Thinus Oosthuizen, in a stern letter to The Argus yesterday, questions whether freedom of speech applies to “irresponsible views” and lambasts the Argus for having “slipped up on your responsibility to prevent the promotion of the destructive evil of pornography” – as though the paper has a “page 3 girl” ala The Sun.
First off, freedom of speech applies to irresponsible, ignorant, arrogant and any other kind of opinion provided it doesn’t incite racial hatred or violence. People should be allowed to, if I may misquote Steve Biko, “say what they want”, no matter how misguided or narrow their views are. We can choose to ignore them if they are irrelevant or engage those views in debate if we disagree.
Secondly, the Argus has a responsibility to report the news fairly and accurately, without any bias or agenda. If they took a stance either for or against pornography without allowing us to hear all aspects of the argument then I’m afraid they would lose all credibility.
So should we welcome a ban on the viewing of pornography like we had pre-democracy? There is no question that to an extent pornography does objectify and exploit women, but I disagree with the belief that seeing a bit of boob on etv is more harmful to children than, say, watching WWE wrestling. And if I’m right, then would our next step in the fight to protect our “vulnerable children” be the banning of wrestling?
Is Oosthuizen’s objection really to this treatment of women as objects or does his outrage come from some old-fashioned belief that nakedness is shameful? His writing smacks of some sense of moral superiority and high ground; we see this in the way he attacks Jane Duncan’s character with words like “irresponsible” and calls her arguments “incomprehensibly stupid”.
In 2008 the ANC proposed a ‘media tribunal’ that was staunchly opposed by all in the industry. In that same year they also drafted a ‘Protection of Information Bill’ in order to muzzle the press on topics such as corruption in the name of state security. Any victory against freedom of speech would be welcomed by many in our government.
The genius in the government proposing a ban on pornography is the lack of public outcry as people tend to focus on the pornography aspect and not the limitation of our rights. Those who should oppose it will fear being seen as perverts and the image of a strong anti-pornography majority will falsely appear. If a ban of this nature is imposed on us it will open the door a little more for the limitation of our freedoms.
Ironically, with the scrapping of the adult content pay-channel, a victory for the conservatives, they may just have shot themselves unwittingly in the foot. Surely a better way would be to regulate this “evil” and only allow it on channels that are specifically subscribed to by choice. That way the protection of our children would rightly be the responsibility of parents and not the state, who are more concerned with controlling what we are allowed to see and eventually what we are allowed to think.
Oosthuizen is right about one thing, “you cannot be neutral – it is much too important”.
Paul is our New Saviour!
So now that the world has witnessed the immense power of Paul the Octopus we all need to ask ourselves: is any other religion necessary anymore?
The numbers six and seven have been rendered obsolete, eight is the new black! It was eight predictions – one for each of his puckered suckers – that proved to all of us that he is the One. The Spanish are already worshipping him, so now it’s time for all of us to follow suit and bow down before this incredible and holy psychic power.
So what if he only has another year to live? Chop him up, batter and deep fry his body, he will surely rise again from within the pits of our stomachs or maybe even be born again in each one of us!
Throw down your burkas and your Bibles; forget Scientology and star signs; Paul is our new Saviour!
The numbers six and seven have been rendered obsolete, eight is the new black! It was eight predictions – one for each of his puckered suckers – that proved to all of us that he is the One. The Spanish are already worshipping him, so now it’s time for all of us to follow suit and bow down before this incredible and holy psychic power.
So what if he only has another year to live? Chop him up, batter and deep fry his body, he will surely rise again from within the pits of our stomachs or maybe even be born again in each one of us!
Throw down your burkas and your Bibles; forget Scientology and star signs; Paul is our new Saviour!
Was It A Dream?
An ethereal stillness, like the universe had exhaled, floated in the air. We drifted back into reality, dazed, blinking our eyes as though awoken from a deep dream. It was Monday and it was all over.
The past thirty days it was as though our world had been transformed into a fantastical, Tolkien-esque land of magic and wonder. The earth stopped turning as nations descended on us to face each other on the battlefields. We cheered as heroes clashed and won great victories; and felt our hearts drop when sometimes those same heroes fell in defeat.
South Africa was graced with mystical protectors of pride and nefarious, dream-destroying villains. The people chose their allegiances and dutifully regaled themselves in flags and colours, blowing their trumpets in victory and even in despair.
