Globally wasting time

In the shadow of COP 17, comes the news that over the last fifteen years, we have seen the thirteen hottest years on record (since 1850). This is according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.
 It is contested by scientists that a sustained 2% Celsius rise in world temperatures would see the point from which we will not be able to pull back from.  An increase in temperature, would mean serious knock on effects, such as severe storms, prolonged droughts, flooding to touch on a few general effects. Furthermore, the well known weather phenomenon known as El Nino and it's sister, La Nino, would be intensified as the temperatures rise. This will further increase the severity of drought and also rainfall. (Although these two conditions do not effect global warming, they do intensify the weather associated with each due to the rise in temperatures). As the sea temperatures heat up, tropical storms and hurricanes will be much stronger and more frequent than they are right now. This is, of course, is a very general oversight on change.

Further serious signs include the sea ice in the Arctic, which is at it's thinnest in history and the area covered by ice the second lowest levels in history.
Without going into each region, we all have seen the flooding, the extreme storms and the severe droughts experienced by different places on earth.  There is no doubt that this is real.

It is obvious to me, and should be to those in charge of countries and industry, that we are facing an impending disaster. Numerous conferences are held by leaders, but sadly very little action comes from these meetings. There are loads of promises and haggling, but the best result they achieve is to apply measures in a certain amount time. As in COP17, 2020. Agreements mean nothing if not followed by action. And action is what is needed NOW, not in years to come. Action is also needed by everybody, not just a few worldwide.

I can understand the need to stoke industry and to pander the the economy as this basically is what keep a country afloat. Having said that, where do we draw the line between romancing the economy and saving the earth?

I do believe the global warming is part of a natural cycle of heating and cooling the earth goes through. I also have no doubt that human activity is speeding this process up. Logically we cannot pump millions of tons of pollution into the atmosphere, deforest large areas of woodland, turn wetlands into residential or industrial property and so on, without the planet feeling negative effect. For those who choose to think we are innocent, I feel sorry for their ignorance.

Many are alleging that global warming is a myth caused by those wanting to get rich off the 'green movement'. (And funny nothing mentioned by those raked the riches from oil and coal). These are the people who ignore the scientific facts- besides, they should also explain to us, how restoring wetlands, reducing deforestation, reducing pollution and so on, will have a negative effect on the planet.

Any positive move will help the planet, but we need to be honest- governments and industry are just not doing enough. Soon global warming will have crossed the point of no return and then it will be too late for those in charge to realize that there is no other home for us- once earth is cooked- so are we and all those we share earth with us.

Daft Crimes and Criminals

Thought as it is a wet Friday here, I would have a bit of fun and try to reintroduce the Stupid Crimes and Criminals Friday tradition.

To begin we have a real winner. Mr Albert Bailey, a twenty seven year old Connecticut resident, who is apparently starved for patience. When he decided he need to make an illegal bank withdrawal, he was not interested in waiting and decided to do what no one has been clever enough to do before- he phoned the bank prior to arriving. Sparky considerately informed them that he planned on robbing them and would be very grateful if they would have the money available on arrival.

Of course, the bank, not being as daft, called the cops who apprehended Bailey and an unnamed sixteen year old accomplice. The police, having a sense of humour it seems, did wait for the dye trap to explode first though.
Our understatement of the week comes from Police Sergeant James Perez when he indicated that the two suspects weren't 'to bright'...really?

Secondly we have Anthony Miranda. This 24 year old no- gooder decided to mug an unnamed guy on the South West side of Chicago. The result was that Anthony ended up with two blue eyes, facial cuts and a gunshot to his ankle. Turns out the target was a martial arts and ultimate fighting champion.
During the hold up, the Victim made his move. During the tussle Albert's gun discharged and shot him in the ankle in addition to being beaten silly.  
He is being held on $350 000 bond for this and various other charges.

