Interesting to read about South Africa’s issues, especially since the people in my orbit are generally pretty convinced that it’s a good place to live with solid standards of living, tarnished only by—what else?—those nasty racist South African whites. A friend I made from SA has a similarly bleak outlook to the Unherd article, though, s…
Interesting to read about South Africa’s issues, especially since the people in my orbit are generally pretty convinced that it’s a good place to live with solid standards of living, tarnished only by—what else?—those nasty racist South African whites. A friend I made from SA has a similarly bleak outlook to the Unherd article, though, so I suspect that side of the argument has more merit.
I haven’t been to Montana but I have been to many different parts of rural Virginia, and the attitudes there can be similar (minus the ticking time bomb feeling, because bourgeoise libs don’t tend to move out to the VA Appalachians at the kind of rate they’re colonizing Montana.) The whole way of life out there really is an incredibly sharp contrast to the more cosmopolitan and urbanized areas, from the politics all the way down to the aesthetics. Not to mention the poverty. There are plenty of towns that have chain grocery stores, pharmacies, and car dealerships, but it’s also not hard to find towns where the term “food desert” becomes vivid. And the extent to which we as a country have largely decided that these people just don’t matter is a genuine tragedy.
Have the people in your orbit ever been to Jo’burg? SA has been a disaster and tinder keg for a long, long time.
The ANC were Marxists, until they got into a position where they had things to steal. The colonialists and racists also stole, but to steal better and live well by doing it, they built industries and cities and farms. The ANC are happy to steal as-is. No need to be greedy and create anything new to increase the future skim. Eat the seed corn.
Good comments on VA. I think someone could take a tour through parts of Richmond and DC and Baltimore and be as easily shocked by the condition of the locals, be as poorly fed, and probably beaten and robbed for their trouble during their walking tour, perhaps shot. Been that way for awhile, got better for a bit and then worse . In poor neighborhoods, people don’t like it if you aren’t from the neighborhood. Whether US, a Sao Paolo favela, or St Denis. And this isn’t a new phenomenon. I wonder if the whole civil war thing is just a sign the observer hates, fears and distrusts the “other” ?
I was transiting through Jo'burg a couple of months ago, with 2 overnights. Both times I did not go any further than walking across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel (wonderful, I might add!). That said, people I encountered on my journey all seem to love Capetown. Of course these were all folks of some means.
I’ve heard Capetown is great- never been. Almost all of my friends in the UK have been and they loved it - wineries, beaches, restaurants. It just doesn’t seem to be the environment that a majority of S Africans get to live in.
Interesting to read about South Africa’s issues, especially since the people in my orbit are generally pretty convinced that it’s a good place to live with solid standards of living, tarnished only by—what else?—those nasty racist South African whites. A friend I made from SA has a similarly bleak outlook to the Unherd article, though, so I suspect that side of the argument has more merit.
I haven’t been to Montana but I have been to many different parts of rural Virginia, and the attitudes there can be similar (minus the ticking time bomb feeling, because bourgeoise libs don’t tend to move out to the VA Appalachians at the kind of rate they’re colonizing Montana.) The whole way of life out there really is an incredibly sharp contrast to the more cosmopolitan and urbanized areas, from the politics all the way down to the aesthetics. Not to mention the poverty. There are plenty of towns that have chain grocery stores, pharmacies, and car dealerships, but it’s also not hard to find towns where the term “food desert” becomes vivid. And the extent to which we as a country have largely decided that these people just don’t matter is a genuine tragedy.
I think that you might be talking about this piece that is the first article in that weekend's Substack - https://niccolo.substack.com/p/saturday-commentary-and-review-51
Have the people in your orbit ever been to Jo’burg? SA has been a disaster and tinder keg for a long, long time.
The ANC were Marxists, until they got into a position where they had things to steal. The colonialists and racists also stole, but to steal better and live well by doing it, they built industries and cities and farms. The ANC are happy to steal as-is. No need to be greedy and create anything new to increase the future skim. Eat the seed corn.
Good comments on VA. I think someone could take a tour through parts of Richmond and DC and Baltimore and be as easily shocked by the condition of the locals, be as poorly fed, and probably beaten and robbed for their trouble during their walking tour, perhaps shot. Been that way for awhile, got better for a bit and then worse . In poor neighborhoods, people don’t like it if you aren’t from the neighborhood. Whether US, a Sao Paolo favela, or St Denis. And this isn’t a new phenomenon. I wonder if the whole civil war thing is just a sign the observer hates, fears and distrusts the “other” ?
I was transiting through Jo'burg a couple of months ago, with 2 overnights. Both times I did not go any further than walking across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel (wonderful, I might add!). That said, people I encountered on my journey all seem to love Capetown. Of course these were all folks of some means.
I’ve heard Capetown is great- never been. Almost all of my friends in the UK have been and they loved it - wineries, beaches, restaurants. It just doesn’t seem to be the environment that a majority of S Africans get to live in.