Posted on 08/20/2006 9:11:39 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Sen. Barack Obama started a two-week tour of Africa on Sunday with a visit to Nelson Mandela's former prison island, paying tribute to the "incredible courage, resilience and hopefulness" of the anti-apartheid movement.
The only black member of the U.S. Senate and one of the Democratic Party's rising stars, Obama said the two-hour visit to Robben Island made him realize that everyday worries in the United States were "fairly trivial stuff compared to the very elemental, basic struggle" of Mandela and other former inmates.
Obama's late father was a goat herder who went on to become a Harvard-educated government economist for his native Kenya.
The senator was guided around the island by Ahmed Kathrada, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 with Mandela and other leaders of the resistance to white racist rule.
Kathrada was classified as Indian which according to apartheid's laws made him superior to black South Africans. He was allowed to wear long trousers and socks and got bigger helpings of food.
Mandela, Sisulu and all the black detainees suffered the humiliation of wearing shorts and petty discrimination like not being allowed syrup or jam at breakfast, he said.
"It is a reminder of the extraordinary struggle that not only Mandela went through but people all over the world go through to obtain things that we take for granted," said Obama. "To stand in Mandela's cell and have a sense of the incredible courage, resilience and hopefulness of these men puts into perspective the work we do back home."
Obama said hopes his trip, which will include a trip to his father's home in Kenya, along with visits to Congo and Chad, will help improve ties between the United States and the continent, and give him a better perspective on problems such as HIV/ AIDS.
He is due to visit AIDS patients and meet activists in the impoverished township of Khayelitsha on Monday.
Oh? How? And please, no
-- "Well, if I have to tell you...", or
-- "Go look it up..."
Just one or two specific examples will do.
IMHO b/c it subconsciously touches a certain cord, fills a certain need.
Go look it up.
It was a bad ideapointless, and obviously likely to lead to something worse, which it did. It was like his decision to pull out of Lebanon. And not nuking Iran after the hostages returned. He was brilliant, but in hindsight, those decisions don't look so good.
What's fortunate is that the Soviet Union had been defeated by Ronaldus Magnus by the time their clients (including Cuban troops) overthrew South Africa. The Communist Party, and the Russian Empire before them, had had the intention of getting the Cape of Good Hope, so they could control shipping around itand in their dreams, the world.
Instead, Mandela-land is becoming like the rest of Africa.
That cracks me up- Apartheid South Africa a "stable Democracy"
Yeah,a democracy where only a minority of people got to vote.
Sure,things are screwed up in SA now but that does not justify the Apartheid State.
Kind of like old Nazis in the 1950's pointing out how bad things were in Communist East Germany.
Yeah,but things sucked under YOU guys also!
Answer this since you want to shoot a bunch of folks:
1 what black african countries had better governments?
2 which had better economies?
3 if it was so damn bad why were thousands pouring INTO the country instead of out?
Oh and do you agree with EVERYTHING RR did?
In my book: bad.
Instead, Mandela-land is becoming like the rest of Africa.
They are still entitled to screw up their own country ON THEIR OWN TERMS. Look I agree all of Africa is a socialist wasteland and I shed no tears but defending the White regime in South Africa is just silly. They survived as long as they did because of their resource wealth ( like that Other SA ! ).
Dude please send your posts to their correct recipient ! I agree fully with what you are saying !
OH,I know.Sorry for the misunderstanding.I was just trying to validate your point.
Its getting late.Attention span dragging.
i see with you it was only that the dominate tribe was white! sorry i don't chat with racist, see you.
And the Media pays tribute to Obama..... Hell, this guy has yet to accomplish anything that can be named. Why in hell would anybody be glorifying this guy aside from the fact that he is black? If Obama was not black, would anybody give a rats @ss about him? What did the guy do other than go to harvard? He is John Edwards with darker skin - slick, photogenic and completely without portfolio.
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