Lastly we have Mark Fiasco and Mathew Hawley. These chaps were pulled over in a routine traffic stop by deputies in Florida. Cops became suspicious when the address given did not match that on Fiasco's licence. While conducting a car search they found 29.3 grams of marijuana in the boot (trunk)  of his car along with a bong, inside a plastic bag.

Fiasco and Hawley, happily  agreed to purchasing the magic herb with an intent to 'smoke the shit out of it'.
Over and above this, the pot head twosome gratefully thanked the deputies for finding the bong, which they has not seen for seven years, after purchasing it for $150. Got to love grateful people.

Zuma must act like a leader!

Three South African provinces are in dire financial problems and several departments have been placed under administration. The three provinces are, Gauteng (SA's business hub), Free State and Limpopo. It is reported that Limpopo had to borrow money to pay salaries to the tune of R1 billion. .

Of course, there is the usual denial and wide eyed bewilderment by those who are guilty or at least responsible for the mismanagement of public funds. Government announced that five Limpopo departments would be placed under administration. The MEC's, Chief financial officers and all other relevant officials would be replaced by 'National Acting Deployees'.
The departments include- Education, Treasury, Roads and Transport, Public Works, Health and Social Development in Limpopo.
In the Free State we are looking at Police, Roads and Transport.
With Gauteng it seems just Health.

The positive step is that Cabinet has called for a forensic investigation into this dark situation. Furthermore, stating that should maladministration or illegal activities be found, the firing stick will come out.

Now, the problems I do have- the word 'replaced'. Does it mean that the people have been suspended or they just took a temporary step back from the positions they messed up, to allow somebody else to fix it? From past experience we know that people in high positions in government, are not easily fired or disciplined, unless you cross the line and fall into the wrong camp. Look at Travelgate as a prime example of this. How many other officials have been placed on suspension with full pay for a year or more, while their case drags out for some reason or another?

 President Zuma has promised a hard line on corruption, yet to date there is little evidence he means what he says. He protects those in his camp and really only takes action against those out of favour.
Even the call for heads to roll for any wrong doing by the cabinet, IF there is an audit, should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is all just saying the right thing at the right time to appease the public.

If there is misuse of funds or maladministration, those who are responsible should be suspended right away. An urgent audit must be undertaken and action taken by way of firing them and laying criminal charges if need be. This process should take weeks! It is simple- if people cannot administer their province and/or departments, they are not fit for the job and should be demoted or fired, depending on the seriousness. No debate.

The South African public requires our leaders to spend out tax money well- to uplift the poor, to better housing, healthcare and education. The list goes on. It is time for a hard line to be taken on those who waste our money on rubbish and do note use it for what it is meant for.
It is time for Jacob Zuma to act like a leader and fire those who corruptly use state funds!!!!

Most Expensive Accident

Once in a while a story comes along that really tugs at your heartstrings, brings a lump to your throat and a tear to the eye.
This is such a story.
Apparently a convoy of luxury cars was driving to a show in Hiroshima from Kyushu. Whilst driving alone the Chugoko expressway, it appears a 60 year of self employed Ferrari driver lost control of his sleek beauty while changing lanes. The car hit the median and bounced into the path of the convoy.

The sad result- 8 Ferrari's, a Lamborghini, 3 Mercedes Benz and two Toyota probably written off. There were no serious human injury but the heartbreaking pictures on various news media is almost to much to take. The pictures on my blog are not meant to offend or shock, but to bring the sadness home.

Cost of a future

I have always supported the idea that the more you ensure your citizens are educated, the better it goes for your country. Educated people are in a better position to become employed or start businesses to employ others. In South Africa we have frightening unemployment levels and linked to this, we have very low education levels and pass rates.

This is a serious situation. Our matric pass rates drop annually. So, the powers that be, being the bright lights they are, do the only thing they could think of- drop the pass marks.
Now, surely the most logical step would be to look at where things are going wrong.
Our educators need to be top notch and be in education because they want to teach. Teachers need to be well trained and passionate about teaching. This process should begin from pre-school level. This is where your foundation begins.
To do this, they should be subject to annual exams themselves. (It was established that many teachers cannot pass their own exams). So don't drop the pass rate, but increase the quality and standard of education.

