Dancing on Eggs from Bergrivier Municipality to Stellenbosch and back

 

I have to start this Post with a short explanation to my Readers outside South Africa to explain why you get this mumble jumble on my Blog.

 You know that the Time Rag does have some readers that are actually still Time supporters.  If you place a comment in a Time/Warner/Swampland Post and include your Blogsite Link these guys all jump and shout “Blog Whore” at you.  Well, they will probably scream “Municipal Prostitution” if they understand the circumstances under which I am placing this on record.

 This Article was written for publication elsewhere and I am placing it here to archive it for posterity.  The date on the Post will be significant in years to come as Africanization of the old Colonial Empires unfolds.

 By Ike Jakson

 You have my permission to ignore it if you don’t understand what in hell I am saying.  One day I shall explain it to you; suffices FOR NOW to call it an example of Municipal Prostitution in South Africa.  This is what I wrote:

 [Commence Quote]: “Voter discontent with Governments is a phenomenon of our times, and often for good reasons.  Politicians have become the new rich of the World whilst pretending to care for the poor.  The result is that political struggles have moved away from race to class [caste] divisions.

 In South Africa we have two peculiar disparities.  The voter should by now understand that large numbers very rich Black Politicians have replaced a few White ones but the irony continues with the ANC easily maintaining their two thirds majority.

 The poor Democratic Alliance is battling to hang onto control of the Western Cape by carrying the “Mister Clean Hands banner.

 A shocking scandal in the Bergrivier [Bergmun] and Stellenbosch Municipalities may soon see them loosing that battle.

 Bergrivier Municipality has always been controlled by Old National Party Bigwig business man Lieb Liebenberg and when he brought daughter-in-law Christa in as Municipal Manager in during 2008 his position seemed almost secure, aided by an incompetent but smooth-talking Riaan de Vries, the DA nominated member [thus not having to pass the test of an election] on the Council Executive Committee as personal protector and damage control man for Daddy Lieb.

 Voter discontent soon peaked under Dil [daughter-in-law] Christa but she conveyed her desire to the Council early 2012 that she wished to stay with Bergmun and have her 5 year contract renewed on expiry in April or May next year but when it became apparent to her that she would have to fight for it she promptly resigned in October and left Bergmun with a trail of debt and a burden of increased rates and taxes.  But we all thought that was classic Christa and rejoiced when she left.  The news that she started working as Municipal Manager in Stellenbosch early November made us wonder about their fate but we were glad to be rid of Christa’s sole allegiances to Christa.

 What a rotten mistake that was?

 Her resignation was evidently a ploy.  While we were baffled by the speed at which the Bergmun Council moved to advertise the vacancy [why not save some money leaving it empty for a while, we said], Dil Christa made her move with loyal Riaan to do the dirty work.

 Within her first week at Stellenbosch she re-applied for her old Bergmun position at a higher salary and a further 5 year contract.  De Vries is coming out for her corner in order to stop the appointment of an Eastern Cape lady who is openly ANC, while Christa is threatening to sue Bergmun if they don’t give her higher points [points is some weird system Municipalities use in this sort of thing] than the ANC applicant.

 Christa made one silly mistake; when she came for her Bergmun old job interview she did not inform Stellenbosch and the grapevine has it that somebody will whisper this within hearing distance of the ears of a sympathetic ANC Stellenbosch person this week.

 Moral of the story: when you go to egg-dancing shows sit in the back row unless you like having egg on the face.  Tut tut, as the Brits say, poor DA, but in my view they also chose the wrong ones to do the dancing and will get what they deserve.

 For once the ANC can point fingers and laugh at the other side.” [End Quote]

 IkeJ

The Origin, Evolution and the Inevitable Demise of Money Part Two

For my Readers who have not read The Origin, Evolution and the Inevitable Demise of Money Part One I suggest that you do so now.  You have to understand the basics about the Origin of Money that we deal with in Part One before you read this one on the subsequent Evolution of Money from where you can proceed to where we are today.

 Secondly, even if you are not one for Statistics you have to at least glance through Colonialism with one click on the blue, or visit my favorite Google links in

https://www.google.co.za/search?sourceid=ie7&q=colonialism&rls=com.microsoft:en-za:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACEW_enZA348ZA348

 It will be good if you can spend a little time in the links; however, take a good glimpse at the Colonial map of the World in the year of 1800 that I show you below; study as many other maps as you may wish to; more will greatly assist for the overall picture.

 

Colonialism in the World of 1800

Colonisation 1800.  Note the spelling.

 The origins of money were firmly established by 1760 but the ships still returned to their Home Ports laden with Colonial raw materials before reloading the now empty vessel with the manufactured products for the return journey back to the Colonies; the one usually paying for the other.  It is no coincidence that the Colonial period produced the need for modern money in the colonies that could also be used to pay for Hospitals, Schools, Railroad lines followed by Roads and when diamonds and gold were discovered in Africa the need for each country having its own currency developed.

 The American Declaration of Independence produced the first steps towards independent Nations; it was more of a Trade Document and the right of the Colonist to trade in his own name and be paid for it than the lofty words in which it was written.  It was written by a bunch of Aristocratic Englishmen but their intention was clear to form an Independent Republic of America and that England would in future have to buy their goods.  It was never meant to be a Democracy; in fact it was everything but Democratic for more than a hundred years.

 When America kicked the King out in 1812 and followed with the Mexican and the Indian Wars England went for Africa, joined by a horde of others.  Out of this modern money evolved; countries produced more of their own currencies and the “balance of payments” practice evolved or developed [call it whatever is your want or choice of word that you prefer] backed by solid assets and the Gold Standard.

 Except for the huge financial mess of World War 2 by the time that England started to dismantle the Colonies first with India in 1947 and Nkrumah grabbing Ghana for himself in 1957 the World looked in good financial shape by the time Kennedy took over in 1960.  Fixed exchange rates between independent Countries and the Gold Standard firmly in place, money tied to real hard assets and backed by Gold seemed to make for a good future for all concerned.  In fact Money and the Money Systems that were in place made for a secure World situation in 1960.

 I see that year as the completion of the Evolution of Money.  My next Post will deal with the unexpected disaster that followed and the eventual Demise of Money by 2010.

 By Ike Jakson

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Email me at your convenience at: ikejakson@gmail.com