In the US, not much attention is paid to events in many other parts of the world that are geographically far from our shores. I'm focused in on the riots going on in Johannesburg South Africa right now because someone dear to me is currently on a big game safari north of that city. The Jo-burg airport is the only option for international arrival and departure, and they got there last week right in the middle of the rioting. At issue is the imprisonment of the former South African president Zuma after conviction on 16 corruption charges for fraud, money laundering, using tax payer money to upgrade personal property, and racketeering involving self-enrichment schemes for himself and his cronies. Aggravating the charges was the former president's refusal to testify in an investigation of the charges, triggering contempt of court charges for which the country's high court levied a 15 month jail sentence. (Google sources: NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, APNews, WIONews and more.) Supporters of the former president are looting many businesses while the former president himself maintains the position that there is a witch hunt against him. Sound familiar? Seems that corruption and inability to take responsibility among politicians isn't just a US problem. While I get that when frustration of feeling unheard or being unfairly treated will boil over into the need to make dramatic gestures, I fail to see how rioting, destruction of property, and looting are effective protest measures. Such counterproductive activities only make matters worse, regardless of who is feeling aggrieved. It would be good if cooler heads can prevail and riots can be avoided in the US when our politicians, no matter who they are, are held to account, but I have little hope that common sense will prevail. Does anyone disagree with the senselessness of rioting?