Education in South Africa is an expensive project. Basic schooling in a public school costs around R5 000 per year. This excludes stationary (but includes a sub-standard teacher).
University undergraduate degrees run into the tens of thousands and post graduate to doctorates could set you back R100 000 or so. Even studying a diploma from colleges set you back from R10- 20 000.

Okay, these figures are both rounded and average, but the message remains the same. You pay a lot of money and not much in return. We have a tertiary education level of 6% of those over 20 years old.

To me education is not a privilege but a right. Just because people cannot afford education, why should it be withheld from them? Truth is, that for most people to study(excluding the rich of course), they require some type of financial assistance by way of a bursary or a loan. Having said this, these two options are not available to everybody. Most people who are employed, live from hand to mouth and cannot afford to pay off a loan or payments to an educational body. (They have small things like food and rent to consider first.) Then there are the unemployed, who let's face it, require free education but will never be in a position to afford it. Nobody can argue that education does not only empower you, but assists you with your progress in life.

Funding will always be a problem of course. Having said this and acknowledging that this would be a challenge, I am sure that there is a way to assist people who want to study. Millions of Rands are wasted in corrupt deals, on useless parties and get togethers, on first class travel and 5 star hotel bills and the list goes on. Our government needs to get serious about governing and assisting their citizens.  Until they do, we will remain a third world country.

Nickelback-Here and Now review

After waiting for years after Dark Horse, I was more than exited when I read the brilliant news that Nickelback was due to release a new album. The months dragged, but finally I was able to get my grubby hands on the new offering by this classic rock band.

I am a Nickelback fan, a massive one, so granted this review of their latest album, 'Here and Now' may be slightly biased. I have Nickelback's CD's from 'The Curb' till 'Here and Now'. As a band, their music has grown, yet still kept their brilliant raw rock sounds. In a world where there are plastic tastes of people who idolize Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga with their catchy plastic pop that they try to pass off as music, good rock bands are always welcome. Brilliant ones are treasured. 

'Here and Now' is a great mix of real rock and haunting rock ballads. (It is my view, that nobody pulls off ballads better than rock bands). 

The album is also a mix of messages. The first release, 'When we stand together' has a strong message to the world about the less fortunate and a call to do something about it.

The album kicks off with 'This means war'. A raw rocks song with heavy guitar and drum beats. 

'Bottoms up' will become a drinking anthem, and rightly so. 

Then there are the usual good tongue in cheek lyrics, as in 'Midnight queen' and 'Gotto get me some'. All good, solid rock songs with catchy choruses and lyrics, accompanied by great guitar work and pounding drums. Some lines will bring a smirk to your mouth. Nickelback are one of those bands that brings a strong message through, despite the subtle humour in some of their songs. Many criticize them for their lyrics, but I see them as being what people think about or can relate to.  

However, I have to admit that the slower songs top my list. 'Lullaby' is haunting. 'Everything I wanna do' and 'Trying not to love you' are also well written, well performed rock ballads. As a lyricist myself, I appreciate good lyrics, and these guys know how to write brilliant love songs. I adore love songs, and Nickelback pull them off splendidly. 

The guitar work over the entire album is something to behold as is Chad's gravel voice, which brings so much emotion to the slower songs and a real rock sound to the heavier songs. 

As I said, I am a NB fan, and am proud of it. They are one of the few brilliant rock bands who do not pretend to be anything else. 'Here and Now' is worth buying and listening to over and over. 

Request

I blog because I enjoy getting stuff off my chest and I enjoy writing. Granted, I do not post as much as I ought to.  make no excuse for this. I do see that people are reading my blog, which I feel honoured about. One request, please leave comment whether you agree, disagree, like or don't like what I write. If you have ideas, please feel free to share them with me.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Here are two of my photos, hope you like.

