Change is inevitable, evolution demands it. The all too familiar legal theft practises of the monopolistic company Telkom have been well documented.. but with the advent of additional undersea cables connecting SA with the rest of the world, the future is looking increasingly bright on the southern tip of the continent.

Job hunting has been tough going for web developers  (particularly on the front end) because, well, simply put.. fast internet and even the slower kind is not cheaply available to the masses. No market means No jobs to accommodate for that market. There is however healthy/ier demand for programmers and graphic designers. But let’s not muck about here, Telkom in no uncertain terms has been a major cause of a lack of jobs and education in our beautiful country.

As we slowly break the shackles of the greedy few and bring down the costs of connecting to the world wide database so do we allow for education to be streamed directly into the homes of the masses.. and with it, the creation of wealth. Global business is upon us and many local firms are securing international contracts as these international clients seek a better deal abroad.. and might I add, often better quality work as well! This bodes well heading into the World Cup in 2010.. and quite frankly hopefully the creation of a whole bunch of new jobs too.

I am ashamed to say that I have been one of the terrible skeptics of the future of multicultured SA but given the economic upheavels we are seeing in the first world, you have to ask: which place is better to be in right now? It’s quite astonishing to note the tunnel vision view of South Africa by “first world” citizens. While many of you that I have encountered (And I have encountered many on my travels) have a particular view on Johannesburg I guarantee most will be surprised in 2010 when they come to realise I live in the largest man made forest in the world. I am biased, there is no denying that.. but there are many good reasons to be (or to visit) here over the next couple of years.

As I watch the presidential inauguration with mounting interest I just have to ask, what is the point in man’s obsession with labels? I mean I doubt Barack Obama would feel anywhere comfortable living here in Africa.. not that he should, but the point being that he is way more American than he’ll ever be African.

Now, take me for example.. I’m white and African (and damn proud of it too).. hmm, but nobody calls me European African now do they? It just sounds too bloody absurd. Now I was born and bred in Africa and I can tell you that after having travelled extensively in Europe for the last 3 years that I am way more African then I will ever be European. But you see that might all depend on a specific viewpoint because as some viewpoints go the label applied depends on your origins so that if you’re black you have to be African; white – European; yellow (who knows if that is an appropriate term anyway) – Asian and so on.

This kind of thinking is obviously flawed for one simple reason: exactly how far back do you go to determine origin? 100 years, 200, 500? Where’s the rule book on this kind of thing coz I sure as hell would like a read! Furthermore, we might as well go off on a tangent and re-open the proverbial can of worms as to the evolution or creation of man. Actually I think the answer lies in both but that’s a rant for another post.

The point here is that stupid labels like these stink of separatist idealism such as those for which my country is famous for. I am all for a black president.. it is exactly what America and the world needs but let’s be absolutely clear on this: he is an American president, NOT an African American one. I just hope that one day we will drop even the labels describing skin colour because a deeper respect for your human brothers and sisters would lead to an understanding of the unity that prevails in the greater scheme of things.

I grow more and more bored of the British media. Fair enough, the current world economic situation is not optimal, but really.. what’s with the need to scaremonger the public with doom and gloom prophecies? I don’t know the future and you can bet neither do the media.. even though they try to convince the public they do. If anything, these are exciting times.

Man has always found a way to circumvent his problems.. why should this be any different? If I’ve learnt anything from life, it’s that the only certainty is change.. and yet for some odd reason so much emphasis is placed on “security”.. securing our jobs, securing our living arrangements, securing our families.. financial security. What a massive illusion we’ve created!

It’s amazing to think that banks were created for the safety of our money and now after so many years of “security”, many UK banks are only “securing” deposits up to £50 000. That’s a pretty crap deal for some of the wealthier members of society. I’m sure many of the international banks are dishing out similar raw deals. Speaking of raw deals, it’s a bit absurd when immoral bankers finally collapse under the pressure of their own greed that invariably the low lying tax payer has to fit the bill.

Money -noun: ”any circulating medium of exchange, including coins, paper money, and demand deposits”. Money will never secure the human race. Money is inherently worthless. It is simply a medium to store value, a better way to exchange eggs for milk. Who creates that value in the first place?? I do, you do, we do. So upon deeper inspection we could say then that the search for security leads ultimately to ourselves. It’s times like these where misguided politicians should direct the search for security not at the solidity of our banking systems but instead squarely in the hands of every individual. You have the power to change the world, You have the power to solve some of its problems. Don’t think that this power lies in the hands of bankers.. after all aren’t they ones that got us into this mess in the first place?