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From: tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.college
Subject: Re: South African boycotts
Message-ID: <300@pyuxii.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 09:44:28 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxii.300
Posted: Fri Jan 10 09:44:28 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jan-86 07:20:47 EST
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Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
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Xref: watmath net.politics:12889 net.college:983

The main reason you see noone picketing diamond outlets
is that most of those connected with the current "cause"
are living with tunnel vision.  They refuse to see the
real world around them or to apply even a moderate amount
of logic to the problem.

First, let us take the krugeraand.  It is now illegal to
import the coins, however, since its introduction, there
are thousands in the hands of both collectors and
speculators.  To picket a coin dealer for selling the
coins that are still in circulation is asinine.  The
government of SA receives nothing from the current
trading in those coins.  The protestors are only creating
a hardship for the coin dealers.  Those dealers have been,
for the past 40 years, dealing in coins made
by the infamous Third Reich.  Do we pressure them for that
activity?  How about coins made under the rulership of Idi Amin
or any other despot going back to the first instance of
coining?

Now, let us look at diamonds.  Should everyone throw their
diamonds into the sea in protest over a despotic government
which will not last one one hundred thousandths as long
as the diamond in question?  No, I don't think it is a good
idea.  To cease buying krugeraands or diamonds or to even
protest the the third or fourth level of the marketing
of those items is a pure waste of time and effort since
the govenment of SA is not effected in any way by such actions.
This kind of protest only serves to boost the egos of those
doing the protesting and to provide a very shaky platform
for their cause.

Most protests concerning the current despicable situation in
SA are missing the target completly.  Their protests have
been aimed at U. S. corporations, which, by the way, have
a 1000% better batting average concerning the humanization
of the black population than the government.  What is needed
is a refocusing of protest efforts.  Picketing and protesting
is a time-honored institution, but it has to at least come close
to the mark in its efforts.  Picketing the SA consulat or embassy
is fine, but doing the same outside the offices of XEROX has
no effect on the SA government.  Picketing outside our own
State Department will have 100 fold the effect as opposed
to harrasing some small coin dealer.  Sitting in at the local
passport office is much more effective than screaming at some
poor woman or man because they are wearing a diamond ring.

Most of the current SA protest effort against local merchants
goes for nought as it is just not news outside the local
area.  Sitting in at a local passport office, however, is
national news and has a better chance of being seen by
the powers that be in SA. 

As for all of the hullaballo over divestiture, phooey.  The
ones who came up with this have never, obviously, learned
how the stock market operates.  I don't think this is the place 
to try to educate those folks about buying and selling stocks
and bonds.  Sufficeth to say that all of the divestiture efforts
do not amount to a pimple on a gnats butt.  The SA government
couldn't care less how much you screw up pension funds, funding
programs, or savings for US citizens.  What they are mindful
of are efforts directed specificaly at their seemingly secure
positions as leaders of their regime.  

And finally, tunnel vision.  Why is it that many of the leaders
of these protests seem to have blinders on and cannot see the same
sort of enslavement practices going on in other countries?  Where
were these people when Idi Amin was playing his little games?
Where are they now while certain African tribes are living in
absolute bondage to governments run by tribal factions not their
own?  What sort of enlightenment rules these people to allow them
to ignore the plight of millions of other enslaved peoples and
to concentrate their efforts only on SA, and, badly at that.

Instead of protests against coin dealers and little old ladies
wearing diamond rings, why not think for a minute about what
should be done to get the word to the SA government?  Most of
the current efforts do nothing more than cause great amounts
of laughter in the halls of the SA government.  The current
crop of protestors have to realize that it is the government in
SA that has to change, not private corporations, not private
coin dealers, and not little old ladies wearing diamond rings.
Change in SA is ONLY going to come about through a change in
the government and its policies.  The major reason there has not
been a great outpuring of protest in this country is that
most people see the current efforts as useless in convincing
SA to change.  Protesting and picketing against aparthied must
be aimed at a higher plane.  It has to effect the thinking of
the government in order to bring about change.

I don't have any clear ideas on what could be done to reach
the ears of the SA government, but the efforts so far have
been pitiful and misdirected.  Perhaps there are some more
logical thinkers out there on the network who can come up
with some better suggestions as to what form SA protests and
picketing can take.  Please don't start suggesting that
some form of divestiture can work.  Remember, for every
stock sold, there is a buyer.  The guy that really makes
out is the broker, he loses nothing and gains all.  Besides,
the company who originally sold the stock makes nothing on
subsequent trades.

T. C. Wheeler