Should Nelson Mandela be considered a hero or a war criminal in history books?

[Tierbook]

He did not invent it at all, it was being used well before Roman times.

true they even rubbed salt in the wounds of the defeated at Carthage

[Mihalik]

He did not invent it at all, it was being used well before Roman times.

I stand corrected.

Then the dude who first used it within modern warfare, taking into consideration modern logistics (trains), communications (Telegraph lines) etc.

[Mihalik]

true they even rubbed salt in the wounds of the defeated at Carthage

That wasn't an offensive tool. It was retribution.

Oddly enough the Romans themselves ended up rebuilding in the very same spot. The location was strategic for North Africa.

[Deleted]

I stand corrected.

Then the dude who first used it within modern warfare, taking into consideration modern logistics (trains), communications (Telegraph lines) etc.

Nope, was used in the Napoleonic war too which happened 45 years (I think) before the US civil war. Napoleon pretty much reinvented the way wars were fought by way of logistics.

[Deleted]

In the US you would consider the Farmattacks a Hate Crime? Assuming you transfer it to a fitting equivalent case.

[Nekosom]

Why do you not read what I replied to? The whites in South Africa do not praise him at all, some downright hate him.

I read it all, and once again, I don't understand the relevancy to this discussion. If you could explain it (as your link does not) it would be much appreciated, as the only reference to Mandela in your link were his legislative efforts to protect those farmers.

[Mihalik]

Nope, was used in the Napoleonic war too which happened 45 years (I think) before the US civil war. Napoleon pretty much reinvented the way wars were fought by way of logistics.

Napoleon never used the Total War concept offensivly. The Russians used it defensivly, combining it with GENEROUS retreats, giving up land for time. Additionally, Napoleon never had to take into consideration trains or the Telegraph.

Thats why the Prussians ended up steamrolling France the way they did in 1870.

[Deleted]

I read it all, and once again, I don't understand the relevancy to this discussion. If you could explain it (as your link does not) it would be much appreciated, as the only reference to Mandela in your link were his legislative efforts to protect those farmers.

The South African farming community has suffered from attacks for many years.[1] The majority of the attackers have been young black men, and the majority of the victims have been Afrikaner farmers, with claims of death tolls of up to 3,000 cited in the national and international media.[2][3] While the government describes the attacks as simply part of the bigger picture of crime in South Africa, white farmers point to brutal attacks and incidents involving self-declared anti-white motivations as evidence of a campaign to drive them off their land

Basically they did nothing to stop it, at first they denied there was an issue, blaming the usual criminals and saying there is not a bigger agenda. They then backtracked and created Commando groups to deal with the problem, they then disbanded the Commando groups saying they were racist leaving the white farmers at the mercy of thugs.

[ngc2440]

I never could understand why people must view everything in a black/white, good/bad. Only a sith deal in absolutes. OMG! Thalian is a sith!

[Lynarii]

One must also remember that people change over time, sometimes dramatically. A young warmonger can become an old peacekeeper.

I think, when all is said and done, Nelson Mandela was a net good thing for South Africa and the world. He has done a lot of good things, and should be praised for them. HOWEVER, we should not forget that not everything he did was good or right. He has done some bad things too, is responsible for the deaths of innocents, and those are not washed away by the good things he did. It's almost as if trying to condense a man's life into one or two words is impossible to do accurately.

[Thalian]

I never could understand why people must view everything in a black/white, good/bad. Only a sith deal in absolutes. OMG! Thalian is a sith!

What's a sith?

[Snubiz]

Since his side won I guess he'll be considered a hero.

[Mihalik]

What's a sith?

http://mememachine.viralvideochart.com/storage/darth%20vader.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1320146963220

That's a Sith.

Mod edit: Converted pic into link form, was a bit too huge.

[Deleted]

Most real "heroes" do have a "darker" side with deeds people often try to brush under the rug to praise them.

Nelson Mandela is no exception.

Today people still say I'm insanely disrespectful when I say Mother Theresa was a sadistic cunt and Gandhi was nothing but a racist zealot, despite any of their good deeds.

Nelson Mandela did a good thing for black equality but has also done many terrible things, if these reports are to be believed. And yes, racism in South Africa is still a real thing. Against both white and black people. It's a shame, really.

[Thalian]

Can anyone please tell me why Yahoo Answers banned me for asking the same thing just now? It said to check the community guidelines, which I did, and I did nothing against it.

---------- Post added 2013-06-29 at 11:44 AM ----------

http://mememachine.viralvideochart.c...=1320146963220

That's a Sith.

I am pretty sure I am not a fictional being, but I'll have to go check my birth certificate to make sure. BRB

[NewOrleansTrolley]

History is written by the winners, dude.

[Thalian]

Most real "heroes" do have a "darker" side with deeds people often try to brush under the rug to praise them.

Nelson Mandela is no exception.

Today people still say I'm insanely disrespectful when I say Mother Theresa was a sadistic cunt and Gandhi was nothing but a racist zealot, despite any of their good deeds.

Nelson Mandela did a good thing for black equality but has also done many terrible things, if these reports are to be believed. And yes, racism in South Africa is still a real thing. Against both white and black people. It's a shame, really.

Nelson Mandela actually didn't end the apartheid. He spent the last 27 years of the apartheid in prison for blowing up civilians. It was the other people of his group who blew up civilians that ended it.

Offtopic: Can you please link me where Mother Theresa was a sadistic see you en tee? :P And where Gandhi was a racist zealot (I already know he hated Jews, but I am curious to know more).

---------- Post added 2013-06-29 at 11:48 AM ----------

History is written by the winners, dude.

Not Chairman Mao. Despite his genocide of 60 million Chinese people, he is still revered by the Chinese and some radical communists around the world. But, is seen as an evil man by the western world. Plus, Napoleon, who failed to conquer Europe, is seen as a war criminal by the rest of the world, but is still revered in France.

[Deleted]

Nelson Mandela actually didn't end the apartheid. He spent the last 27 years of the apartheid in prison for blowing up civilians. It was the other people of his group who blew up civilians that ended it.

Offtopic: Can you please link me where Mother Theresa was a sadistic see you en tee? :P And where Gandhi was a racist zealot (I already know he hated Jews, but I am curious to know more).

---------- Post added 2013-06-29 at 11:48 AM ----------



Not Chairman Mao. Despite his genocide of 60 million Chinese people, he is still revered by the Chinese and some radical communists around the world.

NOTE: I am not against communism. But, Mao was not a good man, if you ask me.

Mother Therasa ran homes for the seriously ill and dying but often refused to hand out pain medication. She claimed that suffering brought people closer to God and that they should embrace the pain rather than medicating it.

[Deffry]

[QUOTE=Thalian;21606871]Offtopic: Can you please link me where Mother Theresa was a sadistic see you en tee? :P[QUOTE]
http://digitaljournal.com/article/345087

[Thalian]

Mother Therasa ran homes for the seriously ill and dying but often refused to hand out pain medication. She claimed that suffering brought people closer to God and that they should embrace the pain rather than medicating it.

Wow... just read up on her...