Category: Society

Videogame Addiction

On By WinstonIn Media, Pop Culture, Society, Technology2 Comments

So I’ve been reading again. This time, it was an article about the perils of video-game addiction. I actually found it sort of refreshing. In amongst the drama of neglected family and career, there was an item rarely seen in such an article.

Turns out, the American Psychiatric Association (the organization that literally writes the book on addictions) doesn’t believe that video-game addiction is real. I think that is great news. It’s not because I don’t believe that some people do really bizarre things in the name of gaming, it just removes the easy reason. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Many people seem not to really understand the concept of addiction. I have a teenage daughter (your sympathy is appreciated), and she and her friends use addiction to describe anything they consume in excess amounts. A song, a tv show, a snack, a celebrity, all have been preceded by “I’m totally addicted to….”

The culture of their youth was saturated with a conflicted message. Public Service Messages told them that alcohol, tobacco and drugs are addictive, but the social message was that they are enjoyable. This creates the shorthand association between pleasurable excess and addiction. My daughter understands that she isn’t actually addicted to the song, snack or whatever. It’s just a figure of speech. The problem is that common usage corrupts and replaces the actual meaning in peoples minds. That leads to a larger problem.

My daughter says she can’t possibly do dishes right now because she’s “addicted” to the show she’s watching. Someone else says they’re not attracted to their spouse anymore because they’re “addicted” to pornography. Is it really surprising that someone will say their life was ruined because they are “addicted” to video-games?

Jackson Toby, professor emeritus at Rutgers University writes, “I do not believe that the concept of `addiction’ is useful; it only describes strong temptations; it does not explain strong temptations. What makes the temptation so strong? The memory of past pleasant experiences with the behavior that we are talking about – in this case video-games.” He goes on to say “I don’t believe that someone can be addicted to video games.”. Addiction is a label, and the label isn’t the thing.

As soon as you apply that label, you avoid responsibility. “It’s not my fault, I’m an addict.” The person isn’t choosing to spend sixty hours a week playing World of Warcraft, they can’t help themselves. It’s not accurate, but if they see it enough in the media, it becomes real. The addiction label is also incredibly disempowering. Once the person believes themselves addicted, they assume the addiction has power over them. Not only are they being told they aren’t responsible for their actions, they’re powerless to change them.

The video-game addiction label is also a mask. It’s a false image hiding the real cause of the behavior. If a person can’t actually be addicted to video-games, then why are they destroying their lives? It’s easier to accept the mask than look at what it hides. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but that’s what we want.

When I was a teenager, video-games weren’t the boogeyman. I guess Pong just didn’t get it done for everyone. Back then, Dungeons & Dragons was the mind destroying addiction. One person killed themselves when their character died in game. Another was killed during a “live-action” adventure. Grades suffered as kids cut class to game. It was the “gamepokalypse” of it’s day. Then people moved on to the next media sensation and the hype died. Everyone realized that D&D hadn’t caused the tragedies associated with it. It was just a vehicle for deeper issues. Video-game addiction is no different.

If someone loses their spouse, children, house, job or even their life because they won’t stop playing a video-game, you need to wonder what’s going on inside. Saying “addiction” isn’t going to help anyone. At least not anyone looking for an answer instead of a soundbite.

Cheers, Winston

Tools Don’t Change Anything

On By WinstonIn Personal, Society, TechnologyLeave a comment

Earlier today I read an article on Maclean’s which argued whether Apple or Google had done more to change the world.  The author argued that Apple had simply refined what was already there, while Google had done something revolutionary.  My first thought was to side with Apple.  I use Google a LOT, but I use my iPhone a LOT MORE.  Of course, I have a Google App on my iPhone that I use too, so that kind of muddies the waters.  As I was debating with myself which is more important for me personally I realized something.  I was over thinking the question.   Let me give you an example.

I recently asked a friend of mine, “Why is the sky blue?”  They told me it’s about the light refracting through the water molecules in the air and so on.  I explained that they were over thinking it.   The answer is very simple.  The sky is blue because we’re told it is.  If we were told the sky is green, the sky would be green even though it would look exactly the same.

The same logic holds true for the Apple / Google question.  The answer is:  Neither one changed the world.  We are told that certain things changed the world.  The first stone tools, fire, bronze, iron, steam, electricity, splitting the atom were all “things that changed the world”.  Well, they weren’t.  What they did, was affect humanity’s ability to change the world.  This isn’t simple wordplay, it reflects our view of the world and our place in it.  All those things, from fire to Google, are just tools.  The idea that tools changed the world removes both our responsibility and our sense of engagement.

