How crazy is this?

I was in thailand about a month ago and when i returned this is what i wrote about the protests that were taking place while we were there,"Streets of Bangkok. The Red Shirts, as they're known in Thailand were out in full effect demanding that parliament be dissolved. People would ask if we were not afraid to walk the streets, our response, "we are from South Africa, and what you guys are doing here looks more like a family day to us, this is not a protest". No Jokes, what they describe as serious protest looks more like a festival."


Below are just some of the pictures i took while walking the streets in and amongst the Red Shirts:

its crazy to now see that only a month later shit hit the fan! Really sad because we had a blast. Check out the images bellow form Mail&Guardian.

An anti-government protester piles tyres on a fire at a shopping centre on Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand. Downtown Bangkok became a raging battleground as the army stormed a barricaded protest camp and the leadership of the Red Shirt protesters surrendered, enraging demonstrators.

Wally Santana, AP

Thai soldier is seen in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, where anti-government protesters ignored a call to leave their central Bangkok camp as troops tightened security.Wason Wanichakorn, AP

Smoke rises from burning fires in downtown Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday following the surrender of anti-government leaders to the police. Order was restored on Thursday after a night of rioting following a military crackdown.David Longstreath, AP

The truth

Found & shared by: Alex Fitzgerald, who shared it with Kathleen (sup boo), who shared it with me, to share it with y'all.

Julius Malema & Jesse Jackson

When it come to Julius, i wont lie, its a love/hate relationship for me. There, i said it.

I love him because in essence, this is the only guy that is making us talk about issues that many would rather we ignore. And the fact is, problems are never comfortable to talk about or deal with so why should we sugar coat them in fancy intellectual language, studies or theories?

Jesse Jackson is currently in the country to recieve an honourary literature doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. I realised that in one very well articulated speach, he summed up what Julius Malema has been trying to say since he stepped into the scene via issues such as nationalisation, Zimbabwe and many other sensitive and sometime not so appropriate channels.

Do yourself a favor and read the speech here .

The hate is actually not really hate, but rather...i don't know...a sadness i guess, frustration at the fact that the only guy with balls to challenge the status quo lacks in formal education and is therefore unable to articulate his views in a manner that is "socially" acceptable by media, business and the intellectual elite who own the economy of this country. 

It is also a saddens me that this lack of articulation mixed with greed for power can be explosive and begin to alienate those that look to him for change, those that need him for change.


"...equality needed to be prioritised, but not in superficial boardroom meetings..."
-Jesse Jackson

Aren't these guys meant to protect us?

I wont lie, as a black man in South Africa cops don't make me feel safe, they make me nervous. I dont know how many times i or my friends have been pulled over and harassed and even arrested for BS. And the more affluent you are perceived to be, the worse it gets.

Check out the link bellow. Its crazy how those we entrust to protect our rights are so often the people used to take them away. At a September 2007 forum with Senator John Kerry at the University of Florida, student Andrew Meyer was arrested and Tasered after loudly questioning Kerry about his ties to President George W. Bush. The video shows Meyer screaming, "What did I do?"
Check out the link Don't Tase Me, Bro