On Madiba’s Passing

Amarji Special

He was a great man. He had a difficult life, the last 23 years notwithstanding. It took much pain for him to get there: to freedom. Though he saw his dream fulfilled, I am sure he was aware of the toll of it all, on himself, on his nation, and I am sure he was weary near the end and ready for rest. I am also sure that he was whole and fulfilled. He was surrounded by loved-ones, and his legacy was undeniable. Very few people will ever have this chance: dying while whole and fulfilled. It needs to be earned, and Madiba definitely earned it. His memory will live on, his legacy will be remembered and humanity will be better because he had once lived. But the fuckups will continue, and many of them will be committed by those who claim to have appreciated and understood his legacy. But those who really appreciate act, they don’t grandstand. I, for one, am not sure where I fit. I am still trying to understand I guess. I haven’t had the chance to reflect about this yet: Madiba’s Legacy.

My Lingering Faith in Humanity

My faith in humanity is premised on the empirical observation that she still exists many millennia after the first self-aware hominids emerged on the scene, and that she even made much progress, not only in terms of technology, but also perception and general outlook on life. But if I were to make a judgment on humanity on the basis of my own personal experiences and observations, I would probably be tempted to conclude that humanity is overall decrepit and unable to survive for long. That’s why empirical evidence and objective analysis are far more relevant when drawing general conclusions about life and being than personal experience, which is often tainted and lacking. More importantly, this is exactly why one needs to look beyond oneself and one’s own experiences in life and try to communicate and learn from others. The same applies to groups. Indeed, groups that refuse to learn from others doom themselves to irrelevance and extinction. For survival and progress are collective AND interactive processes.

Suu Kyi lets us down

Suu Kyi lets us down – Telegraph.

Ours is fast becoming a world without conscience, for people like Suu Kyi were supposed to play that role. But perhaps we were wrong all along, perhaps it was the Average Joe, the one whose personal agendas were “differently” complicated, who should have been entrusted with this role.

The struggle for Syria’s soul

The struggle for Syria’s soul.

In her first article for NOW, my daughter Oula travels down memory lane to discuss the competition between Islamists and Baathists for control over Syria’s children’s minds and souls using the country’s educational system, a competition which, she argues convincingly, paved the way for the current showdown on the ground. Our struggle for liberty is “herculean,” indeed.