The Amazing Race Card

[duncan drennan]

I'm sick and tired of Mbeki and "The Amazing Race Card"....

Mbeki said he had in the past -- in reference to the arms deal -- "made the point" that a central and permanent feature of racism experienced by black people over many centuries "has been the stereotype that as black people we are inherently amoral and corrupt".

"Thus some in our country and elsewhere in the world know it as a matter of fact that our government is bound to be amoral and corrupt."

"Mbeki: Stereotyping behind Gautrain saga" on M&G

How does he expect to get the race issue sorted out if he plays the amazing race card at so many opportunities?!?

Wake up and smell the coffee Mr. Mbeki, you are being judged on the past performance of the ANC cadres, not the colour of their skin.

[Dave A]

That has the same power as the "Get out of blame - free" card, I think.

I once tried to play Magic with my son. I'm sure he was cheating. He kept hitting me with the same card over and over again, and even when I thought I had killed it, it had regeneration or something. It didn't help that I didn't understand the rules of the game.

Very frustrating

Would that feel about the same way?

[duncan drennan]

I think what disturbs me the most is not knowing the rules of the game, but trying to figure out why he keeps that one up his sleeve so neatly tucked away.

For some reason it seems to come out quite regularly in Mbeki's ANC Today column. It bothers me, because is seems that he really believes it to be true. Sure, there are people that believe that, but the only power they have over us (and Mbeki) is how much we believe them.

I'm sure that you've been through far more tough times and seen more discrimination than most of us would care to know Mr Mbeki, but please sir, can we move on from here now? The more you think about this and raise the particular point, the more everyone thinks about it...maybe you should read The Law of Attraction?

Make the amazing race card history, it's hurting us all

[Dave A]

I think we need links to all the political parties' websites - just sommer for those who might be interested.

I had a call from the ID trying to raise funds because they were "the only truly representative South African political party." The line was the DP is too white and the ANC is too black.

When she couldn't answer a couple of questions about where Patricia de Lille stood on a few issues close to my heart, I asked for the website so that I could take a look around. The lassie said they don't have one! Hard to believe in this day and age.

[duncan drennan]

They've had this up for ages, http://www.id.org.za/ - since they started I think. Can't believe the woman didn't even know they had one...eish

Then the ANC, http://www.anc.org.za/ (with reference to the ANC Today, referred to above)

And the DA, http://www.da.org.za/

[Dave A]

Can't believe the woman didn't even know they had one...eish

I think it was more a case of she knew if I looked at it she'd have more questions to answer - and it was without the eish

It quickly became apparent that she knew very little about Patricia's past positions on certain issues (I was asking if they had changed recently). I suspect her next call might have been to a boss to resign.

[duncan drennan]

Cosatu has weighed in with their opinion on this,

"We find it particularly offensive that President Mbeki has seen fit to play the race card in a manner that suggests that the people with business interests -- whom he is defending -- are somehow blacker than the working-class components of the alliance," Cosatu said.

"Don't play the race card, Cosatu warns Mbeki" on M&G

[Dave A]

Maybe Thabo should have paid a bit more attention to the rules of the Race Card. Clearly it only has power over antagonists branded as white and is obviously ineffectual against a black attacker. Against COSATU, the Race Card could even do damage to the dealer.

Bottom line - if it was the DA making the same attack, the Race Card would have worked. It certainly did with that retirement house attack, although I think the DA made a tactical error in playing the Invade Privacy With Media card along the way which didn't help.

I think I'm starting to get the idea behind Magic - about ten years too late.

[duncan drennan]

Maybe you should send the rules of the game onto Mbeki? Maybe he has an old copy

I think you've hit the nail on the head though...from the same article,

Mbeki wrote that "the multiparty offensive" of accusers of the ANC -- including the media, Cosatu, the Democratic Alliance and the SACP -- are determined to project his ruling movement as being "nothing more than a cabal of mercenary politicians, posing as liberation fighters"

Obviously COSATU would be happy to accept the Race Card being tabled if that statement only included the media and the DA.

[Dave A]

So many possible quips, so little time...

They aren't a cabal of mercenary politicians?
And I hope they are ex-liberation fighters.

When you get down to the bottom line, it's a competition for who's the bigger victim.

On a slightly different tack, the ID seems very parochial judging by their website.