How was anything he wrote less than true?

Excuse me but could you reprint the actual bit that was "offensive"? I have read the piece and I'm sorry but I can't find it.

He might usefully have added that they are always one drought away from starvation, that the idea of a pension is laughable to someone who is old at 40, or that of the 8 or 9 children the woman bears, perhaps 2 will see adulthood.

I bet ACAS will not back his unfair dismissal claim, also what does Kim think of this??

He might have pointed out that with communal living there would be no need for property rights. But hey, they are reverting to that too. In another hundred years they will be back where their ancestors were.

Are you sure that the article isn't about the North American Indians??

So, can someone enlighten me on how all technological and other advancement could only be developed and distributed by “the evil white man” ???

To BEE:
If you will read David Landes "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations:Why Some are so Rich and Some are so Poor" you will understand how all technlogical and other advancement could only be developed by the 'evil white man'.

BEE, I think the article assumes that 20th century Asians didn't pick up the slack 19th century Europeans left.

It appears that Mr. Bullard exposed that the Emperor has no clothes. Heresy in a surreal PC world.

"If you wish to tell the truth, have a foot in the stirrup".

Turkish proverb/Civ 4

To Copinacus:
Reading “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations:Why Some are so Rich and Some are so Poor” can only present me with David Landes point of view ;supported with carefully and wisely selected references to support his hypothesis. Andre Gunder Frank (1998) takes a different view and still these remains’ his viewpoint. Are you saying that all non-white societies take Landes view as “the gospel” and bow to it?

To BEE
You mention the Asian countries. I can tell you that my beloved Japan was pretty much still living the way they did in their feudal ages until the Meiji Restoration (1853 - 1905). They were living a "simple" life. (Simple again meaning uncomplicated.) What need did they need modern stuff. They were happy with what they have. Then the "evil white man" came along and showed them how far behind they were. Now we all know the history past that. Japan is now one of the world powers and technnology wise they are right there on the front end. We have to ask just like this article what would have happend to Japan had they not got that wake-up call. What use would tribesmen have with Gold? Why would they dig 100 meter holes into the earth? Would that enrich their lives?I think not.

Then I could also ask the question of where would the white man be without the Chinese giving them the technology of gun powder? It's not about race. It's about who had the technology and without exposure to that technology you would not know what you were missing. That is a very fair assumption to make. You can't miss something you never knew about.

Thank you Lin. I agree !!! Cannot have put it better. Thanx.

Well that's why I don't see the what the big deal is about.

If nobody did show their faces here in Africa it would have been the same as with Japan and the scenario in the column could very well be feasible. So he was a bit callous about the 'just have another kid' thing but truth of the matter is that is what happened in any tribe of any culture throughout history. In tribal/clan days if you lost a kid it wouldn't stop you from having another. The family name needed to be carried on. Maybe because they (all humans - no race here) where just happier living simple lives because these days you break a finger nail and you can't recover without the help of some shrink.

So yes, the author was a bit callous about certain things but taking into account the context of what tribal living would be like it's very much relevant and true. Then in closing (before I get off of my soap box) the scenario scetched out by the author could ring just as true as was the story with Japan. It's not to say Africa wouldn't become a world power (like Japan did) after being exposed to technology but if they were never exposed the author's scenario could ring very true.

In fact was that the case and we (seeing that I am an African. Was born here and know no other country as home) Africans controlled most of the gold without the English exploiting us, we could have been the next world power. :)

OK getting off of my soap box now.

Hey.im so glad this article angers you bleeks.because you are angered by the fact that the world opinion of africa and blacks is a mediocre one.im sorry but the hard reality cant be ignored,i work in the defence force and the deteriation of facilities and services is obvious.well al u blacks wil be happy to knw that im leaving

Oh,and i have more to say.blacks wil say the economy is proof that u blaks are doing a good job.haha.the rand is weakening,eskom is in a shambles and because u have so many children the government just kps dishing out child grants.like mugabe did.haha.face it you all hate whites cos u knw we thnk we are better than u.shame

Hi (just another sipho). How are you doing know that you got that of you chest. Hope you feeling better and that this site acts as therapy to you. I forgive you for what you said because I can understand your state of mind when you said it

Yes bee,it is therapy.unfortunately it wont console me much while im here.the thing is most whites either want to leave,wish to leave and over 2milion have left.those that cant aford to leave just hav to be silent and try survive.wen hordes of blaks leave th beaches litterd we just grit our teeth and blame culture.

