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MLS #: 2147817 “As soon as the lunatics start running the asylum you have big problems” | Oudtshoorn Online
“As soon as the lunatics start running the asylum you have big problems”	Formula One pronounces on local politics
Drewan Baird. Oudtshoorn. 21 December 2013. 07h00. It was during a floor debate, way back in May 2007, that I proposed to the SA born former NMMU academic and then Princeton James I. McCord Professor of Theology and Science, J. Wentzel van Huyssteen, that false hope is much, much worse than no hope at all.
As for me, with Edward Abbey, I believe in rock: this apodictic rock beneath my feet.
It caused a bit of a stir in Die Boere-Vatikaan – The University of Stellenbosch Seminary.
I say it again here and now: False hope is much, much worse than no hope at all.
During an earlier email debate Van Huyssteen called me “the last living Logical Positivist”. Intended as an insult, it remains the biggest compliment I can recall.
Briefly, Logical Positivism is the view that the only empirical statements that are meaningful are those that are verifiable.
Following on Russell and Wittgenstein, Logical Positivism was born from the Berlin Circle and from the Vienna Circle in the late 1920’s, arrogating to overhaul all of philosophy and to establish a new scientific philosophy. It failed. As Karl Popper, mine own guru – and the father of the DA’s “open society” – clearly showed. Yet…
I became involved in a brief 160 character at a time twitter debate with Agang leader Mamphela Ramphele and Business Day publisher Peter Bruce earlier this week when I reacted sharply to Ramphele’s claims of election victory next year.
My point was that Ramphele lies by her claim.
Commentators like SA political analyst Stephen Grootes gives Agang 3% in 2014. The ANC gets 61%. (And the DA 24%).
For Ramphela to arrogate victory is to blatantly mislead voters and her supporters – to lie.
False hope is much, much worse than no hope at all.
And one does not do one’s brand and one’s reputation any good by misrepresenting one’s position – it’s starting out on a lie; indicating that one will cajole, wheedle, and inveigle one’s way to eventual oblivion.
Similarly, the DA has continuously lied to Oudtshoorn’s voters; to its supporters… and to itself, since pa fell off the proverbial bus:
The DA lied about fighting the registration of temporary inmates in the SAPD Training College and the SANDF during the 2011 elections;
The DA lied about funding the Pierre Nel v. Oudtshoorn municipality case;
The DA lied to Jurie Harmse, Pieter Luiters, Stokkies Ruiters, Jeremy Goliath, and Hendrik Botha when the party hacks lured the fickle five away in a spectacular failed control bid for the council on May 31;
The DA lied about the financial incentives for the apostasy of the fickle five;
The DA lied to the fickle five about financial reward and support;
The DA lied about Oudtshoorn’s financial management;
The DA lied – on national TV even – about having taken control of the Oudtshoorn council on May 31;
The DA lied about the Pierre Nel v. Oudtshoorn “settlement”;
The DA lied about the so-called investigation into the impugned settlement;
The DA lied and lied and lied and lied over and over and over and over again about being on the point of taking control of the Oudtshoorn council;
The DA is still lying about taking over, promising, at this time, a take-over of the Oudtshoorn council early in the new year.
This latest mendacious move follows on a recent consultation with what is loosely described as the “DA Leadership” – something like “military intelligence” and “peaceful warfare” – where a local DA delegation was told that if all goes well control may be realised by the end of March. (No year was mentioned, apparently.)
This news about March did not go down well in the local caucus, I’ll have you know.
If the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to the breadwinners of five families; if the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to the ratepayers of Oudtshoorn; if the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to the voters of Oudtshoorn; if the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to the residents of Oudtshoorn; if the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to the council; if the DA could have so cruelly and sadistically lied to itself; if the DA can continue unabated to so cruelly and sadistically lie to all and sundry in sight and earshot and beyond… do you, my longsuffering readers, truly believe that the DA can be trusted with the management of Oudtshoorn?
Nick Fry, CEO – Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team, once famously pronounced, “As soon as the lunatics start running the asylum you have big problems.”
I suspect I am concluding on local politics as I had long concluded on theology, formulated in the words of Gertrude Stein…
But if there is an answer, it ain’t, by no stretch of the imagination, spelled D-A.
Said Constable Dogberry, “Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.” (Much ado about Nothing, V.i.204-8)
← The Demockratic Alliance is behind you32 Nkandlas for Oudtshoorn →	14 thoughts on ““As soon as the lunatics start running the asylum you have big problems””	Ed says:	2013/12/30 at 11:56	Die enigste onbeantwoorde “direkte vrae” is waarom die DA nie vir Van Wyk, Nel, Van der Westhuizen, en MacPherson jaag nie en waarom die DA -raadslede nie hulle skuld aan die belastingbetalers betaal nie. Ek het nie die antwoorde nie.
gert says:	2013/12/30 at 11:43	Nes politici word direk te vrae nooit direk beantwoord nie, maar altyd omseil.
