The famous poet, theologian and philosopher, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, once said: "Every reform, however necessary, will - by weak minds - be carried to an excess, which itself will need reforming."
This has never been so true as when measured against the reformations of society - repeatedly brought about by the groundswell of broad opinion which reject the excesses of the governing body of the day. This applies to kings and queens, to governments and empires and to dictatorships and cults alike. In modern times we have seen this play out in many political coups, military overthrows and international interventions, where the time arrives when the collective conscience of many is no longer capable of tolerating the stench of self-serving abuse carried out by the ruling order of the day.
Even South Africa is no stranger to this concept, as was seen with the eventual triumph of democracy over the evil of apartheid. This was, of course, not achieved overnight, inasmuch as the construction thereof was deliberatley designed by the self-serving architects of the day and supported by many others, locally and internationally, as it served their purposes, over decades. These collaborators included huge multinational organisations, governments, local corporates and even at least one interpretation of the scriptures espoused by the Dutch Reformed Church of SA.
But eventually the excesses of this self-serving ideology became so intolerable that the sheer weight of the world's condemnation led to its demise and the people were once again able to take their rightful place in the Godly order of creation - as equal citizens, with promises of a better land, opportunity and hope.
Coleridge himself was no stranger to excesses - he became addicted to opium at an early age and his marriage ended in divorce. This resulted in his moving to a modest London home and with the help of a friend and benefactor, coming to terms with his addiction and eventually escaping it.
South Africa's new democracy was embraced and heralded with much euphoria - a euphoria I would like to suggest has enabled us to excuse, to some extent, the 14 years of exuberance and celebration which has been the domain of the leadership and priviledged few of this country. Those still waving the palm leaves of celebration have forgotten every fundamental aspect of the nature of leadership which South Africans voted for in 1994. They may even have forgotten the very nature of leadership which was voted out. For if they remembered, they would themselves see the writing on the wall.
Our leaders call themselves 'rulers'. We hear less and less of the 'governing' or 'majority' party, and more and more of the 'dominant' or 'ruling' party. We see members showing their indignation when one of their own is criticized, and yet capable of issuing verbal attacks on all and sundry at the drop of a hat. More recently, even society's 'mirror, mirror-on-the wall' - that court jester of old, the satirist and cartoonist - is now been accused of disrespect and will have his day in court for speaking his mind (and that of millions of others).
We see the President of the ANC lambasting our judiciary for 'thinking they are gods' - and nothing happens. A week before, Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, the emodiment of a srvant leader himself, suggested the same of the government and he was accused of blasphemy, sacriledge, hate speech, inciting violence and disrespect.
We have seen countless examples of this new 'leadership' demanding respect, demanding subservience, and demanding loyalty of every South African. It has even become objectionable to suggest that one does not support the party, or that one might not particularly like one of its candidates or representatives.
This is an excess of arrogance.
And this, I dare say, is where new ideologies are born. When any group of individuals becomes so arrogant as to ignore the pleas and wishes of any of its electorate, with regards to law, the application thereof, the relationships it nurtures with its neighbours or the trade it carries out, then we see the birth of new laws to deal with the dissent. This happened under the excesses of apartheid the world over, under the excesses of regimes over millenia and will happen here again too. And it happens when the government of the day refuses to investigate complaints of corruption, complaints about the arms deal, complaints about ministers or complaints about state organs. It happens when the government refuses visas to peace emissaries, in favour of economic trade relations. It happens when the government unilaterally decides to eliminate the Scorpions, or refuses to discipline young and angry youth within its structures. It happens everytime the people speak and the government says 'No!"
For it is ultimately the weeker minds who see themselves as above and beyond the reach of the majority - or the reach of the better good - which has its way of silently creeping up on them. These people blind themselves, and those within their influence - to the power of the people, to say "No - we have had enough. We have had enough of the arrogance. We voted for leaders, not dictators, we voted for servants, not rulers, we voted for stewards, not corruptors, and we voted for people who cared about what we need and say, not those who turn deaf ears and cling unashamedly to their own self-serving oratories."
