I spent a few years in an online photo group, which had a couple of sweet and brilliant white South African members, and I remember being astonished at the visual telltales they could not help but show. The juxtaposition of stunning beauty and barbed wire was outright creepy – and the proliferation of almost medieval looking defenses for otherwise normal houses made me sad for those on both sides of that divide of having and of violence. Free play between cultures is a fantastic bounty (and I never take that fortune for granted, though Toronto is, for all its faults, especially good at bringing many together).
I’m a bit weird for being a poor kid in a rich country, and doing better over time, but never losing my immediate awareness of the way things work for those on the bottom (which you captured perfectly). Power indeed despises those who can neither threaten nor bribe it! And policy splits between citizens the powerful do fear and care about, versus those who are functionally rendered untermenschen, have not been so starkly revealed here, in the better part of a century. (They made me add “Well meaning psychopath”) to my collection of definitions of malign “Libtards” (who have always pissed me off, even just for betraying once precious classical liberalism – to which we all owe so damn much).
Of course Toronto is a world away from that level of desperation and tension – but I saw a funny story today which reminded me of the complete ignorance of the powerful, when it comes to those they rule.
The provincial government is about to pass a law that allows them to give certain classes of “special constables” who do official government security in many settings, but are not full police officers, weapons, when this is deemed appropriate. Opposition parties are screaming –and of course pointing out the examples which make this sound silliest (solving campus high-jinx does not need a Glock).
But when I saw the special constables for government housing projects on the list, I understood immediately that the law was needed and sensible, and why. Years ago we had a high-murder summer which was widely called “The Summer of the Gun.” Baffled City, Provincial and even Federal politicians weighed-in on the question, with solemn faces and pious bullshit in heaping quantities. But no one had anything useful to say, or any insight whatsoever into what caused the problem.
But I stay in touch with poor people, so I understood that the “Summer of the Gun”came FROM THE ACTIONS OF THOSE STUPID POLITICIANS. Specifically, the city set aside hundreds of millions to redevelop one of the most violent gang-filled public housing project downtown (Regent Park) –and instead of thinking about the actual culture they were dealing with (rival gangs) they sent families from that project, directly into projects which were entirely controlled by hostile gangs (instead of allies).
So what we had was a blood feud gang war created by government “Helping and charity”policy (with a big helping of dopey idealism instead of specific awareness of realities and relationships, on the side).
Of course South Africa has far more entrenched problems on every level, especially competition for resources one class is used to stealing (and feeling it their right), and another huge class badly needs, but the more I read your stuff, the more I suspect one common element for the“Elites” who are driving all of us nuts in common with their combination of confidence and incompetence, is the refusal to engage with reality in a full sense, and an insistence instead on twisting and denying it, to reify dogma.
Corruption is on another level here. Our police are a gang I fear. Sure, I've met a couple of folks at the station, on the ground level, who were nice, but when it mattered most, they were scary. When we decided to make our version of your "constables" it was a fuckup.
That goes hand in hand with crazy crime, with Cape Town and Durban having more murders than any other global city not at war in 2024. The latest infamous case was sentencing a mother for selling her 6 year old daughter so that her skin and eyes could be used for medicine (child not found so fate unknown).
You are correct in that elitism is the biggest cause of our problems.
Sorry if I was vague there. We always had armed cops too, the special constable designation was about glorified security guards (but still a very revealing idiocy, on the part of the managerial class).
I know your system is orders of magnitude more lethal, brutal and corrupt. Which remains totally heartbreaking and crazy making, considering the numbers who are still trying, and the hope which once seemed so close and so possible. I’m actually surprised (considering the conditions) you found any sympathetic officers, though that does speak hopefully to the way some always try, even under the worst of circumstances (individuals with principle, like yourself, don’t ever “just follow orders.”)
One very strange thing here, is that Trudeau very deliberately used the “Truth and reconcilliation” model, trying to improve relations between the first-nations and the government. The fact that it didn’t actually work there, to resolve the historical tension between races (and that your set of problems are, in any case, VERY DIFFERENT) never seems to have been noticed by any of our elites at all.
