Written by: Sisem
Left-wing Nats? Surely not?! Indeed, yes. We’ve always known of national socialist (right-wing) Nats. Now we must contend with an even more dangerous kind: social democrats, like Wynand Malan (NP, Randburg). He and his Nat ilk want still more wealth redistribution from whites to blacks, supposedly to help the latter.
And, believe it or not, most other left-wingers (in the United Democratic Front, Progressive Federal Party, African National Congress (ANC), Azapo, SA Council of Churches, and the Council of Unions of SA, etc.) agree. These may seem unlikely bedfellows, but on reflection they are not. After all, as we have often observed, all the major political movements in South Africa, from the Herstigte Nasionale Party to the ANC, stand for one or another form of socialism.
Why single out Wynand Malan? Because, unlike most, we think he really cares. So we’ll send him this issue of The Individualist and hope it will help him separate good intentions (the road to Hell is paved with misplaced compassion) from good policies.
Mr Malan, SA blacks have suffered long enough from white ‘handouts’. They riot under the burden of massively subsidised (and inferior and over-regulated) transport, housing, education, food, creation and so on. These subsidies increased in both real and relative terms until 1970. Then they declined (i.e. there was less aggregate redistribution).
Since then, token deregulations have also occured. The result? Between 1970 and 1980, the black share of GNP grew from 28% to 40%.
Conclusion?
Voluntary (free market) redistribution is better than coercive (government) redistribution. Production is better than plunder. Emancipation is better than paternalism. The carrot is better than the stick. Seduction is better than rape. Freedom is better than socialism.
Disclaimer: This article originally appeared in The Individualist of [month TBD] 1985 (Vol. 10 No. 3). The Individualist was last published by the Libertarian Society of South Africa.
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