We watched with delight as animated generals (Diego Maradonna), long-haired warriors (Siphiwe Tshabalala), wicked wizards (Luis Suarez), mutineers (Nicolas Anelka) and even clairvoyant calamari (Paul the psychic octopus) ignited the stage of South Africa. We let this wonderful whirlwind lift us high, but now it has passed and dizziness descends.
The aftermath of such magical madness leaves us with a sweet sorrow, a kind of emptiness, as the light that rushed into our hearts starts to subside evanescently. Will we go back to our normal lives? Or will we find that the events of the past month (it moved by so quickly) have changed us? The people I have spoken to, different cultures from abroad and close by, have opened my eyes some more. The world seems smaller now, as does this beautiful country I call home.
I have never been more proudly a South African.
The past thirty days it was as though our world had been transformed into a fantastical, Tolkien-esque land of magic and wonder. The earth stopped turning as nations descended on us to face each other on the battlefields. We cheered as heroes clashed and won great victories; and felt our hearts drop when sometimes those same heroes fell in defeat.
South Africa was graced with mystical protectors of pride and nefarious, dream-destroying villains. The people chose their allegiances and dutifully regaled themselves in flags and colours, blowing their trumpets in victory and even in despair.
We watched with delight as animated generals (Diego Maradonna), long-haired warriors (Siphiwe Tshabalala), wicked wizards (Luis Suarez), mutineers (Nicolas Anelka) and even clairvoyant calamari (Paul the psychic octopus) ignited the stage of South Africa. We let this wonderful whirlwind lift us high, but now it has passed and dizziness descends.
The aftermath of such magical madness leaves us with a sweet sorrow, a kind of emptiness, as the light that rushed into our hearts starts to subside evanescently. Will we go back to our normal lives? Or will we find that the events of the past month (it moved by so quickly) have changed us? The people I have spoken to, different cultures from abroad and close by, have opened my eyes some more. The world seems smaller now, as does this beautiful country I call home.
I have never been more proudly a South African.
The Stench of Victory
Are the people of Uruguay celebrating? The reason for such a seemingly obvious question is because I’d rather my team lost than won by cheating.
We thought it was the foreigners who’d get robbed in Africa, strangely it seems to be the other way around! Anyone who watched the game between Ghana and Uruguay will agree that Uruguay were unquestionably outplayed by Ghana… and yet they still won through to the semi-finals. How did this happen? They simply cheated. After Friday’s game I hope parents will curb their children’s viewing of the rest of this World Cup because the lessons they should be learning from sport – teamwork and fair play – are dismally absent from the professional sport.
There has been so much of it too. Kaka was red carded in the match against Ivory Coast because of it; England was denied a goal because the German keeper, who must have seen he was scored against, continued play. And who is to say the referees aren’t in on it as well? Does Fifa investigate stuff like this?
In rugby if there is a blatant infringement preventing the opposing team from scoring a penalty try is awarded – why do we not have such laws in the game of soccer?
Something that aroused suspicion in the England/Germany game was the lack of questioning by the television commentators. One can only assume that Fifa, who are considering banning replays of bad calls, have instructed commentators along those lines. Our newspapers, lauded by the ANC for their positive reporting about the Cup, have also been dictated to by Fifa.
This is what happens when an organisation – be it a political party or sporting body – gains too much power.It is trite to go on about how power corrupts and blah blah, but it is a universal truth. Fifa has always been blasé about their status as a money-making, totalitarian regime, but the lack of outrage by the viewing, paying public shows a terrible apathy.
I look forward to the Tri-nations and 2011 Rugby World Cup. At least in rugby the team that plays a better game is the team who takes home glory – skill wins the day, not luck.
Ghana can go home with their dignity and integrity intact. Cheaters might win, but winners never cheat. In our eyes they are winners.
We thought it was the foreigners who’d get robbed in Africa, strangely it seems to be the other way around! Anyone who watched the game between Ghana and Uruguay will agree that Uruguay were unquestionably outplayed by Ghana… and yet they still won through to the semi-finals. How did this happen? They simply cheated. After Friday’s game I hope parents will curb their children’s viewing of the rest of this World Cup because the lessons they should be learning from sport – teamwork and fair play – are dismally absent from the professional sport.
