
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies - antr
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25249520
======
casca
Mandela reminds us that it's possible for a single man to create peace amidst
a huge push for war. Forgiveness is the first step in changing a society,
without it we are doomed to repeat the failures of our ancestors.

He continues to be an inspiration, particularly us Africans. Rest in peace
Madiba.

~~~
mathieuh
Do not allow liberals to sanitise history. Mandela was a symbol of non-
peaceful resistance and of the progress that it can bring.

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
> Mandela was a symbol of non-peaceful resistance

Yes, and:

"Umkhonto we Sizwe (translated as "Spear of the Nation") was the armed wing of
the African National Congress (ANC), co-founded by _Nelson Mandela_ , fought
against the South African government....

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umkhonto_we_Sizwe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umkhonto_we_Sizwe)

Indeed, let's not allow anyone to sanitise history. It's a fact that Ronald
Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and PW Botha all called him a terrorist.

~~~
moocowduckquack
_It 's a fact that Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and PW Botha all called
him a terrorist._

Is a bit like being called a wanker by Onan.

edit - pekk, it won't let me reply at the moment, but in answer to your
comment, Thatcher was no idiot by any stretch of the imagination, but she did
send the SAS to train Pol-Pot led forces, while Reagan put up the money, so I
think she definitely had more than a little blood on her hands. -
[http://www.newstatesman.com/node/137397](http://www.newstatesman.com/node/137397)

~~~
patrickaljord
Margaret Thatcher's rule started in May 1979, the genocide in Cambodia ended
in 1979, the Khmer Rouge were defeated in January 1979 by the Vietnamese army.
Blaming the genocide on Thatcher is one of the most ridiculous and
intellectually dishonest anti-Thatcher argument I've read yet.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge_rule_of_Cambodia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge_rule_of_Cambodia)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher)

Also, if you're going to judge statesmen by the regimes they supported, then
you should know that Mandela was a big supporter of Cuba's Castro, Saddam
Hussein, Qaddafi and North Korea. Does that make Mandela a horrible man or
statesman? Probably not, you'd be hard put to find a single statesman in
history who never supported at least one evil regime.

~~~
moocowduckquack
I didn't say that Thatcher was responsible for Cambodia's Year Zero. As you
rightly say, she gave Pol-Pot support _after_ Year Zero. At least the folk who
gave him support before that have the excuse that they didn't know how he was
going to turn out.

~~~
patrickaljord
Year Zero corresponds to 1975, starts of the genocide, saying that she helped
Pol Pot after Year Zero is disingenuous. She went into power in May 1979, when
the genocide was over and the Khmer Rouge overthrown. So she had nothing to do
with the killings. Also, the newstatesmen is highly leftist and the article
very messy. I couldn't find any other source verifying all of these claims or
to what extend did she personally help anything.

~~~
moocowduckquack
_Also, the newstatesmen is highly leftist and the article very messy. I couldn
't find any other source_

from that article -

 _Until 1989, the British role in Cambodia remained secret. The first reports
appeared in the Sunday Telegraph, written by Simon O 'Dwyer-Russell, a
diplomatic and defence correspondent with close professional and family
contacts with the SAS. He revealed that the SAS was training the Pol Pot-led
force. Soon afterwards, Jane's Defence Weekly reported that the British
training for the "non-communist" members of the "coalition" had been going on
"at secret bases in Thailand for more than four years". The instructors were
from the SAS, "all serving military personnel, all veterans of the Falklands
conflict, led by a captain"._

Or is The Telegraph and Jane's Defence Weekly still too left wing for you?

------
Ihmahr
Just until July 2008 Nelson Mandela was on the USA TERRORIST list (link).

Do you know who the Nelson Mandelas of our time are? Do you support them?

[https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela_taken_off_US_ter...](https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela_taken_off_US_terrorist_list)

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
Margaret Thatcher too, called him a terrorist. They (Thatcher and her party)
were on the wrong side of history then.

~~~
a8da6b0c91d
But he was involved in terrorist activities. He was a terrorist.

