koffiejunkie
Executive Member
OK, "racist" (according to this article, that's what I am purely for leaving S.A.) ex-pat weighing in. Proceed with caution...
Let me put that another way: Unfortunately we have a government that is all too keen to get rid of people who contribute to the economy, pay taxes and have the balls to criticise. Subtle difference, eh?
About the only sensible thing he said in the whole article.
Coming home to S.A. in the 70s as a while oke can hardly be compared to coming home to S.A. in 2008. Compare apples to apples, please.
But, nothing on earth annoys me more that those South Africans who have decided to leave the country and then continually write letters to the SA media and berate their friends and families back home about how bad things are in South Africa.
They don't even try to hide the fact that they clearly wish South Africa would self destruct in one huge cataclysmic civil war.
Ever considered that we might be doing this because we are in a much better position to see just how much S.A. is deteriorating. Seeing S.A. as a once-a-year or so snapshot really brings out the problems in a way that you can never see it when you live there and are fed governments lies day to day.
Maybe because the news that come out of those countries tend to be "regular" news, and even good news? Maybe because they are not continuously embarrassed by their old country's leaders? You can't really compare Irish and Australian ex-pats with South Africans. Australians have piece and safety in their country, enough jobs to go around (for those willing to work), reasonable standard of living. I have yet to meet one Australian cite any of the reasons for leaving that South Africans do. Ireland is different - they had genuine civil unrest, and trust me, the Catholic v.s. Protestant war makes good old S.A. black v.s. white racism look like friendly banter between old friends.
Wrong again. Using only the people who actually sit down and write back as an indication of what "far too many" think, is careless and self serving. The overwhelming majority of South Africans I know around here (and through work alone I know around a hundred, not to mention friends and friends of friends), are pretty damn proud of being South African, wear their Springbok jerseys, know the lyrics of Nkosi Sikelel', and have *new* S.A. flags wherever they find a spot to display it - bumper sticker, fridge magnet, pinned to a suit, one (or several) of those beady ones pinned to rucksacks, suitcases, handbags. Most of them take a keen interest in what's going on in S.A. - read the news on-line, chat to friends back home, pick up the S.A. newspapers here. All of them are deeply saddened by what's happening to the beloved country, and in all the conversations I've had, all were able to deliver fair and realistic, if not constructive criticism. Oh, and dare I mention, a surprising number of my fellow ex-pats are not white. And an even bigger number of white, mostly Afrikaans ex-pats, myself included, are dating people of other races.
Yeah keep wondering, ANC boy, because unless you get your ass over here and get to know the ex-pats you are so opinionated about, you have nothing of substance to say.
Yes. And it is. I can send a picture. If that doesn't convince you I'll include a copy of my pay slip.
1. Refer to my comment about South Africans and the new flag.
2. Something that you and your ultra left buddies just don't get, Chris, is that for people who left S.A. prior to 1994, the new flag has no significance whatsoever. This new South Africa is a foreign country to them, and visiting it is as good as visiting, and as much of a culture shock, as visiting any African country was in the old days. The old flag, however vile you pretend to find it, is the only way these ex-pats can identify with their old country - their old country is not the New S.A. Have you ever considered that these ex-pats might be faced with a bit of a nationality crisis?
3. I don't see anything wrong the old flag. It pre-dates Apartheid by a few decades.
The old flag is most certainly not relevant to the New South Africa, but it's hardly a symbol of oppression/apartheid or even inappropriate that insecure ignorant New South Africans (white or black, for their respective reasons) want it to be. It is, however, very relevant to a small group of people who, for simple logistical reason can't relate to the New South Africa. Just let it be, OK?
To the ignorant and uninformed, these so-called "apartheid holidays" are mostly religious days or days that have historical significance to the Arikaans folk. The fact that they're not relevant to the New South Africa doesn't make them wrong or irrelevant to Afrikaans people. The was one day that was political in nature: 31 May - Republic day. Well, South Africa is still a republic, isn't it?
Never heard of this, but I'll agree there are exceptions to every rule. Even so, I'd be willing to bet they were Voortrekker uniforms, not AWB uniforms. Again, irrelevant to most people in the New South Africa, very relevant, and rightly so, to many Afrikaans people.
Because you're looking in the mirror and seeing something you don't like? Guilty about something you're not telling us? Because you're so desperate to believe the ANC's "collective" version of every part of South African history? Or because writing ignorant/indifferent and provocative extreme-leftist rubbish is the only way you'll ever get anything printed?
So, aside from writing the aforementioned rubbish, what exactly are you doing to "fix it?"
