In a recent post Bert Olivier referred to being called a “clown” for being critical of capitalism. As it goes I have been doing some research about commentators and contributors to Thought Leader. I am still collecting and analysing the data. Of the thousands of entries I have in my spreadsheet, so far, the clearest […]
I Lagardien
I am a political economist. In earlier incarnations, I worked as a journalist and photojournalist, as a professor of political economy and an international and national public servant. I rarely get time to write for this space as often as I would like to.... I don't read the comments section
Posted inMedia
While I was thinking about collective guilt and innocence — I gave up
There’s a question that has been bothering me for as long as I can remember. I can’t quite tell it straight. It has to do with the causes with which we associate ourselves, and the extent to which we will go to justify the means employed to achieve the objectives of said causes. Let me […]
Posted inGeneral
I cannot keep a musical note, but that has never stopped me from singing in the shower
I intended to submit a commentary in response to Macca’s* reply to my original post, but I need to provide greater clarity on my own (very personal) position with regards the English language as a technical communicative function — as opposed to a socio-historical phenomenon. Let me say, first, that the point I made about […]
Posted inLifestyle
We do not have to apologise for not speaking “proper English”…
Rod MacKenzie’s comments about the standard of English on Thought Leader (see the box, below) are well taken. It is, sometimes, difficult to follow contributions by bloggers and commentators, not all of which can be explained by actual language skills, or lack thereof. Some of it may have to do with a lack of reading […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Liberal capitalists and the Wall Street bail-out: they’re quite clever, these people.
There are several questions about the proposed bail-out of the once most powerful capitalist institutions on Wall Street that have been quite bothersome. These questions are quite basic; they are shaped less by scholarly work or influence, than by a most basic perception of inconsistency, contradiction, double-standards and ideological bias on the part of the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Is this actual fresh air, or did someone turn on an airconditioner? (See note at foot of post)
A little rant from time to time is rarely a bad thing … I have never been apocalyptic about the possibility of a Jacob Zuma presidency. Setting aside any actual or purported crimes and misdemeanors, the red mist that descends over some people from time to time, or Zuma’s actual ideas about HIV/Aids; the idea […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A brief analysis on why and how South Africa has fallen from prominence in the world
This post was originally written in August 2008. Things have moved quite rapidly since then. South Africa is now a member of the Brics group of countries, and there is a significant improvement in, at least, the relationship among member-countries. The basic points I made about the Brics remain relevant. So let me tighten up […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The United States presidential election: celebrating wars and the people who fought in them
A recent series of photographs, a medium which is close to my heart, published in the United States illustrates the ways in which the military, militarism and war have become central and defining features of the imagery surrounding the 2008 presidential elections. One of my absolute favourite blogs, BagnewsNotes, (which, incidentally, renders my own analyses […]
Posted inNews/Politics, Sport
They call it trash talking, but it is plain old arrogance, bravado and a (customary) lack of humility
The Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva yesterday got the Olympic gold and a world record and Jenn Stuczynski of the United States got the silver and a lesson in humility … “I hope we do some damage,” she [US athlete said], “and, you know, kick some Russian butt.” Big mistake. Isinbayeva is Russian but understands […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Don’t just bitch about the government; kick it out of office!
I want to pick up a factual thread set out in Michael Trapido’s reasoned post, “The Zuma conundrum“, and deal, as an aside, with some of the reactions to his post. For the record, I have never met Michael Trapido. I got to read some of his columns only after I first discovered Thought Leader […]
Posted inLifestyle
A tomato is not a tomato; hoe rooier, hoe mooier
Following some of the commentaries to my post on patriotism, I feel the need to defend the tomato — especially the red tomato. Now you may wonder what on earth I am on about. Don’t I have enough work on my hands having to design two syllabi? A tomato is a tomato is a tomato, […]
Posted inGeneral
I am not patriotic: Forgedaboudit!
Sentletse Diakanyo ended his post on patriotism with a reference to a football team. This gives me a useful way to submit a contribution on the topic. I am not patriotic. This does not mean that I “hate South Africa”. Hell no. It simply means that I have beliefs and values that transcend national and/or […]