The Zuma Fort

In South Africa we have a unit called the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The SIU is an independent body, created to investigate institutions or people employed by the state who perform illegal act(s), who squander public funds and who harm the institution of the State. This is a rough definition of course, without going into all the legal stuff. The SIU is accountable to the president and to parliament.

It has now been announced that judge Willem Heath will now head up this sensitive unit. And this is where, as in many cases in South Africa, it becomes murky.

Before the 2009 elections, Jacob Zuma had corruption charges relating to the tainted arms deal hanging over him. Despite his many attempts to approach various courts, he lost each case (at the tax payers expense of course) and thus the charges remained. With Judge Heath In Zuma's corner, the charges were withdrawn due to the flimsy excuse of questioning the motive behind the charges. Bear in mind that various judgments went against Zuma as many other judges decided there was a strong case, based on the evidence Zuma was trying to suppress. With some other clever appointments by the ANC led government and despite outrage from sections of the public, all charges were simply dropped. Heath still maintains the prosecution was 'driven by tainted evidence.' Tape recording secured by the Zuma camp were acquired by questionable means and indicated leaks in National Intelligence.

This appointment brings into question the true independence of the SIU. This appointment was made in place of Willie Hofmeyr (picture at bottom of post with Heath), who is now deputy national director. Unlike Heath, Hofmeyr has no allies to which to please and is known to go after the truth. He is also respected by all the opposition parties and his record speaks for itself.

The ANC led government disbanded the Scorpions. who were an independant police like unit, who went after the big fish, and often caught them, Their success rate was the highest of any police like unit in South Africa.   The replacement, the Hawks has been seen as a toothless unit headed up by political appointments.

This announcement comes on the back of the ANC announcing it wants access to Constitutional Court judgments, with a view to interfere. (this is a post for another day though).

It is clear that as the Zuma camp is securing themselves from legal action from any angle. The dirty Information Bill goes further to prove this. We all know that corruption is rife in our government. It would appear from the top. By passing laws and appointing the correct people to head sensitive units, those in the correct camp are assured of escaping prosecution and also securing friends who would prefer to be in the secure fort.

Brilliant Advert

The latest You Tube sensation is the advert by Nando's depicting Mugabe as being alone this Christmas as all his fellow dictator friends are dead. This ad is filled with memories of Mugabe with various 'friends' like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.

To me the advert is both fresh, offensive and brilliant. Now don't get me wrong, it is far from offensive to me. I have no time for Mugabe nor his followers. They however are calling for people to boycott Nando's worldwide. Having said this, who but those in Zimbabwe really take Mugabe's followers seriously so I am sure Nando's are not going to worry to much about lost revenue there. Mugabe is a ruthless dictator who has killed thousands of his own people and hung on to power despite losing an election, so why should we feel sorry when a bit of fun is thrown his way. He can make the insults but thinks he is above receiving them. The ad is also pretty close to the truth, which makes it a good political message. 

The Nando's chain is known for it's fresh and often controversial advertising. (Freedom of speech is a bitch). I hope they keep it up. 

I recommend looking the ad up on You Tube and have a chuckle.

(As a late note- Nando's pulled the Ad. Very sad they had to buckle. )

Politics is the wealth game

Living in South Africa, a country where politicians have the privilege  of spending tax payers money as though it was their own down to an art. Now don't get me wrong, if they spent the money on valuable services and items that would benefit the country, then I would be writing this to applaud them instead of raise some major concerns.

The way I see and understand it is that number one- nobody is forced to become a politician. And number to, choosing that profession, one should realise that you are there to serve the public or citizens of the country, not yourself. It may sound simplistic, but this to me is the bottom line.

Having said that, we look at politicians worldwide and they all have one thing in common, whether you have a democratic, communist, dictatorship or any other type of government- they ALL live the life of the wealthy. They are well paid and have many benefits as well as being treated like gold when visiting other countries.
This is where my problem arises. Why and what makes this group of people so special that they have to always have the best and most expensive??

