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To: SamuraiScot

Instead, Mandela-land is becoming like the rest of Africa.


They are still entitled to screw up their own country ON THEIR OWN TERMS. Look I agree all of Africa is a socialist wasteland and I shed no tears but defending the White regime in South Africa is just silly. They survived as long as they did because of their resource wealth ( like that Other SA ! ).


32 posted on 08/20/2006 9:56:19 PM PDT by newfarm4000n (God Bless Taxpayers)
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To: newfarm4000n
They survived as long as they did because of their resource wealth

Resource wealth doesn't lead to general prosperity. Look at Hong Kong. Then look at Saudi Arabia. Then look at Russia. Or for that matter, all the countries in West Africa, which are horrifyingly poor, yet awash in valuable minerals.

What leads to prosperity (see Thos. Sowell on this) is the rule of law and a physical infrastructure that allows for trade inside and outside the country.

Compared to the rest of Africa, which is much more tribal and corrupt, South Africa excelled in both law and infrastructure. (Even bad or imperfect law is better than none, if it can be counted on.) It therefore developed a real economy, and compared to the rest of Africa, a real political system.

The kind of organized looting of a country that went wild in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and seems still to be sinking South Africa always leads to financial ruin, because it destroys confidence in the law, and reduces entrepreneurs' willingness to take the risks that produce general prosperity.

48 posted on 08/22/2006 10:30:32 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
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