Colonialism wasn't all bad‚ says Helen Zille

[Nanfeishen]

I agree. We should stop complaining about yesterday. And that means coming to terms with the fact that our colonialist past is something we fought against and beat. It should be a source of pride.

Pride in our nation, is unfortunately in short supply, we do not have a history of celebrating achievements, but rather of failures.

 

[Garson007]

Pride in our nation, is unfortunately in short supply, we do not have a history of celebrating achievements, but rather of failures.

Which is why we have people who'd like to think they are European talking up colonialism. The quicker we realise that we are all South Africans - everything will get better.

 

[rietrot]

Which is why we have people who'd like to think they are European talking up colonialism. The quicker we realise that we are all South Africans - everything will get better.

No I don't consider myself European but South African. I can recognise when the other team does something good and I can copy and use that to better my own life and still take pride in being South African. That is recognising the good that came from colonisation.

 

[crysis]

Opened up country wide conversation? Did you miss Rhodes Must Fall?

And during all that chaos only one side of the argument was heard.

 

[Nanfeishen]

Which is why we have people who'd like to think they are European talking up colonialism. The quicker we realise that we are all South Africans - everything will get better.

It's a reflection of the divisiveness that continues to plague S.A.

Until the people of S.A stop listening to political rhetoric and realise that relying on any political party or government to resolve the social issues present due to our history is pointless, that realisation of us all being simply South African will never become a reality.
Its something we need to do without and despite the government and politicians.

 

[porchrat]

Yes, creating a magical layer of context to a 140 letter tweet.

Actually no there was a post earlier in this thread that showed the previous tweets and in those you see the context I'm talking about.

What she said is the truth. There are positives we have today that we got from colonialism. It wasn't all bad. Very little in life is all bad.

 

[Garson007]

What she said is the truth. There are positives we have today that we got from colonialism. It wasn't all bad. Very little in life is all bad.

Still irrelevant. We overthrew our colonial masters. Nobody wants to hear about the things people deem benefits. There are benefits to killing people. That doesn't mean we go around praising killers and the good they did. She's framing her point of view irresponsibly and inaccurately. She's in the wrong. Accept it. Move on.

If you're going to attack people that bring up the past to whitewash the mistakes of the present, then attack them on that front - not by getting into a squabble over the past you will lose by virtue of identity.

 

[porchrat]

Still irrelevant.

It's exactly what she tweeted. That isn't irrelevant.

 

[noxibox]

That doesn't mean we go around praising killers and the good they did.

Did she praise colonialism? Saying that something wasn't all negative is not the same as praising that thing.

Which is why we have people who'd like to think they are European talking up colonialism.

But it seems to be black racists who like to think of white people as European.

Yes, creating a magical layer of context to a 140 letter tweet.

She ****ed up. She should have conceded immediately that she did.

All she appears to have said is that not everything about colonialism was negative. Some may disagree, but what I've seen instead is a lot of articles where the authors appear to be claiming she said colonialism was all positive and making ridiculous accusations of racism on her part.

 

[Vrotappel]

Still irrelevant. We overthrew our colonial masters. Nobody wants to hear about the things people deem benefits. There are benefits to killing people. That doesn't mean we go around praising killers and the good they did. She's framing her point of view irresponsibly and inaccurately. She's in the wrong. Accept it. Move on.

If you're going to attack people that bring up the past to whitewash the mistakes of the present, then attack them on that front - not by getting into a squabble over the past you will lose by virtue of identity.

Afrikaners bore the brunt of colonialism. We don't have any problems acknowledging the benefits it brought this country. You should really go read the link I posted earlier in this thread.

 

[konfab]

Afrikaners bore the brunt of colonialism

By the British ending their slave trade...

 

[Garson007]

Did she praise colonialism? Saying that something wasn't all negative is not the same as praising that thing.

It's also not the same thing as not talking about colonialism at all.

But it seems to be black racists who like to think of white people as European.

You'll have to explain this one to me. I've never heard a black person call a white person European. I've heard a lot of white people in Cape Town talk up their Europeanism.

All she appears to have said is that not everything about colonialism was negative. Some may disagree, but what I've seen instead is a lot of articles where the authors appear to be claiming she said colonialism was all positive and making ridiculous accusations of racism on her part.

I don't think she's racist at all, neither was it meant that way. The problem is that she's not thinking like a South African. Her patriotism is in doubt.

Afrikaners bore the brunt of colonialism. We don't have any problems acknowledging the benefits it brought this country.

Maybe that's why this country isn't exclusively yours anymore.

 

[FrankieK]

I agree. We should stop complaining about yesterday. And that means coming to terms with the fact that our colonialist past is something we fought against and beat. It should be a source of pride.

And what better way to celebrate beating the colonialists than by using the stuff they left behind.

"We whipped your as**s, now GTFO. Oh, and by the way, thanks for the great stuff you are leaving behind."

 

[Jola]

By the British ending their slave trade...

That's debatable, and in any event does not apply to all of them, and ends in 1834, when they fled the British colonies.

After that they fought two wars against the British Empire, and were crushed by 500 000 colonial troops (from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, etc, etc), led by Kitchener with his scorched earth policies.

 

[Vrotappel]

By the British ending their slave trade...

Alternative history.

 

[konfab]

I don't think she's racist at all, neither was it meant that way. The problem is that she's not thinking like a South African. Her patriotism is in doubt.

What is thinking like a South African like then? Blame everyone else for everything?

She was looking at Singapore because she wanted South Africa to learn some lessons from it on how to succeed. That is because she cares deeply about the country and actually is in a position do to do.

 

[Garson007]

What is thinking like a South African like then? Blame everyone else for everything?

No? You do that by fixing problems. Not by defending the enemy, ffs.

She was looking at Singapore because she wanted South Africa to learn some lessons from it on how to succeed. That is because she cares deeply about the country and actually is in a position do to do.

Yes, and she could have done that without pointing out the positives of colonialism. She could just have said, "Hey, Singapore is doing well after colonialism, why aren't we?" etcetera. But noooo. She had to go and shine good light on colonialism.

 

[Jola]

No? You do that by fixing problems.

So when is the ANC going to start fixing problems ?

Arguably everything is worse since they started governing.

For everyone, before you start flogging a dead horse again.

 

[Garson007]

So when is the ANC going to start fixing problems ?

Arguably everything is worse since they started governing.

For everyone, before you start flogging a dead horse again.

What's that got to do with her tweet? Stop shifting goalposts.

 

[vindicem]

No? You do that by fixing problems. Not by defending the enemy, ffs.


Yes, and she could have done that without pointing out the positives of colonialism. She could just have said, "Hey, Singapore is doing well after colonialism, why aren't we?" etcetera. But noooo. She had to go and shine good light on colonialism.

So she should have worded it better, so what? She never promoted colonialism, if that is what people think.
Its 23 odd years into a new democracy. People should start moving forward now and stop being offended by anything someone might say which might be understood in a negative way.