Book Review : Tsumo - Shumo Shona Proverbial Lore and Wisdom

 

Tsumo is a book written, translated and explained by the great Mordechai Hamutyinei and Albert Plangger. Hamutyinei was a giant in Shona literature. He wrote timeless classics such as Maidei and China manenji hachifambisi and the great poem Kana wamutanga musikana. In a sane world there would be statues of Hamutyinei all over Zimbabwe and schools and streets named after him. The Mount Rushmore of Zimbabwean writers in my opinion would have Mordechai Hamutyinei, Aaron Chiunduramoyo, Tsitsi Dangarembga and the late Dambudzo Marechera. I cannot believe that Hamutyinei does not have a Wikipedia page. 

Anyway back to the book Tsumo. This book is sensational. It is 484 pages long and contains 1900 Shona proverbs divided thematically into eleven chapters. It should be in the home of every Shona person and its contents should be memorised and recited like Muslims do to the Koran and Jews to the Torah. It should be as sacred as the Holy Bible to the Shona nation. And why? Because it contains the ancient wisdom of the Shona people. Tsumo is the Shona word for proverb. And thusly, it is a book that has the largest collection of Shona proverbs. It contains the wisdom passed down from generation to generation. It rivals the biblical book of Proverbs in my opinion. In fact, it rivals the entire Bible. And if Shonas had any pride in their history and culture they would replace their Bible with this book. It covers all facets of life from human nature, relationships, domestic advice and general affairs. The book speaks to Shona people the way no other book could. It is part of our DNA.

The book has a very interesting introduction that explains  the origin of Shona proverbs. It says that the tsumos are the words of the elders used in customary law during trials and the settling of disputes by chiefs. Besides being laws tsumos were also used as educational tools from parents to children. Moreover they were composed as entertainment amongst friends and a way of speaking. Shonas have a rhythm and a manner of speaking. They use parallelism and similes. And since Shonas were a hunter-gatherer, pastoral and agricultural people, tsumos are often related to farming and animals, both wild and domestic. It is almost miraculous how all over Zimbabwe different clans from the Zezuru, Manyika and Karanga have similar proverbs as if they came from a common source but more of that later.

What makes the book Tsumo so great is that it provides Shona proverbs in the native tongue as well as English. And then it provides the explanation of the proverb and its application in life. The book shows the reader which region the tsumo originated from, whether it is a Karanga, Manyika or Zezuru proverb. Furthermore, tsumos are divided by chapters depending on the topic. One chapter might have proverbs pertaining to honesty and dishonesty whilst another chapter deals with domestic affairs. The back of the book has all the proverbs listed in alphabetical order as well as a topical index that helps the reader navigate the book. It really is like the bible for Shonas. 

If I had the money I would like to produce an audiobook of the book Tsumos perhaps with a mbira, hosho and ngoma instruments playing in the background. 

It is really sad how Shonas are viewed internationally. We are the laughing stock of the world due the economic collapse of our country Zimbabwe. We are called international orphans with smelly armpits. Our Ndebele compatriots mock us and say we have no history and culture. We are ridiculed for giving our children silly English names. And people make memes like this deriding us.

Today we have parasitic pastors like Makandiwa, Passion Java, Uebert Angel and Magaya who profit from people's gullibility and desperation. These so called prophets fill their pockets by promising miracles and selling dreams whilst delivering nothing but false hope. They are not prophets but profiteers who use religion to enrich themselves. These self proclaimed men of God are nothing more than charlatans, snake oil salesmen and wolves in sheep's clothing. When the church is in trouble they ask for money. When the people are in trouble they ask you to pray. Let us not forget that the colonialists came with a Bible in one hand and a gun in another.          

                                         

The Roman Seneca the Younger once said that religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false and by rulers as useful. I would like to add to that statement is that religion is regarded as a business by scoundrels, opportunists and con artists.

Perhaps the reason why everything is wrong in Zimbabwe is because we have neglected our customs and heritage. We are identify more with Christianity and political parties than with our ancestors and our history. Calling on Jesus and the God of Israel has not helped Zimbabwe one bit. Maybe if we practice our ancient traditions things in our country will improve. It is time for a Shona cultural renaissance. This might sound drastic but the capital of Zimbabwe should be in Masvingo near Great Zimbabwe which is our spiritual capital. Harare has no geographical, historical or spiritual significance. We should remember and embrace our precolonial past. Movies and plays should be performed about Changamire Dombo, Chaminuka, and Nehanda. Schools and streets should be named after our great Mutapa kings. Why do we as Africans claim colonialism was evil and yet still embrace Christianity that was brought by colonialists? Why do we claim we gained liberation and yet give our children European names? 

If I was Dictator I would make it illegal to give children English names. I would decree that every child should be given an African name. Furthermore, I would make Shona totems the surnames. The surnames that Shonas use today are by products of colonialism. Historically our totems were our surnames that connected us to our forefathers and let us  know which clan we belonged to. We should have a Heritage day like South Africa where all tribes and races celebrate their culture. Shonas do have culture. We have ngano folk tales, mbira music, nhetembo poems, madimikira idioms, nyaudzosingwi ideophones, tsumo proverbs, mutupo totems, Great Zimbabwe architecture, Munhumutapa history and kings. Our history is full of prophets, spirit mediums and sacred places. It is time to take pride in who we are. In fact the term Shona is a very recent name given to us by Rhodesian colonialists like Professor Doke in 1923. In reality we should be known as the Tovera people or Tovera nation after our great ancestor Tovera.

