Tags
African National Congress (ANC), Democracy, Idealism, Iraq, Obama, Ottoman Empire, Pottery Barn Rule, Shia, South Africa, Sunni, United States, United States Congress, Xenophobia
On the back cover of AmaBhulu its description states,
“The West has finally realized that “bringing Democracy” to the Middle East and Southwest Asia is not necessarily in the best interests of Western Civilization. Radical Islam is hijacking its plans and making a mockery of Democracy itself. In South Africa, an earlier experiment in Bestowed Democracy is failing under a burden of abuse.”
In Iraq, by 2003, the local Sunni Arab minority had run the country since at least the days of the Ottoman Empire. They were the “go-to” guys and the “can-do” guys. The Ottoman Turks had known this all along and relied on this block of people who constituted about 15-20% of the population. The Shia, who have a completely different religion, were by far the majority of the population and lived in the Southeast. Much of the country is basically desert and therefore of low farming value. Just over 8% of all the land is arable and stretches along the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris.
In South Africa, by 1986, the local White population had run the country since the days of the Dutch and British Empires. They were the “go-to” guys and the “can-do” guys. The Empire Brits had known this all along and relied on this block of people who constituted about 15-20% of the population. The Black people, who have a completely different culture, were by far the majority of the population and lived in a huge horseshoe-shaped swath of subtropical country situated around the colder sub-zero-winter highland. Only 10% of all the land is arable, almost the same as Iraq.
In 2003, based on distorted information and comprehensive ignorance of the realities of that part of the world, President George W. Bush of the United States went to war against Iraq to remove “the Bad Guy” Saddam Hussein and the Sunni from power on the basis of a Moral Crusade in which this action would “Bring Democracy”. In this parochial world view, the Sunni would somehow welcome the loss of all say in their own future and not object to being oppressed by the majority Shia, who have always been their opponents. President Obama withdrew from engagement in Iraq. Somehow, Obama felt that the Pottery Barn Rule, “If you break it, you own it” did not hold.
In brief, the United States went into Iraq with a toxic mix of Moralizing, Ignorance, Supposed Democracy and Bombs. It has given us ISIS and has resulted in an invasion of Europe by millions of desperate refugees. This is what happens when one crosses Ignorance with Moral Crusade, misplaced Democratic Idealism, and War.
In 1986, based on distorted information and comprehensive ignorance of the realities of that part of the world, the United States Congress, over the objections of Ronald Reagan (who knew the truth), went to war—an economic war—against South Africa to remove “the Bad Guy” Whites from power on the basis of a Moral Crusade in which this action would “Bring Democracy”. In this parochial world view, the Whites would illogically welcome the loss of all say in their own future and not object to being oppressed by the majority Blacks, who have always been their opponents. After the hype and cheers of the 1994 election, the US Congress withdrew from engagement in South Africa and the country descended into a rampant disaster. The economy is failing, the credit rating is failing, the infrastructure is failing, the electricity supply is failing, the water supply is failing, the road system is failing, crime is rampant and white farmers are being murdered in droves. Immigrant Black people are torched alive in a fit of mass xenophobia. Somehow Congress feels the Pottery Barn Rule does not hold in this case either.
Typical countryside in the West of South Africa – The Great Karoo
In brief, the United States Congress attacked South Africa with a toxic mix of Moralizing, Ignorance, Supposed Democracy and Economic Bombs. It has resulted in a nightmare. It bears repeating that this is what happens when one crosses Ignorance with Moral Crusade, misplaced Democratic Idealism, and War.
The ANC government in South Africa lets not a day go by without threatening white farmers and white businessmen. Like the Sunni in Iraq, the whites of South Africa find themselves wholly without any ability to influence their own futures, while the ANC inspires black people against whites, much like what we have seen the Iraq government actively discriminate against the 15% Sunni Arabs.
The only difference is that (1) the White South Africans are Christians, (2) South Africa has no oil; and (3) no one is suggesting that the Shia Arabs should take the land of the Sunni so they can own 65% of land merely because they are 65% of the population. It seems all Iraqis at least understand what a desert is, something apparently not so clear to the ANC or the world media. Both keep insisting black people must own 90% of South African land because they are 90% of the population, but the media has never seen the West of South Africa and comprehensively ignores history. Perhaps a few days spent by CNN at Verneukpan in the west of the country would help.
As regards Democracy, it is too precious to waste. It seems desperately obvious to this author that it is silly to expect someone to have respect for another man’s opinion—the basis of Democracy—if he has little respect for that man’s life to start with. That is a reality for the present Arabia and Africa. And that is the problem with injecting Democracy left right and center, as though it is a preventative inoculation for a childhood disease. It would help if American politicians would stop thinking that this method, which is useful in resolving differences among people who agree about the major issues in the first place, is a magic solution to the deeper woes of the world.
If Democracy were the panacea it is held out to be, then the Germans, French and British would have voted on the matter of the Second World War and spared the planet a lot of misery. If the ostensibly civilized and highly developed Western Man cannot make it work when it really counts, why would the much tried and desperate people of Arabia and Africa? In fact, if it were the miracle cure, then Israel and the Palestinians could hold a joint vote in a single country and the United States could open its southern border and vote jointly with the 121 Million Mexicans on the future of North America.
Don’t hold your breath.