~~~
Crito
Would you call the French Resistance terrorists?

They certainly performed acts that _could_ justify the label, but _would_ you
call them terrorists?

~~~
ErrantX
I'm sure the Germans would have. Which is the point really; terrorism vs
freedom fighter, war vs cou, revolution vs insurgency.

It all depends which side your on.

~~~
Crito
I get that, which makes me wonder about somebody who claims that Mandela was a
terrorist. What does choosing that terminology say about them? What side they
are on?

------
arjn
Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

    
    
                     - William Ernest Henley
    
    
    

Rest in Peace Nelson Mandela

~~~
arethuza
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The
credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred
by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short
again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but
who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows
in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with
those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

"Nelson Mandela gave a copy of this speech to François Pienaar, captain of the
South African rugby team, before the start of the 1995 Rugby World Cup"

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_in_a_Republic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_in_a_Republic)

------
apsec112
I have great respect for Mandela, but I have flagged this story because it's
causing so much political flaming.

"Please avoid introducing classic flamewar topics unless you have something
genuinely new to say about them."

"The worst thing to post or upvote is something that's intensely but shallowly
interesting. Gossip about famous people, funny or cute pictures or videos,
partisan political articles, etc. If you let that sort of thing onto a news
site, it will push aside the deeply interesting stuff, which tends to be
quieter."

(with reference to the comments here, not the story itself)

~~~
richardjordan
He's one of the most important world figures of the second half of the 20th
century. Pretty legitimate news topic given the other non-tech topics that get
plugged into this feed nowadays.

~~~
rimantas
Can you explain why he was one of the most important _world_ figures, not jus
African? I am start to suspect there is some white guilt involved :(

~~~
richardjordan
if that's what you suspect then you're grossly ignorant of world affairs for
the second half of the 20th century

------
ASpring
Goodbye to a hero in forgiveness who demonstrated truly magnificent character
during the post-apartheid transition in South Africa.

More world leaders should strive to follow in his footsteps.

~~~
cma
We only took him off the terrorist list, nearly a sort of minor apartheid of
its own, a few years ago.

~~~
TwoNineFive
Correct. I came here to remind people that as recently as FIVE years ago he
was considered a terrorist in the United States of America.

[http://blogs.dailynews.com/friendlyfire/2013/06/30/americas-...](http://blogs.dailynews.com/friendlyfire/2013/06/30/americas-
shameful-treatment-mandela-lingers/)

[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-30-watchli...](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-30-watchlist_N.htm)

~~~
celticninja
yeah but the US thinks almost anyone with dark skin or a different political
opinion to them is a terrorist.

~~~
JackFr
Not completely fair. Sinn Fein members are typically denied visas, and they're
as pale as they come.

~~~
richardjordan
because typically they were coming here to raise money spent on placing bombs
in parades of WWII veterans and in hospitals

------
fuddle
I would recommend anyone interested in his life to read his autobiography,
Long Walk to Freedom. [http://www.amazon.ca/Long-Walk-Freedom-Autobiography-
Mandela...](http://www.amazon.ca/Long-Walk-Freedom-Autobiography-
Mandela/dp/0316548189)

~~~
notahacker
The thing that struck me about Nelson Mandela as he wanted to be seen in that
book is that he tried very hard to see the good in people.

Perhaps it's to be expected that he's forgiving about former sworn enemies who
ended up releasing him and stepping aside so he could dismantle the apartheid
regime they'd spent upholding, and sidesteps any qualms he might have had
about some of the region's truly obnoxious dictators who backed the ANC when
they were outlaws. But he also takes the time to note when some of his less
pleasant jailers displayed unexpected courtesy.

Some of the exchanges from his original trial are quite remarkable too,
especially those involving the prosecutions "expert witness" on the subject of
communism

------
natural219
Does anyone have any materials about Nelson Mandela's life that's accessible
to a youngster like me? I know he was hugely important for ending something
called "apartheid" in South Africa which sounds pretty horrible, I just don't
know what it is.

