Affirmative Action's strange result

[undesign]

Interesting MoneyWeb article about the consequences of affirmative action.

This suggests that the discriminatory employment and empowerment policies of the ANC may have forged a greater sense of entrepreneurship and independence among white South Africans. This despite the fact that large sections of the white community had always shown a flair for entrepreneurial activity. Now without the opportunity of soft jobs in the public service (or private sector) or of doing business with government many whites have been forced to become more independent and take what might be described as even greater ‘personal responsibility' for improving their own standards of living. Cut off and effectively discriminated against by the State it can only be entrepreneurship, the taking of risks, and the acquisition of ever improving levels of education and expertise that explain the maintenance and improvement in living standards within the white community after 1994.

That's pretty much in agreement with my experience - within my circle of friends in any event.

South Africa's ‘racial communities' often appear to be stuck in perceptions of reality that bare little resemblance to facts about the country. As the French philosopher Pierre Valery commented, "a fact poorly observed is more treacherous than faulty reasoning". As a result for many whites the argument that affirmative action will stall their economic progress is repeated verbatim even as their relatively high standards of living are maintained. For African South Africans the idea that the Government will lead their emancipation from poverty survives in support for the Government despite the growing evidence that such emancipation is now unlikely. In politics perceptions are often more important than reality and therefore the unsubstantiated perceptions of both white and African South Africans come to dominate much discussion about racism and poverty in the country. What is unfortunately likely is that maintaining this status-quo is going to cause future problems both for race relations and for the general stability of the country.

full article

 

[PeterCH]

Economic emancipation? Who needs it. The plan was always to enrich a new elite, failing that - bringing everyone down to the lowest common denominator level. Redistribution of everything is the ultimate answer - except for the property of the new elite. Oink.