Alexandria's Letter to men: It's your mothers that failed you

I think the world is ending. Most people would agree with me. And although the right approach would be to take this meaning literally, I chose to apply deeper context to this piece. The world I am referring to is inside and not the outer physical matter we can see or touch. The world I am referring to is the force that is within each and every person individually. Before any further elaborations on this I would like to emphasise that ...I am a young woman who was born in the wrong damn century, yes I said it. Things would have been much different for me had I been born in let’s say the seventies. But I wasn’t, and so I would like to emphasize my distress in this regard. For the simple fact that I was planted in this day and age where respect is an unknown term, especially to women. I am greatly embarrassed to say that I am not a hardcore feminist; in fact, in arguments I am probably the joker in the corner listening patiently to the conversation with little or no input. And with many factors attributing to this, I would like to state that Society cannot possibly take all the blame. Note I said not all the blame, but maybe a good favourable amount of it. 

Growing up I was raised to be polite , look pretty , wake up early to clean because one had to be self sufficient for the sake of finding a husband. Growing up in an African family I was told many theories on what would stop me from getting married, for example not sweeping the dirt out on time, or leaving the cooking spoon in the pot. As if dust, those dirty brown particles, would be the defining matter of my marital status. Growing up, I was around males, who got away with pretty much anything because of the thing that is between their legs. I will not waste time talking about what happened in-between , as I feel that is for another time, another article , but in my experience, mothers the world over have failed. MOTHERS THE WORLD OVER HAVE FAILED. I would like that to sink in. I completely blame them when it comes to their sons. I completely concur that different samples present different evidence, and maybe every single time you are the type of woman that has met the perfect guy and what not. But that sample pool is a very small one to take into consideration at this very moment. 

I would sum it up like this, majority of the boys that are raised by these women are coddled and not raised to be responsible men. Responsibility is not treating women like sex machines, and I see some of you eyeballing us and saying “Well, you ask for it by being naked in videos and movies and what not”. That there is justification in your swopping women around like we are flavoured gum. Which as we all know is thrown into the trash when it has ceased to be important. If some of you are in that mindset I would like to applaud you, for being downright ignorant. The female body is evidently too complex for you to comprehend; It is not made solely to satisfy the appetites of men who know only to use the hogs between their legs. It is a masterpiece that houses a brain. I decline to classify it as a home simply because that is not where a woman’s worth comes from. To think otherwise is to promote the notion that intelligence is the equivalent of Education. I have seen the life through both sides , where women are committed for years and then left to dry out because they aren’t “good enough” anymore, where women compete because men have declared the field , a sort of “wrestling” arena, but more importantly where men have proven to be manipulative creatures to get sex. 

Which takes me back to the line “Mothers the world over have failed.”I would once again like to emphasize that they could not have possibly had any female contact, for one cannot love any woman when under the intent to exploit her feelings or to hurt her. Some of you may be saying “But I love my mother not that girl Tasha from the block, everyone has been with her”. And to you I say, your mother is a woman, she is not exempt from the network of people you call out of their names , nor is your sister, your maid or anyone who in possession of a vagina. What you are creating is a cycle culture, where girl meets boy, boy screws her over and then the cycle repeats. It destroys important elements and introduces a fragile mindset to those who need it the most, women. For it is women who are meant to raise these men and continue the cycle. 

I write this in an angry tone, if you hadn’t noticed, not as a man hating feminist but an angry man loving enthusiast who has had enough of bad behaviour. We are not toys, we are not beings placed on this earth for your pleasure. We are not replaceable , nor are we rateable, So dish out fives under the notion that all you can do is count. And more importantly do please return to your mothers to learn a few manners. Manners and Values.

by Victoria Dube

Hitler walking up to the podium to deliver his speech in Buckëburg - 1934

Click image to enlarge.

Arguably the most influential man of the 20th century. Here we see him about to deliver to the

masses another ingeniously crafted and perfectly atmospheric piece of propaganda. Propaganda to some, the truth to others.

We could go to the beginning and find psychological flaws in the his upbringing, we could trace mental traumas in his experiences of life. We could run through his book "Mein Kampf" and find connection and empathy to his struggle at a human level. It is of no doubt that the travesties acted against, mainly the Jewish community are full of disdain. My question is, what is the difference between taking a gun and shooting you or gassing you with hydrogen cyanide and giving you something that you love but I know will inevitably significantly shorten your lifespan with considerable suffering towards the end.

