The rise of Apartheid

One of the most disconcerting discoveries on our trip to Cape Town, South Africa is the suggested root of the rise of apartheid in this nation. Following the end of the Second World War, many European immigrated out of the area and settled in South Africa. They brought with them some of the ideas of their culture which included a belief in the superiority of white people. This idea took root and developed into what would become the Apartheid Movement that would dominate the country for years. Even today, 18 years later, there is a strong disparity between white people of privilege and the colored-blacks who mostly live in poverty. We seem to have a recurring theme in America of the have and the have-nots and South Africa follows this trend with maybe 5% of the population controlling 95% of the nations wealth.

Even attempts to stimulate the economy have failed as these attempts serve the interests of the wealthy instead of the poor.

Listening to this issue led me to connections with the issues in America where we still have in mind the demonstrations of Occupy Wall Street and other sites. The solutions to these two countries does not seem to be on the close horizon but there is developing a sense of urgency from the unrest in the lower classes.

It might be that by pooling resources we can find ways to address these issues before a terrible class war develops.