Soldier of Africa

A Philosophy on Warfare

2012-01-15T21:32:00.002+02:00

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." — Sun Tzu.

No human being in his or her right mind wants war. The point of it all is to not look for war, but to be ready for when war comes looking for you. Whatever those reasons might be: economical, religious or political.

To live one's life thinking that by ignoring the problem it will not come your way is also a mistake and an opening sought by those who would like to gain a military victory against you. Therefore one needs to be prepared for war, but not looking forward to it. When that day does arrive a total onslaught against your enemy is needed.

Better said than done when one has not been engaged in any armed conflict and your enemy has. Of course such a setback can be greatly diminished with a "we train as we fight" philosophy. The more realistic the training the smaller will be the initiative the enemy has on you. His initiative may also be further diminished by having applied the Principles of War as stated in your doctrine, but any above average commander will also have studied Von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, Napoleon, Saladin, etc.

One's preparedness for and ability to fight a war I think can best be illustrated by a pyramid. The base of the pyramid and the most crucial factor is "Willingness to fight", followed by "Training", then above that is "Morale" and right at the top and constituting the smallest, yet still an important part is "Equipment".

Lastly, the primary aim of the military should not be to neutralise or to destroy the enemy, but rather to gain the initiative and then to maintain it, because for as long as you have the initiative you have a much easier task killing your enemy. Killing the enemy is left to the soldiers on the lowest level, who have already trained to do that. One also finds this thought process in the "Cycle for winning of the battle" as proposed by Colonel Roland de Vries.

So, to sum it all up, this is the philosophy I propose for commanders from Combat Team and Battalion level and up:

"Maintain a professional and dynamic military focused on supremely realistic training with the aim of obtaining and maintaining the initiative on the enemy."

Such a philosophy should ensure that you do not even have to fight a war in the first place.

Any comments are welcome.

A Class Divided - The Greatest Experiment ever in Discrimination

2011-12-26T18:24:00.000+02:00

The Balfour Declaration

2011-12-26T09:20:00.001+02:00

The Balfour Declaration gave Palestine to the Zionists in 1917 in order for the US to enter World War 1 to save Britain and France. Even today, does nobody find it strange that there is a Jewish State slap bang in the middle of a Muslim Region of the world. Nowhere else does this occur. If you want conflict and war, do this kind of thing. How many people, children and mothers have not died due to this decision and how many are still destined to die?

Has America lost the Plot?

2011-12-18T18:29:00.000+02:00

This was one of the greatest countries in the world who now has growing joblessness, growing foreclosure rates and the violent treatment and arresting of peaceful protestors of the Occupy Movement. I have not seen one single protestor being violent so why this attitude towards them? Not only that, but with the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) the USA's people will have lost all control over their government and they can be picked up and locked up for no reason. The excuse used is "National Security", but the same excuse was used by many previous fascist police states, just before they came to a fall. If the USA is becoming a Police State do those in power not see this is leading nowhere?

In the Senate there seems to be a lack of integrity and/or ignorance with only people like Ron Paul seemingly having any idea what they are doing. The way Americans are being treated now only shows "The War on Terror" was lost on 11 September 2001. Terrorists cannot begin to be happier about the way Americans are treated. What will be the end to all this? I truely hope I am wrong, but if I am right I wish the American Public the best of luck for what is lying ahead. Things will probably get a lot worse before it gets better, but when it does get better I can guarantee you it will get a lot better. That is just the way life works.

I would like to see a real Superpower. One where people are important and money is not everything. One in which all people can believe in again, not just the filthy rich. I want to see people with jobs, houses and a real democracy, which they control. One that follows its own constitution to the letter. Where children can grow up with pride and hope. Not a perfect one as that does not exist, but at the very least one where people can engage in the pursuit of happiness and where most of those in government have some integrity. One day when we look back at the history of the USA what will we say about it? Did they lose the plot or did they as a people become happy and content? Only time will tell.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." — Abraham Lincoln.

God bless us all.

Contributionism - Paradigm Shift to a new Socio-Political System

2011-12-16T19:54:00.000+02:00

Michael Tellinger is a South African author and the driving force behind what he terms Contributionism. A system, which will fundamentally change our world if we can implement it or de-implement the current system. I think he has a very good point.

