What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunciation. He is also a man who says yes, from the moment he makes his first gesture of rebellion. A slave who has taken orders all his life suddenly decides that he cannot obey some new command. What does he mean by saying “no”?
He means, for example, that “this has been going on too long,” “up to this point yes, beyond it no,” “you are going too far,” or, again, “there is a limit beyond which you shall not go.” In other words, his no affirms the existence of a borderline. The same concept is to be found in the rebel’s feeling that the other person “is exaggerating,” that he is exerting his authority beyond a limit where he begins to infringe on
the rights of others. Thus the movement of rebellion is founded simultaneously on the categorical rejection of an intrusion that is considered intolerable and on the confused conviction of an absolute right which, in the rebel’s mind, is more precisely the impression that he “has the right to . . .” Rebellion cannot
exist without the feeling that, somewhere and somehow, one is right. It is in this way that the rebel slave says yes and no simultaneously. He affirms that there are limits and also that he suspects—and wishes to preserve—the existence of certain things on this side of the borderline. He demonstrates, with obstinacy, that there is something in him which “is worth while . . .” and which must be taken into consideration. In a certain way, he confronts an order of things which oppresses him with the insistence on a kind of right not to be oppressed beyond the limit that he can tolerate.Albert Camus, The Rebel
Let the record show I have done my duty.
As many of you are by now aware, we go to the polls in 5 days to elect our representatives and those who will govern for the next five years. Five years ago, I wrote about the elections and the choices we had to make at that point. It appears the majority had their way.
In the next 5 days, we have an opportunity for self-determination. 5 years ago I raised issues of integrity on the candidature of Uhuru and Ruto. My country men and women know too well how many people, who had volunteered as witnesses for the ICC, have since died or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Cases of extrajudicial killings abound, unresolved murders that can be laid at the foot of this regime.
We have had runaway food prices. The government even engineered a shortage of maize meal, staple food for the majority. There are reports the government supplied farmers with substandard fertilizer among other things. To elect this same group would be an act of stupidity. Irrationality.
When we enacted a new constitutions, we hoped it will lead to self-determination. The president and his deputy opposed the drive for the new constitution and have paid lip service to giving it life. Wherever they can, they have frustrated its implementation.
We have heard the economy has grown. This growth, I think has only benefited a few well placed people who have made government tendering a business. We have heard the government has created over a million new jobs. This, my friend, is against major firms downsizing or transferring their businesses elsewhere. To believe the lies the government is telling, is again, to be irrational.
The regime has militarized the police in place of improving their living and working conditions. But for whatever reasons that I still do not understand, this class of human beings are to me, the most stupid. Every time we have agitated for better working conditions, they have come out with water canons, teargas and bullets to defend the state.
Have I told you how the government has failed in provision of healthcare, improving access to public education or having failed to discuss the working and pay conditions for lecturers? It is like they are determined to destroy all public institutions and create opportunities for capitalistic exploiters to thrive.
This government has excelled in making nepotism a way of doing things. A few tribesmen and women, regardless of qualification, have landed lucrative government appointments or contracts.
It has contracted peace-mongers among well placed media personalities, celebrities[sic] to remind us to vote peacefully. For a people who are generally peacefully, this is comical. We all vote peacefully. It has been the government and its cronies who have forced our hand when they rig elections. Again, most post-election violence has been laid at the foot of politicians, some well-connected. As citizens, all we demand is for our votes to count, nothing more nothing less.
Well, I can go on and on about why it is stupid to re- elect the duo to head this state.
We have an opportunity to elect a new set of leaders.
We have an opportunity to address historical injustices related to land, among others.
We have an opportunity to elect a government that cares about the lives of citizens, where extrajudicial killings is not the norm.
We have an opportunity to have an inclusive government, where surname does not determine whether you get a contract or not.
There is an opportunity to have a government where development doesn’t equate to ghost projects but changed livelihoods.
We have an opportunity to give life to our constitution.
We have an opportunity to elect leaders who have a vision, however flawed.