I honestly think they’re so dumb they just said “Mandela is a hero, therefore whatever he did...”
(Though some serious leftists here always noticed he was only released AFTER he managed to assure the CIA that he would definitely no longer pursue anything like a serious socialist program – which makes me wonder to this day, where SA would be, if Mandela had betrayed his handlers, and pursued a more radical and transformative policy, like Traore, instead of staying within the mega-banker’s lines).
Also – just ‘cause we’re on the subject of cops. Our whole culture of policing, for all it’s remaining problems, is incomparably better now than when I was a teenager. I’ve seen it go wrong, but I’ve also seen them get it right when that was tough (circumstances pointed toward a lazy unjust interpretation), more than once. But in the 80s, one local band had a radio hit of “Cherry beach express” the nickname for our police picking up teenagers who they ‘didn’t like the look of’ (included several of my pals, since we were all punks and new-wave kids) driving them to a remote beach and beating them up.
Still, nothing beats my own father’s tale – squarest straightest guy you could imagine (literally, a church organist from the time he was fourteen). As a teenager (early 60s) he got picked up by cops, driven more than twenty miles out of town and dumped on the side of the road, so he had to walk half the night just to get home – all because when they stopped him, they found he had a paperback copy of Aristotle in his back pocket! (power is very very weird stuff, and attracts some very weird people).
South Africa's private security industry is the largest in the world, and far outnumbers police.
The TRC was bullshit because the corporate weren't included. South Africa was a transaction. The assets of the rich were protected in the democratic bullshit of propaganda. Mandela's arrest was arranged by the CIA and his release probably too. Then he became friends with billionaire Oppenheimer who got rich through Apartheid.
Power loves power, the details, Aristotle and whatnot, don't matter.
Good article, Mike!
Just a quickie, but I promise an article next time. Thanks, Diana.
Well said, Mike!
I spent a few years in an online photo group, which had a couple of sweet and brilliant white South African members, and I remember being astonished at the visual telltales they could not help but show. The juxtaposition of stunning beauty and barbed wire was outright creepy – and the proliferation of almost medieval looking defenses for otherwise normal houses made me sad for those on both sides of that divide of having and of violence. Free play between cultures is a fantastic bounty (and I never take that fortune for granted, though Toronto is, for all its faults, especially good at bringing many together).
I’m a bit weird for being a poor kid in a rich country, and doing better over time, but never losing my immediate awareness of the way things work for those on the bottom (which you captured perfectly). Power indeed despises those who can neither threaten nor bribe it! And policy splits between citizens the powerful do fear and care about, versus those who are functionally rendered untermenschen, have not been so starkly revealed here, in the better part of a century. (They made me add “Well meaning psychopath”) to my collection of definitions of malign “Libtards” (who have always pissed me off, even just for betraying once precious classical liberalism – to which we all owe so damn much).
Of course Toronto is a world away from that level of desperation and tension – but I saw a funny story today which reminded me of the complete ignorance of the powerful, when it comes to those they rule.
The provincial government is about to pass a law that allows them to give certain classes of “special constables” who do official government security in many settings, but are not full police officers, weapons, when this is deemed appropriate. Opposition parties are screaming –and of course pointing out the examples which make this sound silliest (solving campus high-jinx does not need a Glock).
But when I saw the special constables for government housing projects on the list, I understood immediately that the law was needed and sensible, and why. Years ago we had a high-murder summer which was widely called “The Summer of the Gun.” Baffled City, Provincial and even Federal politicians weighed-in on the question, with solemn faces and pious bullshit in heaping quantities. But no one had anything useful to say, or any insight whatsoever into what caused the problem.
But I stay in touch with poor people, so I understood that the “Summer of the Gun”came FROM THE ACTIONS OF THOSE STUPID POLITICIANS. Specifically, the city set aside hundreds of millions to redevelop one of the most violent gang-filled public housing project downtown (Regent Park) –and instead of thinking about the actual culture they were dealing with (rival gangs) they sent families from that project, directly into projects which were entirely controlled by hostile gangs (instead of allies).