Back to the tsumos. It is my belief that Shona proverbs came from our ancestor Tovera. My grandfather told me the story of Tovera who is the great ancestor of all Shona people. According to my grandfather Tover was the builder of the Great Zimbabwe monument and he was the one who taught the people the Shona proverbs. So I decided to do my part in enriching Shona culture and wrote down a book about the Shona people contained in a series called the Shona Chronicles. If you interested in Shona culture and supporting my work and  you can purchase my books on Amazon. Links below.

The Shona Chronicles is a series about the Shona people, an African people located in Southern Africa between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. It takes a look at Shona culture, poetry, songs, myths and beliefs. The Shona Chronicles is a volume that is comprised of four books. The first book is about Tovera the ancestor of the Shona people. The second book is about the customs and beliefs of the Shonas told through poetry. The third book is about the praise songs of each Shona clan. The final book in the series is about the prophet Chaminuka who predicts the end of the precolonial age and prepares the Shona nation for the new colonial era.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLKVWY4T?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_sirpi

Tovera is the ancestor of the Shona people and the builder of Great Zimbabwe. This is the story of his life.

https://www.amazon.com/Tovera-Great-Shona-Chronicles-Anderson/dp/B0CRDXWQMV/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705170499&sr=1-3

                                                        

A collection of poems about the culture and customs of the Shona people.

https://a.co/d/7vSNDcp

This is a collection of the songs and praise poems of the various Shona totem clans.

https://a.co/d/f88Lrpe 

The life of Chaminuka the great Shona prophet who predicts the coming of the white man and the fall of King Lobengula.

https://a.co/d/aPffgkf

Is the movie Idiocracy a prophecy?

 

Idiocracy is a 2006 film produced by Mike Judge. It is about an average Joe who undergoes an experiment that goes wrong. The average wakes up 500 years later in a world full of stupid people where he is the smartest man and must either lead, follow or get out of the way. Idiocracy did well commercially and gained a cult following and critical acclaim. This is all not surprising because it is a great film. It is funny and sad at the same time. It is a comedy because it pokes fun at corporate America but it may be a tragedy if it proves prophetic. There is no need to go on and on about how great the movie was, the proof is in the pudding.

Idiocracy got me thinking. I saw parallels between the movie and what happened in the Third World after decolonisation. After Europeans left their former colonies, everything fell apart. Take Zimbabwe for example. After chasing away the white farmers, the colony formerly known as Rhodesia experienced the same problems as in the movie Idiocracy. Like in the movie, Zimbabwe has problems disposing of waste, pyramids of garbage are a common sight in Zimbabwe as well as many parts of the world like India and even parts of America's inner city. Zimbabwe also face farming and the break down of the agricultural industry just like in the movie. Furthermore, Zimbabwe also had runaway inflation and million dollar notes like the movie Idiocracy. The only difference is that President Camacho was smart enough to recognise the smartest man in the world and give him a chance to lead. In Zimbabwe and much of the developing world there is a reluctance to accept their shortcomings and ask for help.

     

Is Zimbabwe an Idiocracy?

Failure to dispose of waste is a common feature amongst low IQ populations.

How can you have a functional civilisation if your people dont know how to use a trash can?

Until the people of the Global South accept there are differences in IQ as related to race, they will continue to suffer from poverty, crime and disease. Tests have shown that the average IQ of Africans is around 70 and Indians may be 85 whilst North East Asians and Western Europeans have three digit average IQs. This alone explains the prosperity of the Global North and the poverty of the Global South. Wakanda will remain a work of fiction. It is unlikely that the Global South will build and maintain advanced civilisations without outside help. Take a look at the Gulf Arabs. They were not too proud to ask the West for help. Saudi Arabians and the UAE understood their shortcomings and partnered with the highly skilled westerners. Thus today the Gulf Arab world is undergoing a second Arab Golden Age whilst their neighbours bring themselves to ruin fighting Israel and the Great Satan America.

The White Man's Burden is unfortunately a real thing. Just like in the movie Idiocracy, it is up to the white man to save the "lesser races" from themselves. This is quite evident by the mass migration into the West, proving that decolonisation was a bad idea. The natives could not govern themselves. The documentary Adios Africa is uncomfortable to watch but shows how decolonisation allowed the inmates to run the asylum.

Back to the movie Idiocracy. The dumbification of society is not an accident. It is by design. There is a secret hand that is working overtime to make the public stupider. Is it a Jewish conspiracy to genocide the white race and to bring about the Messiah? Is it the corporate world behind the plot to bring third worlders into the west to serve as slaves? Is it white guilt for slavery and the Holocaust behind the mass migration into the Global North? Is the Red and Green Axis uniting to destroy Christendom? Who knows. 

