Friday 18 May 2012

The Debutant Strides In..

I must be honest, I am so often tempted to ridicule and chastise people that don't know anything that is happening in the world around them. Sit on my little thrown of smug self-righteousness that would undoubtedly alienate me from the same people I so wish to show the error of their ways. Much like a current affairs evangelist, if you will. So what I have endeavoured to do instead is to write a non-intrusive little blog outlining one or two major stories happening out there, because I truly believe that people are going to get seriously cut when the glass houses they have chosen to view the world through shatters on the impact of the stones of social justice and the high-pitched wail of revolution.

So let's start with things right here at home. The Democratic Alliance held a march this week to COSATU's house to demand that the union take up a supportive stance on the youth wage subsidy approved by Jacob Zuma to the tune of R5-billion. What is this youth wage subsidy? Well, my moocher friends, it's government's commitment to help companies out financially if they hire fresh young graduates. That means that this subsidy could actually get 400 000 of us jobs! I swear that Zille woman is like a black Oprah. However, COSATU contends that these employers would fire some of the current workforce to hire young blood, to benefit from these subsidies. So there is disagreement on the matter, and in true South African fashion, the folks at the DA took to the streets. But, alas, there was a twist in this tale. Everyone on the street protest circuit knows that COSATU owns the streets. It is their democracy after all. So when those doe-eyed, energetic young social activists took to the streets, they found themselves under attack. Physically under attack. Rubber bullets, stones, crates, "jou ma se" jibes: this street brawl had it all. Unfortunately, only one side came armed, so the whole affair was kind of a whitewash (very inappropriate pun, I do apologise). So a note to all that may disagree with COSATU: don't do it. South Africa isn't THAT kind of democracy.

Further abroad, this week marked the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the day in 1948 the Zionist Apartheid (according to UN representatives) State of Israel was established. The diaspora (the forced scattering of a people from their homes) displaced over 700 000 Palestinians, and the descendents of these people are now estimated to number 4,2 million. In a darkly appropriate welcoming of this day, around 2000 Palestinians currently being held in Israeli prisons have been on a hunger strike for weeks now. They are demanding unreasonable things like the end of administrative detention (being held without charge, only on suspicion), family visits and access to decent health facilities. Terrorists if you ask me.

So that's the debut blog done. Feel free to comment, add some other news you think is important, or just vent about your ailing love-life and boring job. As long as you stay away from anything in the entertainment sphere.

Have an awesome weekend!

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