No tool ever changed the world.  Tools didn’t build the Pyramids, or the Eiffel Tower, or the Golden Gate Bridge.  No hammer ever drove a nail on it’s own.  My iPhone doesn’t write this blog.  Google doesn’t research a political issue unless I ask it too.  Tools don’t change anything.  People change and shape the world for better or for worse.  The printing press didn’t change the world.  People used the printing press to change the world.  Splitting the atom didn’t change the world.  What people decided to do with that tool, changed the world.

We aren’t used by our tools, we use them.  Our tools allow us to influence our world in unprecedented ways.  Whether that is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.  What we have to remember is that the choice is ours.  Tools don’t change anything.

Cheers, Winston

Fundamentalist Yes, Christian; Not So Much

On By WinstonIn Personal, Politics, Religion, Society7 Comments

Welcome Brethren, Sisters, one and all. Are you confused by all the people claiming to do God’s will? Do you look at what they are doing and wonder if you misunderstood it all like they claim? Do you feel the call of the Fundamentalists? Well, worry no more. I am here to help!

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Good citizens of the blogosphere! Welcome to Brother Win’s Traveling Miracle Tent And Christian Values Revival! Step inside and I will reveal to you: The TRUTH! That’s right folks. They claim it, I’ve got it. Have a seat right up front here, we’ve got plenty of room.

When a sitting US senator says that homosexuals and unwed mothers shouldn’t be allowed to teach, they talk about Christian Values. When people want to cut social programs, they talk about Christian Values. Others say non-Christians shouldn’t hold public office, or that the debt crisis is God’s punishment for (you guessed it) declining Christian Values. All these people talk about Faith and how God hates this group or that group, and they quote the Bible. That must mean they’re right, right? Wrong!

They are absolutely wrong, and I’ll tell you why. They are slow readers. That’s the whole of it. They’ve been reading that Book for years, but they’ve never got more than half way through it. They read the part where it says an adulteress should be stoned to death. They never got to the second half of the Bible. That’s where Jesus says, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” They read the bit about unclean acts, but they missed the chapters on forgiveness in the second half.

That’s right folks, everyone who talks about hate totally missed the New Testament. Well not totally, they just skipped ahead to Revelations. All of them read Revelations. Do you want to know why? The answer my friends is fear. That’s what the Old Testament has in common with Revelations, they are all about fear. Their message is, “Do what we say. Or else.”. That’s the perfect message for people who hate. It’s perfect for people who want power. People who like to tell others what to do, they love that message of fear. But it’s not what Jesus taught!

Jesus taught people not to fear. He taught people to hope. His message wasn’t one of fear, but of love. I can hear what the “Fundamentalists” are saying right now. “Jesus said He didn’t come to change the Law.” That’s absolutely true. He didn’t come to change it, He came to take our punishment for every sin we could ever commit. The Old Testament was a huge list of “Do”s” and “Don’t”s. The list in the New Testament list is a little shorter. “Believe in me and you shall be saved.” That’s it. One simple rule. Do this, and you’re in. Regardless.

There are a couple more of his teachings that I’ve always liked. When Texas Governor Rick Perry rented a football stadium for his blatantly political Day of Prayer he definitely hadn’t gotten to the second half of the Bible. If he had, he might have remembered this line. “Be not like the Pharisees and the Sadducees who pray loudly in the streets. Go instead into a dark room, lock the door and pray there. In context it means, stop trying to look righteous and start being righteous. That’s not something Gov. Perry or ANY of those like him want to hear. If people can’t see them being “righteous” there’s not much point for them. People aren’t going to go along with your hate-fueled personal agenda if they don’t see how “righteous” you are.

Then there’s my personal favorite. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one and other. Even as I have loved you, that you also love one and other.”. If you follow this one rule, the other ten are automatic.

The other day, a man named Jack Layton passed away. He wasn’t a mass murderer, or a brutal despot. Still, a person of “Faith” posted this when wishing his friend a happy birthday. “Jack Layton died… Great Birthday present.”. I guess they didn’t get more than halfway through either.

Now you know The TRUTH! Next time someone tells you that God Hates this, or God Hates that, feel free to tell them The TRUTH. “God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON to die for our sins.” They won’t hear you, but don’t let that stop you. If we don’t speak up, people will only hear their voices.