"answer that to yourself - in the meantime"

Adolf Hitler, in a nut shell. Was a WWI veteran, joined workers party, (blue collar stuff like our red beret EFF in South Africa), great leader of the radical wing but with rather communist attachments. Tried to seize Berlin via a coupe, which failed. (So even Hitler failed - never give up on your dreams). Was thrown in jail, thought long and hard, put it into Mein Kampf came out and ran for state. He won and turned republic to regime (dictatorship).

Remember the popularity of the German's Worker Party was majorly thanks to the sanctions and restriction placed on the once great Germany's bankrupt self, post WWI (Google: Treaty of Versailles). The people were hungry + sick + tired, that equals desperation on most calculators. So he just had to sell the right dream at the right time. Best of all after being elected, he delivered, increase in economy, more land for Germans (by invading other nations) and singling out a united enemy (Jews). This is the recipe for delicious propaganda.

Eventually after Germany took France (wow), Britain declared war, and German summoned allies, went after the Soviet Union and you know that has too many allies. It seemed all were involved from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada except USA. I can only wonder why.

Surely not because Coca Cola created Fanta such that it does not sell to the "enemy" (as Coca-Cola at least). Its not that Lockheed Martin was receiving unparalleled returns selling to both sides of the war its space age weapons of destruction. I doubt it was the American multinational food, agriculture and packing industries (They weren't getting blown up in the middle of the night) that had multi-billion dollar contracts to feed the soldiers on both sides. This was not always the case but enough to make luxury car salesmen in the land of the free red and white stripes very happy as many pockets went plump in this period.

Back to my question: The answer is TIME. The magazine plays a role in maybe how far it is willing to go to give the reader what the reader does not want to read (needs to) as opposed to whats comfortable. I am though talking about clock time, father time, the fleeting seconds of life. And maybe a physical mess will have to be taken care of. Essentially the gun kills you now (shocker). The other stuff, poisons you slowly and I watch get sick, take you to the doctor and treat you and you still get sick again, eventually when you die, its not a shock.

The point is many have fought the Tobacco industry and relatively won. The select few top five companies holding over 90% of the world tobacco stock and the handful of shareholders at their heads have killed more than both world world wars combined on both sides. The Chlorine and ammonia baths that our meat goes through processing (what we call hamburgers). The flavored Vaseline (margarine) made from the same stuff as petroleum jelly. The pesticides that are building up in the food chains. Ask yourself this: How many people do I know with diabetes? Ask five more people and decide whether you are comfortable with that. Almost all the maize and soy is genetically modified to produce more sugar, starch, last longer, resist certain pesticides and anything else our beautiful minds can foist in the pursuit of efficiency (which really means profit).

The USA reports that in the year 2014, an expected 1600 people will die from cancer, per day, yes, on average, everyday. The second best killer after heart disease, whose main causes are sugar, salt and fats. Wait, that sounds like the perfect fast food meal. In Africa we are fighting HIV/AIDS epidemic and newly discovered Ebola virus disease. All in the age of genetic modification. Well who ever brings forth, manufactures, patents etc the cure shall have nations at their feet and pools of money to swim.

We all have fundamental human flaws, in the sense that we will stand when 300 girls are taken in the night but will say nothing when mass media, popular beliefs and commercial culture teaches our daughters and sisters to feel worthless such that they may be treated similarly in their own homes as those girls kidnapped in the night. It is undoubtedly wrong and they should bring back our girls. When they come back, we better take treat them with care and all that stuff Emma Watson, UN ambassador, mentioned.

Who is the real Propaganda master today, from my perspective nothing much has changed, but as long as we keep our comfy couches, clean cars and honest homes, we can hold on till the grim reaper brings our time. Power has always ran the world, money is portable power, in your pocket, in the bytes on the ATM's server or in the perceived value of your assets. We all want it. At what cost will we pay?

Think about how you feel, what you do and why you do it. Everything lies in your hands, mine and ours.

Thank You for reading, it is extremely long. Now go and do something productive.

Massacre at Sharpville 1960

Many of us South Africans know the story (should), but do we really KNOW the story like we follow our favorite celebrities (maybe- This is the opportunity to brush it up). At school we were told a"The passage of blacks through white areas required, by law, that blacks parry passbooks at all times. On March 21 some 20 000 gathered in the township of Sharpville ( Google maps it). Police opened fire, killing "69" and injuring about 180. Most of the wounds were to the back (while fleeing). Police Commander D.H. Pienaar: "If they do these things, they must learn their lessons the hard way" This is an image some of the aftermath of the carnage. The point of history is not to change it or merely know but to sympathize with all parties involved. The revolutionaries were fighting for human rights and dignities in the face of death. Imagine being on that street or as a nearby township dweller hearing that your friends/family are dead. Then imagine that being a normal part of life. The oppressive government trying to hold intact its civilization and life-hood based on true hearten believed colonialist views of race and a mass duped (bubble life society). You just a young family man working in a factory living in the hills trying to raise a family and make a living and the news comes to you that there was an illegal riot in the townships but the police managed to contain.