Ed says:	2013/12/30 at 09:57	Ons volk het meer mense soos jy nodig, Gert. Of dalk juis nié.
gert says:	2013/12/30 at 09:41	Gelukkig werk ek vir myself en koop ek nie gesig soos jy nie. Ek draai my mantel nie na die wind nie.
Ed says:	2013/12/30 at 08:42	Sies man Gert! Jóúne óók!
gert says:	2013/12/30 at 08:27	Jou fooitjie
Ed says:	2013/12/29 at 22:09	Watter huidige wanadministrasie, asseblief Gert? Details!
gert says:	2013/12/29 at 21:55	Jy berig mos oor wanadministrasie so beantwoord dan ook oor wanadministrasie wat nou plaasvind of is jy nie bereid om dit te doen nie om so jou salaris of fooitjie te verloor Wat van Mnr Mills?
Ed says:	2013/12/29 at 17:58	Willem weet net van die “miljoene” omdat ek dit berig het. Soek in die O!O-argiewe, tydens DA-beheer. Maar dit was nie die DA se skuld nie. Nooooooitgesienie.
gert says:	2013/12/29 at 17:45	Waarom beantwoord jy nie Willem se vraag nie, want ek sal ook wil weet wie die trogvreters is sodat ook agter die kap van die byl kan kom. die miljoene is baie waarvan hy praat.
investigative public says:	2013/12/23 at 15:44	Baie interessant gestel OO.
Wat gaan die DA Patete se leierskorps nou aanvang ?
Ed says:	2013/12/23 at 08:30	Willem, LEES voor jy skryf, man.
Willem says:	2013/12/23 at 08:05	Izziiiit! Eerstens die volgende. Ek onthou baie duidelik hoe jy deel was van die verkiesingsproses in 2011 en jou spesifieke insette met die verkiesingsproses en veral die registrasie van studente in die weermag en polisie kollege. Jy het jouself daardie tyd oortref met korrespondensie aan Zille en selfs die verkiesingsowerhede. Jy spesifiek het geveg vir die openbaarmaking van die uiters onregverdige sisteem. Onthou jy nog? Jy moet tog want dit was een van jou “babas”. Veral toe die weermag die studente se ID’s teruggehou het sodat hulle eers moes gaan stem voordat hulle kon huistoe gaan. Jy onthou dit mos sekerlik! Maar wat het Zille besluit na vele van jou sktywes aan haar? Onthou jy nog? Niks het gekom van jou pogings nie. Ziltz!
Die verkiesing in wyl1 was ‘n seker vir die a en sie. Die a en sie studente moes net opdaag. Onthou jy nog!? Onthou jy die lang rye weermag en polisie studente? Onthou jy nog wat toe gebeur het? Herinner bietjie jou lankmoedige lesers. Miskien hoef jy nie, almal onthou nog die dwarsklap wat die waardige, dapper studente die a en sie gegee het! Jy onthou mos nog ne? Die studente stem vir die DA en wys middelvinger vir jou werkgewer. Die begin van krake in die a en sie mondering. ‘n Nuwe geslag staan op! Vandag gaan hulle verder. Hulle Booooooooo jou werkgewer se baas. Jy weet mos van wie ek praat?
So. Van iemand wat hom sterk opgee as die”ekspouser of meledministrysin” en iemand wat die studente aangeleentheid “ontbloot” het tot iemand wat twee jaar later sy “eige” verslag en pogings as ‘n leuen moet jousself laat wonder wafferse “ekspouser” is dit die?
Is dit dieselfde “ekspouser”. Ja dit is! Die verskil is die “ekspouser” expose nou vir die a en sie teen vergoeding! Die vraag is dus hoeveel betaal die a en sie en hoe desperaat is hulle? Blykbaar vreeslik desperaat. Ek bedoel die “ekspouser” moet ‘n geldjie maak hier voor krismis al Ek teken die datum aan van hiedie berig. Ons sal die boeke oopmaak wanneer die DA jou party uitskop en dan sal ons bietjie die belastingbetalers inlig wat hulle betaal het vir die stukkie nuttelose propaganda!
Heppie krismis! Amper vergeet ek. Laaskeer het ek gevra dat jy jou lankmoedige lesers se gedagtes moet vervris. Plaas asseblief weer daardie lang lys van vergrype. Die een van R220 mil se wanbesteding. Jy weet mos, dit is die een met die name van jou huidige werkgewer en die bedrae wat hulle “gepokkit” het. Jy onthou mos nog ne? Of het die “ekspouser” of meledministreisin” daarvan vergeet toe hy deel geword het van die trogvreters? Jou eige naam vir jou werkgewer! Jy onthou mos nog? Hoe se jy? O, Jou werkgewer betaal nie vir sulke publikasies nie……
Les Dyason says:	2013/12/21 at 15:01	That time of the year, also
Santa or is it wrongly spelled satan.
Let’s make it up, let’s fake it
Fairy tales, fables and lies
Confusion and illusion, that’s how it’s done.
People are so easily led, so easily misled.
Because the Thruth is too simple,
Or is the truth
Too ghastly to contemplate
(Thanks oom John)
(Thanks Robert de Niro)