See this is so unconstructive. That's just slapping a label on a cultural group. You are telling me that white people don't litter? They don't get drunk/stoned/high and get up to some bad brown smelly stuff?
Trash is trash. Be it white, black, yellow or brown. It's not culture. It's a lack of education. Some people (no race attached) just don't know any better. I am a pretty easy going guy but ignorance really gets my goat. There is a reason why there is a joke going around about "I is liking to wear my jean pant". The reason being there are some ignorant white people as well. Eskom issues are the same. Maybe the powers that be there were never told about maintenance. I mean it's working why spend money on it. They are learning the hard way that you must plan for the future and all about maintenance. Granted this should have been obvious and you would think people in those kind of positions would have this knowledge.

The only thing in SA that gets my goat is BEE (not the person posting as BEE but the concept). I have always believed in the best person for the job. Be that black, purple, blue, male or female. As long as they know what they are doing i'm fine with them getting the job. But getting a job because you are x, y or z is really stupid if x, y and z has nothing to do with the job. I mean being black does make you better at something lets say in the field of accounting, does it? Neither does being white. Being good with numbers is what we are looking for here.

Since we are doing theraphy here as well let's vent some more. These kids that are like 16 years old and going on and on and being so angry about apartheid.....they don't even know what apartheid was. For them it is a word. They never experienced it and yet they have so been wronged in their lives. Funny enough their parents have moved on. Should we all just move along. Yes, it was a terrible thing but you can't move forward looking backwards.

*ping* Our time is up. See you next week same time. :)

Everywhere the white man has landed disaster has followed. I blame the albinism he developed in the cockroach laden caves of freezing Europe while African Egyptians were building the pyramids and developing the fields of medicine, astronomy and geometry. Where the white man has excelled is in developing the weaponry and machinery to exploit and subjugate. He slaughtered 100 million native Americans, butchered Africa and prevented its people from going to school, dropped the atom bomb on the Japanese, killed millions of Asians. Even the Eskimos in Alaska and Greenland have not been spared. God bless the white man and his development :).

TO be honest, I wholly agree with every single sentiment Mr. Bullard has expressed in his column.

I've always maintained that if it weren't for the British, Germans, Portugese, Spanish, French, Chinese and other civilized countries, South Africa wouldn't have any of the facilities and amenities it currently has.

The problem lies in the fact that the black population had not evolved any further than mud huts with straw roofing. Whereas in Europe and further afield, they had developed clay bricks, roof tiles, ships and the like, thus giving them an edge over their African counterparts.

It's sad that black people get so worked up over FACTS.

So, not everything in the world is perfect, but does it give them a right to be so indignant, close-minded and totally racist about everything?

The so-called "new South Africa" is a sham. It's a front for black politicans and businessmen to rape children and women, steal money, commit corruption and fraud, and when they're caught out, they turn aronud and try and blame it on apartheid or the white man.

Whatever happened to learning from our mistakes?

Unfortunately, South Africa is fast becoming Zimbabwe.

Guaranteed that I'm discouraging my American and European friends from visiting South Africa and, should they insist, I tell them only to visit Cape Town and the Garden Route.

Sorry to those of you stuck in SA, but God alone knows how many times I've been mugged, how many of my friends have been robbed ... hell some of my friends had to suffer through the St. James' Church massacre!

I make no apologies for who I am in life, but one thingI do not tolerate is having hypocrits trying to tell me that I'm the problem.

All I've seen happen in SA is black men rape babies and women with the mindset that they are ridding themselves of HIV/AIDS. I've seen black people murder black people ... and that's not racist? ... I've seen how black people are given - for FREE - water and electricity and they abuse it, expecting more, yet placing more strain on weak infrastructure. They pay for nothing, expect everything and abuse it by stealing copper cables, destroying other infrastructure and don't care. But complain like hell when they don't get their free water and electricity and housing.

I've seen girls get pregnant because the Government will our hard-earned cash to pay them a monthly stipend, I've seen people laze around and have the Government pay them UIF because they're too damn lazy to work, yet these very people commit crimes, like murder, rape and robberies.

I've seen black families mindwash their kids into believing that every white person is evil, and that it's ok to kill them, rape them and rob them.

I've seen black people march and protest because it's their "right" to do so, costing the Country millions, if no billions, of rands because they aren't happy with their situation.

Ungrateful sons of bitches! If that's the attitude, then the people protesting should be fired and other more willing people employed!

What the hell is happening to South Africa?

It is such a beautiful country, yet the people in it are stuffing it up.

