יום שני, 16 בדצמבר 2013

Political freedom and social injustice

Nelson Mandela was definitely one of the greatest leaders of our time, he made South-Africa marching towards real democracy after 42 years of apartheid and more then two centuries of white power. With him and his leadership South-Africa became a country ruled by government that was elected by all the people of the land.

Mandela fought for social and civil equality, he didn't only seek equality according to the law, he was also a socialist and as such wanted equal life standards for all colors.
When he was released from Ruben island prison and elected president in the first democratic elections held in South-Africa 1994, he understood that it's impossible to realize all his ideals. He knew that getting justice for all who suffered during the apartheid means decades of public trials that will keep every body bleeding. Too many people of all colors where involved in atrocities for ideological reasons, too many guilty souls. Instead he helped devising the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was headed by bishop Desmond Tutu. This commission secured truth instead of justice and reconciliation instead of punishment. It also got peace instead of civil fight. The commission heard thousands of all colors, some accused and some confessed. The commission decided upon compensations and punishments and pardons. It was clear that you have to choose between peace or justice you can't have them both, so they chose peace.

When you compare the South African conflict to another persistent conflict the Israeli Palestinian conflict, it's as if the Israelis are handing over the sovereignty of the old part of Jerusalem while the Palestinians give up on the right of return.

Mandela did not only give up on civil justice for peace and political rights, he gave up on social justice as well. His government did not deal with redistribution of wealth or nationalization of public services and natural resources like the prime minister of UK Clement Atlee did in his time. Mandela who had socialistic views on statehood, preferred good relations with the ruling elite of South Africa and the western world.  The only way he could get them to cooperate with his main goal, true democratic South-Africa. This was the price for bloodless revolution, in return robber barons like World Bank, International Money Found, and domestic tycoons cooperated with the new government to make South-Africa prosper. Prosperity lasted until 2008 when neo-liberal economy crushed upon meeting the rocks of reality. Democratic South-Africa did not invest enough in public education and public health. It did not supply the population with every human right that is written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Quit the opposite, it went with the Washington consensus and privatized national services and basic rights like water.

When we look at today's South-Africa's social unrest, it seems like a big change is needed, a change towards social justice. It was right to achieve political and civil equality in 1990 but now is the time for another change this change is needed all around the globe but it is more so in South-Africa. If the nation will not go for social justice soon it may fall into a bloody class \ race revolution, this will be the total opposite of Mandela's wishes.         

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