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To hell with democracy...

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message 1: by Claudine (new)

Claudine | 1110 comments Mod
As writers, being independent enough to write without fearing who might be chasing you down has just come to a monumental end most likely, in South Africa.

A bill proposing the curtailing of the freedom of the press has just been voted on in parliament. While it has yet to be voted on by a further body before going before the President to sign into law. Thought you all might get a kick out of reading the accompanying article.


http://news.iafrica.com/sa/764995.html


message 2: by Andre Jute (last edited Nov 22, 2011 09:32AM) (new)

Andre Jute (andrejute) | 4851 comments Mod
How much corruption will be hidden behind this legislation?

Notice from the article that the apartheid era government, which had an absolute majority at all times since 1948, and could have brought in such legislation at any time, didn't feel it needed such secrecy until 1982, when it was under violent external and internal pressure, in fact in a state of war.

Who's attacking South Africa now? Who needs the protection of such legislation? Why? It's a license for theft from the taxpayer, nothing more.


message 3: by Patricia (new)

Patricia (patriciasierra) | 2388 comments Where did this movement start? Was there an event that triggered it?


message 4: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Tillotson (storytellerauthor) | 1802 comments Yikes!


message 5: by Claudine (new)

Claudine | 1110 comments Mod
Patricia it stems from the widespread corruption that is rife from our president down to the lowest clerical position within our current government. Whenever a corruption scandal has erupted within the media where an ANC political member has been implicated, government has tried to stop reporting. The media is slowly being forced into a corner. The ANC, currently in power, doesn't enjoy being brought to account whenever one of its own has been accused of corruption or accepting bribes. What makes it worse is that our own president was implicated in an international arms scandal where it was alleged (with proof) that he took bribes from a French company. Once accountability is no longer a problem for the man in charge, it is no longer considered appropriate for anyone else. It leaves the door open for all sorts of things to enter.

The ANC went from a so called freedom fighting entity to a political party straight into bribery and corroption.


message 6: by J.A. (new)

J.A. Beard (jabeard) I am very very ignorant about South African politics.

Is there any sort of half-way useful opposition party that can do anything about this?


message 7: by Claudine (new)

Claudine | 1110 comments Mod
No. The politics here is all tangled up. It's complicated. Divided along racial lines for the most part.


message 8: by Patricia (new)

Patricia (patriciasierra) | 2388 comments As newspapers close up shop in the US due to money woes, it opens the door to all manner of corruption in city and state governments with no one reporting it. It also leaves no trace of who we are for researchers to explore and piece together in the future.


message 9: by Larry (new)

Larry Moniz (larrymoniz) Claudine. What's the local tribal equivalent of Sieg Heil!

Egads, that's scary. Once freedom of speech is curtailed all other won't be far behind. Glad I'm not there.

Patricia, you are so right, but here we have no one to blame but ourselves. People have fallen for the ploy that the Internet can bring you free news coverage by IReporters and other amateurs. To that say: Horseshit!
A manifestation was reported on by 60 Minutes on Sunday. For anyone who missed it, or is overseas, it tells about a lobbyist who has managed to get most Republican members of Congress to pledge no new taxes-regardless of what their constituencies feel. This guy is now using signed pledges to extort them to vote the way he wishes in at least some cases. While he inferred that corporations were his non-profit contributors, no one knows. It could be belligerent foreign nations like Iran, Red China, Syria, Venezuela or others bent on destroying the U.S. Very worrisome.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162...


message 10: by Patricia (last edited Nov 22, 2011 05:31PM) (new)

Patricia (patriciasierra) | 2388 comments I saw that segment. The ever-infuriating Norquist.

Because newspapers are having such a tough time of it, I sent an email to the circulation director at the local paper explaining that I don't want paper copies piling up because I read online -- but I'd like to subscribe anyway, but without delivery. He didn't bother responding.


message 11: by Larry (new)

Larry Moniz (larrymoniz) Patricia wrote: "I saw that segment. The ever-infuriating Norquist.

Because newspapers are having such a tough time of it, I sent an email to the circulation director at the local paper explaining that I don't wan..."


Patricia, He's probably still reeling in disbelief! :-)


message 12: by Larry (new)

Larry Moniz (larrymoniz) Claudine wrote: "Patricia it stems from the widespread corruption that is rife from our president down to the lowest clerical position within our current government. Whenever a corruption scandal has erupted withi..."

Unfortunately, that's a common pattern in African politics, going back at least a half-century.


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