Censoring of differing views a grave mistake

IT IS quite telling that the more humans claim to be refined and transformed, the more barbaric the world is becoming.

Our elders have grown tired of telling us their days were dark but safer than today.

Clearly something is not right with modern humans whereby hatred and unforgiveness or revenge, can be legalised and repackaged as justice.

Then there is that myth, called democracy, which claims that a government is of the people, by the people and for the people but it takes a group of judges, their fantasies and politicians to bulldoze immorality in the name of a Constitution.

When this happens, the media has become a tool to sustain a particular narrative even against the will of the same people.

For those who beg to differ, the mood changes rapidly and any means necessary are deployed to “Reset” their minds and beliefs.

And as if this is not enough, democracy can now suddenly employ dictatorial means through the same Constitution of exaggerated and superfluous liberties and rights.

Now the narrative changes to responsibilities and the right of others to live.

Funny though how such talk is absent in the face of everyday struggles for ordinary people, for as long as their cries and screams can be contained in their pigsty-like and apartheid-reminiscent social conditions.

This trait by the media to “pump” consistently certain agendas has made it acceptable to censor differing views.

At what stage does one conviction become more important than others, especially when the voice of the majority is deliberately ignored to fulfil the narrow desires of the ruling class?

Again, who determines which convictions must be promoted and which ones can be discarded?

Fortunately or unfortunately, the tendency by governments and media houses to censor what they don’t like – as had happened with Donald Trump – does not result in transformed, satisfied societies.

Rather as we saw with the last election in the US, ordinary citizens turn to destructive methods.

As if that is not enough, the ruling and influential elite have no shame in labelling those who differ as stupid or insane.

Perhaps in established and decisive societies like the US such shocks can be absorbed. However, in confused ones like South Africa the censoring of differing views will have very serious and detrimental outcomes as we have already seen.

But as usual, deep down and despite warning signs and signals of moral decay, South Africans are gullible and always think that some “magic” will prevent destruction and that blunders and recklessness will have no bad effect.

KHOTSO KD MOLEKO | Mangaung, Bloemfontein