How the ANC distracts us from solutions

Our ruling party’s corruption, incompetence and ideological indulgences are so extreme and unrelenting that they distract opponents from developing the powerful solutions which could attract disaffected voters by overcoming pervasive poverty and unemployment Sustaining attractive life-styles for South Africa’s middle and upper class should not be a high bar for a competent government to clear.…Continue reading How the ANC distracts us from solutions

How foreign policy kills prospects of the jobless

Authoritarianism threatens as long as SA remains one of the worst countries at trickle-down economics A recent Business Day editorial spoke of an “unacceptably high level of youth unemployment” and how it “is now probably the biggest threat to SA’s stability” (“President must assemble a wartime cabinet”, February 7). Since then Stats SA’s labour force figures…Continue reading How foreign policy kills prospects of the jobless

When solutions are blocked by social justice spin

If irrefutable evidence showed the world would benefit from permanently exempting Elon Musk from paying taxes, would you be ok with that?  If the US granted Musk a life-time exemption from paying taxes while shifting NASA’s mandate away from building rockets, it seems quite likely that US taxpayers and space exploration would both benefit. Space…Continue reading When solutions are blocked by social justice spin

Mandela’s style versus Kissinger’s 

Who would be better at ending the Russo-Ukrainian war, a Kissinger type of negotiator or someone with a Mandela-like leadership style? Why is this relevant to South Africa’s political and economic malaise? Mandela personified morally resplendent leadership. His courage, conviction and magnanimity encouraged us to indulge aspirational values. It is natural to admire a role-model…Continue reading Mandela’s style versus Kissinger’s 

Purging politically induced learning blockages

The Covid pandemic freshly queried how we define ‘freedom’ and ‘to live’. Meanwhile, political actors sought to shape and exploit such views. A year ago China’s high command could smugly presume its Covid policies evidenced superior leadership. As their recent reversal leaves only one country, North Korea, still relying on a zero-Covid strategy, we should…Continue reading Purging politically induced learning blockages

How the ANC’s playbook resembles Donald Trump’s

The ANC’s policies, and antics, are so frequently counterproductive that its opponents confidently presume they can do better. Yet, as its rivals lack plans to surge employment, our feckless ruling party still gets away with framing issues around inequities. While Donald Trump is very different from the ANC’s leadership in countless ways, both are elites…Continue reading How the ANC’s playbook resembles Donald Trump’s