This has never been so true as when measured against the reformations of society - repeatedly brought about by the groundswell of broad opinion which reject the excesses of the governing body of the day. This applies to kings and queens, to governments and empires and to dictatorships and cults alike. In modern times we have seen this play out in many political coups, military overthrows and international interventions, where the time arrives when the collective conscience of many is no longer capable of tolerating the stench of self-serving abuse carried out by the ruling order of the day.
Even South Africa is no stranger to this concept, as was seen with the eventual triumph of democracy over the evil of apartheid. This was, of course, not achieved overnight, inasmuch as the construction thereof was deliberatley designed by the self-serving architects of the day and supported by many others, locally and internationally, as it served their purposes, over decades. These collaborators included huge multinational organisations, governments, local corporates and even at least one interpretation of the scriptures espoused by the Dutch Reformed Church of SA.
But eventually the excesses of this self-serving ideology became so intolerable that the sheer weight of the world's condemnation led to its demise and the people were once again able to take their rightful place in the Godly order of creation - as equal citizens, with promises of a better land, opportunity and hope.
Coleridge himself was no stranger to excesses - he became addicted to opium at an early age and his marriage ended in divorce. This resulted in his moving to a modest London home and with the help of a friend and benefactor, coming to terms with his addiction and eventually escaping it.
South Africa's new democracy was embraced and heralded with much euphoria - a euphoria I would like to suggest has enabled us to excuse, to some extent, the 14 years of exuberance and celebration which has been the domain of the leadership and priviledged few of this country. Those still waving the palm leaves of celebration have forgotten every fundamental aspect of the nature of leadership which South Africans voted for in 1994. They may even have forgotten the very nature of leadership which was voted out. For if they remembered, they would themselves see the writing on the wall.
Our leaders call themselves 'rulers'. We hear less and less of the 'governing' or 'majority' party, and more and more of the 'dominant' or 'ruling' party. We see members showing their indignation when one of their own is criticized, and yet capable of issuing verbal attacks on all and sundry at the drop of a hat. More recently, even society's 'mirror, mirror-on-the wall' - that court jester of old, the satirist and cartoonist - is now been accused of disrespect and will have his day in court for speaking his mind (and that of millions of others).
We see the President of the ANC lambasting our judiciary for 'thinking they are gods' - and nothing happens. A week before, Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, the emodiment of a srvant leader himself, suggested the same of the government and he was accused of blasphemy, sacriledge, hate speech, inciting violence and disrespect.
We have seen countless examples of this new 'leadership' demanding respect, demanding subservience, and demanding loyalty of every South African. It has even become objectionable to suggest that one does not support the party, or that one might not particularly like one of its candidates or representatives.
This is an excess of arrogance.
And this, I dare say, is where new ideologies are born. When any group of individuals becomes so arrogant as to ignore the pleas and wishes of any of its electorate, with regards to law, the application thereof, the relationships it nurtures with its neighbours or the trade it carries out, then we see the birth of new laws to deal with the dissent. This happened under the excesses of apartheid the world over, under the excesses of regimes over millenia and will happen here again too. And it happens when the government of the day refuses to investigate complaints of corruption, complaints about the arms deal, complaints about ministers or complaints about state organs. It happens when the government refuses visas to peace emissaries, in favour of economic trade relations. It happens when the government unilaterally decides to eliminate the Scorpions, or refuses to discipline young and angry youth within its structures. It happens everytime the people speak and the government says 'No!"
For it is ultimately the weeker minds who see themselves as above and beyond the reach of the majority - or the reach of the better good - which has its way of silently creeping up on them. These people blind themselves, and those within their influence - to the power of the people, to say "No - we have had enough. We have had enough of the arrogance. We voted for leaders, not dictators, we voted for servants, not rulers, we voted for stewards, not corruptors, and we voted for people who cared about what we need and say, not those who turn deaf ears and cling unashamedly to their own self-serving oratories."
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