Most countries have poverty, some have it in truck loads, other's not so much. Still, how can anybody justify the waste of tax payer's money on luxury when your people have to go to bed hungry. There is no need to stay in 5 star hotels, eat at the best restaurants, drive expensive luxury vehicles, have entertainment that costs a fortune and so on. It is excess at it's best. There is also no need for this. Millions can be saved by politicians and this money used for education programs, health and other areas where it is needed.

In my view, it is pure arrogance that these people think they are so special and that they somehow deserve to have the best at their feet. If they were true leaders, they will choice the comfortable choice, not the one studded with gold and diamonds. Sadly this will not change because we, as the voters put up with it and many think they deserve this due the their pressure jobs as well as the facts as they are allowed to do it, so because it is not wrong, nobody does what is moral.

I guess this goes back to the earliest days of leadership and governments, and as much as little me hates it and see just how wrong it really is, it is not going to change anytime soon. Then again, who of them would like to change a lifestyle that they live and sadly we, as the citizens, do not get much out of the deal.

Although the first reality show was aired in 1973 (An American Family), Reality television really exploded in around 1999 and we have had some classics like Survivor, the early Big Brothers and Cops . Then came Idols, The Apprentice, Fear Factor, America's top model, The Amazing Race and so on. In the case of Idols and X Factor, the executives found a profitable way to exploit people who want to become rich and famous through using  their talent. But this is another article.

The need for reality type programs grew larger than that of scripted programs. As a result we have a glut of reality programs, including Miami Ink, Cake Boss and so on. There are a number of dating programs where some poor loser in love goes out to find his or her true love from a number of contestants. Further to this there are Job Seeking programs (e.g. Dream Job & Deadline), Sports (e.g.The Big Break, Knight school), Self improvement (e.g. Extreme Makeover, The Biggest Loser), Renovation (e.g.Complete Makeover, While you were out).....and so on and on and on and on.
Reality even made The Osbornes and Judges TV stars.

Not all of reality TV is bad or brain dead though. There are some that are educational or at least stimulate the mind- like Ghost Lab, Cops or Ice Pilots. Reality programs with an education have their place and I find them stimulating.
However there are those 'brilliant' ones like Kate plus 8 which celebrates the exciting (not) life of a woman who has landed up with 8 brats....wow.....it numbs my mind. Oh then there is the 'stimulating' show, Reality Wives which let's you into the life of a chap who collects wives like we collect socks. Let us not forget Toddlers & Tiaras, where we see children being violated in that they compete in an adult environment in beauty pageants against each other, with the mother and trainers pushing these poor kids from five to grown up in weeks. This in my view is as close to child abuse as is legally allowed.

There is no question that we are flooded with too much reality. People are searching for things to film, and it seems anything goes. When looked at in this perspective, The Truman Show takes on a new slant.

Obviously I have not named dozens of programs, but I am sure the point is clear. The glut of Reality shows  makes the well scripted programs less wanted and this is sad. I never thought there would be such a need and I will not even begin to predict if this will last much longer this fad will last.

I just hope it is not much longer.

Malema-The King of Friction

 The ANC Youth League is an offshoot of the ANC, which, as it implies, should deal with youth issues- this should include education, employment, sexually transmitted diseases, under-age pregnancy and so on. However the reality is far from it as the ANCYL seem to have nothing to do with youth issues and they seem to preoccupied with the power struggle in the ruling party.

Julius Malema, as the leader of the youth league of the ANC was instrumental in the overthrowing of Thabo Mbeki's kingdom and the placement of his then hero, Jacob Zuma to the throne. This gave him an elevation to power and afforded him a strong circle of protection from the Zuma Clan, which was then very powerful. Malema's famous words that he would 'die and kill ' for Zuma will never be forgotten.
Julius used this protection to set his mouth in motion in support of the government, Zuma and everything else he thought deserved his protection. His anti white sentiment, his racial slurs and his blatant attacks on the DA and Helen Zille went by with the tacit consent by the ANC.

