When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals instead of practical qualifications, corruption is much more likely; politicians don't have to do a good job, they just have to appear to be on the "good" side.
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Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
21–30 of 149 posts
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#22It’s tragic that Nelson Mandela‘s legacy is so strong that the ANC can‘t lose an election; even if they underperform in almost every task of government.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#23Meh, SA has supposedly been on the "brink of chaos" ever since Apartheid ended, and yet it never happens. I'm getting tired of this narrative.
I've visited once. Yes, many things seem to have gone south, but those are growing pains every country goes through to achieve a proper political and economic system.
Of course it is easy to avoid "chaos" when the majority of the people are brutally suppressed. Actually crafting a proper political and economic system is not as easy as it seems. Europe for instance had to go through horrible wars for centuries before its nations learned to live in relative peace.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#24When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals instead of practical qualifications, corruption is much more likely; politicians don't have to do a good job, they just have to appear to be on the "good" side.
"When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals" Is this really SA's problem, or rather classical tribalism? "A bastard, but our bastard." (See also: Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq etc. Not just an African phenomenon.)
What made you say this isn’t an African phenomenon and “is this really SA’s problem?”. I can’t figure out what that is in response to?
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Meh I'm from a nation way more socialist than the USA and we have 3x the median wealth per capita (Australia). We have a much lower mean wealth though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_wealth_pe... If you're one of the top 1% in America life is great. But the 99% should not be going around saying socialism sucks. That to me indicates you're gullibility and mindless support of the 1% who have waaaay…
You’re not wrong, but I’d hardly wave Australia round as being a progressive social democracy!
I just see it as a scale. Both extremes are terrible and the middle is the answer. So Australia is more to the middle but that still makes a good comparison. Op said that he's from a socialist extreme but that's just more to the point. There's a balance to be found and criticism of socialism isn't that meaningful compared to criticism of extremes.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Meh I'm from a nation way more socialist than the USA and we have 3x the median wealth per capita (Australia). We have a much lower mean wealth though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_wealth_pe... If you're one of the top 1% in America life is great. But the 99% should not be going around saying socialism sucks. That to me indicates you're gullibility and mindless support of the 1% who have waaaay…
You’re not wrong, but I’d hardly wave Australia round as being a progressive social democracy!
OP didn't suggest it was any of those terms.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#27When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals instead of practical qualifications, corruption is much more likely; politicians don't have to do a good job, they just have to appear to be on the "good" side.
"When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals" Is this really SA's problem, or rather classical tribalism? "A bastard, but our bastard." (See also: Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq etc. Not just an African phenomenon.)
See also many cases in West when politicians are voted in based on gender.
E.g. here in Lithuania we had a presidential candidate who is a women. I heard too many people advocating for her based on her gender. I heard some people going as far as saying that all women shall vote for her. Should all men vote for another candidate who happened to be man? Never got an answer :/
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Meh I'm from a nation way more socialist than the USA and we have 3x the median wealth per capita (Australia). We have a much lower mean wealth though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_wealth_pe... If you're one of the top 1% in America life is great. But the 99% should not be going around saying socialism sucks. That to me indicates you're gullibility and mindless support of the 1% who have waaaay…
Highly misleading. Australian superannuation savings are counted but American social security entitlements are not.
The USA has 401k which is the same as super in Australia. Social security is another thing altogether comparable to the dole but you have to first pay something in to ever get a pittance out. I'm not sure you should count it.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#29When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals instead of practical qualifications, corruption is much more likely; politicians don't have to do a good job, they just have to appear to be on the "good" side.
"When people vote for politicians based on moral appeals" Is this really SA's problem, or rather classical tribalism? "A bastard, but our bastard." (See also: Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq etc. Not just an African phenomenon.)
Tribalism is often encouraged by invaders and colonizers. Divide and Conquer is a classic tactic. See Tutsi Vs Hutu for one notable example in Africa. And this was a known strategy in apartheid South Africa.
Re: Why South Africa Is on the Brink of Chaos
#30"There Are No Successful Black Nations" was the original title of this article in Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/09/why-black-people-must-h...
It's an uncomfortable title, but it's a truth that must be confronted. How have once downtrodden countries like Korea, China, and large swaths of Eastern Europe been able to turn rags into riches while most of Africa has so far failed to?
GDP is not everything of course. But even on measures of safety, why is Africa so much more violent than equally poor Laos or Cambodia?
South America shares some of Africa's woes, so perhaps it's not a uniquely African problem. But it seems less bad, and the region has produced success stories.
I've heard it said that Africa has yet to have its naissance. Maybe, hopefully, that's it and things will get better over time. But with the current corrupt institutions and leadership that looks to be a gargantuan task.