'You've been spun!': News24: MyNews24: Letters

Halfwise 6/26/2009 8:04:51 AM

@BeeGeeWay – what the point of your article does your life sucks?

Bongani 6/26/2009 8:16:10 AM

Good idea but not realistic. 60% of SA people do not even know where their meat, vegetables and bread come from. They think it is manufactured by some firms some where. How many of us are prepared to produce own food. Some of us have swimming pools instead of vegetable gardens; we wash our cars in car washes, which waste million of litres washing metal over and over again. When was the last time your saw a cow, guess long time but you ate steak last night. When was the last time you took a walk, I guess crime will be a good excuse there, but you strongly believe in something, nothing will stop you. This is not a political issue, but i bet some people will blame government and politics, but they are also doing nothing. Whats up Juan, you can repeat your comments of T-shirt, ViVa and a dance.

mallencolly 6/26/2009 8:18:32 AM

Agree mostly. I do not agree withe changing the focus from per capita GDP to HPI since it imples that consumption/production is in itself bad. In a world without bling you would still need to produce (food, clothes, homes) so a single unit measure of this production is necessary. There is also no need to use different economic indicators since life expectancy, infant mortality rate, unemployment figures, etc. all give a fair idea of standards of living. What really needs to change here is the values of people.

IandI 6/26/2009 8:20:16 AM

Truth be said "He/She who dies owning a Porsche is still dead". Material things will not buy your way into eternal life.

Sinudeity 6/26/2009 8:24:24 AM

The import things in life aren't things.

WCS 6/26/2009 8:25:03 AM

The bottom of that list (in wikipedia) seems to contain a trend I thought would exist. Kind of defeats the purpose if you have Colombia at 2, keeping in mind that they are one of the most violent countries in the world. Gotta be very happy to know you might be one of the 114 in every 100k to be killed or that you might be one of the two-thirds of the worlds people to be kidnapped. I think you have been spun!

Wisdom 6/26/2009 8:28:37 AM

Those that wanna live the American dream, should go their! This is Africa and Africa is not for the faint hearted!

Poloyatonki 6/26/2009 8:37:59 AM

@BeeGeeWay – human population to reach nine billion. That’s a huge number where are they gonna live? Maybe we need to start having one child per family. Anyway I like your article. I know stupid guys like Juan will only say yellow T-shirt, Viva and mshini wam.

vince 6/26/2009 8:42:24 AM

and they measure their wealth by the things they can hold....

The Truth 6/26/2009 8:43:25 AM

100% agree with you. Couldnt have said it better. Theres just one problem, people are selfish, they WANT the bling lifestyle because we have all been told to aspire to that throughout life. People wont change unless a change is forced on them, otherwise if we leave it to them when to change, it will be too late. I have to say though, if the trade in bling stops, america goes poof and disapears because thats their culture and to change a culture of selfishness is not easy - America wont let it happen. Sorry mate... You should pop onto my blog The TRUTH and see why... Its all subtle propoganda that we have all grown up with in our movies, ads and newspapers, why dothe aliens always land in America, why are the Americans always the good guys in every movie? Its not by chance, its planned. Its also not a planned thing when tiger Woods gets paid more by NIKE than the entire factory that makes Nike shoes. Its all about perception and celebrity sells. Some call it honest sponsorship, I call it mind control...
People always think that mind control is someone standing over you with some contraption - sorry manne, mind control is subtle and its very effective - again, check my blog at "THE TRUTH" - I have loads of information on how it is propogated in society...

Eles 6/26/2009 8:46:34 AM

I don't hold myself to the hype spun by media of what to buy or not because I think for myself and do not care what others may or may not think. I have taken a personal decision to work towards a more self producing lifestyle by way of your own veggie garden, honestly think the way to go is your own borehole and solar heating to not be reliant upon anyone else for any service (especially one that marks up by 31% because of their own management inadequacy and makes you pay for those that don't what's next should Foschini's and other retail stores make their "wealthier" clients pay for those that don't?) The government can assist here by recycling at municipal level with waste disposal to ensure it gets done thus further job creation. Gov just needs some common sense I cannot believe that they battle to find 1 billion to pay doctors what they should have been paid anyway and is still not sufficient but some idiots want to spend 5 billion on a youth department to do exactly what? I will call it now the biggest waste of money, probably half of it will go missing into government officials pockets - they want to help the youth well the start would be dismantling that useless waste of time ANC youth league for starters as they are not a positive influence or example. Then 1) sort out education standard 2)keep the kids in school, 3) encourage safe sex to avoid hiv and unwanted pregnancies, 4) build afterschool centres in townships if not already provided by schools where kids can do their homework and play sport 5) focus on sports clinics to develop sport talent. That 5 billion could be better spent increasing salaries where required, additional jobs for police etc. Or better yet give it to Eskom so we don't need the 31% increase (though I don't think Eskom deserves this at all) - that way we all benefit from the tax payers 5 billion that our intelligent government just wants to throw away on nothing!

