These are some quotes selected by the Common Dreams website from various quotes attributed to Nelson Mandela on Wikiquotes.
- “A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favor. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.”
- “If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don’t care for human beings.”
- “The current world financial crisis also starkly reminds us that many of the concepts that guided our sense of how the world and its affairs are best ordered, have suddenly been shown to be wanting.”
- “Gandhi rejects the Adam Smith notion of human nature as motivated by self-interest and brute needs and returns us to our spiritual dimension with its impulses for nonviolence, justice and equality. He exposes the fallacy of the claim that everyone can be rich and successful provided they work hard. He points to the millions who work themselves to the bone and still remain hungry.”
- “There is no doubt that the United States now feels that they are the only superpower in the world and they can do what they like.” (Well, now they have to think of China! – Anil)
- “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
- “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
- “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
- “No single person can liberate a country. You can only liberate a country if you act as a collective.”
Thanks to blog reader Annelies for the link.
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In the so called free democracy, it is a practice for the rich and powerful to buy influence. Who care about justice and truth? There is always the excuse of freedom of speech, if you don’t like their soft power, create your own, that is if you have the money to influence other.
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What inspired you most about Nelson Mandela? Nelson Mandela brought so much hope, vision, peace and reconciliation to his people and his nation when so needed. A magnificant man who opened the hearts of millions, brought a divided nation together, and paved the way to a future, now present, that was once only a wish for so many. Courageous, compassionate, wise, humble and forgiving, he stood for truth, did all he could in the ways he knew, and kept his heart open through it all. He was the beacon of freedom and democracry to his people who, for centuries, under… Read more »
“A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favor. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.” – Nelson Mandela. However, in Malaysia, the weekly newspaper The Heat has been given a show-cause letter by the Home Ministry and reportedly told to tone down its fervour. And this… Read more »
PM Najib at the closing of UMNO’s annual congress recently said Umno fought for the same cause as Nelson Mandela.
Perhaps he was not aware of the above quotes provided by Anil?