election fever and all that jazz

it's upon us all over again, local elections..and here i am drowning in campaign promises,and all things fake. one wanders if politicians really have anything to do. my conclusion is that they're a waste of oxygen,
campaign promises and pledges are just the smoke screen, to blindfold joe public into believing that his tax rand is working for him,...so oilgate scandals, arms deals,the travel gate scandal make news headlines while nothing tangible ever gets done.and this is what i pay taxes for.
i suppose someone has to create employment for "gods" step children, and that must be the civil service bureaucracy, which if it doesn't exist will create even greater unemployment problems in johannesburg.that being said,...i've decided not to waste my energy queing at the polls, which essentially means i also curtail my right of complaint, when services are not rendered efficiently.any opinions on that guys?

that being said i saw a great quote in last nights paper, by professor Es'kia Mphahlele,.." We must understand that the writer is an educator, the sensitive antenna through which society becomes aware of itself, its dreams, yearnings, abortions and miscarriages,its past,present and what it would be like in the future."

pretty impressive, i wander if blogs, have that same power, recently though ive been reading some great stuff, which hopefully i'll get to share on this blog, all thanks to a great salesman in a karachi bookstore, this has started a mini revolution in my home, as the books are making neighbourhood rounds, i think the good professor was making a pro-found point when he says, writers are educators. i have always been a firm believer in the power of literature, to awaken thought processors and get people to sit up and notice, just as i did, after reading asra. q. nomani's work, sadly my local paper has ignored my efforts to start debate on women in mosques, or essentially any religious debate that is pertinent to our situation in south africa today.
i am not giving up though, and the beginning is by getting people to read, modern society has become to lazy,and electronic media has inurred people to the extent, that nobody reads anymore, and those who do are written off, the "social tree"
the pen, is truly mightier than the sword.

im off to pakistan this weekend, my third trip in as many years,... which im kinda looking forward to. travel is the other great educator, and i thank God that i can be privileged enough to do it.work becons,...but hey someone has to do it. not that im complaining as i get the chance to meet interesting people, and make some great finds in bookstores, which recently have become the enjoyment of family and friends in johannesburg.

mmmmm, cannot wait.