The attempt to make the public dumber is not a new thing. It harkens back to the beginning of time. Zeus punished Prometheus for giving humanity fire whilst Yahweh punished Adam and Eve and the snake for gaining knowledge. Even the gods did not want their creation to be wiser. Then history tells us about how the empires have used religion, bread and circus to distract the citizens. Ottomans suppressed the printing press to prevent the spreading of heretical ideas. And today the elite use fake news, drugs, porn, gambling and degenerate music to keep their population in a permanent stupor.

I do understand the need for the elite to keep the population dumbed down. Humanity was not ready for the technological advances it took. The two World Wars are prime examples of why it is dangerous to have advanced weaponry without the necessary mental evolution. Today the world is a garbage dump because humanity is irresponsible. We are still primates after all.  Look at the colonisation of Africa. Perhaps it would have been better to let nature take its course and allow people to develop at their own pace. Colonisation of the Global South just led to more mouths to feed and trillions of aid down the drain. Perhaps that was the warning behind the Prometheus myth. Knowledge is power, but power corrupts. So in a way knowledge corrupts and ignorance is bliss.

Edward Dutton has written and spoken about how people are getting stupider. 

So what does the future hold for humanity? If it was up to me all the high IQ individuals would have 20 wives and 500 children. We have escaped the Darwinian pressures that got rid of the "spiteful mutants" and the weak and infirm. So the idiots will be a majority in a world where democracy is seen as the best ideology. The insane will run the asylum. But I suspect Mother Nature will have the last laugh. If humanity is not careful, we might wipe ourselves out with our stupidity. The future might not be as comedic as Idiocracy paints it. Idiocracy shows a world with cars, computers and vending machines. Perhaps the future will be much darker, no pun intended. Without smart people our destiny might be a return to the caves and a life of hunting and gathering and that is if we are lucky. It might actually be a future with no humans at all because we would have gone extinct due to our insane wars. Idiots in charge of nuclear weapons might be the end of us all.

I did write about the end of humanity in my book Lucifer. If you like reading and want to help me out, check out my book on Amazon. Link below.

https://a.co/d/2cJ5Bz1

Book Review : Long Walk to Freedom and Tutu, Voice of the Voiceless

 

To read biographies of great men of the past is like stepping into a time machine. And to read Long Walk to Freedom and Tutu, Voice of the Voiceless is like walking on the shoulders of giants.

Let me start with Long Walk to Freedom. It was a magnificent read. It is a very book but I finished it in three days. Buy it and read it, you will not be sorry. The book is vivid, detailed and well written. You feel Mandela's pain, joy and fears as he fights against the apartheid system that humiliates and oppresses his people. Mandela has secured his place amongst the greatest pan Africanists. He stands in the company of greats like Martin Luther King, Gandhi and to some he is the black equivalent of Jesus. However, like great leaders he remains controversial. He is beloved around the world and to many he stands in contrast to devils like Mugabe and Mobutu. Mandela was one of the few African leaders to voluntarily leave power when he didnt have to. He was not your typical African dictator who steals everything that is not bolted down. And yet to black South Africans he was a sell out, a Judas Iscariot who betrayed the revolution. And simultaneously, he is reviled by many white South Africans as a Marxist terrorist. I guess you cannot please everyone. Nevertheless, Mandela has immortalised himself in history by writing Long Walk to Freedom. His voice will echo throughout eternity.

I also read Tutu : Voice of the Voiceless by Shirley Du Boulay. It was a decent book but as exciting as Long Walk to Freedom. Since he was a religious leader there weren't many flights from the secret police, underground missions, lonely nights in the cell and near death experiences. Tutu embarked on a peaceful fight against apartheid and because he was a man of the cloth, the apartheid system could not touch a hair on his head without being subjected to the wrath of the international Christian community. Tutu was Martin Luther King whilst Mandela was Malcolm X. To read Voice of the Voiceless is to see apartheid for the ridiculous and unjust system that it was. A system that wanted its cake and to eat it too. A system that desired to exploit black labour whilst keeping blacks at arms length. A system that contradicted itself and collapsed under the weight of its own stupidity. 

On the other hand I do understand why apartheid was necessary. There is nothing wrong with living separately from other races and cultures. Multi-culturalism leads to a destruction of individual cultures and language. Plus, the present day crime statistics of modern day South Africa prove the blacks tend to engage in violent crime than white people do. Hundreds of murders and rapes a day is the norm in the Rainbow nation. But this is not surprising. Societies with lots of black people tend to be filthy, crime ridden hell holes and that is not because of the legacy of apartheid. That is just the way it is. Even black people do not want to live amongst other blacks. So why do we expect whites to live with black people? There should be freedom of association. Apartheid was not a crime, it was the taking of land, killing people, name calling and exploitation that was criminal.

If the whites who desired separation from other races had been serious about segregation they should not have used blacks as labourers in the first place. Sloth, pride and greed are three of the seven deadly sins that destroyed White South Africa. If white South Africans had not been so myopic they would have created a penal colony like Australia that utilised white labour. Then today South Africa would be a white majority country.

