The Paradox of our Time

It's always politics when I write but today, the business student that I am presented something old in a new way to me. I just got back from my Strategic Management class, it's the most mind blowing subject for all business students around and thankfully, Dr. Winnie, my favourite lecturer is the instructor for the subject. She's not a Mandelatic like me, born over 50 years ago, she's a Harry Porter fan.

Dr. Winnie will always immerse exciting photos and stories in her lecture notes, from Hollywood images to grand business models, what she does is always amusing and prolific. Today, she shared with us "The Paradox of Time", she said it was profound, If it's known to you, it wasn't to me. People of Mandela, search your souls, reflect and enjoy below the paradox of time:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have more food, but less appeasement; we build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.

Madiba's image

Nelson’s image before he was the president in the Afrikaans press was a very bad person who influenced the county and he was in jail several times for causing troubles tin the country. The Afrikaans press represent nelson as very dangerous person to the community. He was always the accused number one in the Revonia trial to life. However, his people knew that he was fighting for them. And they took Mandela as a very remarkable man. But now, Nelson is portrait in a well mannered way. He is well respected. His relationship with the media is a very good one, because the media always represent him as big world peace-maker. Since South Africa has been reluctant to commit forces to international peacekeeping operations, but actively pursued political solutions to international crises by diplomatic means. Nelson has been the symbol all over the world not only because of unyielding the resistance to racism and despotic rule, but also of reconciliation with the enemy.

Nelson as president

As a president he never did things for publicity, he did them because they needed to be done. Little is it known that the same day that he had comforted the family of a black girl shot "accidentally" by a while farmer, he'd taken a helicopter to the home of a dying 12-year-old white African girl, who was suffering of leukaemia, whose dream was to meet him. Its amazing that a politician today has managed to free himself from his schedule and grant a dying girl's wish without making publicly known (learn to question). As president of South Africa, Mandela was committed to the principles of Western democratic parliament system. He did however, address the dilemma of how involve traditional tribal leaders in the political structure (Hagemann 1995:152). He was described as a strong personality by his colleagues.

Mandela's characteristics

Media highlights most of Mandela’s characteristics, but ignores the fact that he was not the only black South African who fought for democracy. The fact that he did not go to the exile alone, where are the other freedom fighters? Apart from those who died on strikes? Through ANC, Nelson became the first black South African president. In the form of class, the right political leadership in modern democratic societies based on the consent of those are led. unlike in the past where the ruling class could establish its ruling through force, repression or terror. The media has changed the class and status of Nelson Mandela. This essay will look and focus on Madiba’s status as the first black president and the particular role that he plays through the media to the nation. Nelson is used in commercials subjected to variety of influences. He is influential and can help the media to maintain their profitability

mandela's uniqueness

Factors that made him unique and form part of his personality or his image are the class and race. Before the democracy, Nelson was presented as the economic gains black people have made and the lack of progress they have made in terms of how they were seen by the others. Berger wrote that ‘even when black people are shown at the summit of their achievements, they often fail to carry it off’. In a way, Nelson proved Berger wrong. Behavior of people who are minorities is frequently interpreted in this binary form of representation with complementary polar oppositions such as good or bad and civilized or primitive. Hall said that black people always shown ‘being good at something, winning at last!’(Berger 2005:169). A political power determines how people are being represented, classified, stereotyped and made different. Mandela was, in a post-apartheid, as a negative stereotyping, but now the media portrayed him in positive and influential way.

representation

Nelson Mandela represents the black social group. He was the first black South African president. He is represented in a well respected manner, because of his repetition of being the world savior and for sacrificing his entire childhood for his country. The media represent him based on his skin color. He has his name on streets, roads, bridge, buildings and others. Race has seen to be an issue in dipicticting males; it has been argued that black men seem to be much more on display than the white men (Briggs & Cobley 2002: 329). Race after apartheid is not simply a matter of discarding or embracing already formed racial positions, but of renegotiating it in a new context. Race itself is significance as a ground for politics and category for the organization of daily life (McCarthy 2000: 8). Most covers we see on men’s’ magazines are of a well known politicians or other public officials, not because their body matters, but power and representation of more abstract value (Briggs & Cobley 2002: 331). Because Madiba is a first black president, he was presented as a man who rescued South Africa from the apartheid and he brought peace and reconciliation amongst different cultures.

What is Next For Sri-Lanka's Minority?

Ok, the War is over, we're at peace, generations born within the last 25 years can claim 0 bombs in the inner cities and countrysides for the first time. We're happy ain't we?

Well, just a reminder, the War never really ends when issues that precipitated it remain unsolved, or at least when negotiations to solve them have not been inspired. What is the degree of good we derive from peace when the welfare of the people continues to be abused, very marginal if any. What is the guarantee of lasting peace if compensations and compromises and an improved relationship is not emphasized? Zilch I tell you, People of Mandela.

Let us not make the mistake we so often make, forgetting the intrinsic reponsibilities of our national lives and obligations. So we say to those in Sri-Lankan Authority, this is the time not only to clear the debris of War, but to strenghten National Reconciliation, to promote unity and a common destiny for majorities and monorities alike. In R words, this is the time for renewal, reconciliation, revival, revamp and reconstruction.

We the People of Mandela in the spirit of Madiba the great one, who brought peace to people of majorities and minorities through dialogue, send half congratulations to all peace loving Sri-Lanka's for the victory that pacifies them, but we ask the government to effectively congratulate the people with the machinery of good governance, national cohesiveness and a sense of affection for all tribes especially minorities. Only when this is achieved would we send full congratulations, let's watch on!