Friday, December 06, 2013

A hero for the ages has passed away.

I watched television all day yesterday and today, and was very impressed with the depth of emotion that people feel about Nelson Mandela.

He touched the lives of many, and served as a shining example of heroism and integrity for the rest of us.

However at the same time I was sickened by those on the Right Wing who are crawling out of the woodwork to get a little reflected glory by claiming to have been inspired by him, when in fact they were anything but.

This from Right Wing Watch:The news today of Nelson Mandela’s passing is also time to reflect on the complicated relationship between Mandela and his anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC) with the US, which did not always support the anti-apartheid struggle. In fact, American conservatives lobbied the federal government in the 1980s to withhold support from the anti-apartheid movement. 

President Reagan added the ANC to the US terrorism watch list, a designation not removed until 2008, and unsuccessfully vetoed sanctions against the apartheid regime. Many Republican lawmakers did break with the Reagan administration’s stance, but “all 21 [Senate] votes to sustain the veto were cast by Republicans.” 

Mandela faced criticism from Republican leaders including Dick Cheney, who described Mandela’s ANC as a “terrorist organization,” and Jesse Helms, who “turned his back during Mandela’s visit to the U.S. Capitol.” Even in 1998, Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly lumped Mandela together with notorious dictators. 

The late Jerry Falwell urged [PDF] his supporters to write their congressmen and senators to tell them to oppose sanctions against the apartheid regime. “The liberal media has for too long suppressed the other side of the story in South Africa,” he said. “It is very important that we stay close enough to South Africa so that it does not fall prey to the clutches of Communism.” 

“South Africa is torn by civil unrest, instigated primarily by Communist-sponsored people who are capitalizing on the many legitimate grievances created by apartheid, unemployment and policy confrontations,” Falwell continued. 

Ronald Reagan, those on the Religious Right, and the conservatives supported apartheid until the very last second, and only  changed positions when it was no longer politically feasible to do anything else.

Dick Cheney even defended his vote labeling Mandela a terrorist:


“The ANC was then viewed as a terrorist organization," Cheney said on ABC's "This Week." "I don't have any problems at all with the vote I cast 20 years ago.''

And even today, while most of the media is fawning over the memory of this great leader, those on the Right can barely contain their disgust.

Bill O'Reilly:  

“He was a communist, this man. He was a communist, all right? But he was a great man! What he did for his people was stunning!… He was a great man! But he was a communist!”

And if a conservative makes the mistake of issuing a statement in support of Mandela, without also calling him a terrorist or Marxist, well then you learn the same hard lesson that Ted Cruz just learned:

 Yeah who cares that this man suffered for his country like no other, spent 27 years behind bars, only to emerge and unite his people to bring about peace?

I mean sure, if he had been white and a capitalist, but he was the wrong color and the wrong political ideology.

Assholes!

26 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:49 PM

    Dick Cheney was on the wrong side of things AGAIN. Too bad the taxpayers paid for all of his surgeries and his new heart!

    He is another of the the most ugly, evil, angry looking (cannot even smile like he means it!) Republicans we have in this country. He has NO right to be alive today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:10 PM

      Cheney would suck the life blood out of anybody necessary to keep him alive and spewing his vile hate. I think Cheney is pure evil.

      Why does God keep giving Cheney a new heart? It's obvious no viable heart can live in that toxic environmment.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous4:57 PM

    Wish we had more Mandelas and far less of the Cheney, Cruz, McConnell, Cantor and Bachman types. The USA would be a much, much better place in which to live.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I bow my head to the passing of a great man. I know I can add nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:00 PM

    Old Ted aka Rafeal is finally getting a dose of right wing douchebaggery.
    He has obviously decided , for political reasons , to step away from the Tea Party cashews.
    And they are not happy.
    He's finally learning , too late, that you like down with nuts, you awake covered with shells.
    Has Palin ventured out and made a comment on Nelson Mandela's passing ?
    She must be sooo conflicted.
    Does she go all Cruz and say something positive and risk the wrath of the Limbaugh/ Tea Party ??
    Or does she go all racist TP Limbaugh ??
    What to do, what to do ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leland6:11 PM

      "He has obviously decided , for political reasons , to step away from the Tea Party cashews."

      BULL!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:14 PM

      Mrs. Palin won't comment of Mandela's death. Why?

      She is still trying to find out where the state of South Africa is in the Great Country of Africa.

      Good God. Nobody is that ignorant except Mrs. Palin and a pre-schooler.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:05 AM

      Even preschoolers are smarter than Skanky

      Delete
  5. Anonymous6:21 PM

    Check your Twitter. I want to show you what I'm sending the Tea Baggers who are fake mourning.

    TEXASMEL

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:27 PM

    OT - faux pregnancy

    I just saw the back-and-forth with Nyah on one of yesterday's posts. I'm looking forward to what you're able to confirm and the additional info.