Contributionism's greatest paradigm shift comes from the principle of doing away with money and -bartering. What Tellinger proposes is a system where people's natural talents and dreams are what drives the system. The whole motivation provided by money is taken away and from a system where most must work like slaves for a few who control or have money, the new system proposes everybody does a little for the benefit of everybody else. If all people do what they love and the process of hoarding is eliminated because there is no money the system will grow exponentially. The result would be an abundance of that which we really need: food, shelter, health and education, which also happen to be the four cornerstones of Contributionism. Money was never a natural part of our evolutionary process so it is expendable, therefore we do not need money.

If you propose a society cannot run without money, how then did people live without money thousands of years ago before money was "introduced"? If they all died why then are we still here? What rather seems to kill us is a system driven by a need for profit and that need for profit is because we all think little green pieces of paper makes us happy. Douglas Adams put it as follows: "This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy."

The small pieces of green paper were introduced and can be removed. Money does not create abundance, it creates lack because Capitalism cannot grow unless there is a lack of those things we think we need. This is a consumer society and we all know what that means - let's create items, which are as expensive as possible for as much money as possible, while ensuring these items break down at some stage. In a Contributionist Society anything we need to create will be created with the motivation of it being free and lasting as long as possible because the person creating it will put love and effort into what he/she is doing. Suddenly there are no shortages.

Crime will just about vanish overnight as most crimes are created for our need to hoard as much money and stuff as possible. Some crimes will take longer to go as we have grown them in a dysfunctional society. Get rid of all money-related matters and people will be healthier, happier and much more connected with others. One of the other problems with the shortages that we need for capitalism to thrive is we need to feel separate from one another so that we can fill that emptiness with stuff, pleasure and drugs. It is interesting to note that making money stimulates the same part of the human brain as is stimulated by cocaine ... and all you needed was a hug.

The matter of money being removed from society may not even be up to us. With the way things are going now I seriously doubt we will have a choice in the matter. The world economy may suddenly collapse as there is not enough money to go around due to debt. Once money loses all value and we have to go without it or at the very least realise only our thinking gives it value we will also realise we do not need it. I suppose Contributionism will probably largely be the system we end up with anyway.

The Fractional Reserve Farse

2011-12-10T02:32:00.002+02:00

Ask yourself what is the one thing all or most people would wish for if they found a magic lamp. Most people would wish for money because with money you would be able to buy anything. Why? Because those who have the money have the power. They control the world.

In the USA all money is issued by the Federal Reserve and everybody knows by now that this institution is privately-owned. Yes, private citizens issue money to the US Government, which of course gives you an idea as to who really controls the United States. What makes this so interesting is that this money does not exist until through a bit of clever trickery it is created. It works as follows:

1. The US needs money and prints what is called government bonds (official-looking paper) for the value of let's say $1 Billion.
2. These are given to the Federal Reserve Bank and the Fed authorises the US Mint to print money to the value of $1 Billion or a simple electronic transaction is made with no cash even printed.
3. The amount of $1 Billion is now available for use by the US Congress, but they have to pay it back - at interest so for 10% the US Government would have to pay back $10100000, an extra $100 Million, which never existed anywhere in the world.
4. Now with the fractional reserve system the Federal Reserve and most other banks are authorised to create ten times as much money out of thin air ontop of the original $1 Billion. This money only exists as ledger entries.
5. Banks can now lend this money to people at interest again.
6. In this way debt is continually created and guess who must pay back the debt and the interest - the US Taxpayer of course.

History shows us that this is not the only system used. At one point for hundreds of years England used "Tally Sticks" for money. These simple sticks with grooves cut into them were issued by the authorities of the day debt- and interest-free. In US history we find that at one point the US used their own debt-free money as well called the Colonial Scrip. This currency was issued by the government debt- and interest free. Later during the American Civil War Lincoln issued the Greenback, also debt-free. He was later assassinated and with him died the Greenback. In 1963 Kennedy signed Executive Order 11110, which authorised the printing of an independent money-source also debt-free by the US Government. He was also assassinated.

In fact throughout its history the US managed to escape the power of the bankers six times, but the bankers always managed to come back and the Federal Reserve has now been in power of the US since 1913. These central bankers also are responsible for creating depressions and recessions by tightening the money supply. This is done by calling in loans and not issuing new loans. In this way the money-supply is lessened and thus there is not enough to go around. All this is done in order to create a situation where they can benefit from lower stock-market prices. As people die of hunger these fat cats roll in the dough.