After 300 years of being in Africa, whites want a separate country but it is too late for that. Like Eminem said, 'You only get one shot do not miss your chance to blow, because opportunities come once in a lifetime yo.' In their search for a white ethnostate Afrikaners have created Orania and English South Africans want the Western Cape to be independent but that time has long gone. They had centuries to build a white only state that did not depend on black labour but that ship has sailed. White South Africans must now deal with the consequences of the actions of their forefathers. Children are often punished for the sins of their fathers. That is cruel and unjust but that is the way of the world. Perhaps white South Africans will form a laager and succeed in their search for a homeland. Or maybe they will have to find a place in the Rainbow nation and live cheek by jowl with everyone else.

However, decades later and South Africa is at the precipice of an enormous crossroad. A wise man once said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And he was right. I am sure the creators of apartheid meant well and had good intentions. In their minds apartheid was the right thing to do. However their good intentions led to hell. And likewise, Mandela and his comrades had good intentions but those good intentions have led to a crime ridden South Africa that flirts with disaster. Nevertheless, no matter how bad South Africa seems, it is still a paradise compared to the rest of Africa. And this is why millions jump over fences and swim with crocodiles to breathe South African air. And that is thanks to people like Mandela and Tutu who helped create a democratic and semi-functional South Africa that is flawed but is still a giant on the African continent.

Pandora and Eve : Were the ancients right about women?

 

For thousands of years, women were treated like second class citizens. They were marginalised from politics. Their place was in the kitchen and the bedroom. Myths and religions were used to justify the suppression of women. From the pulpit, religious leaders blamed women for the fall of mankind, the banishment of man from Paradise. Then in the 20th century women were given the vote and treated as equal citizens. 

Now about a hundred years after the success of feminism many are starting to regret giving women the vote and a voice in politics. Was it a mistake to give women freedom? Were the ancients who wrote about Pandora and Eve right along? Let's discuss and look at both sides. The misogynist stance goes something like this feminism has brought about high divorce rates which leads to broken homes which leads to dysfunctional and wayward children which leads to a broken society.  They say women's sexual liberation has brought about millions of abortion, low birth rates, single parent homes because women fuck bad boys, sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, prostitution, Only Fans digital hookers etc. Look at the Catholic church for example, it is the most enduring institution in the world because women are sidelined from decision making positions. People like Andrew Tate argue that the west has fallen because white men listen to their women. And women are essentially children and to listen to them brings about societal breakdown. Men are responsible for civilisation, they build cities and fight wars. Women are just baby making factories so why should they have a voice in a world built by men? There are cries to repeal the 19th amendment and to put women back in their place. Once women can no longer vote everything will go back into place and sanity will be restored. 

                                                    

Perhaps the Muslims are right to keep their women modestly dressed and chaste. Muslim fathers dont have to worry about their daughters becoming the next Lily Phillips or Bonnie Blue. And Muslim fathers are allowed to do honour killing on naughty girls. Islam keeps women chaste and forbids them from marrying infidels. Women in Muslim countries are forbidden from doing abortions which means the birth rate remains high. Furthermore women sidelined from politics thus they cannot bring their immaturity and emotions into government. In the west women feel sorry for migrants and allow them to flood in. Not so in the Musllim world. Muslim men dont have to worry about marrying a women with three digit body counts and dont have to live in fear of adultery and divorce theft. Why because adultery is punishable by death. Maybe western civilisation becoming Islamic wont be the worst thing in the world. A Muslim Europe means no more abortions, pornography, prostitution, high divorce rates, low fertility rates, race mixing, Only Fans and all the other ills that feminism has brought into the world.

Can Islam solve all the West's problems?

White Sharia now?

On the other hand, myths like Eve and Pandora are used to explain why there is so much evil in the world. But maybe it is a case of the accusation being a confession. Most wars and crimes are committed by men. Prisons are full of criminal men who contribute nothing to society. Some will argue that marginalising women from politics makes no sense if the average man is a dunce as well. Churchill said the best arguement against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter. Maybe the best way forward is to sideline most men and women from politics and to let kings or priests or military generals lead the way. 

So which way man? Back to patriarchal society or onward with feminism? According to writers like Leonard Shlain the emancipation of women is a result of how our brains work. In the video below he describes how the rise of literacy led to misogyny and how in recent years we have become more visual and this has led to feminism and gender equality. I cannot fully explain it so watch the video.

And here is his book if you want to read it

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alphabet-Versus-Goddess-Conflict-Between-ebook/dp/B006URPSJK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=DSMJ4YC8O0A6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HdDRuQhaBA5T0ENxDA8kZbYizW3lmAZe5HoUahx6O7DGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.v3LLa6ysGa0f0_IXPU6jzQjeTfZIW1jtoZKpA3RgwAc&dib_tag=se&keywords=leonard+shlain&qid=1744913204&s=digital-text&sprefix=leonard+shl%2Cdigital-text%2C532&sr=1-1

Writers like Edward Dodge put forward the idea that the worship of the feminine was man's original religion and feminism, homosexuality, prostitution are completely normal. Here is a link to his book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Goddess-Ice-Age-Bible-ebook/dp/B0933M1BTY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3398NYFWXE5U9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HEXARCIPWAKPhoHBaKfWsg.IV2KnLMBTHcGFj9UJb8BwYgBEe5ov8kTarqXM0nWjxI&dib_tag=se&keywords=edward+dodge&qid=1744913436&s=digital-text&sprefix=edward+dodge%2Cdigital-text%2C412&sr=1-1

Here is an interesting video where Edward Dodge explains his ideas

In my opinion myths and legends were written by men. Had women written Genesis and Greek myths they would have depicted god as a woman and men as responsible for the problems of the world. I have written a few books where I play around with the idea of goddesses and a female centric religion. Link below.

https://a.co/d/cNjgfF9 is the link to my book Josephine.

