printRT TV (Russia Today), and in particular Cross Talk, has facilitated perhaps the only rounded discussion of Mandela’s true legacy in mainstream media. However, RT producers failed to use ANY of the biographical material I provided TWICE—not one sentence of it: not my authorship of a book, which just happens to be about Mandela’s South Africa (“Into the Cannibal’s Pot: Lessons for America from Post-Apartheid South Africa”), and not my affiliations (WND and JIMS, an Israeli free-market think tank than deserves recognition for its work). It is not the first time this has transpired, so it could conceivably be perceived as a bias of sorts, and certainly as unprofessional. Had I not mentioned my book, listeners would be none the wiser.
My hideous face: I was up at 4:15 AM, had no make-up artist and thus was without the stuff; was seated in a small studio, where I stared at a board upon which a pair of peepers was painted, without seeing my interlocutors. Vanity aside, the emails received so far from my Afrikaner followers are all that matter to me. It’s about the duty to bear Christian witness (albeit by a Jew). Below are two such missives:
Writes Prime Minister P. W. Botha’s wife:
I watched RT this am. It was such a pity that you were not given more time. Much of what you said was sidelined – especially that of the decimation of the Afrikaner. The world just does not want to know that. Dear Jeremy, an armchair analyst. I think it is because you were born in Africa, that you understand the situation. We really cannot afford academics who would want to impose what they think would work, upon the masses. They understand nothing of Africa and the realities thereof.
And this from Hendrik:
Hi Ilana.
Things are going to become worse and worse for us whites (Afrikaners) in South Africa. I saw you on crosstalk today. You tried to mention us in mainstream media. Why would you have to, you have no reason to want to stand up for us other than your commitment to the truth. The truth, something that is difficult to spot in the media, especially these last couple of days. That’s why I thank you.
No one will ever stand up for us until it is too late, we realize we will only be able to depend on God and ourselves to survive this mess. What I have learned from history is that 99% of the world will deny our predicament until it’s too late. It happened many times before (Rwanda). No one will help us. Like when you tried to mention us the subject was changed faster than a french surrender. So again, I thank you for trying.
I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m complaining, I don’t mean to. Many peoples had to go through much worse in history.
No, Hendrik, not many people go through a worse event than ethnocide!