The world needs to get rid of all privately-owned Central Banks and governments should print their own debt-free money. Any currency declared "good to pay taxes with" by the government is given value. The little island of Gournsey in the English Channel does this without problems and in the days of the Talley Stick, Colonial Scrip and Greenback there were also no problems with the exception of a period during the American Revolutionary War when the Scrip lost value due to the fact that England also printed and distributed it and thus as there was too much going around it lost its value.

Many people suggest going back to the Gold Standard, but that would also be a mistake. There is not enough gold going around in the world and most gold is owned by these bankers anyway. Without actual gold in your pocket all you would have would be promissory notes, which would place you back to square one where there would be more paper money than the actual gold going around. In such a case the bankers could control the system again. Most important here is a system where the government not only issues the money, but controls the quantity as well ensuring there is not too little to cause depressions and not too much to cause it to lose value.

The Greatness of South Africans

2011-09-12T21:46:00.001+02:00

South Africans carry their greatness in their hearts. We see problems because we know what the opposite to those problems are. We want better and that is what we carry in us. How big are the problems though? Let's make some comparisons.

Crime is the big worry we seem to have. One can rarely go anywhere without it being shoved in your face. Is it worse than in Bogota, Colombia which has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world with car bombings, kidnappings and armed drug gangs on the streets? Is it as bad as Baghdad or Kabul? How about Juarez, Mexico, which is known as the most violent place in the world outside of the war zones. Not convinced? How about St Louis, Missouri known as America's most dangerous city? We can talk about Florence, Italy or Port-Au-Prince, Haiti or Mogadishu, Somalia or Grozny, Russia. Crime is everywhere so deal with it, but please do not wallow in it. Anyway, our most recent statistics show crime is down. Our best efforts at carrying on about crime may even be worsening the situation as fear creates more crime.

But we wallow because we see so much more for this country. Last year we hosted the most successful Soccer World Cup ever, only beaten by the USA in the amount of money generated. In the Eastern Cape a young school boy had a Minor Planet named after him for developing a ground-breaking new rocket fuel endorsed by NASA's Lincoln Laboratories. The Minor Planet Siyaxuza is named after Siyabulela Xuza. He talks about dreaming about building rockets from a young age. "Watching Mark Shuttleworth going into space motivated me even more and when the US stopped shipping rocket fuel post-9/11, it became a catalyst for the development of my idea," he says.

South Africa has won two Rugby World Cups, has won the African Cup of Nations, has won great golf tournaments. We have people like Nelson Mandela who symbolises freedom and caring. Steven Biko who gave people pride and hope. Koos Delarey who opposed the the English in their costliest war ever and Shaka, seen as one of the greatest military strategists of his time. The Kommandos were such brilliant fighting forces Winston Churchill decided to call all elite forces Commandos and still today only the elite are called Commandos. At Isandlwana the Zulus gave the British their greatest military loss ever by a native force. We have one of the best road networks in the world. We have enough food, we have comedians, film stars and kids who will grow up into the greatness we bestow upon them by our thinking. Let's not teach them negativity. Let's just teach them balance and objectivity.

The Rainbow Nation was expected to crash and burn after Madiba was released, but we proved them wrong. We were expected to fail economically, but they were wrong. We are once again facing problems, but they are probably blown out of proportion again. We are still around and we will be around for a long time. One day our kids will remember how their parents continually battled for what was right and that is why they are in the country they find themselves in. A country where even now we have one of the best constitutions in the world promising full equality for all people who live here. A country built upon the ideals of great men and women with documents such as "The Freedom Charter".

No, South Africa, we hurt because we care and we can only fail when we give up or fall victim to fears. Forget your petty differences and turn a blind ear to hatred and fear. We are brought together by our love for our country, our sport, our flag and the knowledge that whatever happens we will still be South Africans and will emerge stronger on the other side as is summed up so well in the final verse of our national anthem.

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom
In South Africa our land.

Gerson Therapy - A Cure for Cancer since 1928

2011-07-11T23:44:00.000+02:00

After watching The Gerson Miracle and a couple of other documentaries I have come to the conclusion that the Gerson Therapy far outweighs anything modern medicine has to offer when it comes to any degenerative disease and even more.