Topdog 6/26/2009 8:50:04 AM

@Bongani: If it's not a political issue, as you say, then why do you raise politics?

Michael Jackson Fan 6/26/2009 8:54:32 AM

Boring article.Sorry Bafana Bafana next time,
but hey they went down fighting.Next up tomorrow we are on you Lions in Pretoria,we will wallop you.
We will miss the King of Pop,Michael Jackson.

Welcome the future 6/26/2009 8:55:58 AM

I like the message BeeGeeWay - make the effort to contribute to the wellness of our planet, least of all our immediate community.
We could continue to converse about the wrongs and evils but we fail to do something constructive, however small to make the change.

Ghadafhi 6/26/2009 9:01:41 AM

Hey Bee Gee.....I like your thinking man.Tupac said "It's time for us as people to start making changes;let's change the way we eat,let's change the way we live and let's change the way we treat each other you see the old ways was'nt working, so it's on us to do what we got to do;to survive...." Life should not be defined by material possessions,because you might get them and soon you realise that you have not attained your ideals.So I think we should try and achieve all those material things,I do not think though that they should define us.We are spirits and joy is something that's within not without.Have gratitude for those legs to stand,that mouth to speak,those eyes to see that fresh air you breath......soon you will realise how magical life can be.Way to go Bee Gee.....Way to go.

Peacock 6/26/2009 9:03:55 AM

I am not suprised we are at the bottom of the list. Look at the new "lifestyle" of the BEE appointed. It is obvious that they want to live beyond their means as they HAVE to HAVE the best car, the largest house in the most affluent suburb, wear designer clothes etc, just to say to the collegues and friends, "This is what I deserve and now I have it". The problem is this type of mentality creates problems when the economy takes a down turn and the "new found status" has to be repossesed. The employment was not done on merit and so the benefits were taken for granted and not earned. They then suffer. And so does the country as the image gets tarnished.

Boni 6/26/2009 9:04:57 AM

WTF, just bcoz you love your outing at the beach, doesnt mean i do. i love my shopping and makes me very content.

beegeeway 6/26/2009 9:09:25 AM

great article sir that all i can say great, nice way to start the morning

Fred Basset 6/26/2009 9:17:06 AM

Totally agreed. But you have to remove yourself from the mainstream in order to effectively change your values. At the moment, people believe they need certain products because the media tells them that they need them. When we mature to the point that we realise media is not truth, then we can stop being so gullible. The easies way to achieve this is to distance yourself from the media (stop watching telly, listening to radio, reading mags, etc). Rather spend that time reading a good book or getting outside.
Unfortunately, as a developing nation, most of us are blinkered and don't even realise it is happening.
@Halfidiot - your comment just shows how much you still have to mature before you begin to understand the concept. You have my sympathies

Wisdom @ PoloyPetrol 6/26/2009 9:21:10 AM

Well, well a decent comment from you! I will try not to get use to it! Let us start with one child per family in SA hey, reduce the poor?

Comfort 6/26/2009 9:21:32 AM

Poverty, lack of money, envy and all the negative things can make you nasty. Let those who have enjoy their life.

Anele 6/26/2009 9:29:09 AM

What a load of BULL!!!!
Life is about choices you choose to be mislead by the media, no one forces you!

CTheB 6/26/2009 9:45:44 AM

Quoting Chuck Palahniuk: "...you're not how much money you've got in the bank. You're not your job. You're not your family, and you're not who you tell yourself.... You're not your name.... You're not your problems.... You're not your age.... You are not your hopes."

Cynical 6/26/2009 9:48:29 AM

Ha ha ha what a joke!

I will stuff my pockets, fill my own coffers, grab as much as I can, be as materialistic as possible, steal from the poor, overeat myself and to hell with the rest. Yours sincerely, Fatcat Government Minister

cuba - @ Sinudeity 6/26/2009 9:49:29 AM

"The import things in life aren't things." i drive past that billboard every morning on my way to work, nice message :)

Great article! 6/26/2009 9:54:50 AM

@Beegeeway - Its good to see that there are people with this mature and sound way of thinking. I agree 200% with you! People take for granted the simple but good things in their lives to be replaced by material and bling. Now i will be the first to admit i also have my soft spots for certain things (Suits,i just love suits!!) but the trick is to try keep it as simple as possible!! When you die and leave this earth all that bling is staying behind....so how happy does it really make you! The worst is parents buying their children just what they want! When you have to work for it you have a different kind of appreciation for it! The sad truth is it will take a lot to change something like this, it will affect countries and companies greatly if people stopped buying all the bling. It would be losses in the billions!