The rest of the world only really acted when they saw the famous picture of Hector Peterson slain in fleeing arms: A trip to the apartheid museum instead of Ster Kernikor or Numetro??? (suggestion)

Knowledge is power. We all want power through the materialistic pursuits. Shaya shayaring your wife or belittling the financially less fortunate are all examples of this. (You can think of many more you and I tried just today). The beauty of life is in its irony, we were given choice but most of us will go with the flow and never decide a path, whats yours? Whatever it is. There is no time like the now.

Maybe, (inspiration- bodily chemical process) Take a look at the pictures then go further and learn something more, fulfillment is in your hands:

https://www.google.co.za/search?q=massacre+at+sharpeville&client=firefox-a&hs=d4n&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FzXEU6XlBdLe7AbGj4GQCg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1138&bih=561#imgdii=_

Children Sleeping on Mulberry Street (Street street arabs in Sleeping Quarters). New York, NY, USA, c.1889.

These are "street arabs" a name labelled on the nomadic-(hence arab) street children of 19th century New York, abandoned and neglected in ways that would be illegal to do to a dog today. They are piled up sleeping over a grated vent seeking refuge from the frozen streets above.

This is a one of the multitude of photos taken by Austrian born photographer Jacob Riis and published in the book "How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York". An absolute classic and 1890 sensation.

If you have ever tried to sleep while leaning against a wall, in winter, you may have an idea how it would be to do that for days on end outside in the snow (not really). Chances are, That, you, reading this, right now. Means you are on this side of the "half" of the population. What does this mean?. That you have no idea how the people in your downtown city live. In abandoned buildings and shacks? That they live on less than R50 a week? I don't know (Me writing this means, i am on this side of the "half"). Jacob Riis blamed the apathy of the wealthy and rich (relatively and in comparison: means you) for the socioeconomic unlivable conditions. His empathy and exposure of the conditions, through images that were refused by newspaper publishers of the day for being too disturbing, made an impact over the next ten years as policies and conditions were improved for the area.

The reality at play here is that this is a continuing and inherent aspect of society especially a capitalist one. There have been relative and various improvements compared to then but in most places they are unable to keep up with inflation and other economic factors. The ensuing rise in crime rates, drunkenness and reckless behaviour are consequences of a lifestyle limited to a future of "how am I going to eat tonight". No ambition and self worth mutilation results in questions of "how can girls as young as fourteen sell themselves?" and "boys even younger having a kill or b killed mentality?". The idea that money is the root of all evil is a sad misconception that unfortunately blinds many, from the true powers at play. which are ourselves.

If you believe in change, then you have the potential to turn the wheels. Most people prefer to be ignorant to it and and even those who wish to know till their are numb to it all, are still ignorant as long as their on this side of the "half".

So what will we do (you and I) ? We will create awareness, knowledge and empathy within ourselves because the only cure we really need, is that for the disease of the mind. The rest will be a natural consequence of human nature.

Ernesto "Che" Guevara 1960

Just think about it; OK?
TIME Magazine's coined "most famous photograph in the world". This photo was released as though timed, just after "el Che" was executed (CIA-assisted) in Bolivia. A world icon of rebellion and one of the most influential people of the 20th century through his romanticized fight for a socialist Cuba, driven by a moral debate against the poverty striking capitalist Ideology. Once a medical student (clever boy), he could not handle the atrocities of the results of the American economic stronghold in South America. The Cuban revolution, in which he was a pivotal figure lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis one of the biggest panics of the USA. This merely opens the door to the cold war and what was really happening after WW2. Where half the world was socialist and the other capitalist. It is obvious which one won out eventually, but imagine a different world. Open your horizons to a world where you could be anything you want to be to contribute to humanity without placing money (man made- consumerist eventuality) in the equation. At the same time we shall consider the businessmen and moguls of the 20th century with dreams of changing and helping the world with great companies and hard work which need capitalism to flourish. Just think about it. That's all.

Then share your thoughts