Patient after patient has given testimony as to their complete healing from all types of cancers and many other degenerative types of diseases, including Multiple Schlerosis and Diabetes. After listening to happy people tell their stories I know what therapy I will be following.

The Therapy basically uses the natural nutritional power of fruits and vegetables after juiced for maximum absorption into the blood stream as well as organic coffee administered rectally. The link to "The Gerson Miracle" takes you to the documentary, which gives you the complete story and more details about this revolutionary therapy. Watch it; it may change your life.

White Phosphourus used in Gaza

2011-07-11T07:47:00.001+02:00

This photo during Operation Cast Lead shows White Phosphourus (WP) air-burst artillery being used in Gaza. On Al Jazeera I have also seen children turn the remainder of these over in the streets to see them burst into flame again, which is what WP does when it comes into contact with air.

WP leaves terrible bone-deep burns on people and should not be used in an area as densely populated as Gaza, especially with air-burst artillery, which burns a wide area indiscriminately like fire raining from the sky. Any responsible government who would not want to see women, children and even innocent men badly burned and who claims to want peace, would never use WP in this way.

This reminds me of the ousted South African Apartheid Regime, but on a much worse level.

Military Rules - Courtsey of AmyOops.com

2011-06-29T20:40:00.000+02:00

Marine Corps Rules:
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a '4.'
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEAL's Rules:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing within view.
3. Adjust Speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers Rules:
1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from 'Higher' to perform killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

US Army Rules:
1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to 2nd LTs; they can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.

US Air Force Rules:
1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on HBO.
4. Ask 'What is a gunfight'?
5. Request more funding from Congress with a 'killer' Power Point presentation.
6. Wine & dine ''key' Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.
8. Declare the assets 'strategic' and never deploy them operationally.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.
10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.

US Navy Rules:
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Deploy Marines

Direct Democracy is the Only Way

2011-06-29T14:16:00.000+02:00

There are no true democracies in the world as people in traditionally democratic countries only have the power to decide which political party is the less corrupt and some countries have the choice of only two political parties. True direct democracy is needed to allow people of a country to decide on the daily running of a country by means of regular online referendums. The decisions of the people should only be carried out as the people voted on them.

This system is possible with the growth of the internet and any proposed problems can be overcome. What we need is a world where the man and woman on the street has the ability to decide if proposed legislation or policy is necessary. With such a system where you and I can go to a computer, verify our identities and vote on whether the media should be limited in its powers or whether a country should be invaded will end decisions based on personal enrichment of corporations and officials.

Idiotic legislation and policies over which we do not have a real say will cease to be tabled, money will not disappear into the pockets of corrupt politicians as these politicians will not be necessary anymore. Why would need senators and ministers to represent us if we have the power? Imagine how much we would save on the costs of luxury cars and aircraft for these fat cats who are only elected on how popular they are in the first place. Money also goes where the power is and much of our poverty problems will be solved. The list of solutions to problems simply goes on and on.

With a system of Direct Democracy the power will truely be with the people, where it belongs. The word "Democracy" does after all mean "People Power", not "Representative Corruption".

2011-06-29T13:45:00.000+02:00

Julius Malema

2011-06-23T19:09:00.000+02:00

I love you.

Angelina Jolie - Humanitarian Angel

2011-06-20T12:18:00.000+02:00

Angelina Jolie has become a veteran as a UNHCR ambassador in all the countries in the world where the plight of human beings is overlooked.

Giving of her own money and her own time she represents what is good in this world among all of the chaos of politics and the struggle for power, which drives so many people in the world. She not only represents the UNHCR as an ambassador, but also represents the Human Race as an ambassador.

As a peacekeeper I understand the types of things she sees and must deal with and wish her all the best for the future. I for one support you.

Anonymous

2011-06-15T23:41:00.002+02:00

An entity describing themselves/itself as "Anonymous" has taken it upon themselves to launch its own campaign against tyranny and injustice. Their slogan or tag line is "We are legion. We do not forget. We do not forgive." Their main method of attack is by hacking websites and databases of organisations or persons they deem running against the spirit of freedom and democracy. They do not seem to support violence.

In a world where governments and corporations have taken a very uncooperative stance towards the people they serve an environment conducive to these kinds of organisations has been created. People in the West have all but given up on trying to protest injustice on the streets as big money is just too powerful. Now the new frontline may be cyberspace where the playing fields seem more level, for now.