Now rise up my Brothers and Sisters! Leave my humble tent and go out into the world. Take The TRUTH with you, for it Shall make you free.

Cheers, Winston

Potter Sees Rioters Everywhere… Literally

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, SocietyLeave a comment

In an article posted Friday, regular Maclean’s columnist Andrew Potter states that riots happen because riots are fun. According to the article, we are ALL potential rioters. Whether it’s Vancouver after the Stanley Cup, or Britain’s recent riots, it’s just fun.

Thank you for clearing that up for everyone Mr. Potter. Here the rest of the world was thinking there might be some problems that needed to be addressed. Silly us! Now that we know it’s such a good time, we can all relax and stop “over-analyzing” things. While the rest of the world was looking at cultural or societal issues, The Amazing Mr. Potter realized THE TRUTH.

To paraphrase the classic line: “We have met the rioters, and they are us.” Apparently, all of us desperately want to chuck a waste-bin through a window and take what we want. Smashing, trashing, looting, mugging and burning; these are the things we want. Not comfort, security, peace. According to Mr. Potter, we all want to riot. Just because.

Aside from being a rampant apologist and incredibly naive, I do have a couple of other issues with this. How exactly did he conclude that all of us would riot if we could? Did he develop this awesome ability to read all of our minds at once? Or, is he just making it up to support his premise. I’m going to go with option two

Contrary to Mr. Potter’s claims, when I look around at the people I know, I don’t see hordes of potential rioters. A couple of them might, but not a majority, and absolutely not all. Maybe his people have a different set of values than mine. Maybe they get together every couple of weeks, have some beers and lament that there aren’t any nearby riots to join. Just for giggles and shits. I don’t claim to know for certain, but his article makes it seem likely.

The bigger problem is that his argument avoids the real reason for riots. It’s called personal responsibility. Maybe he’s right and we all want to join this big party, but most of us choose not to. Not every fan in Vancouver chose to participate in that riot. Nor did everyone in London, or Manchester, Toronto. People don’t riot just for fun. They don’t riot to protest social injustice or corporate greed. I’m dead certain they don’t riot over a hockey game or a football match. They riot because they choose to.

When you make everyone a villain, then there are no more villains. Anyone who smashes shops, burns businesses, cars and homes, they are villains. The person who assaults, loots, rapes or murders under cover of a riot, is a villain. People who choose not to join them, are not, it’s that simple. To claim rioters just do it for “fun” trivializes not only their actions, but also their victims. In case Mr. Potter is too delusional to notice, the people who are killed, injured, or have their property destroyed probably aren’t having any fun at all.

Not all of us are rioters. Not everyone thinks chaos is fun. Even among those who might think that, most people have one thing that separates them from the rioters, and apparently from Mr. Potter. Most people know that hurting people for your own enjoyment is wrong. It’s not the mob, it’s the individuals who make it up.

Each person makes a choice. Some choose to riot. Some choose not to. Some choose to make excuses. I choose to not to.

Cheers, Winston

Hackers Endangering Lives

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Society, TechnologyLeave a comment

The hacker group Anonymous has released a link to the names, addresses and passwords of 102 members of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police force.

In July, members of the BART police force shot dead a homeless man whom they claimed lunged at them with a knife. The incident caused public outrage and led to protests at some stations. Protesters were open about their plans to use mobile phones to organize protests and track and avoid BART officers. In response, the transit authority disabled cellular towers at key locations stopping mobile services. The legality of this is currently being debated along with civil liberties issues, etc. Since the the hacker group Anonymous has staged two retaliatory attacks on BART. The first time, they defaced and shut down their customer services portal. The second time, they published personal information of the BART police officers.

I’m not condoning the shooting. I wasn’t there, so can’t know what happened. Likewise, I don’t agree with denying access to mobile phone services. Deliberately endangering the lives of over one-hundred officers and their families, that’s just wrong.

I’ll say this as plainly as possible. Anonymous may claim to be acting for what they see as the common good, but they aren’t. They are hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet because they are cowards and bullies. They are too lazy and scared to stand up and publicly work for real change. Instead, they choose to hide in the dark and throw their virtual stones. Instead of dialogue, they seek to use force to get what they want. They want people to see them as cyber heroes, bravely standing up to tyranny on the virtual frontier. The truth is, they are what they claim to oppose. A faceless group with zero accountability, doing whatever they feel like. By putting innocent lives at risk, they have shown themselves no better than the very worst of those they have targeted in the past.