Sinudeity @cuba 6/26/2009 9:59:39 AM

Cool Cuba. Wheres the billboard? Banksy graffiti is where I got the quote from.

georgejack 6/26/2009 10:05:13 AM

The problem is not the fact that people want these things, its the fact that people that can't afford to have these things are popping out 500 kids that they can't care for or provide for, thats the real problem, thats why we are last on the happy list,too many people to make happy.-IF you want to be happy stop having kids you can't afford.

@Comfort 6/26/2009 10:07:14 AM

'Let those who have enjoy their life.' those who don't have should they suffer? choose your words carefully.

SimonP 6/26/2009 10:07:48 AM

Anyone who counts their worth on labels is too shallow to be taken notice of. Of course one of the problems with this is SA is that the people the masses look up to seem to be more interested in desinger clothes and flash cars than anything else.

Stryker 6/26/2009 10:10:35 AM

After all is said and done - you sure cant eat money.
What I allways love about Africa is just how much they rubbish the west and how awfull they are to Africa, yet as soon as a black person earns, steals, finds a few bucks - what do we get? an almost precise replica of some western gangsta complete with the big black 4x4 and shiny mags - preferably with some personalised number plate and western made suite. I laugh at you twits on a daily basis - get a life, get a culture, get real.

warmaster 6/26/2009 10:28:32 AM

The only solution that will work will be to form some type of world government that will enforce by law the sustainability of earth and humans. Today people are starting to realise that they are responsible and many are trying to do something, like growing a vegetable garden. But don`t be naive this is not nearly enough to make a difference. The human race needs enforced change to sustainabily. We are slipping away into a dark deep hole.

DAL 6/26/2009 10:33:33 AM

Having been in advertising all my life, I have had interesting discussions with people who say "Advertising makes you buy things you don't want". I reply: "Well, if you don't WANT it, you're obviously not going to buy it, not so?" The next response is: "OK, it makes you buy things you don't need." Right, so what do you really NEED then? Basically, a cave, a stream, a piece of meat maybe? You don't NEED carpets. You don't NEED a TV set. You don't NEED fancy-label clothes - a couple of old sacks will do. So really, the fault is not with the products being offered - it's our own self-esteem and comfort that calls the shots. And by the way, I happen to agree that happiness does not come from material possessions. They just make our inner emptiness feel good for awhile until the purchase wears off.

ENrust 6/26/2009 10:46:08 AM

Peacock is jealous... lol

Humanity - @Halfwise 6/26/2009 10:55:01 AM

your comment is true to your name man.

Miss Cellany 6/26/2009 11:01:09 AM

@Poloyatonki. This is the first time I have agreed with one of your posts.Each man in the ANC should volunteer to limt the number of children he has to 1 regardless of gender of child that is born. Resources are scarce especially water in Africa and water is one thing NOONE can live without and the ojnly way to provide enough water for every person is by limiting population growth. It does indeed fall from the sky but in Africa it is not falling regularly enough to provide for areas which are arid desert so no one wants to live there. Suggest JZ makes a law forcing every household to conserve water in tanks and also all RDP houses to come with a Tank to catch run off water. Keep the future alive, estrict number of children to one per man. This HAS to be MALE DRIVEN or it WON'T work. Have a child, get a snip and be proudly African. It does not hamper performance, desire and it solves many problems. Money saved, less unemployment, better education for ALL including those who fought for democracy. I often wish there was a predator on earth who could eat mankind but hey, the African way they'll end up doing it for themselves because of culture.

Miss Cellany 6/26/2009 11:12:11 AM

Responding to those who point at the AA and BEE empowered who aspire to material things. Why shouldn't they? After all Western values want those things why shouldn't Africans who have sacrificed. When we of recent European and millenia old realise that we don't need all these things to be happy then we can point fingers at those who have never had. The Northern Hemisphere demands that one lives in solid structures because climate is so cold and land very overpopulated demands that land be legally owned to sustain life. Africa does not need such fixed and LARGE houses because environmentally it is much friendlier. Live WITH nature like Africans used to b4 whites and not impose ON nature and collect things unnecessary to sustain life to put insde that house. Too many humans now balance of nature disturbed. Life is about survival not acquisition. Survival requires basic skills not TV, CELL phones electricity, not even cars. We have legs and hands and without work we die and we starve and all those industrailised things rob man of work and dignity.

cuba -@sinudeity 6/26/2009 11:15:40 AM

it's the billboard near a primary school in Oaklands, on 3rd street. they used a nice image, girl dancing in the sun, and they ran that line across it, always puts a smile on my face.