Questions on the Israeli-Palestinian Issue

2011-05-25T00:16:00.001+02:00

I used to be a Pro-Israel person. As far as I was concerned this country could do no wrong. It was surrounded by hostile neighbours and was constantly under rocket and suicide attack from those murderous Palestinian Terrorists. That was until a number of years ago when things that I could not quite understand finally came to a head when I watched a documentary entitled "Occupation 101", which is quite hard to find by the way. Why?

The following questions come to mind when I think about the Israeli-Palestinian issue and I decided to play devils advocate on the side of the Palestinians. Remember as well that I was Pro-Israel at one stage so I am not being biased as I have thoroughly supported the Israeli cause at one time:

1.) What are the differences between the Apartheid we had in my country and what is happening there right now?

2.) If there are no differences as questioned above we already know where all this will end because it has happened in South Africa. So why not just end it? What is the alternative?

3.) Why are the UN Resolutions regarding Israel and its policies ignored by countries like the US? United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 states that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination". United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 states that Israel actually has had to withdraw from the occupied territories since 1967 already.

4.) How can a country like Israel be under threat from a territory like Palestine when Israel is supported by one of the strongest nations in the world? Last time I checked the Palestinians had no tanks, gunships, aircraft or artillery.

5.) Why does the US ignore footage of Palestinian children turning over bits of white phosphour in the streets? I saw the footage on Al Jazeera and as a soldier I know what WP is. As soon as it makes contact with air it burns again. That was definately WP and I have also seen the tell-tale signs of WP air-bursting over buildings. When WP explodes it sends out burning bits in all directions with smoke trails behind each brightly burning piece, but unlike smoke it does burn into the flesh of women and children. That was definately WP and even if it was not why is artillery or mortars firing into densely populated areas like one finds in Gaza? Artillery is what is known as an area weapon. It is not smart.

6.) Does Israel not have the power initiative in the peace process? If she has and peace is not forthcoming does it not imply Israel is not serious?

7.) Why is Israel still building settlements on the East Bank even though that is where Palestinians are living? No law in the world allows for people to be forcefully moved from their homes. I have actually seen a mother being dragged crying and screaming out of her kitchen while she was preparing food for her family on the stove. Moments later her house was bulldozed to make space for an Israeli House.

So, these are some of the questions I pose. Answer them or forever hold your peace. I do not support and Anti-Jewish sentiment or any other type of racism so if that is your take please do not waste my time by posting here.

The Balance of Military Power and Money

2011-05-01T22:09:00.000+02:00

All great wars of the past have been thought to be the war to beat all wars, but we have always been proven wrong. Wars have continued and millions have died, usually for the wrong reasons and the frequency of occurrence of wars are getting more and more. Wars will probably continue until the day when money is not the greatest motivating force for humanity, because everything we fight for, live for and die for is in some way based on money; either not losing riches or gaining riches. Religion and creed are only the great mobilisers of the men and boys who have to fight these wars, they do not initiate wars.

One of the principles of the continuation of war is that the balance of military power will always correct itself. No matter how powerful a country becomes its power will always cause an imbalance, which will auto-correct in some way. One way is that absolute military power leads to more greed as the possession of a seemingly unstoppable military machine makes a nation's rich and powerful want ever more. Therefore their military is forced to over-extend itself and that is where the pendulum starts to swing away from said nation. Their military start losing wars and then they start losing battles and wars. They suddenly do not have enough money and have in this process created more enemies for themselves to fight. More citizens also begin to rebel and eventually the situation rights itself politically, but at the expense of the military. This has been seen with all great military powers of the past.

Of course the only people who never seem to lose are the stupendously wealthy. Even if their countries lose wars they will live somewhere else and some day they will influence the establishment of a dominant military machine again and the process will repeat, but only to make them wealthier. Great leaders like the Lincolns and Kennedys of the past can only hold them back for a while. The only things we can be certain of is that there will be another war and then another. Dwight D. Eisenhower once said "We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." He knew what he was talking about.

What is even scarier is what one of the greatest propagandists of all time, Herman Goering said. “Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

What we have are people who want absolute power and can influence the people to get it. Where will all this end?

The Cheetah 2 CSLV - South Africa's First Space Rocket

2011-04-30T23:21:00.001+02:00

I was at the Rand Show today near Johannesburg today and found thousands of people at this very popular show. Most of the stalls were very interesting.