Despite his R250 000 watch and his being driven in luxury cars, Julius set himself up as a champion for the poor- telling the masses, he lives poor. Even more amusing is how he admits to using capitalism to enrich himself, whilst fighting the same system from which he is getting rich from.
After his attempt to become a partner in a mine fell through, Nationalisation became the new buzz word and the new demand.

Slowly but surely Julius and the Youth League began to embarrass the mother body. For example- Going to Zimbabwe and stating that Mugabe was a great leader and they admired his land reform program. This is month after these very same leaders were condemning Mugabe for his lack of democracy and his hanging to on to power. Indeed, they were suddenly in awe of Mugabe as a leader and a land reform program that threw whites of their productive farms and dished them out to Mugabe loyalists and blacks who supported King Robert. As a result of this wonderful program, farming crumbled and Zimbabwe's last strong wing of their economy, collapsed as the newly distributed farms fell to ruin. What a program to admire Julius.

Somewhere along the way, the Zuma-Malema relationship began to sour. Malema's antics earned him a suspended sentence from the ANC mother body. This did stop him for a while, but Jules, being Jules could not keep his trap shut for long.

He went on a major offensive against the ANC and certain of it's leaders. He continued to romance the poor by pushing his 'nationalize everything' and anti white talk. He does, however, fail to explain how nationalization would filter down to make the poor rich. He also fails to mention the already state run organisations like Eskom, SAA or event he SABC, fail to make annual profits due to mis-management, fraud etc. Based on this, why would the mines and any other organisation the fool wants to nationalize be run any better. But the masses believe him, so he does not have to worry about the explanation or the truth.

I believe that Malema thought he was untouchable. He was under the impression that he could. do and say as he felt and there would be no recourse. How wrong he was.

Now he stands accused by the ANC of many charges and he is being investigated financially- as well as his trust, from which he lives and is reported to have benefited from dodgy tenders. The ANC is split between the Zuma Camp and the Malema Camp. Images outside his hearing were broadcast worldwide of Malema supporters turning Johannesburg into a battle zone, assaulting reports, attacking police, burning ANC flags, T-shirt and posters with JZ'z photo on them.

The truth is that Malema is bad for South Africa. He chased investment prospects from SA with the nationalization calls . The ANC can choose to dismiss Malema, thus setting him on his own and without the ANC, he will fade away.
Or, which is probably what they will do because of their weak leadership, is set him a rehab program etc. (He was supposed to attend anger management courses, but has failed to do so) We all know that this will not happen.
Any decision that does not involve expelling him from the ANC, will put him into a position of power and this will also indicate who really is cracking the whip. The ANC Youth League will be a King maker and this is a dangerous precedent to be setting.

The Rugby Rip Off Cup 2011

Today announces the beginning of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, held in the land of Quake- New Zealand. I am not aiming to be a spirit assassin in this posting, but the one thing that big events highlight is the predictable nature of corporate greed. Articles in both Aussie and NZ papers have complained about the high cost of both tickets and fan jerseys. Now, as I live in South Africa(The current World Cup Champs) I can only really comment on what I see from this country. 

You can go to certain shops and purchase a genuine world cup jersey for the far from economical price of around R600. Yes, for ONE jersey. Sadly people are not ashamed to fork out this massive cost for jerseys to support their country. I guess if you have the money why not? However, by loads of people purchasing these items at the wonderful price of R600, it sends a message to the corporates who benefit from the sales that this is acceptable. 

In my view it is far from this. They still have the utter nerve to have a tag saying 'Real supporters buy genuine' stuff- or something like that. 

The reality of the situation is that we have a country that has mass poverty and the majority of the people, of all races, are living from month to month with unemployment rising by the day. R600 feeds a family for a month- at a stretch. 

