South Africa has until recently been a decent model for other countries to orient their policies toward. But if the continent’s biggest economic engine moves more and more in the direction of Zimbabwe, then economic growth, investor confidence, and, most important, average people going about their daily lives will suffer not only in South Africa but in the nearby countries with which it trades and does business.
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Samizdata quote of the dayAugust 21st, 2018 |
 13 comments to Samizdata quote of the day |
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Perhaps the South African government should send a delegation to places like Poland and the Czech Republic to see how those countries managed to emerge from the long term rule of an oppressive regime.
Mr Fund has a rather rosy set of glasses on there. Until recently, South Africa was merely driving slowly towards the cliff, as it lived off the social capital of the past, rather than flooring it, as it is doing now.
Seems to be two distinct issues here: the fairness/justice of a majority-black country with a hideous past taking property by force from white owners, and the question of how this might affect SA’s economic future.
As to the second issue, there seems to be a consensus that SA cannot produce at anywhere near its past levels if the trained professional ag management people are kicked out. But there are several large countries with successful ag sectors that would be happy to send over management teams as the price of entry into partnerships with SA leadership. This could be done while maintaining a black face for public consumption, especially if SA also starts a crash educational course for future management from within.
So I think there remains one open route to investor confidence and economic performance in SA. I just wonder who’s going to win the bidding war to provide leadership and expand their presence on the continent.
Still, one nation’s loss can be another nation’s gain. Australia has benefited from ‘White Flight’, as white South Africans get out. One of our Miss Internationals, Sherri lee-Biggs, was born in South Africa, and there have been others.
Eventually, when the economy keeps diving, the leaders might learn, and South Africa will stabilize. But who knows when?
Q Have you heard about the South African boat people?
A. They’re here a week and they buy a boat!
I don’t think the average South African looks at Zimbabwe and says “I wish we lived like that”. But I bet Ramaphosa looks at Mugabe and thinks “I wish I lived like that”. Ramaphosa’s wishes matter more than the average citizen’s.
and…
Heh, yeah sure. That’s just not how (1) Africa (2) Agriculture works. The shape of an nation’s culture is what makes an economy work, not foreign management teams. You can just about make an oil industry work with foreign management teams kinda sorta, but agriculture is an altogether different thing. And who is going to educate these internal managers of the future and what difference will it make to the underpinning culture? The trajectory along which South Africa will travel has been seen before in various parts of the world and nothing will change that, the only surprise is it took this long to visibly enter the death spiral.
Far be it from me (and it has been mentioned before) but… If you look at recent comments right now it is all SQOTD covering a complexity of stuff. It would be easier if SQOTDs were given a date in the title. Jus’ sayin’.
The various limitations on government power written into the South African Constitution by well meaning libertarians proved to be not worth the paper they were written on – and that was shown years ago (not by Cyril R. recently).
Sadly government appoints the judges (or they come up via the “legal system” – which is even worse) so what the written Constitution says hardly matters. Although in the case of confiscation without compensation – the government has actually formally changed the Constitution – not just asked the judges to “interpret” it (i.e. rip it up).
Without a CULTURE that respects inequality (yes inequality) a society is doomed. If people look upon those with inherited wealth as money bags to be looted (a common attitude) then a country will go down the toilet.
Don’t know about the Africa part, but SA ag is currently run by an essentially foreign (to the prevailing culture) class of technocrat elites issuing order and direction to the indigenous underlings. Importing a different group of foreign technocrat elites wouldn’t be that much of a change.
If we were speaking of importing such a class of people to take over from owners who were part of SA’s majority, it would be different, and I would agree that ag wouldn’t work that way. But kicking out the hated elite and bringing in a non-hated elite? This might keep SA ag in professional hands while allowing for some face-savings on the ANC’s part.
And, just hours ago, AgriSA (basically the trade group of corporate megafarmers who have the most to lose) announced that the ANC has officially promised not to take their land. So, we’ll see.
We should make a decisive move.
Perhaps destroy their Air Force –such as it is –on the ground as a warning to the SA Marxist scum that their days are numbered.
Make it clear that white South Africans will not be fighting alone.
Had the UK a govt that was not itself more or less marxist controlled scum.
Can’t see the Fish Faced Cow taking the side of a bunch of pale farmers over the resident hordes of diversity (even if Marxist), can you?
The Soviets might have called it a day but the wider membership of the ANC and their fellow travellers are more than happy to do a bit of looting and pillaging under the guise of “equitable land redistribution” so long as they get their cut.
As for the future…? Well I’m sure Whitey will cough up those reparations any day now.