The most interesting for me was the model of the Cheetah 2 CSLV Rocket to be our first commercial space rocket to be launched from one of three launch pads left over from the Apartheid era in the Western Cape.

Kate Middleton - An International Princess

2011-04-30T23:01:00.000+02:00

At a time when the world needs hope up steps a "commoner" who promises to be a great queen, not only to the UK, but maybe to the world. Common she is not and at university she was treated as less than worthy by the other upper class girls, a true Cinderella-and-her-nasty-stepsisters story. She has showed them who she truely is and has probably outshined them as well by becoming future queen of England.

I will be watching this woman with interest.

The Freedom Charter

2011-03-29T11:30:00.000+02:00

As adopted at the Congress of the People, Kliptown, on 26 June 1955

We, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know:

that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people; that our people have been robbed of their birthright to land, liberty and peace by a form of government founded on injustice and inequality; that our country will never be prosperous or free until all our people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities; that only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief; And therefore, we, the people of South Africa, black and white together equals, countrymen and brothers adopt this Freedom Charter; And we pledge ourselves to strive together, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the democratic changes here set out have been won.

The People Shall Govern!

Every man and woman shall have the right to vote for and to stand as a candidate for all bodies which make laws; All people shall be entitled to take part in the administration of the country; The rights of the people shall be the same, regardless of race, colour or sex; All bodies of minority rule, advisory boards, councils and authorities shall be replaced by democratic organs of self-government .

All National Groups Shall have Equal Rights!

There shall be equal status in the bodies of state, in the courts and in the schools for all national groups and races; All people shall have equal right to use their own languages, and to develop their own folk culture and customs; All national groups shall be protected by law against insults to their race and national pride; The preaching and practice of national, race or colour discrimination and contempt shall be a punishable crime; All apartheid laws and practices shall be set aside.

The People Shall Share in the Country`s Wealth!

The national wealth of our country, the heritage of South Africans, shall be restored to the people; The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole; All other industry and trade shall be controlled to assist the wellbeing of the people; All people shall have equal rights to trade where they choose, to manufacture and to enter all trades, crafts and professions.

The Land Shall be Shared Among Those Who Work It!

Restrictions of land ownership on a racial basis shall be ended, and all the land re-divided amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger; The state shall help the peasants with implements, seed, tractors and dams to save the soil and assist the tillers; Freedom of movement shall be guaranteed to all who work on the land; All shall have the right to occupy land wherever they choose; People shall not be robbed of their cattle, and forced labour and farm prisons shall be abolished.

All Shall be Equal Before the Law!

No-one shall be imprisoned, deported or restricted without a fair trial; No-one shall be condemned by the order of any Government official; The courts shall be representative of all the people; Imprisonment shall be only for serious crimes against the people, and shall aim at re-education, not vengeance; The police force and army shall be open to all on an equal basis and shall be the helpers and protectors of the people; All laws which discriminate on grounds of race, colour or belief shall be repealed.

All Shall Enjoy Equal Human Rights!

The law shall guarantee to all their right to speak, to organise, to meet together, to publish, to preach, to worship and to educate their children; The privacy of the house from police raids shall be protected by law; All shall be free to travel without restriction from countryside to town, from province to province, and from South Africa abroad; Pass Laws, permits and all other laws restricting these freedoms shall be abolished.

There Shall be Work and Security!

All who work shall be free to form trade unions, to elect their officers and to make wage agreements with their employers; The state shall recognise the right and duty of all to work, and to draw full unemployment benefits; Men and women of all races shall receive equal pay for equal work; There shall be a forty-hour working week, a national minimum wage, paid annual leave, and sick leave for all workers, and maternity leave on full pay for all working mothers; Miners, domestic workers, farm workers and civil servants shall have the same rights as all others who work; Child labour, compound labour, the tot system and contract labour shall be abolished.

The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall be Opened!

The government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life; All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by free exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands; The aim of education shall be to teach the youth to love their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace; Education shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all children; Higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit; Adult illiteracy shall be ended by a mass state education plan; Teachers shall have all the rights of other citizens; The colour bar in cultural life, in sport and in education shall be abolished.

There Shall be Houses, Security and Comfort!