So what we had was a blood feud gang war created by government “Helping and charity”policy (with a big helping of dopey idealism instead of specific awareness of realities and relationships, on the side).
Of course South Africa has far more entrenched problems on every level, especially competition for resources one class is used to stealing (and feeling it their right), and another huge class badly needs, but the more I read your stuff, the more I suspect one common element for the“Elites” who are driving all of us nuts in common with their combination of confidence and incompetence, is the refusal to engage with reality in a full sense, and an insistence instead on twisting and denying it, to reify dogma.
Cheers man!
Corruption is on another level here. Our police are a gang I fear. Sure, I've met a couple of folks at the station, on the ground level, who were nice, but when it mattered most, they were scary. When we decided to make our version of your "constables" it was a fuckup.
That goes hand in hand with crazy crime, with Cape Town and Durban having more murders than any other global city not at war in 2024. The latest infamous case was sentencing a mother for selling her 6 year old daughter so that her skin and eyes could be used for medicine (child not found so fate unknown).
You are correct in that elitism is the biggest cause of our problems.
Hey Mike
Sorry if I was vague there. We always had armed cops too, the special constable designation was about glorified security guards (but still a very revealing idiocy, on the part of the managerial class).
I know your system is orders of magnitude more lethal, brutal and corrupt. Which remains totally heartbreaking and crazy making, considering the numbers who are still trying, and the hope which once seemed so close and so possible. I’m actually surprised (considering the conditions) you found any sympathetic officers, though that does speak hopefully to the way some always try, even under the worst of circumstances (individuals with principle, like yourself, don’t ever “just follow orders.”)
One very strange thing here, is that Trudeau very deliberately used the “Truth and reconcilliation” model, trying to improve relations between the first-nations and the government. The fact that it didn’t actually work there, to resolve the historical tension between races (and that your set of problems are, in any case, VERY DIFFERENT) never seems to have been noticed by any of our elites at all.
I honestly think they’re so dumb they just said “Mandela is a hero, therefore whatever he did...”
(Though some serious leftists here always noticed he was only released AFTER he managed to assure the CIA that he would definitely no longer pursue anything like a serious socialist program – which makes me wonder to this day, where SA would be, if Mandela had betrayed his handlers, and pursued a more radical and transformative policy, like Traore, instead of staying within the mega-banker’s lines).
Also – just ‘cause we’re on the subject of cops. Our whole culture of policing, for all it’s remaining problems, is incomparably better now than when I was a teenager. I’ve seen it go wrong, but I’ve also seen them get it right when that was tough (circumstances pointed toward a lazy unjust interpretation), more than once. But in the 80s, one local band had a radio hit of “Cherry beach express” the nickname for our police picking up teenagers who they ‘didn’t like the look of’ (included several of my pals, since we were all punks and new-wave kids) driving them to a remote beach and beating them up.
Still, nothing beats my own father’s tale – squarest straightest guy you could imagine (literally, a church organist from the time he was fourteen). As a teenager (early 60s) he got picked up by cops, driven more than twenty miles out of town and dumped on the side of the road, so he had to walk half the night just to get home – all because when they stopped him, they found he had a paperback copy of Aristotle in his back pocket! (power is very very weird stuff, and attracts some very weird people).
South Africa's private security industry is the largest in the world, and far outnumbers police.
The TRC was bullshit because the corporate weren't included. South Africa was a transaction. The assets of the rich were protected in the democratic bullshit of propaganda. Mandela's arrest was arranged by the CIA and his release probably too. Then he became friends with billionaire Oppenheimer who got rich through Apartheid.
Power loves power, the details, Aristotle and whatnot, don't matter.
https://youtu.be/-QfdHPoU300
Listen to 'Bombs Away' - https://wickedmike.substack.com/p/unknown-south-african-music-soundtrack-5