The alternatives to this are going down to your friendly shop at the robot (traffic light) where you can buy most things these days and spend R100-R200 for a non genuine item. Now, do not get me wrong- I do not support crime per se. However this is not a clear cut issue that many (usually those who can afford the R600 item) would want us to believe. 

Yes it may be wrong on some levels to purchase a pirate item, but those who do are forced into it by the greed of those whogain from the sales of the genuine item. Why should a supporter of his/ her country not have the right to purchase an affordable item to wear and show this support? Why must the organizations make a killing from items that actually should be priced cheaper as they not only show the support our team has, but it also creates a wonderful bond between the people of this country. As has been evident on many occasions, sport binds us. Therefor the government and sport governing bodies should be doing what they can to help everybody feel part of the occasion and not price it out of the reach of most of us. 

I will not feel guilty or place blame on anybody purchasing a pirate shirt as they will wear it proudly and support the springboks. The guilt of piracy lies at the door of those who gain from the ridiculous prices of items that should be cheap. (Having been made in China-serious!!)

Having said that, fans all over South Africa, wearing pirate and genuine jerseys will be supporting our Springbok team and we all hope they retain the trophy!

Complete SAPS home makeover.

Our South African Police National Commissioner, General Bheki Cele is in the news again. A while back the Public Protector launched an investigation in him signing a Billion Rand least agreement for police Headquarters. It was found that he acted without a mandate and he did not follow procedure. His response- blame the Department of public Works and officers under him. This is after he announced the least some months back.

And now, this career politician who has never even know a police uniform until he became the boss everything police, is at it again.

He is launching an investigation into the police officers who purchased and furnishes his new residence in Waterkloof, Pretoria. ( an upmarket suburb). The house itself was a give away at R3 million and then apparently these interior decorating officers spend a further R1,2 million on furnishings etc. Now of course the first time he knew of this was the big unveil and he walked in and probably almost passed out because they knew his taste so well.

How stupid does this dude think we are? He needs to own up to his responsibility and accept when he screws up. His whole gung-ho style is more that of a gangster than a police boss. But then, as I said- he is a career politician and in SA, if you are on the right (or rather left) side, you are well looked after by the powers in charge. As long as he dances tot he correct tune, his position is safe...and our money is there for the spending.

Royal waste of tax money

I have held my tongue about this issue, hoping that it would not get on my nerves enough for me to write about it- well, sorry to say it has.
The fairytale wedding of Prince Willy and Kate M. Now, for one I cannot understand why there is such a buzz about this. Granted he is a Prince, but really, this is not the 1800s and let's face it, the royal family concept is pretty outdated. The times when the royal family had a real function in a country or to a certain people is long gone, yet the tax payer forks out millions to support these noble leeches. So, why then are we so excited about it- especially the British, who will be funding the obviously lavish event? And of course, the honeymoon!
Do they not realize that most of them really won't be invited, or do they think there is some kind of benefit in this union for the public?

Perhaps it awakens the romantic in people- a fairytale prince charming (which let's face it, Will is not) marrying the woman of his dreams. I do not buy it. It is being seen as the wedding of the decade and the next big think since Big Ears married Lady Di. Ho hum.

I am not going to harp on about this, but just need to get it off my chest.
In my view, the royal leeches should be made to get real jobs or if they insist on leeching funds from the public, do community benefiting work for at least 5 days a week. Earn the money they are being given. And this goes for royalty worldwide. The public's taxes go to supporting their lavish life style, and while the average tax payer battles to get by and eats basic foods, with few luxuries, his or her tax goes to give the royal's a diamond lifestyle, full of wow cars, expensive foods, the best drink and wonderful holidays anywhere in the world.
How stupid is the public to just accept this?

I guess pretty, based on the fact that these millionaires live the life of the top cats, while  really not giving much benefit to their subjects nor having much  say in the country in which they reside or 'rule' over.
Long live the royals hey.
Yawn...