All people shall have the right to live where they choose, be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort and security; Unused housing space to be made available to the people; Rent and prices shall be lowered, food plentiful and no-one shall go hungry; A preventive health scheme shall be run by the state; Free medical care and hospitalisation shall be provided for all, with special care for mothers and young children; Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, creches and social centres; The aged, the orphans, the disabled and the sick shall be cared for by the state; Rest, leisure and recreation shall be the right of all: Fenced locations and ghettoes shall be abolished, and laws which break up families shall be repealed.

There Shall be Peace and Friendship!

South Africa shall be a fully independent state which respects the rights and sovereignty of all nations; South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation - not war; Peace and friendship amongst all our people shall be secured by upholding the equal rights, opportunities and status of all; The people of the protectorates Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland shall be free to decide for themselves their own future; The right of all peoples of Africa to independence and self-government shall be recognised, and shall be the basis of close co-operation. Let all people who love their people and their country now say, as we say here:THESE FREEDOMS WE WILL FIGHT FOR, SIDE BY SIDE, THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES, UNTIL WE HAVE WON OUR LIBERTY

Jaque Fresco and the Venus Project

2011-03-24T22:23:00.000+02:00

Jaque Fresco can best described as a visionary who had the ability to foresee the inability of our world to continue along its path of unsustainability. His idea for our future is a system based on a resource-based economy with no money. Yes, you heard correctly, the abolition of the monetary system.

At first this sounds impossible, but once one realises that most of the problems in the world are caused by a money-driven society his ideas suddenly do not seem all that crazy. The world began to "develop" towards its downward spiral the day money was invented. If the world economy continues along with its Global Ponzi Scheme one also needs little brain power to grasp that it has to collapse at some stage so we probably will have to do without money anyway at some point in the future.

His vision of future cities is based on them running on renewable energy with all the major needs for humans seen to. The idea is a place where human interaction takes priority and in this new world where there is no money we will see an end to psychosocial disorders as the money motivation will not be there, just like the crime-free days of the Native Americans and all natives around the world.

As Jaque Fresco and his believers continue to spread this word of sustainability around the world only time will tell if he was right. The point is we will probably find out in the not too distant future as the current recession shows no signs of ever abating ...

My South Africa by Jonathan Jansen

2011-03-17T15:30:00.001+02:00

This is inspiring ...

My South Africa is the working-class man who called from the airport to return my wallet without a cent missing. It is the white woman who put all three of her domestic worker's children through the same school that her own child attended. It is the politician in one of our rural provinces, Mpumalanga, who returned his salary to the government as a statement that standing with the poor had to be more than just a few words. It is the teacher who worked after school hours every day during the public sector strike to ensure her children did not miss out on learning.

My South Africa is the first-year university student in Bloemfontein who took all the gifts she received for her birthday and donated them - with the permission of the givers - to a home for children in an Aids village. It is the people hurt by racist acts who find it in their hearts to publicly forgive the perpetrators. It is the group of farmers in Paarl who started a top school for the children of farm workers to ensure they got the best education possible while their parents toiled in the vineyards. It is the farmer's wife in Viljoenskroon who created an education and training centre for the wives of farm labourers so that they could gain the advanced skills required to operate accredited early-learning centers for their own and other children.

My South Africa is that little white boy at a decent school in the Eastern Cape who decided to teach the black boys in the community to play cricket, and to fit them all out with the togs required to play the gentelman's game. It is the two black street children in Durban, caught on camera, who put their spare change in the condensed milk tin of a white beggar. It is the Johannesburg pastor who opened up his church as a place of shelter for illegal immigrants. It is the Afrikaner woman from Boksburg who nailed the white guy who shot and killed one of South Africa's greatest freedom fighters outside his home.

My South Africa is the man who went to prison for 27 years and came out embracing his captors, thereby releasing them from their impending misery. It is the activist priest who dived into a crowd of angry people to rescue a woman from a sure necklacing. It is the former police chief who fell to his knees to wash the feet of Mamelodi women whose sons disappeared on his watch; it is the women who forgave him in his act of contrition. It is the Cape Town university psychologist who interviewed the 'Prime Evil' in Pretoria Centre and came away with emotional attachment, even empathy, for the human being who did such terrible things under apartheid.