And here is a collection of poems and praises to the earth goddess Gaia if you are into that sort of thing.

https://a.co/d/1zeZp6X is the link to my book Gaia is supreme.

So what does the future hold for feminism and gender equality? It seems like the sexual arms race will continue forever. However, with Muslims migrating in large numbers into the west, the flame of feminism might be extinguished and women will be dragged from the boardrooms and back into the bedrooms. Only time will tell.

1984

 

1984 is a book that is often referenced when discussing politics. If someone wants to sound intelligent they used phrased like Orwellian, newspeak and memory hole. As someone who had never read 1984, I got tired of hearing about Big Brother and not knowing what it meant. So I decided to read 1984. 

After reading it in a few days I had mixed feelings. It is a great story, there is no doubt about that. The twist where Winston gets arrested was jaw dropping. The ending was breath taking, no pun intended. The final scene of 1984 was very similar to the ending scene of The Sopranos. So much so that I feel David Chase must have been inspired by 1984. 

However, the writing style of 1984 was not that great. It was a bit of a struggle to continue reading the book. It was not the most enjoyable read. The prose felt disjointed and forced. But other than that it was a great read. I don't think 1984 is overrated. It is pertinent today more than ever. With the advanced technology at hand the elite can watch their subject's every move. The secret police can listen to our conversations, read our messages and watch us in the privacy of our homes. We are living in 1984 and Snowden showed us that.

My thoughts are that there is nothing new under the sun like the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1:9. Way before electronic surveillance the elite had discovered a way to keep an eye on their subjects. The ruling class invented God or the gods who watched our every move, knew our thoughts and listened to our most private conversations. Moreover, like in 1984 rulers used fear and torture to keep the public on a leash. So the elite invented hell, the afterlife and eternal damnation. They promised heavenly bliss for those who died in their wars and who gave them money. But torture and darkness was the punishment for the disobedient. Before Big Brother there was Zeus, Jupiter, Ra, Quetzalcoatl, Yahweh and a host of other sky authoritarians.

The ruler will always want to shape the thoughts of the ruled. Whether through religion, fake news, bread and circus those who have power always want to keep it from the powerless. The elite will use every tactic in the book to keep their privilege. Distractions, wars, threats of violence, torture, lies etc are part their arsenal. 

And perhaps the public needs to be watched. There are bad guys and criminals in society who need to be watched and followed before they commit crimes and hurt the innocent. Places like China and Dubai are safe and clean because the government keeps their boot on the people. Like Machiavelli wrote it is better to be feared than loved. And so a fearful public obeys the law. Without strict laws and a fearsome government the lunatics will soon run the asylum. So in the east and much of the world, 1984 will be the future.

Europe and the west is at the precipice of an enormous cross road. One path leads to Islam and sharia states and on the other hedonistic carefree liberalism plus electronic surveillance. However, I feel Islam will triumph over liberalism. The blue haired anarchists will be beheaded by radical Muslims. George Orwell was both right and wrong about the future. Big Brother will be Allah and he will be watching with the help of technology. If Europeans continue to flirt with Islam, the future will not be a boot stamping on a human face forever, it will be a scimitar descending on the infidel's neck.

Why does Animal Farm remain relevant?

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a book that needs no introduction. It is a parable on par with Jesus' parables. It is a masterpiece that stands apart from other fiction. It is a light hearted look at the terrifying Soviet regime. In 2000 years people will still be reading Animal Farm. But why does the tale of the animal revolt remain relevant decades after the Soviet Union it was based upon has collapsed? Communism has been vanquished yet Animal Farm still echoes.

Why do people resonate with Animal Farm so much? I think that it speaks to the fundamental truth of human nature and politics. And the truth is that humans are animals. No matter how hard we try to make ourselves in the image of the gods we are nothing more than apes. So the ancients invented religions and laws to restrain our animal impulses. But in the end nature prevails. Human civilisation is a veneer that soon wears off. In the end all humans reveal themselves to be wild animals and civilisation collapses. The Romans, the ancient Egyptians, the British and all other empire builders in the final stage become degenerate and sexually immoral and everything collapses. Once we understand that humans are wild animals everything will make sense.