It’s past time for law enforcement to deal with this. By actively endangering peoples lives, disrupting government and corporate infrastructure and stealing and publishing sensitive information, Anonymous has set itself up as being beyond any law. It’s time to set that straight. It’s time to acknowledge them as a terrorist organization with all that that implies.

If any member of the BART police force or their families is harmed as a result of this information being published, ANY member of Anonymous who is apprehended should be held accountable and punished to the full extent of the law. Specifically, those anti-terrorism laws no one likes. Those should work nicely.

Cheers, Winston

Quick Tips For Political Reform

On By WinstonIn Politics, SocietyLeave a comment

There is a growing sense of dissatisfaction with politics today. When politicians notice they start using words like, “reform” and “accountability”. Here in Canada, we actually had a Reform Party for a while before it got rolled into the Conservative Party. In the US, If a politician hears those words, he joins the Tea Party. At least until after the elections.

Speaking of elections, we recently had one. If you went by the tv and radio ads, the entire campaign can be summed up like this: “Vote for me because I’m not the other guy.”. Steven Harper’s Conservative’s won the election by having a more consistent message. It wasn’t about policy, but rather personality. “Michael Ignatieff (who left Harvard University to lead the Liberal Party) didn’t come back for you.” Really? I never would have figured that out on my own. The implication of course is that Mr. Harper gave up his life’s work, (probably something humble and humanitarian) and entered politics to make my life better. Steven Harper came to Ottawa for me! Or maybe not.

You see, I’m not convinced that Mr. Harper moved to Ottawa and became Prime Minister with my best interests in mind. I think he did it with Mr. Harper’s best interests in mind, maybe those of the Conservative Party. That’s the way of politics. But what if it wasn’t?

What if there were some way of encouraging our elected officials to put the needs of the voters first? What if the average person’s quality of life were more important than the party line? Impossible? Perhaps it is, but if anyone’s curious, think about this.

What if a politician’s pay were tied to the average income at their level of government? Federal pay would be the national average household income. Provincial / State averages would determine pay at their level, and Municipal wages would be averaged against similar sized communities nationwide. The idea is for politician’s to actually understand the people they represent.

But wait, there’s more. There are a few other conditions they need to agree to if they want to run for office. To start with, any pre-existing assets get frozen for the duration of their term. Yes, they get to live within their means like the rest of us. Speaking of living within their means, the average person doesn’t get to travel first class for business. Nor do they get to take their families, pets, hangers-on etc.

Without access to those pre-election bank accounts, they might find it a bit rough affording high-end private schools. Once their kids are enrolled in the same schools as all the others, they might see why other people are demanding education reforms. The list could go on, but you get the idea. The more they improve everyone’s standard of living, the more they improve their own.

I can hear some of you saying that we would lose a huge swath of potential candidates. You’re probably right. That’s kind of the idea here. Lawyers, corporate executives, and in the US, entertainment personalities, that’s who’s been running the show lately. If you like where we are at the moment, then ignore the whole idea. For the rest of you (including the 30+% who didn’t vote in the last election here) it’s something to think about.

So, you think you can make a difference and you still want run for office? Glad to hear it. To ensure you get a good sample of the “real world”, the minimum term of office would be five years. If you quit or get fired (yes, your constituents can recall you if you’re too incompetent), your assets remain frozen for the duration of your term. Think about that when you look at cuts to social programming because you could end up relying on it like so many others. On the other hand if you make it to the end of your term, what can you expect?

Here’s your chance to make some money. If you’re willing to work for it. There will be realtime tracking of your performance including attendance record, involvement on any committees, efforts on behalf of you constituents including success rates etc. All of these stats will be freely available to the public. By the way, if you’re thinking of using ads to tell your constituents what a great job you’re doing, be prepared to back it up with facts. Deliberately misleading the public is considered fraud and you will be fired for it with all that that entails. On a related note, graft or influence pedaling will result in corruption charges. A guilty verdict carries a ten year sentence and forfeiture of all assets. Now for the good news. If you work hard, serve your constituents and make every effort to genuinely improve the quality of life for the average person, it’s payday. You earnings for the term will be based on a combination of statistical (attendance, responsiveness, results, etc), with how your constituents feel you have impacted their lives. The better your composite score, the higher your performance bonus. You won’t become filthy rich, or receive a pension for life, but you will earn proportionally more than the average citizen who didn’t give five years of their life to the community.