My South Africa is the quiet, dignified, determined township mother from Langa who straightened her back during the years of oppression and decided that her struggle was to raise decent children, insist that they learn, and ensure that they not succumb to bitterness or defeat in the face of overwhelming odds. It is the two young girls who walked 20kms to school everyday, even through their matric years, and passed well enough to be accepted into university studies. It is the student who takes on three jobs, during the evenings and on weekends, to find ways of paying for his university studies.

My South Africa is the teenager in a wheelchair who works in townships serving the poor. It is the pastor of a Kenilworth church whose parishioners were slaughtered, who visits the killers and asks them for forgiveness because he was a beneficiary of apartheid. It is the politician who resigns on conscientious grounds, giving up status and salary because of an objection in principle to a social policy of her political party. It is the young lawman who decides to dedicate his life to representing those who cannot afford to pay for legal services.

My South Africa is not the angry, corrupt, violent country whose deeds fill the front pages of newspapers and the lead-in items on the seven-o'-clock news. It is the South Africa often unseen, yet powered by the remarkable lives of ordinary people. It is the citizens who keep the country together through millions of acts of daily kindness.

Jonathan Jansen is a professor of education at the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg.

Code of Conduct for Uniformed Members of the SANDF

2011-03-06T17:44:00.001+02:00

I pledge to serve and defend my country and its people in accordance with the Constitution and the law and with honour, dignity, courage and integrity.

I serve in the SANDF with loyalty and pride, as a citizen and a volunteer.

I respect the democratic political process and civil control of the SANDF.

I will not advance or harm the interests of any political party or organisation.

I accept personal responsibility for my actions.

I will obey all lawful commands and respect all superiors.

I will refuse to obey an obviously illegal order.

I will carry out my mission with courage and assist my comrades-in-arms, even at the risk of my own life.

I will treat all people fairly and respect their rights and dignity at all times, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, language or sexual orientation.

I will respect and support subordinates and treat them fairly.

I will not abuse my authority, position or public funds for personal gain, political motive or any other reason.

I will report criminal activity, corruption and misconduct to the appropriate authority.

I will strive to improve the capabilities of the SANDF by maintaining discipline, safeguarding property,

developing skills and knowledge, and performing my duties diligently and professionally.

Cycle for the Winning of the Battle

2011-03-06T12:19:00.000+02:00

Pictured is the G6 Leopard of South Africa, the best artillery weapon in the world.

During the Bush War a very good South African mobile warfare tactician by the name of Col Roland de Vries coined the thinking behind the Cycle for the Winning of the Battle in his book "Mobiele Oorlogvoering: n Perspektief vir Suider-Afrika", Mobile Warfare: A perspective for Southern Africa.

In the phases of war there are many cycles such as the OODA cycle and the core functions of a commander, find, fix, strike. The Cycle for the winning of the battle ensures you win the battle if you could not avoid war in the first place:

- Dislocate the enemy: Ensure the enemy cannot operate with impunity or not at all and has just become a target for the infantry to mop up with armour.

- Create initiative and freedom of action: Ensure you can move and operate with freedom.

- Exploit the conditions created by the previous two points.

- Destroy the enemy: If the fight is now on equal terms you have a chance to lose the battle so ensure you have the initiative and have appreciated the remaining enemy centre of gravity correctly.

A good commander does not know these four points, but knows how to apply them by using which resources when and that comes with experience and reading many books on military issues.

The Theory of Everything - Impossible

2011-01-10T22:41:00.001+02:00

A Theory of Everything (TOE) is a putative theory of theoretical physics that fully explains and links together all known physical phenomena, and predicts the outcome of any experiment that could be carried out in principle. In principle an agreement between scientists only, therefore nonexistent.

I am not a scientist, but I was born with a brain and therefore can think. The Theory of Everything would have to include the Theory of Nothing therefore it is impossible. For anything to exist there has to be an opposite and all the TOE would prove is that there is an opposite. There is a certain paradox involved here and I am not even sure that it can be proven by means of mathematics as mathematics comes from the imperfect human brain. Even our idea of the physical knows no boundary so where would they draw the line?

Another way to look at this is to determine God or the divine, but that cannot be determined as the moment anybody could determine the divine he/she/they would use it for personal gain and power. The idea of the divine protects itself by paradoxically not existing. All people can hope for is glimpses of what it is. The moment one attempts to hold onto the divine you lose it. One could say God exists in the not knowing.

If the TOE is possible then everything I wrote here would also be possible, which would make the TOE impossible.