Rest in peace.

~~~
dredmorbius
"Apartheid" (literally: "the state of being apart") was a forced doctrine of
legal racial separation, nominally "equal" but in reality anything but, with
the black majority being hugely opressed, lasting from 1948 to 1990 / 1994
(officially at the former date, popularly when universal national elections
were held on the latter).

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_in_South_Africa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_in_South_Africa)

Mandela fought this system along with many others through the ANC, the African
National Congress. Some of its actions were violent, and the organization and
its members were labeled as terrorists, though Mandela later disavowed
violence.

He was freed in 1990, elected president of South Africa in 1994, and served
until 1999. A man who went from spending 28 years in jail to leading the
peaceful transition of his nation. His is one of the greatest stories of the
2nd half of the 20th century.

Listening to Obama speakin right now. "I'm not a saint, unless you consider a
saint to be a sinner who keeps on trying."

NB: Obama himself was hugely guided and influenced by Nelson Mandela.

~~~
gadders
I don't think Obama can even be mentioned in the same breath as Mandela, tbh.

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
Yeah they can: They are both the first black elected leader of their
respective countries.

~~~
goggles99
_Yeah they can: They are both the first black elected leader of their
respective countries._

Not in terms of worthiness. If Obama was exactly the same in every way but was
100% white, he never would have even made congressman let alone either term of
presidency. He was pushed through on racism (non-white people voting blindly
for him because the other guy was white), political correctness, the power of
persuasive marketing (of lies) and the attitude of affirmative action.

Obama is no leader or unifier. Every other word out of his mouth is a lie.
Mandela is worthy of credit for the skills he possessed. Obama is a giant
social and traditional media, speech writers and teleprompters induced fraud.

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
> Not in terms of worthiness. Obama ... was pushed through on racism ... non-
> white people voting blindly

Subjective opinion is subjective, bordering on offensive.

------
kohanz
_“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”_

Looking through a list of Mandela's quotes [1], there is an uncanny parallel
between his viewpoint and those of an entrepreneur. RIP Nelson.

 _“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture,
I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward
the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith
in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to
despair. That way lays defeat and death.”_

 _“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills
to climb.”_

[1] [http://newsone.com/1397375/nelson-mandela-quotes-93rd-
birthd...](http://newsone.com/1397375/nelson-mandela-quotes-93rd-birthday/)

~~~
macspoofing
>Looking through a list of Mandela's quotes [1], there is an uncanny parallel
between his viewpoint and those of an entrepreneur

Except the startup entrepreneur is talking about a photo-sharing app.

------
davidgerard
Before you read other politicians' platitudes on his death, you should read
Mandela's speech on his release from jail:

[http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=4520](http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=4520)

------
dredmorbius
Those who were around in the 1980s might remember and appreciate The Specials
AKA:

[http://fixyt.com/watch?v=AgcTvoWjZJU](http://fixyt.com/watch?v=AgcTvoWjZJU)

For those who weren't: this song protesting Mandela's incarceration got
widespread airplay around the world. I'm not sure I can recall a similar case
of popular music taking on a case of protesting for the freedom of a single
individual, and suspect it played a large part in waking consciousness to the
inequity of Apartheid and much of the pressure which was brought to bear in
the late 1980s against South Africa.

~~~
scott_s
Bob Dylan's "The Hurricane":
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8Wn1Mwwwk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8Wn1Mwwwk)