Anyways, David Bullard spoke the truth and those insecure black people who are in positions of power took exception to that. Seems like everytime someone writes something they don't agree with, they'll either be fired, imprisoned or worse, thrown out of SA!

Viva! Zimbabwe, Viva!

"I've always maintained that if it weren't for the British, Germans, Portugese, Spanish, French, Chinese and other civilized countries, South Africa wouldn't have any of the facilities and amenities it currently has."

Then you go on to list everything that's wrong with South Africa, somehow that doesn't seem like the strongest argument for the colonizers as benefactors.

All are culpable. That the underclass seems to be contributing more than their share presently and the upperclass set the parameters decades ago, are equally relevant.

All of the commenters seem obsessed with the idea that progress means wealth, prestige, and technology. The argument of the colonizers was very similar in sentiment. The true goal of progress is the equality of man.

This is not the argument of a luddite. If equality is aided by better transportation or communicative technologies then so be it. The weakness of the state and failings of the society in SA are direct results of the racial inequities that existed for many decades. The way forward will be in addressing the exploitive economic class structure, irrespective of race.

Then why are whites still in Africa if it's sooooo bad? You spared, no bloodshed. Just goes to prove how hipocritical whites are, no matter what is done by blacks, will always be questioned...

I think it was the Dalai Lama who said: 'If You Speak the Truth, Keep a Foot in the Stirrup.'

I think it was the Dalai Lama who said: 'If You Speak the Truth, Keep a Foot in the Stirrup.'

The trouble with David's Article is, it speaks inconvenient truth. It speak inconvenient home truths. It speaks of how it really was, is and will be, for the forceable future, on that great & mighty continent of Africa. And, before you shout the over used 'R' word, I've spent most of my life living there, working there and fighting in a few of it's wars. I've seen Africa and Africans, whether they are Black or White (yes there are millions of White Africans)from every perspective & possible point of view. I comment from the point of view, the eye witness benefits from. Africa today, is in many parts, not a pretty site. African on African violence, Black on Black violence. Almost unbelievable, sickening but very true and still happening right now. The AU & UN unable, or unwilling to put an end to war, corruption, ethnic cleansing, mass rape, wholesale slaughter of defenceless and innocent Black Africans? One can only ask why? The Darfur, the DRC, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Ruwanda, Liberia and Zimbabwe to name but a few of Africa's choicest examples of Africa, shooting itself in the foot. Africa is at times, its own worst enemy. Historically, White violence & opression on Black Africans , was condemmed and rooted out at every turn. No stone was left undisturbed, and often quite rightly so! But, in the 21st Century, Black African violence, on Black Africans is strangely tolerated?! Namely by fellow Black Africans, who tut, tut, slap backs, wave fingers, but ultimately do little & nothing to solve Africa's problems. Crime, poverty, joblessness, famine, war, revolution and a population spiraling out of all control. David Bullard is a privelidged white man, who spoke a few painfull home truths, and paid the price for pointing out what we already know. Until Africans, are able to deal with each other, in a more tolerant and understanding way, none of Africa's problems will ever be resolved. Not in this life time. Thabo Mbeki speaks airily from time to time, about an "African Renaissance?" My questions are: How?, where? & when? But, if his handling of the Zimbabwean shambles is anything to go by, I have all the answers I really need.
I have travelled very widely through Africa. Not as a spoilt tourist, staying in 5 star hotels, but on the ground, taking my time, to meet with & at times enjoy the company and views of fellow Africans. Ordinary working people, who have in most cases been badly abused, shamefully let down and exploited by fellow Black Africans, who only cherry pick the parts from African history they can handle or debate. Usually this only involves their own very narrow & convenient points of view. They have in many cases, been in political power for decades, but like the ruling, disinterested ruling elite they really are, ignore the people they grind down, keep poor, without the neccessary basics of life: The respect for law & order, jobs, health & education, clean water, food, freedom of speech & thought, whether written or spoken. No, African's ruling political elite, are far too busy enjoying life. Life for them, the very few, is good. Better than good. Life for the majority of ordinary Africans, is bad. Worse, far worse than bad. And this is not the fault, of any White Africans, who came, whether 300 years ago, or a few decades & years ago. The blame game, many Africans enjoy playing no longer works. The Racism card, is all dog eared & bent out of shape. The continent of Africa, can succeed and go forward, for most of its people. But, this is a very big - 'If, why & when' Africans - of all races, colours and creeds, living in relative peace, working on solutions for everyone, who is proud to call themselve's 'an African' An ridding the continent of the crazy mess it is largely in today.