Nelson Mandela-Freedom fighter or wicked terrorist

[Cuntybollocks]

Ok, before you all go off on one I must stress I am impartial.

Up until 1 hour ago that is!!. I had always thought of him as a champion of his race fighting for what was right. But it seems he way have been way to heavy handed. I post the link below not as proof, but of a possible different side to a man we have all grown to love.

What is the truth, as YOU know it to be.

Kind Regards and thank you in advance.

[Cuntybollocks]

Worded wrongly, I am still impartial.

Just confused!!

[number 6]

One of the great men of the last 100 years. Took a stand,spent many years in jail for it,and will die a hero.

[Gentleman]

And while he was becoming the idol for loads of musicians his misses was kidnapping and murdering young boys also a big advocate of putting burning tires around people's necks.

Nelson Mandela nothing is nothing but a fig leaf of acuddly old geezer covering the fact south Africa's yet another typical African state corrupt and murderous and when he pops his clogs all of sudden people blindfolds will be removed and people may start pointing out how unpleasant life is there if your black or white and not a member of the ANC.

[thealtruist]

Where's the link?

[Essex Lad]

Wicked terrorist. No idea why there is a statue to him in Parliament Square.

[Arginald Valleywater]

At last some like minded people who see past the hype. Possibly the most overrated human being in history.

[Cuntybollocks]

Sorry mate!!

[fatmick]

I think the article nails a great many myths and the author agrees that these are not myths created or supported by Mandela himself. He has acknowledged many times his past actions.

What I would say, however, is that this is a man who TOGETHER with FW DeKlerk saw that change had to come and that it would be a painful transition.

Where the problem has occurred is that those following on from these men could not follow there example in terms of reconciliation. These men accepted their faults, acknowledged them and moved forwards, too many of their successors want to either stay in the past or gain revenge for it.

There was always going to be a period of economic instability in the country, and much of the cause was the neglect of blacks back in the day. They were poorly educated but now due to the electoral majority enjoyed by black politicians we have the situation where ill-equipped men and women are placed in positions of authority throughout the country.
Mandela recognised this, which is why the transitional governments post apartheid had a significant white presence. It was not the colour of their skin but the value of their skills he was most interested in.

In my opinion Mandela was a freedom fighter who BECAME a great man as time wore on.

Too many on here and in general try to paint everything as black and white!!
(Please pardon the terrible pun?)

[David Johnson]

Was Mandela a terrorist or a freedom fighter?

The answer to this question is largely down to your political views.

Were the Germans who tried to blow up Hitler at a staff meeting in the Second World War freedom fighters or terrorists? Well if you are a fascist who thought Hitler a great leader you would believe that they were terrorists. If you felt that Hitler was a cruel, racist dictator leading Germany to destruction, they would be viewed as freedom fighters.

The same with Mandela. Black people were treated as subhuman by the South African apartheid system. If you have political views that support black people being treated as subhuman then Mandela is a terrorist.

On the other hand, if you believe that ultimately, black people in South Africa had the right to fight for their freedom and the end of an extremely oppressive apartheid system then Mandela is a freedom fighter.

In many situations for the oppressed to ask their government "Pretty please can we have our citizenship and rights" is not going to produce the desired result, hence the need for people to fight for their freedom.