~~~
jaggederest
Bob Dylan's song is about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubin_Carter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubin_Carter)

~~~
dredmorbius
My read was that Dylan's song was of a similar nature, not on the same topic.

------
JonoW
RIP Madiba. As a South African this is a helluva sad day, but we knew it was
coming. I think I was 10 when he was released, but I had never heard of him
before, partly because of my age, partly because of the media gagging.

I remember all the adults being worried that retribution and revenge was
coming. But it never did, all he ever did was preach reconciliation. My best
memory of him must him presenting Francois Pienaar with the '95 rugby world
cup trophy, it sounds lame but it was such a unifying moment for the country.

------
elwell
After reading the Wikipedia article on Umkhonto we Sizwe[0], I found out he
did a lot of wrong [1], but his peaceful efforts should be praised.

[0] -
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umkhonto_we_Sizwe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umkhonto_we_Sizwe)

[1] - "South African police statistics indicate that, in the period 1976 to
1986, approximately 130 people were killed by what the source calls
'terrorists'. Of these, about thirty were members of various security forces
and one hundred were civilians."

~~~
streptomycin
_in the period 1976 to 1986, approximately 130 people were killed by what the
source calls 'terrorists'_

FWIW, Mandela was in prison at the time. From the 60s to 1990.

------
marquis
I hope he has been heartened to see the shift towards greater equality and
justice in the world, to which he was a strong voice and since my childhood
he's remained one of the most relevant world leaders.

------
wehadfun
"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all
persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal
which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for
which I am prepared to die" Mandela

------
richardjordan
I still remember sitting in front of the tv for hours, the day he was
released. The long, extended coverage of his exit from prison, delayed as he
spent his time saying goodbye to inmates and captors alike.

------
Tomis02
For those interested about the relation between Nelson Mandela and Glasgow,
good reads. 1\. [http://www.scotsman.com/news/comment-glasgow-s-backing-of-
ma...](http://www.scotsman.com/news/comment-glasgow-s-backing-of-mandela-
vindicated-1-2976906) 2\. [http://news.stv.tv/scotland/30271-nelson-mandelas-
memorable-...](http://news.stv.tv/scotland/30271-nelson-mandelas-
memorable-1993-visit-to-scotland/)

------
001sky
_We felt that without violence there would be no way open to the [African]
people to succeed in their struggle against the principle of [white
supremacy]. All lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had
been closed by legislation, and we were placed in a position in which we had
either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or to defy the Government.
We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way which avoided any
recourse to violence; when this form was legislated against, and then the
Government resorted to a show of force to crush opposition to its policies,
only then did we decide to answer violence with violence. But the violence
which we chose to adopt was not terrorism. We who formed [Umkhonto] were all
members of the [African National Congress], and had behind us the [ANC]
tradition of non-violence and negotiation as a means of solving political
disputes. We believe that [South Africa] belongs to all the people who live in
it, and not to one group... "_[1]

Interesting, and as always, relevant words.

[1] [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nelson-
mandel...](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nelson-mandela-life-
story--the-speeches-an-ideal-for-which-i-am-prepared-to-die-8406469.html)

------
middleclick
A life well lived. Fought very hard but helped millions of people to get their
basic human right.

For to be thought of to be lower because of your race just because of where
you were accidentally born is perhaps the worst form of discrimination
possible.

------
davidgerard
[https://twitter.com/sarahlicity/status/408717299097403393/ph...](https://twitter.com/sarahlicity/status/408717299097403393/photo/1)

~~~
dredmorbius
Are you positive of the accuracy of that? There's some dispute in the Twitter
thread.

------
kvnwng
Here's to hoping that his death will at least galvanize a more unified
approach to politics in SA to honor his memory.

------
harichinnan
Nelson Mandela was one of the few people to win both India's and Pakistan's
highest civilian awards. A testament to his work on world peace.

------
jdmitch
Amandla!

    
    
       Awethu!

------
bitops
I'm a little sad to see that there's not a black bar across the top of HN due
to this story.