Animal Farm remains relevant because it is a mirror in the face of the revolutionary and the oppressed. It is a prophetic book that illustrates how the oppressed will soon become the oppressor. The slave will one day become the enslaver. The Israelites who fled slavery from Egypt landed in Canaan and legalised slavery whilst committing a genocide on the Canaanites. The Maccabees fought the Greeks but a few decades later they took Greek names. The early Christians were persecuted by the Romans but as soon as they tasted power they became the persecutors and attacked pagan temples. Napoleon was part of the Republic but soon after gaining power declared himself an emperor. The American revolutionaries fought the British and turned around and continued the slave trade. American black slaves were freed and some went to Liberia, only to enslave the local Africans they found there. The African liberators fought colonialism then afterward became tyrannical and abused the people they claimed to set free. Like Polybius described with his idea of anacyclosis that it is inevitable that  the monarch becomes a tyrant, the aristocrat becomes an oligarch and the democrat becomes an anarchist. Power like the ring in Tolkien's Lord of the Ring corrupts even the most saintly revolutionary. 

I fell in love with Animal Farm so much I tried my hand at writing a fable about power and politics. My book is entiled The Animal Ranch. It is about African politics not the Soviet Union. Like in Animal Farm, in my story the animals revolt and chase the farmer away. But in my version, the animals fail to run the farm and fall victim to disease and starvation. In the end the animals regret the revolution and go and look for the man to bring him back so he can run the farm. My book mirrors what happened at the end of colonialism. The Africans and Indians wanted liberty from colonialism and they got their freedom. But freedom brought economic collapse, chaos and tyranny. And in the end the formally colonised people followed the coloniser to Europe and USA in search of a better life. If you are interested in my book you can buy it on Amazon. Link below.

Ian Manning is the owner of the Manning Ranch. One day the animals revolt and chase the man away. The animals select Damian the dog to lead the Animal Movement. But the animals soon realise they have replaced one form of tyranny with another. https://a.co/d/aD99ZHa

 

Staying Away from Islam by Ridvan Aydemir

 

Sike! No such book exists although I wish it did. Ridvan Aydemir also known as the Apostate Prophet is the most popular ex Muslim on Youtube and possibly in the whole world. He has over half a million subscribers on Youtube and thousands of followers on X. He is a funny and intelligent ex-Muslim who has led the charge against Islam with his catchy phrase, 'Stay Away from Islam'. So why has he not penned a book about his life story and his journey into apostasy. Many other ex-Muslims like Harris Sultan and Armin Navabi have put their ideas to paper but still the Apostate Prophet hasn't. But hopefully one day he will.

Islam has been the greatest threat to western civilisation since its inception. Islam's whole purpose is anti-Christian. Islam began as a Nestorian anti-trinitarian sect. Its very essence is about opposition to the Trinitarian west. For 1400 years Islam has been a thorn in the side of Europe. They took Constantinople in 1453, they ruled Spain for 700 years and Sicily for 500 years. The Muslims conquered Greece and the Balkans for centuries and today Islam has a foothold in Europe once again as Muslim immigrants pour into the west, undermining its democratic principles. If Europeans keep sleeping they will wake up one day and realise they are the dhimmis. The whole of western Europe will be like Rotherham. White girls will be sold as sex slaves publicly and white men will be used as janissaries once again.

That is why it is important to listen and to support ex-Muslims like Ridvan Aydemir. That is why I hope he puts pen to paper and write about his life story and experiences and titles his book Staying Away from Islam. In the mean time while I wait for his book which might never be written I will have to make do with his Youtube channel.

Series Review : The Penguin

 

The Penguin was a great series. Colin Farrell did an amazing job. However, the truth is no one will remember or talk about The Penguin in two years time. I cannot even quote a line from the show or even remember what it was about. The only thing I can recall is The Penguin guy choking the black kid and I can't even remember the kid's name. The Penguin was just leeching off The Sopranos. The Penguin is a testament to the greatness of the Sopranos. After more than 20 years since the pilot The Sopranos is still flying high. It is still being quoted and people talk about it like it is still on air. The Sopranos community is in the tens of thousands and continues to grow. I doubt anyone will do the same for The Penguin. It is not The Wire, Scarface, Goodfellas, the Shield, Breaking Bad, the Godfather or The Sopranos. The Penguin is more like Power, Snowfall, Boardwalk Empire and The Sons of Anarchy. It is okay to watch a couple of times but you are not going to rewatch a hundred times.

I feel people got too excited about The Penguin. It is a great show but should never be compared to great shows like The Sopranos. The Penguin is nothing more than a cheap imitation of Tony Soprano.

Series Review : Suburra

 

I loved Suburra, the Italian gangster flick the same way I love Gomorra. The thing I like the most about Italian gangster movies is that there is no plot armour. Even the main character can get killed off. It is so realistic and doesnt try and depict gangsters as lovable criminals the way American movies do. Suburra and Gomorra play out as if the police don't even exist, and if they do they are corrupt. There are so many twists and turns you never know what is next. 

However, once Samurai died in Suburra the show lost its allure. I guess sometimes, a show is only as good as its villain. Like in Last Kingdom, once Aethelwold died the show went downhill. Or when in Vikings, Ragnar dies the show became a dud. So in Suburra, Samurai was the principal character who held the story together. Nevertheless, Suburra is a great show and worth watching.