I know this isn’t a perfect plan, but it is a “reform”. It would bring “accountability”. And isn’t that what the politicians, the media and the loud drunk at the bar all say they want? Just something to think about.

Cheers, Winston

It’s Not The Tech, It’s How You Use It

On By WinstonIn Society, TechnologyLeave a comment

Discovery News posted an article this morning that put a bright spot in my day. Apps are being created for smart devices to help people with autism and those who share their lives. They are designed to assist with a variety of activities including communication, organizing and remembering activities, and social interaction among others.

Where I work, we have provided work placements for people with autism. While the experience has been incredibly rewarding, it is not without it’s challenges. Having access to tools like these could help reduce the challenges and increase the rewards all around. that seems like a good thing to me.

I also want to give a big shout out to HP. This October they will be hosting “Hacking Autism”, bringing together families, researchers and scientists to gather ideas for further development. HP technologists will be volunteering their time to create the programs, which will then be released online.

For more information check out Autism Speaks at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/

Cheers, Winston

Funding Fighters, Sort Of

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Society, WarfareLeave a comment

I love Maclean’s. Their app gives me convenient access to so much blog fodder I get inspired every time I open it.

Q: When is a mercenary not a mercenary?
A: When the US government says he’s part of a “private security firm” hired to train African Union troops serving in Somalia.

Bancroft Global Development is apparently one of a “growing number of such firms operating in the drought-ravaged and war-torn country”. Bancroft it seems “has been indirectly funded” to turn “bush troops onto urban fighters”. Since the AU troops were able to push Shabab forces out of Mogadishu (the capital) last weekend, it looks like money well spent.

I may have some issues with this clever way of getting boots on the ground without making it obvious to the American people.

The US government is well aware that the voters might not want to get involved with another expensive foreign adventure. Instead, they’ll send in rent-a-war. You may remember these guys from Iraq. Back the they were called PMCs. That stands for Private Military Contractors. I guess that sounded too Bush era, so now they’re “Development Firms”. The only thing these firms are looking to develop are huge paydays. No matter what the latest cute euphemism may be, they are pay-to-play mercenaries.

I don’t have anything against mercenaries or the people who hire them. Every major conflict that I can think of going back at least to the crusades has involved them. The problem is more one of motivation. Not for the “Development” people, they’re easy. I’m talking about the people paying them. You know, the US government. How does it benefit America to spend large sums of cash it doesn’t have, sending rent-a-war to Somalia? Did anyone say, “Fighting The Spread Of Radical Islamist Terror!”? Don’t be embarrassed, it just means you’ve been watching the news.

Officially, Al Shabaab is lumped in with all the other “Radical Islamist”s. This is like assuming the Pope is the same as convicted pedophile and polygamous, sect leader Warren Jeffs because they both talk about Jesus. What this group is doing in Somalia is an atrocity beyond my power to imagine. I just don’t think they’re a big threat to the US.

Maybe the American government just wants to ease the humanitarian crisis facing the country. After all, they’ve got a long and distinguished track record of using their wealth and might to selflessly fight oppression the world over. There was that time they went to North Korea to stop the government from starving the people. Oops, that wasn’t it. How about when they went into Rwanda to prevent genocide? Umm, not so much. The list goes on.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they owe the world anything. I’m just saying that when the US gets involved in an ongoing conflict, their primary goal is not usually to make life better for anyone but themselves. Nor should it be if they don’t feel the need to do so. The likelihood of benevolent motive gets smaller in light of the lack of publicity. If this was a feel-good humanitarian gig, there would have been press conferences and photo-ops galore. I read a lot of news, and so far, so quiet They aren’t keeping it a secret, just low profile.

That’s why this keeps coming back to motive for me. I’m certain there are any number of conspiracy theorists slaving away to answer this for me. I appreciate their efforts, but I doubt it’s going to be anything that interesting. I fully expect it to be the usual mundane one. Profit. I’m just curious to see what they expect that profit to be.

I’d like to finish with a little bit of humor. Given the cost of a rent-a-war, the sub-title of the article “Company’s Help Fight Islamists” proves Maclean’s.ca either has an awesome sense of humor or absolutely no sense of irony. You decide.

