Who Says There Are No More Heroes?

Nelson Mandela is not  a saint, and much that has already been written about him in anticipation of his death has noted his failures, most specifically economic. Since 1994 the rich in South Africa (white) have gotten richer and the poor (black) poorer. But you don't have to go to South Africa to see that reality.

There will be a raft of books and articles assessing Mandela and his legacy. For now, if you want to get a jump on your friends, I heartily recommend the book from a few years ago, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, by John Carlin. It was the basis of the Clint Eastwood movie, Invictus.

And in today's NY Times you can read a short but obviously heartfelt tribute by the South African-born op-ed columnist, Roger Cohen, Dreaming of Mandela.

The truth is we did not deserve him. We could not even imagine him. But, as I learned young in South Africa, the human spirit can avert even inevitable catastrophe.