Samurai, a terrifying villain

Why isn't there a biopic about George Orwell?

 

George Orwell aka Eric Blair is one of the greatest writers of all time. He is on my Mount Rushmore of male British writers along with Charles Dickens, JRR Tolkien and William Shakespeare. While my Mount Rushmore of female British authors has Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, JK Rowling and Enid Blyton.

Animal Farm is my favourite book of all time. It is a timeless classic that people can relate to. Animal Farm is not just about the USSR but describes politics in different eras and cultures. 1984 is also a powerful literary work that warns about dictatorships and the loss of liberty. It wasnt as well written as Animal Farm but it still resonates. 

So why has there been no movie about George Orwell's life. His life was exciting. It included a war in Spain, working as a colonial officer in Burma  and his search for love in the end. I would pay money to watch his life on the screen. Hopefully, one day it may happen.

Speaking of biopics. I watched Magic Beyond Words about JK Rowling. I enjoyed the movie. It was short and straight to the point. I am not a Harry Potter fan but it was very inspiring to watch JK Rowling's struggle and journey from rags to riches. As a writer it was a reminder to never give up. Apparently JK Rowling never watched the movie. She should. 

Another biopic I enjoyed was The Apprentice, a 2024 movie about Donald Trump. It was a great movie from beginning to end. It did not waste too much time with his early life but still you came away from the movie thinking you knew and understood the man. The movie does a great job of making you loathe and love the man at the same time. Really great movie, it should have won more awards. Hopefully there can be a sequel to The Apprentice, the life of President Trump, or even a prequel, his early childhood.

One biopic I hated was Tolkien, a 2019 movie. It was too long and boring. It had too many irrelevant flashbacks. The movie ends without really knowing the man and what motivated him. The movie was humourless, the dialogue was like a wet towel and the characters were not charismatic. It was pure torture. Watch it at your own peril.

Lastly, there will never be a biopic about George RR Martin. He will be known as the man who couldn't finish his magnum opus, A Song of Ice and Fire. He will never be on any Mount Rushmore but will be the laughing stock of the literary world. He will be remembered as a draft dodger and a glorified screenwriter. Or maybe he will finish A Song of Ice and Fire and join the pantheon of great authors and be immortalised in film. Only time will tell.

David Simon should make documentaries instead of TV shows

 

In my opinion the goal of a writer is first and foremost to entertain. If people want an education they go to school or watch a documentary. And even still, when people want an education they still expect a few jokes thrown in. But with David Simon it is all education without the entertainment. I like The Wire, that was the only great TV show he ever did. And even then he was lecturing but  it was entertaining, in spite of David Simon. 

The world is a fucked up place and people watch movies and tv shows to escape from the harsh realities of life not to be reminded of them. But David Simon has his cape on and wants to save the world from itself. Unfortunately, shit happens and that is the way it is.

So I watched Generation Kill expecting shoot outs and chain smoking bad asses delivering memorable one liners. But no it was dry dialogue and a lecture on why war is bad. Yes, we get it war is terrible but make a documentary about it. Dont waste precious hours of my life with pointless exposition.

Then I watched The Corner, expecting it to be like The Wire. No. There was no humour, no memorable one liners or crazy shootouts. It was depressing. Yes, we get it, African Americans suffer but we all got problems.

Then I watched Deuce. It had a lot of potential. The first episode was great then it was all downhill from there. It was more like a documentary on New York in the 70s. How do you make a show about hookers and pimps so boring? Only David Simon can do that.

Then I watched We Own this City. I could only stomach two episodes and I gave up. I felt like I was being lectured. It was too boring.

In conclusion, David Simon would make a great documentary producer. If he makes documentaries then he can lecture the audience all he wants and try to change the world. Unfortunately, the world will remain a fucked up place and no amount of finger waving will change that. People want to forget their problems and not be reminded of them. The job of  a creative person is to offer an escape from the pain and not to add more boredom into the world. Maybe because David Simon is Jewish he feels the need to heal the world, tikkun olam, but making boring tv shows is not the way to go about it. David Simon should make documentaries or run for political office if he wants to heal the world.

In the end it seems David Simon like David Chase only had one good story in him and they are both one trick ponies. No matter how many tv shows they churn out David Simon will be remembered for The Wire and David Chase will be remembered for The Sopranos. 

Past Lives, a movie where nothing happens

 

How did the writers even pitch Past Lives. 'Picture this. Two childhood friends separate. The girl goes to USA, the guy stays in South Korea. They reunite on social media. The guy visits the girl in America. The girl is married to a white guy. The South Korean guy and girl hang out and talk about life. Then the South Korean guy goes back home. The end.' Where is the inciting event? Where is the antagonist? Where is the point of no return? Where is the climax and resolution? What was the point of the movie?

Films like Past Lives, Eyes Wide Shut and Lost in Translation should be in their own genre. The genre of nothing ever happens. I thought all South Korean movies were dope but Past Lives is an exception. It was so boring. I expected the wife to cheat on her husband or something. But no! Watching Past Lives is like having sex with a condom and without a climax. In the end you just feel dead inside. 

