South Africa Quotes
The discussion was about Nelson Mandela.
The “necklaces” Mandela referred to were car tires filled with gasoline.
This quotation was a slight paraphrase from a Quotation from the great American orator and abolutionist Wendell Phillips. See Quotation 401914.
Because of the classic historical anti-Semitism and discrimination, Jews were barred from land ownership and as a result few were farmers or had agricultural experience in their families. They were tradesmen, artisans, professionals in Europe. So amongst Jews and non Jews alike the notion of Jews settling the land of Palestine and farming it or trapping, the way the Boers had in South Africa or the French in Canada, was not a very credible image. The Zionists, realizing this potential weakness, placed strong emphasis on agriculture, developed the agricultural kibbutz concept and encouraged Jews to become farmers. The effort was so successful that almost all the leading early Zionist immigrants to Palestine became farmers. When independence came to Israel, the Jewish agriculture was more productive than most of that in Europe and almost on a par with small farms in the United States. The Israelis were known for “making the desert bloom.
For centuries whites had dominated and abused the Blacks of South Africa. When the Black majority finally gained power, there were many calls for retribution and justice. However, under Mandela’s influence, South Africa made one of the most successful transitions of power to the majority who had been oppressed. The concentration on the future made South Africa the most successful country in Africa and a model for the world. See {633690} for another of his implementing statements of this principle.
Gahdhi’s early career was in South Africa. What makes this quotation very interesting is that it shows Ghandi---one of the great disciples of brotherhood and equality of all men---had a period when he was outraged that Indians would have Blacks (Kaffirs) located in their neighborhood. It illustrates the personal transition that he made from prejudiced, parochial advocate for a particular ethnic group to an advocate and spokesman for all mankind.