~~~
rangibaby
Is it really sad when a person who has lived a long, full life dies of old
age?

~~~
capex
It is a great loss no matter how old Mandela was or how peacefully he died.

------
lennel
We moved back to SA a week after Mandela was released. My thoughts on SA as
someone who saw this goal of transformation fail. Mandela was an incredible
humanist, more so than people realise. his government was run on charm,
persuasion and super bright people completely unqualified for their roles. The
outcome of that was that technocrats (given the failings) and the movement of
technocrats took over post (Mbeki). The vacuum (of burocratic skill and
knowledge [i go uggh]) which was running a system that big could not (and
never can) be built in a resistance movement. So arise the technocrats.
Technocrats cannot understand/appease the person living in a shack not having
any money or future 20 years post apartheid. So now the deal they negotiated
in 90+ 96 + 99 (and yes it was a good deal in many ways (Chicago school) bad
in so many as well) has only created a greater imbalance. Now we have entered
the era of populists. figure that one out yourself.

Mandela's death will do more for SA and a fair bit of southern africa than
most occurrences will, and era of memberance, reading reflection, humanism
will come about. for a while. My greatest grievence with Mandela simply lies
in that he did not break up the tri party alliance early (trade unions,
communist party and the anc which is extremely right wing in contrast)
allowing them to get 60%+ votes which effectively means it is a new
dictatorship. (i am sorry if 80% of the votes are prone to gerrymandering + an
extremely uneducated populace i won't call it a true democracy - then again
first past the post - hah!).

a great human. the meaning and writing and so indefinitely misused from now.

------
kome
He was a true communist and a good man. He lived up to his ideals.

I'm sad he is gone.

[http://i.imgur.com/CwLZLY5.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/CwLZLY5.jpg) /
[http://s1.lemde.fr/image/2013/12/05/644x322/3526517_6_2605_n...](http://s1.lemde.fr/image/2013/12/05/644x322/3526517_6_2605_nelson-
mandela_4089385eb0defe8392726b0ca985e7fb.jpg)

------
tobyjsullivan
Few men lead such a full, adventurous and meaningful life. An inspiration to
all.

~~~
kika
Inspired me to put a tire around someone's neck, fill it with gas and light it
up.

------
sschueller
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1SWKumsKNo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1SWKumsKNo)

------
rooshdi
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like
slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be
overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on
a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness
blossom.”

Thank you Madiba. May your peace rest in all.

------
plg
I wonder if political scientists on their polisci message boards have debates
about programming languages and tech startups

------
known
A terrorist is a freedom fighter who isn't on your side.

------
michaelmcmillan
Mandela has had such an impact on the world, this is sad.

------
nashequilibrium
Is Paul going to put the black bar up on Hacker News?

------
tagawa
The Onion puts it nicely: [http://www.theonion.com/articles/nelson-mandela-
becomes-firs...](http://www.theonion.com/articles/nelson-mandela-becomes-
first-politician-to-be-miss,34755/)

------
dodyg
His lasting legacy is South Africa's constitution.

[http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/1996/a108-96.p...](http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/1996/a108-96.pdf)

------
mkuhn
The perfect farewell:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAl5jucOgro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAl5jucOgro)

------
ismail
A sad day for the world. Many who did not live through the period 93-94 do not
realise how on a Knife Edge South Africa was at the time, it could have gone
either way. The country could have descended into civil war, but my personal
opinion is it didn't, in large part due to Madiba. The iconic moment of him at
the 97 world cup, his constant speeches on establishing restraint.

------
carlmcqueen
Very Sad News. Death of a truly great man.

------
read

      "It always seems impossible until it's done."
    
       - Nelson Mandela

------
ps4fanboy
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19981011&id=-...](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19981011&id=-KZUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XzsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5864,2664027)

~~~
nashequilibrium
did you actually read that article, i did?

~~~
ps4fanboy
yes

------
j45
Rest in peace Mr. Mandela, most of us can't imagine devoting ourselves to a
cause for 27 years, for others. Your startup was freedom for all, no
technology can compare.

------
flycaliguy
The ultimate hacker

------
tunnuz
Goodbye Bafana.

~~~
koenigdavidmj
That just means 'boys'. I expect that you're looking for 'Madiba', his clan
name.