There has been so much of it too. Kaka was red carded in the match against Ivory Coast because of it; England was denied a goal because the German keeper, who must have seen he was scored against, continued play. And who is to say the referees aren’t in on it as well? Does Fifa investigate stuff like this?
In rugby if there is a blatant infringement preventing the opposing team from scoring a penalty try is awarded – why do we not have such laws in the game of soccer?
Something that aroused suspicion in the England/Germany game was the lack of questioning by the television commentators. One can only assume that Fifa, who are considering banning replays of bad calls, have instructed commentators along those lines. Our newspapers, lauded by the ANC for their positive reporting about the Cup, have also been dictated to by Fifa.
This is what happens when an organisation – be it a political party or sporting body – gains too much power.It is trite to go on about how power corrupts and blah blah, but it is a universal truth. Fifa has always been blasé about their status as a money-making, totalitarian regime, but the lack of outrage by the viewing, paying public shows a terrible apathy.
I look forward to the Tri-nations and 2011 Rugby World Cup. At least in rugby the team that plays a better game is the team who takes home glory – skill wins the day, not luck.
Ghana can go home with their dignity and integrity intact. Cheaters might win, but winners never cheat. In our eyes they are winners.
When the Party's Over
Those in the know will tell you that the harder the party, the bigger the hangover. After a party as large as the World Cup… well, we’ll all know very soon.
Right now most of us don’t want the celebrations to end. When they do we will probably wake up with a terrible sense of loss, an empty wallet and a return to our stark reality.
It pains me to think that all the actions of goodwill and unity over the past month could have an equal and opposite reaction. The mounting threats of xenophobic violence, if acted on, could undo all the national pride of hosting the greatest sport event in the world and return our South African psyche to the shame of 2008.
The office of Fikile Mbalula, the deputy minister of police, wrote in a statement to the Mail & Guardian newspaper that “the issue of xenophobic attacks after the World Cup has no foundation, except to influence the vulnerable… to commit crime,”, it then goes on to say that he has “confidence in both the police and our people.”
These are heady days of the World Cup and maybe the ANC is in the throes of Fifa-induced drunkenness, but it would be good for them to stop the party for just a moment and remember how ill-prepared the government was two years ago when the xenophobic clashes first erupted. I certainly hope this laughing show of Dutch courage can be backed up and is not just another nonsensical belch we’re so used to from politicians drunk with importance. Last time the mess was left to the South African public to sort out, practically ignored by those elected as custodians of our country until the eleventh hour, and Mbalula’s show of smugness and arrogance does not inspire confidence.
It would be a terrible irony if on Friday we all stand as proud Africans behind Ghana, opportunistically clutching at glory through another nation, and then, on July 12, murder and steal from those very Africans we called brother. It would show us all to be untrustworthy, two-faced frauds.
We all need to sober up now and prepare ourselves for when the party’s over.
Right now most of us don’t want the celebrations to end. When they do we will probably wake up with a terrible sense of loss, an empty wallet and a return to our stark reality.
It pains me to think that all the actions of goodwill and unity over the past month could have an equal and opposite reaction. The mounting threats of xenophobic violence, if acted on, could undo all the national pride of hosting the greatest sport event in the world and return our South African psyche to the shame of 2008.
The office of Fikile Mbalula, the deputy minister of police, wrote in a statement to the Mail & Guardian newspaper that “the issue of xenophobic attacks after the World Cup has no foundation, except to influence the vulnerable… to commit crime,”, it then goes on to say that he has “confidence in both the police and our people.”
These are heady days of the World Cup and maybe the ANC is in the throes of Fifa-induced drunkenness, but it would be good for them to stop the party for just a moment and remember how ill-prepared the government was two years ago when the xenophobic clashes first erupted. I certainly hope this laughing show of Dutch courage can be backed up and is not just another nonsensical belch we’re so used to from politicians drunk with importance. Last time the mess was left to the South African public to sort out, practically ignored by those elected as custodians of our country until the eleventh hour, and Mbalula’s show of smugness and arrogance does not inspire confidence.
It would be a terrible irony if on Friday we all stand as proud Africans behind Ghana, opportunistically clutching at glory through another nation, and then, on July 12, murder and steal from those very Africans we called brother. It would show us all to be untrustworthy, two-faced frauds.
We all need to sober up now and prepare ourselves for when the party’s over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)