What a distressing turn of events! The news was posted on this forum and various news sources around the country and the world for that matter that David Bullard got axed from his position as columnist at the Sunday Times.

David went into a story of an Africa without colonization and what things might have been like. A big dose of political satire was thrown in at the end, but I will allow you to read it yourself and make up your own mind.

To read it, please visit this link: http://www.thetimes.co.za/Columnists...aspx?id=741855
Some counter opinions and responses from the public in other media can be found at Biz-Community as compiled by Louise Marsland: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/90/23637.html

What saddens me about the whole saga is that there is no freedom of opinion built into what is supposed to be quite a robust media. Yes, we know the Sunday Times have come under fire from government, but it smacks of interference on a much more dangerous level than direct involvement. I am of course referring to the kind which occurs purely by threat of involvement!

How can the columnists like David Bullard ever be considered free thinkers and have the freedom to write explosive opinions when editors flinch like this? This reminds me of the Deon Maas affair at Rapport with the main difference that Rapport at least had a proper excuse of “hell we are going to lose business!” if they continued posting Deon Maas’s comments. I think he is a Max du Preez clone and not worthy of much attention, but that left there.

Naturally this blog is my personal opinion and doesn’t reflect that of the medium it is posted on. You would have to be especially daft to think that as it goes without saying to a large degree I would say.
What makes the David Bullard issue bizarre is that the editor posted it and fired him without an outcry from their readership. David Bullard expressed an opinion and a very important opinion that should actually have landed him and a whole bunch of other opinionated folks onto a stage in front of cameras for a mid-week special on the SABC where these things could be discussed properly in an open environment for an extended amount of time. Wouldn’t that make for interesting TV instead of the crap we get dished up with in the form of “local” television. The SABC could actually get the nation thinking damn it!

Whether the government, news editors or ordinary people want to hear it or not, the reality is that this very issue that David Bullard touched upon is the root of all evil in Africa and the way it engages with the world, especially the first world. David satirically referenced a conquest by China. This is already happening and in my personal view Africa has so much disdain of what they perceive has been done wrong to them by the West that Africa is showing a bare chest to a sword wielding East. From bad to worse one might say.

Again, the above is just MY opinion.

Affirmative Action is based on this past wrong that has been committed. Nobody stops to wonder, exactly how wrong was it? The wrong in the view of many in government and elsewhere cam e in the form of retarded development through discriminating policies. How retarded was this development and what impact did colonial powers have on it?

The questions are endless and David Bullard paid (literally) to open up the debate. If we as a thinking public slip up and let this guy slip through the cracks without engaging him and other who share and oppose his view in proper debate, we will have done him wrong and our country.

This is one of the most important questions our nation can ask and try to answer…

How liable are others for our respective sufferings. Shouldn’t we rather blame ourselves?

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