~~~
tunnuz
I know nothing of Afrikaans, I was just quoting Goodbye Bafana (2007)
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438859](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438859)
(worth watching if you haven't already).

~~~
SideburnsOfDoom
You mean Xhosa, not Afrikaans.

~~~
tunnuz
That one.

------
Mustafabei
I wish there was an easier and more sincere way to pay our gratitudes... RIP
great man

------
davidgerard
Well, damn.

------
CountHackulus
Truly his legacy will provide inspiration for generations.

------
knodi
RIP Madiba.

------
bertomartin
Great man

------
ericthegoodking
R.I.P

------
christogreeff
RIP. :(

------
jbrooksuk
R.I.P.

------
icecreampain
Sigh. Before anyone goes off harking how Mandela almost single-handedly
brought down Apartheid, think of the following:

\- SA has vast mineral resources...

\- ...that the banksters wanted

\- ...which SA didn't want to share (give away for almost nothing)

\- CIA starts orchestrating a fall of apartheid. Their tool are the liberals:
"Apartheid is terrible for the poor blacks"

\- De Klerk gets told by Those In Charge to release Mandela, or else

\- Mandela released, ANC take over with a majority of the vote

\- ANC are corrupt like a motherfucker, privatize the government mines

\- Mines are bought for cheap by foreign multinationals

\- Mine workers still treated like shit, shot by police if they protest

\- The situation has gotten so bad that the police mix statistics to make it
look better than it is[1]

\- How about the Free State spending 140 million rand on a site that costs a
few thousands in reality? How's that for corruption. [2]

\- Black people are showing up in interviews here and there saying that it was
better during apartheid [3]

\- CIA have gotten what they wanted, liberals have forgotten about SA

[1]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsFOkUY_vkE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsFOkUY_vkE)

[2]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKfemruhnC0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKfemruhnC0)

[3] Here is some "better during apartheid":
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ_7JbTZXng](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ_7JbTZXng)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NydY9WLbCwc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NydY9WLbCwc)

Other things I haven't mentioned: The jewish-led South African Communist Party
working together with the ANC to promote violent uprising, Mandela approved
Church Street bombing, killing civilians, Winnie Mandels pastime of burning
non-ANC voters alive (necklacing). Etc.

However bad it was during Apartheid, it's even worse now.

~~~
seewhat
An economic angle, summarised in: Lowenberg, Anton D. "Why South Africa’s
Apartheid Economy Failed", 1997

[http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Contemporary-
Econom...](http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Contemporary-Economic-
Policy/19964177.html)

TLDR:-

1\. Decades of intensifying international isolation over RSA's political
climate.

2\. RSA's growing reliance on international short-term loans in 1980s, leading
to balance of payments crisis.

3\. Threat and introduction of economic sanctions by international community.

4\. ... Leading to increasing economic costs to industry and individuals,
which reduced internal support for Apartheid amongst South Africa's elite.

5\. Coincidental fall of the Soviet Union, leading to the West's reduced
support of RSA against revolutionary front-line states.

(Not to discount the struggle for equality amongst non-white South Africans,
embodied by Mandela and others.)

EDIT: Clarity

------
kimonos
I honor this man and his principles.. Rest in peace..

------
paskakap
Well, lots of celebrities have died lately. Paul Walker and now Nelson
Mandellion.

~~~
marquis
Mandela isn't a 'celebrity': he's one of the few people in recent times who
changed the world we live in for the better. His life's work allows millions
of us to have hope.

~~~
aaron695
I think it's more a commentary on the inane comments that are being made on
the issue by people who seriously have no idea on who he was and what he did
but want to jump on the bandwagon of his 'celebrity' status.

~~~
onebaddude
>I think it's more a commentary on the inane comments that are being made on
the issue by people who seriously have no idea on who he was and what he did
but want to jump on the bandwagon of his 'celebrity' status.

This was all I could think reading this thread.

Mandela, and his undertakings, probably never crossed the minds of 90% of the
participants in this thread. I know very little about him myself, outside of
his celebrity. But suddenly everyone has an opinion.

