A different view on current affairs & history
Main picture: Locals carrying a Rolls Royce in Nepal in 1950
Main picture: Montgomery and his American rivals – Bradley and Patton
Mercifully for South Africans, it has not been a year filled with overwhelming tragedy. Rather it has been a year when the shameless deeds of the political elite and their patronage clients have cast shame on the citizens of this fair land. From Nkandla to the crony enrichment scheme proposed by Dudu Myeni of SAA, moral turpitude has been exposed at every turn. The selfless actions of Nhlanhla Nene gave South African pause to reflect that a few – too few perhaps – are prepared to act without fear or favour in South Africa. Even though this act is widely regarded as worthy of the highest recognition, Nene will not be the subject of this year’s award.
This is the season of the year to celebrate a random act of kindness. This selfless act is an inspiring story of compassion, the more so when the benefactor need not have been as magnanimous or generous.
Many measures can be applied when assessing the performance of Generals. One could focus on strategic or tactical competence. Maybe success is another. What about race or sexual orientation? My judgment was based on competence conflated with a 21st century concept of human rights. The blog Rating the General of WW2 elicited a number of comments of alternative ratings. This was one from an old hiking friend Malcolm. After presenting Malcolm’s view, I will critique it.
Main picture: Based upon victory as being the measure of greatness, Eisenhower was the greatest general of WW2
Anecdotal evidence suggests that most taxi drivers must commit at least a 100 traffic violations per day. It is their egregious behaviour of failing to adhere to any traffic ordinances that incenses the other road users. After a Facebook video went viral showed a motorist taking on a taxi driver in Durban, the general consensus was that the ordinary motorist should confront the errant taxi drivers more often. But is that the correct method of preventing them disobeying of the traffic regulations?
Main picture: In these scenes from a Facebook video, a motorist can be seen refusing to give way to a taxi driving on the wrong side of the road in Glenwood. In frame 1 the taxi pulls into oncoming traffic, in 2 he tries to push in but in 3 he is stopped, in 4 and 5 he reverses and in 6 he makes his escape.
Imagine an unmarried mother even half a century ago. Her lot was wretched. Judged within the narrow conservative confines of morality of that epoch, they were castigated, vilified and ostracised. According to the prevailing prudish norms they were no better than sluts or prostitutes. Since then a seminal shift in attitudes has transpired in this regard. Within the past two decades even homosexuality has been legalised. What remaining elements of immorality have yet to be challenged and vanquished?
Main picture: Martin L. Lambert married conjoined twin Violet Hilton but not her sister Daisy
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The one stern injunction that my mother made when I was a child was never to own a German Shepherd as a pet. The reason that she advanced was that ultimately their wolf like nature would be exhibited at some point in time and would attack somebody. Personally I believe that her misunderstanding arose as the next door neighbours – the Lotts’s – bred GSDs. In their tiny backyard, they kept 50 Alsatians chained up. Probably what happened was that at some point, a frustrated dog attacked Mr Lotts. For most of my life in Joburg, I have owned at least one Alsatian and never have I experienced a problem either with the children or the other animals.
Jacob Zuma’s election by the ANC as President was never going to bode well for South Africa. His rise to being the only candidate to stand against Thabo Mbeki despite two latent but revealing moral flaws – unresolved charges of rape and corruption – was extremely worrisome for clear thinking people. Zuma has revealed himself to be every bit as corrupt and venal as was expected but his seminal decision to fire yet another competent minister, Nhlanhla Nene, and replace him with an incompetent epitomised a man out of his death.
Main picture: Jacob Zuma (2ndR) poses for photographs with his three wives Sizakele Khumalo (R), Nompumelo Ntuli (L), and Thobeka Mabhija (2-L) after the State of The Union Address
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From a purely military perspective – both strategic and tactical – and a personal bravery standpoint, Rommel had few peers during WW2 except perhaps for George Patton. In other aspects there were contradictions and these behaviours and actions were not so unambiguous as to be able to categorise Rommel’s viewpoint one way or the other. This blog will not focus on his military accomplishments as these have been extensively dealt with but rather these other aspects of his life.
One of the issues which has always intrigued me is at what point did Rommel decide to support the plot to assassinate Hitler. What was Rommel’s relationship with his men? Was it as Goebbels had portrayed it in his propaganda films as collegial or not? Was Rommel a committed Nazi or was he, as he claims, an apolitical military officer? Lastly when did Rommel finally become disillusioned with Hitler?
Main picture: Rommel with the 15th Panzer Division in North Africa Continue reading