In a very early post on this blog I wrote an account of Meeting Nelson Mandela
More recently I was scanning a piece in The Guardian
about the whole collapse of hope and momentum in S Africa since Mandela died. A
little disingenuous one might conclude considering the collapse of hope and
absence of positive momentum here in the UK and the rowing back
of social and political gains and collapse of social infrastructure since the
Thatcher years – and all without the challenges faced by that troubled country…
One strong recollection of the day was the euphoria
over his release and how ecstatic I was when I met him in Glasgow and how
convinced I was that this was a sign that anything could change for the better.
I'm not someone who idolises people. I never had
posters of popstars on my walls as a teen even but I was star struck that day
and as brimming with hope as everyone else. I felt an echo of it when Obama was
elected - and now it all seems to have turned to ash.
I don't get it.
It’s like the table was spread with a very appetising buffet - someone finally took the covers off but we let a handful of yobs in, they stole anything good, trashed everything else and left decent folk with scraps and wreckage...