    There's also this related comment re doc's insurance from Sept. 13, 2012 which you may have missed.

    http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2012/09/time-to-ooh-and-aww-here-are-pictures.html?showComment=1347583986047#c493554389192947151

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BlueDragon3:50 AM

      I did miss that, and I think she's spot on. I've said before in answer to those who say "why don't any witnesses come forward?" well because it DIDN'T happen, therefore there were NO witnesses. I know those who read here get it. Total hoax. Fraud.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous6:30 PM

    Rick & Mandela, Mandela & Rick...I think Rick lives in Sarah head. unbelievable shit.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:18 PM

    I learned a lot from the coverage yesterday and today. That Mandela couldn't hold his wife's hand for 16 years of his imprisonment, that his name could not be named/he could not be referred to by anyone in public for over 20 years. How forgiving and compassionate he was, and how his compassion helped heal his people and his nation.
    Here is to the continuation of your journey. You will be missed beyond measure.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:42 PM

    A true hero and inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous8:50 PM

    here in canada not only did we welcome him here, we made him a honorary Canadian, and gave him our Highest Award,
    The Order of Canada..one of only two people to receive it ...
    ...and in your news..palin has a book out..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:53 AM

      Nelson Mandela. is only the second non-Canadian to receive the Order of Canada, the USA called him a terrorist, here in Canada we called him a hero...

      he ended de-facto slavery in his country.....palin better keep her stupid pie hole closed

      Delete
  11. Sharon1:55 AM

    I watched the coverage all day and Charlie Rose did an encore of all the interviews with him and people close to him, it was amazing. You know the Buddhists believe in reincarnation, when the soul finally progresses to the stage of enlightenment. If there was ever an enlightened person, it was Mandela. Are we surprised that it was Saint Reagan, the denier of the Aids virus until hundreds of thousands were dead labeled him a terrorist? Or the mastermind of the Iran-Contra scandal? The reason union busting came into being with the FAA strike? The corporate puppet that introduced trickle down economics which started the 30 year downward spiral of the entire middle class? Of course the entire GOP would be on the wrong side of history....even then.

    Rev Al made the clearest comment yesterday.....Mandela forgave all that imprisoned him, for all those years of torture, hard labor...he so loved his country, it was all he wanted. Now look at our country.....our first black president and the GOP stands on national media and says it is their only mission to obstruct everything he wants. Even though we are in a financial crisis, mega job losses, auto industry collapsing, our people dying in 2 self inflicted wars....the list goes on. All of the above brought to us by the patriotic GOP.
    These actions show love of country??? It is as plain as the nose on your face....traitors one and all. The GOP minority virtually controlling the majority of the country, sound familiar?

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  12. Anonymous3:10 AM

    Republicans are doing their negative commentary about this great man because they have no one in their ranks like him! They never have had!

    Interesting thay FOX hasn't covered the death of Mr. Mandela. Sad, sad! I so wish we had more people like Mr. Mandela in our country....we would be such a better place.

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  13. MariaT3:55 AM

    I'm a South African living in Cape Town. My heart is heavy with sadness... Hamba Kahle, Tata Madiba.

    ReplyDelete
  14. BlueDragon3:58 AM

    Thank you Gryphen for your words. It's always refreshing to come to your blog and hear you call bullshit when it's so obvious. And yes, they are assholes!
    MSNBC had a "Headliners & Legends" documentary on Mandela shown last night, it was very good with more information about the time-line of events in his life. Worth watching.
    http://www.msnbc.com/topics/nelson-mandela

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous7:41 AM

    lots of racist comments out there like, "Obama should spend 27 years in jail - maybe he'll learn to be white."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous8:10 AM

    A terrorist and Communist like our President

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:56 AM

      Your lack of intelligence and critical thinking skills display the very kind of behavior that is making our great country the laughing stock of the free world. Define terrorist and communist? HMMM?? When you can do that and then give examples where our POTUS "The Leader Of The Free World" has followed those doctrines you may have a point. If you want to make an argument you need to have facts to back it up. Simply saying something doesn't make it true.
      I like coming to this blog because there are often links to information, that I find, expands my knowledge of the world and politics. Can you contribute to the conversation in a constructive way? I think we are all pretty open minded here at IM. If you wanted to validate your assumptions then back them up and present them to this forum and see what kind of feedback you get.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:48 AM

      The information is everywhere.
      Just use Google
      Just ask Obama about his mentor called Frank

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:59 PM

      Anon 10:48 Geesh you people are straight up morons!! It's comical.

      Delete
  17. Anita Winecooler4:33 PM

    I've tried to ignore the rwnj's. I've always been in awe of Mr. Mandela's humility and ability to forgive to unite a nation, and the world. He was a quiet man who lived a remarkable life. Pete Rose did a conglomeration of his interviews with him over the years, and MSNBC honored him in their own way (Rev Al was especially touching)
    The quote and image you chose shows the essence of what this man lived and died for. Those who speak evil of this man as the world celebrate his life and mourn his passing will never realize what an honor it was to witness this man's vision.

    ReplyDelete

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