We have an opportunity to have leaders who stand for something not amassing wealth and self enrichment.
We have an opportunity to improve public service.
We have an opportunity to build our public hospitals and schools. We have an opportunity to stop a government that sees us a business commodities, people to make money from.
This opportunity is not served by electing Jubilee. They have demonstrated they are incompetent. Murderous. Thieves. Corrupt. Without a vision or a goal other than to steal and enrich themselves at the expense of all of us hardworking citizens.
It starts on 8th August by casting your vote. I am awake to the argument it is elitist to consider the average voter ignorant of their needs, but there is evidence, from around the world, that this is actually a possibility. With this in mind, I say firmly, without fear of contradiction that it would be foolhardy to re-elect Uhuru and Ruto to lead this country.
Punda amechoka.
One of my most cherished books!
I wish you the best. Am following it, and CNN is starting a special in the build-up.
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I love that book too. I love the man Camus.
The biggest problem we are dealing with presently is fake news
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Really? Orchestrated by the govt.?
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Both sides but especially the government
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So, who are you throwing your support behind?
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NASA coalition.
I have my problems with some of the candidates on the coalition but one thing I am certain, no party can be worse than the present regime.
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I’ll keep an eye out for them.
We have elections here next year, but there simply isn’t an alternative.
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We have elections in September and our problem is not so much fake news as no news. There’s little to get excited over except perhaps the news that the leader of the largest opposition party resigned because he felt responsible for his party doing so poorly in recent opinion polls, with only 24%.
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Yours is a party with leaders with a conscience.
Our current president when he was head of opposition joined with the government side. He has had no vision except being a son of the first president, who again shouldn’t have been president.
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Our leaders have a tendency to fall on their swords instead of trying to hang onto power.
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Maybe they still believe it is worthwhile to be honorable than to stay in power
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Or by by falling on their sword early they are seen to be honourable, even if they are not, thereby avoiding further investigation?
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There is merit in that view. That could have much more weight than that they were honorable. In politics appearance, I think, is everything
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Actually, my comment was tongue in cheek. Our politicians tend to be more honest than big business. I think it’s our penchant for fair play that puts a stop to corruption here. After all, we’ve been either the least corrupt or second least corrupt nation for a very long time.
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I am coming to live with you Barry. I will find a reason to tell the immigration department
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>>> “It is like they are determined to destroy all public institutions and create opportunities for capitalistic exploiters to thrive.”
Welcome to my world, my friend. Best of luck to you and your country. I am greatly anticipating a post election report on your blog, and I would be eager to share it on mine.
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I will definitely write on it. We have a duty to do.
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Yeah, corruption and a stupid voting public seem to exist everywhere today. I’m hoping things change for better for you due to this election, my friend, but I’ve such little faith in the sensibility of humankind these days, I’m not sure it’s possible.
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You and I same.
In individuals sensibility is possible, in groups highly unlikely
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I wish there was something I could do for your country. I hope for the best for you and those all around you.
Peace to you and yours.
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Thank you my friend
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Damn man, I thought we were having problems here in the states. I will reconsider my position.
A rebel, I think, is one who has been intellectually pushed to the brink of “Fuck This!” “I would rather die than continue another moment down this (insert path or position here)” I’m not there with my gov’t situation yet, but I have been joking that if the revolution needs me, CALL!”
I do hope your country gets its shit together Mak. Good people deserve good governing.
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Getting our shit together is the one thing we have been unable to do in ages. I don’t think we are about to do it.
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…that is would rather die fighting against the transgression that caused the moment of revolt.
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I would rather not die, I could be wrong, but fighting I will
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I hope and trust that the Kenyan electorate are more attentive to this democratic process than their counterparts in the USA were in our last election cycle. Good luck, my friend and brother! Naked hugs!
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I, unfortunately, is not that hopeful.
Tribe trumps common sense any day here
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Probably similar to all the “good ol’ white boy republicans” who vote for any supremicist they can find!