Chillepeppa @ DAL 6/26/2009 11:16:19 AM

It is too true what you said. It is all about personal gratification. The media does not make you do anything that you don't want to do. It does come down to needs vs. wants. The two seems to confused with each other a lot. Rights and privileges.

CTheB 6/26/2009 11:22:52 AM

@DAL - it's going too far to claim that advertising (or anything else) makes us do anything. However, advertising is specifically designed to play on human emotions and psychology. Obviously the fault is not with the products themselves, it's with our choice to give in to the smooth-talking of advertising. But almost no one in advertising (except perhaps those who came up with ads for the likes of CarFind and Cybersmart where the ads are so bad they're likely to drive most people away from the service) can claim that they're trying to manipulate people into buying the advertised product rather than simply notifying people that the product is available. The fact that the people choose to respond to the manipulation doesn't remove the manipulation.

Buckwheat 6/26/2009 11:37:26 AM

Advertising is the art of making something look way better than it is without actually saying anything illegal. Its a pathetic industry. But people who are taken in by it only have themselves to blame. If you make a whole lot of effort in chasing these things, then expect to feel a bit kak when you lose them. Make your effort on things that can never betaken from you, like your health and spirituality, compassion etc, and you'll find you have very little need for all the junk that advertising tells you you need.

Jakobus Pienaar to Stryker 6/26/2009 11:41:58 AM

The world won't stop revolving just because you are bitter about the wealth of others and how they spend it you know. You sound like a really jealouse person as well. Kyk hier bro, get and make a life for yourself and stop focussin on what others are doing and hoping your laughter is going to make any difference for the worst in the lives. Their lives will go on, with or without your laughter and sarcasm.

Phindile @Peacock and Stryker 6/26/2009 11:46:16 AM

Yeah, Peacock is jealous. So is Stryker. There was a time not so long agon when those flashy cars, fancy houses in leafy surburbs with manicured lawns were the exclusive reserve of one minority section of our society. Houghton, Constantia, Camps Bay, Waterkloof, etc. only had blacks visiting as "temporary sojourners" to do domestic work and gardening. Now they live there, which is why Peackock and Stryker are so green with envy

BT 6/26/2009 11:54:39 AM

@halfwise. Once again your response clearly illustrates your intelligence, or lack thereof. Who ever called you halfwise was certainly onto something. It should, however, have been "Wiseless".
Good article. The "need for materialistic things" will kill the world. Life has become shallow due to our "defining" ourselves by the material things we accumulate!

Peacock@ ENrust and Phindile 6/26/2009 12:06:36 PM

Jealous ???? Nah, Just realistic.

Poloyatonki 6/26/2009 12:06:40 PM

@CTheB- try this site for cars... www.vehicletraders.co.za......i think its a cool site.

tant hessie 6/26/2009 12:07:13 PM

Thank you for your valuable article. I completely agree with you. Materialism and consumerism will be our downfall. Pursuing labels and other trappings of the 'celebrity lifestyle' shows that people are insecure and cannot think for themselves. People need to start thinking on a bigger scale. Everyone, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can contribute to making a difference. Let's all be HaPI.
I just wish the US of A will come to the picnic!

NAV 6/26/2009 12:18:20 PM

@Stryker
I agree 100% with Jakobus & Phindile.
You are a bitter person. ALL Black people do not steal, and ALL white people do not steal. Wake up and be sensible for a change. I have a guy working for me and he prefers to dress up in overalls all the time, eats the very basic meal, catches a a train and taxi, and yes he has about R400k in his bank account. Not bad for a guy who has worked hard in life and prefers to live in the same hut in the village in grew up in. Take a leaf from him, you will probably learn something.

ENrust @ peacock and Stryker 6/26/2009 1:37:52 PM

Yes, you are jealous... Maybe if you minded your own business you would be able to have half the things that black people own nowadays. lol, jealousy makes you NASTY!

Hilarious 6/26/2009 2:21:37 PM

It amazes me how every topic HAS to be about race. The point is,its not just SA that needs to change, Its the world. There are only so many resources available to us and we abuse them everyday. Its only a matter of time till they run out, then what? Who cares if its the rich or poor who suffer because by then we will all have nothing, only the rich will end up suffering more as they will know what the poor have been going through their entire lives