The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board
Trivial Pursuits => History => Topic started by: theinevitable on December 07, 2013, 03:32:44 am
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Nelson Mandela died yesterday, a titan of modern history. I had been looking for something non-academic to read, so I picked up his autobiography, and am really enjoying it so far. As a young dude searching for his way in life, it is always incredibly powerful to me to read/hear stories of people's similar struggles in their youth. The Great Man was once 25 and wanted to help his people but wasn't sure how, and floundered around trying out jobs and political groups. He felt confused about how everyone else seemed to know so much more than him, and was sure he would never be so wise, and wondered if it wouldn't be better to return to his hometown and seek out a nice comfortable job. It seems like he figured it out eventually.
The fall of apartheid is one of those historical events, like the fall of the Berlin wall, that I was alive for but don't remember. Just reading about it makes me shiver. We can do things, sometimes.
I don't know enough about the guy to say more than this.
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He's definitely a titan of social justice.
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CBC's one of the only outlets that has access to over 50 hours of taped conversation with Mandela himself.
The Mandela Tapes (http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/themandelatapes/) provides a great look into his life——it's one of the few documentaries that's managed to 'humanize' a figure so often lionized.
We can only hope that the future has room for such passionate and world-changing figures.
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The more I am reading, what amazes me is that he was the kind of person who could wage a war of bombings and sabotage, be imprisoned and (tortured? I haven't gotten there yet?) for longer than I have been alive, and come out a man of peace. Not bitter, not angry, ready to lead his people to a better world. Not because he had "renounced violence," but because he knew that he had won.
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He's definitely a titan of social justice.
Mr.Mandela wasn't an innocent man. He advocated violence against his oppressors and did what had to be done.
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Mr.Mandela wasn't an innocent man. He advocated violence against his oppressors
I hope that is not what made him guilty? That kinda sounds like the worst shit I've ever heard there, A-CAP.
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yeah mr. Cap I kinda don't think "being a titan of social justice" is at all mutually exclusive from "using violence to counteract a violently repressive and ideologically regressive government."
But don't worry, I fully understand the contrarian reflex——most of us have just learned to keep a handle on that.
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I read it as a-cap agreeing with Paul. A titan does what has to be done. He was guilty but only of violating immoral law.
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Mr.Mandela wasn't an innocent man. He advocated violence against his oppressors and did what had to be done.
The Union Army...histories greatest monster.
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I read it as a-cap agreeing with Paul. A titan does what has to be done. He was guilty but only of violating immoral law.
Seconded.