Cheers, Winston

Don’t Shoot The Doctor!

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Society, WarfareLeave a comment

On CNN’s website, I just read two current articles about attacks on medical personnel in conflict zones around the world. I understand their outrage. After all, until quite recently, it was understood by all involved forces that medical facilities and personnel were off limits. It was an entry level piece of every professional soldier’s training. Therein lies the problem. Most of the conflicts listed: Somalia, Sri Lanka, Columbia and Afghanistan to name a few, are being fought by amateurs.

The only “training” received by many of the combatants consists of basic weapons use and a lot of propaganda. They don’t possess our cultural history of regarding all things medical as neutral. By their understanding, everyone not them is either an enemy or a victim. Preferably both.

The International Red Cross has condemned the attacks. “Violence against medical facilities and personnel must end. It’s a matter of life and death.”, said Yves Daccord, Director General of the organization. He then explains that huge numbers of additional people are dying because these attacks prevent timely medical assistance.

A different article spoke of the need for communities to protect medical personnel. It advised using “unified community pressure to hold the perpetrators accountable”. Apparently this is intended to prevent further attacks on health workers. It’s based on traditional, community based tools for limiting internal strife. While I think this is a noble concept, I don’t think it will work any better than the head of the Red Cross telling them to stop.

Both approaches assume the perpetrators actually care what anyone thinks. If Al Shabab will block humanitarian aid shipments while thousands starve to death, do you really think they’re concerned about “community pressure”. The same is true everywhere. Those fighting to force society to conform to their views are probably used to being unpopular. I’m guessing no-one in these conflicts got the press kits announcing the unhappiness of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization and all the others. If they did, I can probably guess their reaction, and so can anyone else.

“If we attack medical facilities and personnel, we cause a lot of other people to die because they don’t receive care in a timely manner. That’s awesome!”. It’s like getting bonus value for every bullet and bomb they expend.

The outrage over these attacks, while genuine, is irrelevant for two reasons.

First, moral outrage requires a shared set of moral values. Otherwise it’s like a child on a playground telling the bully it’s not fair when he beats him up. The bully knows it’s not fair, that’s why he does it. If no one stops him, he’s going to keep doing it.

The second problem is the message. “Don’t Shoot The Doctor” is a noble sentiment. It also fails to address the real problem. When thousands are being murdered, starved, raped and brutalized; it seems naive to think that medical personnel, would be exempt.

All the condemnation and outrage aren’t going to make a difference. Anyone reading CNN, or seeing coverage of the press conference on the evening news, already knows it’s wrong to kill doctors. They also know it’s just as wrong to kill anyone else. This blog has as much chance of stopping the killing as they do, and with a much smaller budget.

If no one else is listening, maybe it’s time to change the message. If you want to claim the moral high ground you need to be a bit more inclusive. None of those who need to hear will listen, but I like this one better.

“DON’T SHOOT ANYONE!”

Cheers, Winston

South Africa Shines On Healthcare

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Society2 Comments

South Africa has announced plans to implement National Health Insurance. Acknowledging the great disparity in quality of service between private and public services, the Minister of Health stated 80% of the people cannot afford private insurance.

The plan at present calls for the first ten areas to be up and running by April 2012, with full implementation in 2014. The government will issue a green paper this Friday providing further details. It will then go back to Parliament for further discussion before becoming law.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi went on to say, “If you make more than a certain amount, you will be required to contribute to the NHI fund. It will not be possible to opt out of the responsibility.”. Some people are already questioning having to pay for a system they won’t be using.

This initiative by the South African government is a step towards addressing the country’s gaping social divide. Currently, they regarded as having one of the most unequal systems in the world. In the words of Mr. Motsoaledi, “The central challenge to the stability and well-being of our nation is reducing the deep inequality between rich and poor, between privilege and deprivation. This goes to the heart of South Africa’s future,”

Massive internal struggle combined with pressure from the global community ended apartheid. This was a massive accomplishment that started South Africa on the road to social justice and equality. The National Health Insurance plan is a significant step on that road. Perhaps the most significant thing about it is this. The African National Congress, the current ruling party, isn’t doing this because of massive riots. They aren’t doing because of international sanctions or intervention. The government is instituting universal health care because it’s the right thing to do.

I’m not saying that that South Africa is a social justice role model for the world. Far from it. What I am saying is, they’ve taken a step. That is something to celebrate. For that step, I honor them.

Cheers, Winston