take a break. Retire from this. I'm sorry to tell you, you'll be back. This shit's in our blood, and no matter how much we try to flee, how free we think we are, it always drags us back in. But take that break. You've earned it. Wail, gnash your teeth, heal. The fight--the real fight--is coming.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Global challenges definitely ahead, and they may make my country a leaf to be blown.

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Darkstar's avatar

I'm sad your county is in such a mess right now. It makes me wonder if there is any county that's not a mess today? I could offer you a trade,say ten of your most disgusting politicians, for Lyndsay Graham, and ten more of your worst for Hunter Biden. Hunter could find a niche selling Crack,and Lyndsay can give your money to Ukraine.

So do we have a deal?

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Darkstar's avatar

PS I really think the world leaders are all on a massive LSD trip. Maybe they should sober up.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

All arseholes have the same accent, but we could sign a security agreement so that if one of us ever ran out of toilet paper, the other would supply.

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Daniel Helkenn's avatar

What an emotional outpouring. I can’t feel the pain and frustration. I can’t help but sense this will not be your final word on this.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

I switch between emotional and emotionless.

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Roslyn Ross's avatar

Good overview.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

More like a diary entry.

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Shukri Darries's avatar

I've been mosying around like a zombie in total disbelief of what has happened to our ruling party!! Definitely a soft coup orchestrated by the CIA and Mossad in defence of the SA billionaires and multinationals?

Threats and Blackmail?!

What about BRICS, NHI, BBBEE, Land Reform and and and ..........🙈🙈🙈

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Let's not pretend that things were great under the ANC. It and its partners robbed South Africa, and now its continuing to do that in more visible fashion. The ANC never ended Apartheid. The West did, for its own interests. The West involved again, for its interests. Our politicians are too easily bought. They have no love for us, and they don't have to so long as they keep the Public dumb, and the Public are willing to be dumb. There is no DA, no ANC, no whatever - its just interests against us, waving distracting ideological flags for the millions keen to be manipulated.

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Ray's avatar

This is the Best way forward for SA.🤗💪

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Mike Hampton's avatar

The majority of whites were against DA working with ANC. One week of propaganda, and the majority support it. That's a lesson in manipulation for the few observing.

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anton siebrits's avatar

"Essentially, I've lost my rights as a South African, and left wondering who owns my country, or whether I ever had a country." - The effects of neo-colonialism.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

Same thing here in the U.S.

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Mike Hampton's avatar

Double-whammy for us, colonialism then neocolonialism.

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anton siebrits's avatar

I like the ‘us’ bit in your reply. The forced expulsion of europeans to the colonies during the ‘first colonisation’ must have been quite traumatic. If you can just imagine - They had to start from scratch, with land for mahala, and slave/cheap labour in their back-pockets. Tough times indeed!

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Mike Hampton's avatar

They are the same beast for inequality, and do not care what colour we are, or our nationality, or gender , except as a weapon to make us fight ourselves into distraction at the bottom.

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anton siebrits's avatar

I hear you Mike! However, as long as the inequity persists, inequality will be a side-show. Structural racism (embedded in capitalism) underpins the current economic, social and spatial order in our country, and is bound to fail - Unless this is dealt with, 'the bottom' will continue to 'skarrel and quarrel' about the gravy, while the capitalist pigs get to sit and eat way more than their share of *meat. One of the reasons why I ventured into social media, and this platform, was to seek connection with people who have the courage to engage the difficult truths about South African society and the world at large. I feel both challenged and encouraged by what I have found thus far... *Disclaimer: I follow a plant based diet :-)

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Mike Hampton's avatar

I need to get back to those plants. Unfortunately, to not get sick again, I would need more money for better nutrition. Ironic.

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