Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ametek.UUCP!walton From: walton@ametek.UUCP Newsgroups: mod.politics Subject: Kissinger and South Africa Message-ID: <12243702474.49.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Thu, 2-Oct-86 20:26:25 EDT Article-I.D.: RED.12243702474.49.MCGREW Posted: Thu Oct 2 20:26:25 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 3-Oct-86 07:41:03 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: ametek!walton@csvax.caltech.edu Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 64 Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu Date: Sun 21 Sep 86 16:46:07-EDT From: ~joe testa~ >From: Steve Walton >... > In South Africa and the Third World, the state preceded the >nation, and the governments there are attempting to enforce >political boundaries... In Africa, most of the political boundaries are not the fault of the national governments; rather, they are the result of the colonial governing of African territories. True, but incomplete. When decolonization of Africa first began, the black Africans themselves agreed not to attempt to redraw the countries' boundaries along more rational lines, due to a fear that the resulting negotiations would be indefinitely long. > Kissinger's answer to South Africa's problem is something >patterned on the American system. Curious that he proposes a solution based on the American system to a problem which he also states is very different from the situation which gave rise to the American solution. Not that i'm necessarily saying that it would not work, but . . . No, his point was that South Africa's situation is much closer to that of 18th century America than to 18th century Europe, and that therefore an American style federal system is much more likely to work in South Africa than is a European style parliamentary system. >Kissinger suggests a Western-sponsored conference among >moderates of all races and tribes in South Africa, with the >express goal of fashioning a federal government for South Africa. >... > Comments? Yup. First, why should only the moderates be invited to this conference? What if the "radical" leaders actually represent the great majority of the people? "Radical" was a poor choice of words here, and it was mine, not Kissinger's. Perhaps I should have said "those advocating a peaceful solution to the South African question, including adherence to the principals of one person, one vote and of equal rights for all individuals and groups." But that's too long. (Footnote: A while back in the Wall Street Journal, an editorial writer said that the South African government should release Nelson Mandela and legalize the ANC [though not terrorism, of course] and allow them to place their ideas before the people of South Africa. He had no doubt that the majority of blacks would see that their desire is to replace one totalitarian government with another.) The sentence about "implementation" bothers me -- does this mean that the West would implement the compromise, or just monitor the implementation of the compromise by the South Africans? The latter, I believe. Steve Walton -------