While, because of the distance of S. Africa from our country, it perhaps isn't big news to most U.S citizens, his life and accomplishments nevertheless have great historical significance. IMO he will be seen by historians as by far one of the greatest leaders of our generation. Only in the aftermath of his passing am I realizing why he is such a historically significant person. Because greatness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, I won't bore readers of this post by delineating my reasons for what I believe. I have no interest in the empty words of politicians and media personalities, but I am impressed by the tribute paid by the man who IMO is the greatest sports figure of my lifetime, Muhammed Ali: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/muhammad-ali/tribute-to-nelson-mandela_b_4340781.html
:idea: Mandela was in position to become just another Marxist stooge, but he fooled everyone. He steered South Africa into a free market economy and made it one of the few success stories on the Marxist dominated African continent. He divorced his savage, murdering, Marxist wife, and his inclusive policies for the white minority made them some of his biggest supporters, and in the end...he became that rarest of all African leaders: a good example to be emulated.
Thanks, JO'Co. I knew you'd be well-informed. Until your post, the silence here was deafening. No matter. I understand. I was not familiar with his past prior to his release from prison. I know only of the recent 25 or so years since his release, starting with his forgiveness of those who imprisoned him. I learned about his positive influence in S. Africa from my brother-in-law, a high-level geologist who has traveled and worked all over the world, on every continent. He is a picky guy, but he says that if he had his choice of anywhere in the world to settle down, it would be in S. Africa. I won't bore you with his reasons, but I felt that if it's good enough for him, then Mandela must have done a great job unifying a country formerly torn by strife and dissed by the rest of the world. It seems to me he's kind of his country's version of Abe Lincoln. Am I wrong?
An Afrikaner's interesting tribute to Mandela: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nelson-mandela/10502173/Nelson-Mandela-he-was-never-simply-the-benign-old-man.html One of his greatest acts was relinquishing power. Had he wanted, he could have remained president of SA for life. But, like Washington, he let go of power in hope that future leaders would follow his example of respect for democratic government based on constitutional authority. At the time he took power, my assumption was that within a few years, SA would fall into chaos in a fashion similar to what happened in Zimbabwe. His magnanimity in victory to those who were his past bitter enemies was astounding and awe inspiring.
One of the engineers in my department is an immigrant from South Africa (and BYU alum; the BYU part only counts as two strikes). I am too young (and ignorant) to understand what Mandela meant to his country, and although I saw the movie, was skeptical of the amount of influence and magnanimity as it was portrayed. Based on a few discussions with my colleague, it sounds like Mandela was too good to be true, but was none-the-less real.