Submitted for your consideration.
What good? There was no good in Mandela. He laid the groundwork for his own apartheid state.
Submitted for your consideration.
You gotta pay lip service to this sort of thing.
Like saying nice things about JFK a couple of weeks ago.
Just one of those things you have to do :/
Not Saying I necessarily like Cruz going to Mandela's funeral, but my opinion of either hasn't changed because of it.
I would not blacklist the most conservatives guy to enter the senate in almost a century because of some historically ignorant remarks on the most airbrushed character in modern history.
Some might, but those are the people who then complain when a Mitt Romney gets our presidential nomination thanks to them.
Nah, I’m still on board the Cruz ship. Will defer to the Paul submarine if Cruz doesn’t run though.
Thank you for posting this and for your comments.
This Mandela saga (this week) shows me that conservatives have been duped by academia/media nearly as much as have the gullible libs.
Submitted for your consideration.
Once you've overcome evil, don't you have a duty to point it out elsewhere rather than give aid and comfort to those who perpetuate it?
I’ve yet to see a candidate or politician that can appease everyone on everything and if I did then I know there’s trouble ahead.
You have to look at the whole package and specifically what counts over all. If you cast aside a candidate or politician over a few disagreements then you may as well sit out every election.
“the people of Asia and Africa have seen through the slanderous campaign conducted by the U.S.A. against the Socialist countries. They know that their independence is threatened not by any of the countries in the Socialist camp but by the U.S.A., who has surrounded their continent with military bases. The Communist bogey is an American stunt to distract the attention of the people of Africa from the real issue facing them, namely, American imperialism.” -Nelson Mandela (”The Struggle is My Life”, pp 76)
Why the pass for Cruz and not Gingrich?
We Freepers are fickle. I can recall a time here when Newt could do no wrong. You said a cross word against Newt and ~zot~ you wuz done.
Now Newt also has come out with nice blah-blah-blahs for Nelson. And we excoriated Gingrich for it. (I’ll link to the thread later if anyone needs evidence).
So we give Ted a pass here? OK fine. But we FReepers do have good memories. And for many of us; this is Strike One in our box scorecard for Senator Cruz.
Two more strikes and he’s out.
Although founded in the 20’s, the ANC was pretty ineffective until the 40’s and 50’s when it became more militant. In those cold war days, communism filled every vacuum available and any group in opposition to western powers was quickly co-opted (or joined voluntarily). The armed wing was founded in the 1961, at a time when the “wars of liberation” were firing up just about everywhere. Mandela did not so much create the conditions of the world, but was willingly carried along by them.
The left did him a huge favor by their canonization of him in absentia. The image they created was founded upon their desires, regardless of accuracy (sound familiar). He was smart enough to realize that he could achieve his goals being the avuncular grandpa and not the overt revolutionary. It was all there to see, but so many didn’t want to see it.
Just my 2 cents.
“How to be a Good Communist” by Nelson Mandela
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-be-a-good-communist-nelson-mandela/1026101351
Thanks for your post, it's important to take this on, Mandela is not a total saint, nor is he all monster. Complex is a good word for him.
As I said earlier to some posters, throwing Cruz under the bus as if this is some kind of unpardonable sin is about the silliest thing I've heard.
The man is the strongest conservative we have, has done and said wonderful things since he's been elected. I'm not suggesting we need to agree with everything he does, but to throw him under the bus for going to the funeral of Nelson Mandela is silly beyond words.
Excellent analysis. Also, for Ted Cruz to continue to develop as an effective leader, he must perform leadership duties such as this ... and he can (and must) do so in a way that does not compromise his principles. Ronald Reagan was a master at this, and Ted Cruz would to well to continue to emulate one of the great American presidents.
A heartfelt and eloquent position statement, Laz.
>> Some have even gone so far as to abandon him, politically.
Speaking for myself, I’m not abandoning him politically. I think he’s the foundation of the conservative revival we so desperately need.
>> I give Cruz a pass here —and suggest many of us do the same
I’m not abandoning him — but neither will I stop calling him out. What he is doing is not only immoral, it’s dangerous to us (and to him) on many levels.
>> If Ted Cruz was pressed... I am certain he would disavow the evil acts of Mandela in the same breath
I’d like to believe that, Laz, but I’m not so sure... because he IS being pressed and so far, nothing about the evil that thoroughly permeates Nelson Mandela and his life work.
Look at it this way. When a star performer in ANY field has a “bad game”, he gets called out on it; he has set the bar high and his stakeholders expect better. This is natural and healthy — it’s one of many things that keep star performers star performers.
And look at it another way: “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”. A conservative’s journey across the aisle begins with a little supressing of ideals, a little innocent glad-handing, some innocent partying on their big corrupt boats... and pretty soon the journey is complete and the conservative is discovered in their EMBRACE.
How many times have we seen that sad scenario unfold, FRiend?
Walk it back, Senator Cruz. We need you too badly.
If I had sistern, I would not let them near the cistern, especially to praise the ‘complicated’ racist named Mandela.
A BIG withdrawal from his moral bank account. Frankly, I think it’s disgusting and that he never should have gone. I am VERY disappointed.