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Yes, exactly
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As long as you don’t literally mean that you’re coming to live with me, you’d be most welcome in NZ. Otherwise the wife might have something to say on the matter ☺
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Just being your neighbor will be good enough.
I promise not to make noise 😀
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Neighbor 👎 neighbour 👍
😆
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😁😁
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—it is elitist to consider the average voter ignorant of their needs, but there is evidence, from around the world, that this is actually a possibility.—
“Around the world”, but not from Argentina.- among some other country where too many stubborn voters live.. We share almost all the negative points mentioned by this good author. I have added “The Rebel” to my to-read list, thank you for bringing it to my attention!.
.-
.-
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I am glad.
It is a great book. I enjoyed it very much.
I am happy to hear Argentine voters are a model we can all aspire to
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“…..But for whatever reasons that I still do not understand, this class of human beings are to me, the most stupid. Every time we have agitated for better working conditions, they have come out with water canons, teargas and bullets to defend the state……” — Which is why I say that the people are a substantial part of the problem. Here the TUC leadership often sell out betray its members. It’s the culture compounded by a religion which numbs pain.
“Have I told you how the government has failed in provision of healthcare, improving access to public education or having failed to discuss the working and pay conditions for lecturers? It is like they are determined to destroy all public institutions and create opportunities for capitalistic exploiters to thrive.” — Have I told you the new government here wants to change the country’s history and make heroes out of traitors and thieves. They hate Kwame Nkrumah so much that they would much rather celebrate his enemies. They are about to spend huge sums of money to celebrate their predecessors in a country where children suffer from malnutrition and other childhood killer diseases. I identify with your demands but many of the things you demand seem to be evolutionary years away. I think I’m tired of hoping for a better Africa.
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You make my work very easy mate.
And especially when you say it is evolutionary time away.
But don’t despair. I am not about to despair
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We should not hope merely for the sake of hoping. My kind of optimism is based on certain indicators. If Africans have a future there must be every indication that society is changing for the better.
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For society to change, there must be a change in consciousness and that starts with a few people
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Currently there is no such indications.
It will take a long time
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Hahaha…..now you believe when I say Africa has a future but not Africans. Do you also believe when I say voting is a waste of time? That democracy is for those who can reason?
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Voting in our case is a waste of time.
Democracy, philosophy is for those who have had their basic needs met
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Epictetus was a slave and never had his needs met. Philosophising should rather be for the starved. The problem of Africa is simple: We don’t learn.
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Actually it is multifaceted
Looking at our situation, the Brits and Americans have a lot of vested interest. They will support the thieves until the day the masses will realise it.
Well, our poor and starving don’t seem to care for anything other than who glitters the most.
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Exactly. They are tired of hoping so they say to their candidates: “Look we don’t believe this country will ever get better. Everybody is stealing. Are you gonna steal and give us our share or what?”
A few weeks ago I wanted to register my second company which is a non-profit. Every approval you need from the government you have to pay some goddamn imbecile or you wait for only god knows how long. Stealing is a way of life in Africa for both the masses and their leaders.
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And it is sad. Very sad
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Yeah. And those of us who see the truth and the problem, we can only speak or document it. Many hundreds, perhaps thousands of years from now some generation might have the courage to act on those truths and free Africa from her own shackles. Soyinka says the current generation is a wasted generation.
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I think Nietzsche was right all along. There is some pain in knowing.
Yes. We have a duty to document it.
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I have as yet not read any writer who brings to light the deepest emotional truths than Nietzsche. So there is some sanity in insanity after all.
I’m not sure if South Africa’s economy is based solely on reason and is more business friendly. I think I might move there once the xenophobia is minimised.
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There is some sanity in Insanity. I think he was quite perceptive
That would be interesting to know. About SA I mean
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One can only influence the consciousness of a people who habitually seek relevant knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe Africa could get better but it will take a very long time considering the changes that need to be made both in the mind and in the social setup.
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[…] via Elections KE — Random thoughts […]
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