How Past Lives got over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes is unbelievable. I guess the lesson here is that one man's meat is another man's poison. To one person a film is a masterpiece and to another person a story is trash. As a writer and a creative person you can't please everyone. Just write for yourself and critics be damned.

Lost in Translation, the most boring movie ever made

Someone recommended I watch Lost in Translation and I did. It was beyond boring. It was about a movie actor who goes to Japan and hangs out with a much younger girl. The sing karaoke, eat food, get drunk and then go their separate ways. Nothing really happens. They didnt fuck or kiss. Honestly, I think the only reason that stupid movie got made is because Sophia Coppola's last name. Maybe I have bad taste. Maybe I don't know a good movie if it took me to Japan and sang karaoke with me. Maybe someone out there loved the movie. I didnt. I wasted my time watching Lost in Translation and I will now waste any more time writing about it.

Movie Review : Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy

 

I watched Bridget Jones, Mad about the Boy expecting a light hearted film that would make me laugh. Instead I got an indirect lecture on multi-culturalism and the glory of race mixing. Now, I am not a conspiracy theorist but it does seem there is a concerted effort to promote race mixing, especially between white woman and black men. Is it a Jewish plot to bastardise the white race and rule over mixed race underclass? A few Google searches will reveal that Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy is based on a book by the same name written by Helen Fielding. And guess what Helen Fielding is a Jewish woman. Colour me shocked.

              Jewess Helen Fielding pretending to be a fellow white

                                               

                                                          Who is behind the race mixing propaganda?

What a difference a few decades can make. Once upon a time it was okay to have a film with an all white cast and no race mixing. The previous Bridget Jones movies were degenerate but at least weren't as anti-white as today. Now today there is no escape from multicultural propaganda. At least the American Pie franchise has remained staunchly all white. The film American Reunion had just one token black who had no lines. But American Pie is made for white men whilst Bridget Jones targets white women. And so we have the black guy get the white woman in the end. Of course the black man is an intelligent teacher who is virtuous and handsome. 

Anyway, knowing that Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy is nothing more than race mixing propaganda makes it pointless to review it. It is just more generic slop from the anti-white factory. Don't bother watching it or reading the book. You are better of watching paint dry or grass grow. 

Book Review : Soldier Blue by Paul Andrew Williams

 

Soldier Blue is a must read. I found this book somewhere and being from Zimbabwe I decided to take a look. And the book got me hooked from the first page. It is about a young white man who is forced to fight in the Rhodesian bush war in the 70s. I lost the book and I wish I still had it. It is a journey into a not so distant past where the author paints a picture so vivid you feel like you are walking in his shoes as he goes off into the bush to fight for Rhodesia.

In retrospect the Rhodesian bush war was a pointless war. The Rhodesians were trying to prevent the inevitable. Demographics is destiny and the tiny Rhodesian population could not hold the tide of Africans wanting "freedom" forever. It was only a matter of time before Rhodesia would become Zimbabwe. Thousands of people perished fighting a lost cause and the book Soldier Blue illustrates how pointless the war was.

The book got me thinking about a lot of things. 44 years after the collapse of Rhodesia, Zimbabwe the traumatised nation born from the ruins of Cecil Rhodes' project is a global laughing stock and a pariah. Ian Smith has been vindicated and he now stands as the prophet doom. Wherever Smith is, whether in heaven or in hell he is shaking his head saying, 'I told you so.'

But Rhodesia was never truly a place, it was an idea. It was the spirit of carving out civilisation out of the wilderness. It was the courage to fight barbarism. Rhodesia was like Constantinople, a city on a hill surrounded by dark forces. 

Today Rhodesia is spoken about in glowing terms. Memes and videos are made about it. Books and TV shows are created about the nation of Rhodesians.  And today western Europe is stuck in the same place Rhodesia was in the 70s, at the precipice of an enormous crossroad.

At the end of the day Rhodesians made one too many mistakes.

First mistake, feeding the Africans and watching their population explode

After the 1896 Rebellion, instead of feeding and educating the Africans they should have begun mass immigration of Europeans akin to what America did in the 1920s. What were Rhodesians thinking, letting their erstwhile African enemies increase their population while whites became a minority. The same mistake is happening in Europe today.

Second mistake, not joining South Africa

In 1923 Rhodesians were offered the opportunity to join the Union of South Africa but they declined. 

Third mistake, Rhodesians were too greedy for land

300 000 Rhodesians did not need the whole country. They wanted everything and ended up with nothing. They could have cut up the country into Rhodesia for whites, Mthwakazi for Ndebeles and Zimbabwe for Shonas. Just imagine if Rhodesians had taken Vic Falls, Hwange and Kariba. Today Rhodesia would be a tourist mecca and a paradise.

Fourth mistake, Ian Smith wasn't ruthless enough

Ian Smith should have been more like Stalin and less like Czar Nicholas. If he had eliminated Mugabe and his gang of terrorists, Zimbabwe would be better off.

But what is done is done and Rhodesia is dead and buried. All we can do is read books like Soldier Blue and reminisce on the good old days when Rhodesia was the bread basket of Africa. The take away lesson here is that nothing lasts forever, in the end all we have is memes and memories.