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Confusion Soars Over Prince Harry’s Right To Give Keynote Speech At UN Function Honoring Nelson Mendela

Confusion Soars Over Prince Harry's Right To Give Keynote Speech At UN Function Honoring Nelson MendelaYou’d think a speech that should pay tribute to the great life Nelson Mendela lived would be a speech about his life and purpose, but surprise, eco-warrior and feminist Prince Harry decided to spin it around. Don’t get me wrong, both issues are ultra important, but imagine the person giving a toast at a wedding start going on about the dangers of plastic pollution.

But apart from his obviously delusional and “insipid” speech, it’s his right to speak there that’s got many wondering.

Prince Harry’s Speech About Nelson Mendela Has So Many Holes, Expert Says

In a column for MSNBC, journalist Zeeshan Aleem called it “pretty weird” that Harry should even deliver a speech at the unofficial UN function honoring Nelson Mendela.

“The United Nations General Assembly observed Nelson Mandela International Day on Monday morning with a series of speakers celebrating the legacy of South Africa’s first Black president and its most famous anti-apartheid freedom fighter. And the keynote speaker was … Britain’s Prince Harry.

“While the event helps Harry in advancing his tortured pivot to socially conscious royal, it’s unclear why he was invited to speak in the first place,” Aleem wrote. “As a member of the British royal family, he’s a figurehead of colonialism and has no record of commitment to the kinds of ideas that Mandela stood for. Unsurprisingly, Prince Harry’s remarks were an anodyne homage that avoided reckoning with the historical figure’s political goals and strategic decisions, and instead relied heavily on clichés about bravery.”

Aleem also pointed out how Harry spoke for 15 minutes but didn’t touch on the remarkable points of Mendela’s life.

“Harry spoke for about 15 minutes, but little of what he said was insightful or memorable. He briefly mentioned that Mandela — who fought apartheid through nonviolent protest and guerrilla warfare before being imprisoned by South Africa’s apartheid government for 27 years — suffered “state-sponsored brutality” and “racism.”

“But he said virtually nothing of Mandela’s upbringing, his different political phases, his management of the immensely complex demands of integrating South Africa into a multiracial democracy in the 1990s or the lessons he learned as he evolved from protester to powerful politician. Today, as the country continues to grapple with deeply entrenched inequality, the South African left debates Mandela’s efficacy as president and whether or not he made too many concessions to vested interests.”

Prince Harry’s “Faux-profundities” Slammed As Meaningless

Writing about Harry’s speech at the scarcely attended UN affair, MSNBC opinion columnist Zeeshan Aleem said: “In Harry’s telling, Mandela was most notable for surviving imprisonment — a remarkable feat indeed, but also the easiest part of his life story to depoliticize as a tale of personal endurance. Focusing on Mandela’s imprisonment allowed Harry to make use of faux-profundities like “hope is the fuel that courage requires.” And when he did mention Mandela’s great deeds, the prince said “that doesn’t mean he was perfect. No. he was something better. He was human.” I’m not sure what that meant, but I do know it allowed Harry to sound reverent without really saying anything.”

Aleem further explained that Harry didn’t represent Mendela as the proper political figure he really was during his speech.

At the end of the day, Harry failed to talk about the problem that led to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. As someone who has been caught using racial slurs in the past, it’s to be expected that he would skirt topics that gave rise to white supremacy.

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2 Comments
  1. Magi Berk says

    Prince Harry, was INVITED to speak..he didn’t just *barge in* ..I don’t know why he was invited, perhaps it had something to do with his experiences and love for South Africa…perhaps it had something to do with his support and knowledge of the sustainability of the planet we share.. As to the 27 years in prison being a small part of Mandalas life…please try spending 27 years of your life eating inscets and drinking your own piss to survive before making such a statement.! Prince Harry accepted an Invitation…which he accepted…Simple really.

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