Chris Moerdyk said:
Let me put that another way: Unfortunately we have a government that is all too keen to get rid of people who contribute to the economy, pay taxes and have the balls to criticise. Subtle difference, eh?
Chris Moerdyk said:
About the only sensible thing he said in the whole article.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Coming home to S.A. in the 70s as a while oke can hardly be compared to coming home to S.A. in 2008. Compare apples to apples, please.
But, nothing on earth annoys me more that those South Africans who have decided to leave the country and then continually write letters to the SA media and berate their friends and families back home about how bad things are in South Africa.
They don't even try to hide the fact that they clearly wish South Africa would self destruct in one huge cataclysmic civil war.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Ever considered that we might be doing this because we are in a much better position to see just how much S.A. is deteriorating. Seeing S.A. as a once-a-year or so snapshot really brings out the problems in a way that you can never see it when you live there and are fed governments lies day to day.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Maybe because the news that come out of those countries tend to be "regular" news, and even good news? Maybe because they are not continuously embarrassed by their old country's leaders? You can't really compare Irish and Australian ex-pats with South Africans. Australians have piece and safety in their country, enough jobs to go around (for those willing to work), reasonable standard of living. I have yet to meet one Australian cite any of the reasons for leaving that South Africans do. Ireland is different - they had genuine civil unrest, and trust me, the Catholic v.s. Protestant war makes good old S.A. black v.s. white racism look like friendly banter between old friends.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Wrong again. Using only the people who actually sit down and write back as an indication of what "far too many" think, is careless and self serving. The overwhelming majority of South Africans I know around here (and through work alone I know around a hundred, not to mention friends and friends of friends), are pretty damn proud of being South African, wear their Springbok jerseys, know the lyrics of Nkosi Sikelel', and have *new* S.A. flags wherever they find a spot to display it - bumper sticker, fridge magnet, pinned to a suit, one (or several) of those beady ones pinned to rucksacks, suitcases, handbags. Most of them take a keen interest in what's going on in S.A. - read the news on-line, chat to friends back home, pick up the S.A. newspapers here. All of them are deeply saddened by what's happening to the beloved country, and in all the conversations I've had, all were able to deliver fair and realistic, if not constructive criticism. Oh, and dare I mention, a surprising number of my fellow ex-pats are not white. And an even bigger number of white, mostly Afrikaans ex-pats, myself included, are dating people of other races.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Yeah keep wondering, ANC boy, because unless you get your ass over here and get to know the ex-pats you are so opinionated about, you have nothing of substance to say.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Yes. And it is. I can send a picture. If that doesn't convince you I'll include a copy of my pay slip.
Chris Moerdyk said:
1. Refer to my comment about South Africans and the new flag.
2. Something that you and your ultra left buddies just don't get, Chris, is that for people who left S.A. prior to 1994, the new flag has no significance whatsoever. This new South Africa is a foreign country to them, and visiting it is as good as visiting, and as much of a culture shock, as visiting any African country was in the old days. The old flag, however vile you pretend to find it, is the only way these ex-pats can identify with their old country - their old country is not the New S.A. Have you ever considered that these ex-pats might be faced with a bit of a nationality crisis?
3. I don't see anything wrong the old flag. It pre-dates Apartheid by a few decades.
Wikipedia said:
The old flag is most certainly not relevant to the New South Africa, but it's hardly a symbol of oppression/apartheid or even inappropriate that insecure ignorant New South Africans (white or black, for their respective reasons) want it to be. It is, however, very relevant to a small group of people who, for simple logistical reason can't relate to the New South Africa. Just let it be, OK?
Chris Moerdyk said:
To the ignorant and uninformed, these so-called "apartheid holidays" are mostly religious days or days that have historical significance to the Arikaans folk. The fact that they're not relevant to the New South Africa doesn't make them wrong or irrelevant to Afrikaans people. The was one day that was political in nature: 31 May - Republic day. Well, South Africa is still a republic, isn't it?
Chris Moerdyk said:
Never heard of this, but I'll agree there are exceptions to every rule. Even so, I'd be willing to bet they were Voortrekker uniforms, not AWB uniforms. Again, irrelevant to most people in the New South Africa, very relevant, and rightly so, to many Afrikaans people.
Chris Moerdyk said:
Because you're looking in the mirror and seeing something you don't like? Guilty about something you're not telling us? Because you're so desperate to believe the ANC's "collective" version of every part of South African history? Or because writing ignorant/indifferent and provocative extreme-leftist rubbish is the only way you'll ever get anything printed?
Chris Moerdyk said:
So, aside from writing the aforementioned rubbish, what exactly are you doing to "fix it?"
