Save the White People

[Kishkumen]

Trump once again showed who he is. While millions in the world starve or face violence every day, Trump reached down to the Afrikaners, white South Africans of Dutch descent, to fast-track them into the United States and full citizenship. He claims, without any real evidence, that they are being "persecuted" and facing "genocide."

The racism of Donald Trump's actions is pretty clear. The claim that Afrikaners are facing genocide is popular among far-right groups and is roundly criticized in this country and South Africa. One of the main grievances white South Africans have is that the government passed a law facilitating the expropriation of land so that property can black South Africans, who comprise 82% of the population but own 4% of the land, can have greater access to land ownership. Whites, who comprise just 7% of the population, own the lion's share of South African land.

Under the new land expropriation law, land can be seized without compensation if the property is not being used and there is no intention to either develop or make money from it, or if it poses a risk to others. See https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9w4n6gp5o The disparity in land ownership is a result of the European colonization of South African land over the centuries. In the 20th century, the 1913 Native Lands Act limited black ownership of land to just 7% of the country. The majority of South African land was allotted to whites. See https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/20/africa/s ... eform-intl Naturally, black South Africans feel that post-apartheid progress has been too slow, with only 4% of land in black ownership.

This is the persecution in the eyes of right-wing groups and President Trump--that the government could seize land that is not being used or that poses a risk to others. Keep in mind that governments in the US regularly use what is called eminent domain to seize property, and, in fact, the courts have expanded the government's power to do so regularly. The most recent decision finding in favor of the government occurred in 2005. While it is true that the government in question must compensate the owner, the idea of what compensation is just is often contested, since governments frequently pay less than what others would consider a fair price.

Many people around the globe are fleeing immediate threats to their lives. They are starving. They are in war zones. They are victims of out-of-control criminal gangs. But Trump has stopped helping these people. Instead, he ostentatiously picks out a relatively privileged group of white South Africans, pays to bring them here, and puts them on a fast-track to citizenship in the USA. It boggles the mind. The racism is obvious.

There is a principle of economic theory called revealed preference. According to this theory, consumers reveal their true preferences in what they actually purchase, as opposed to what they claim to prefer. Trust the purchase, not the verbiage. If we apply this theory to Trump's decision to stop granting asylum to thousands of POCs in order to pay to bring relatively privileged white South Africans to the US and grant these same people citizenship expeditiously, then the revealed preference is clear: Trump is strongly biased in favor of white people and against POCs.

South African racists seem to understand they have a friend in a racist Trump. White Afrikaner separatists of the Karoo region have even come to the US seeking recognition as an autonomous entity. Three thousand white Afrikaners live in Orania, a whites only, separatist enclave. They want financial support from the Trump administration. And it is not just the people of Orania who are seeking out Trump and the MAGA GOP. Other Afrikaner nationalist groups have been visiting with GOP leaders to build alliances with them. See https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/so ... 025-04-03/

[Kishkumen]

For coverage of Afrikaner nationalists seeking Trump and MAGA GOP support, see:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... -afriforum

The president’s order came after years of lobbying by an Afrikaner rights groups, AfriForum, which caught Trump’s attention during his first term by claiming that white farmers in South Africa were being murdered for political ends and to seize their land. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) civil rights organisation has described AfriForum’s leaders as white supremacists in suits and ties.

Other far-right South Africans pushed similar messages claiming that whites were being victimised by the post-apartheid democratic order. Simon Roche, head of Suidlanders, a group that claims to be preparing the “Protestant Christian South African minority for a coming violent revolution”, appeared on Alex Jones’s Infowars channel claiming that white people in South Africa “expect to see a genocide against them”.

AfriForum officials also travelled to New York last July for the US launch of the Afrikaner Foundation to “represent the Afrikaner cause internationally”. Roets was appointed to lead the foundation and appeared as a guest speaker at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington and addressed New York Young Republicans as well as visiting the US Capitol and making television appearances.

The Afrikaner Foundation and AfriForum are both part of the Solidarity Movement in South Africa, of which Roets is head of policy. The Solidarity Movement said last week that it would be holding discussions with the Trump administration in the near future and expected to hold a meeting at the White House.

[Kishkumen]

***

[Gadianton]

Like everything else he does it's a publicity stunt to drive the culture war with potential for personal gain or outright corruption with potential as a publicity stunt to drive the culture war. Whatever keeps his face on page one for good or bad.

[Kishkumen]

Like everything else he does it's a publicity stunt to drive the culture war with potential for personal gain or outright corruption with potential as a publicity stunt to drive the culture war. Whatever keeps his face on page one for good or bad.

The real needs of others be damned. It is exhausting to see this nonsense unfold.

[Hound of Heaven]

Ultimately, I believe you've chosen an excellent topic for this thread, Kishkumen.

The mere fact that I'm contributing here guarantees that this thread will definitely make it beyond the first page, which is something that doesn't occur for you very frequently.

To begin with, I anticipate that this discussion will reveal the underlying racism present among you and your progressive friends, particularly given that progressives seem to view the appropriation of land from white residents by a majority black nation as a positive action.

Is it true that you and Gadianton believe that black South Africans should take land from white South Africans? It seems that you and Gadianton have a strong aversion to being white people.

Perhaps you believe that white Americans should return portions of America to the Native Americans, right? This approach allows you to embrace your identity with greater confidence!

[Gadianton]

Imagine the Kardashians but in the White House. Executive orders over fashion and lawsuits against anyone who doesn't think they are hot, and the snobbier and more entitled they act the more fans cheer and critics melt down. "Anyone who doesn't like my hair style today will be deported." That kind of thing. A dysfunctional and incompetent royal family, but one with real effect on people's lives. It's high drama with serious consequences. The dumbest stunts with the highest consequences win. It's the kind of entertainment much of the world through time has had as their only entertainment but America has been lucky to avoid until recently. It's interesting that a tough-guy roofer gets so into it.

Stephen Kotkin is really careful in his interviews. He's probably the most revered guy at the Hoover Institute and he obviously can't stand Trump, but he even he walks on eggshells when commenting. He mentions sometimes that he doesn't watch television, and he doesn't follow the day-to-day of the court of Mar-a-Lago. Which tells me my description above is accurate.

[Kishkumen]

Ultimately, I believe you've chosen an excellent topic for this thread, Kishkumen.

Yes, I have.

The mere fact that I'm contributing here guarantees that this thread will definitely make it beyond the first page, which is something that doesn't occur for you very frequently.

LOL! Indeed!

To begin with, I anticipate that this discussion will reveal the underlying racism present among you and your progressive friends, particularly given that progressives seem to view the appropriation of land from white residents by a majority black nation as a positive action.

In other words, you anticipate that you will interpret the comments as indicative of an underlying racism among people you label progressives simply due to the fact that they oppose Trump and MAGA.

Is it true that you and Gadianton believe that black South Africans should take land from white South Africans?

Try asking a real question.

It seems that you and Gadianton have a strong aversion to being white people.

No, it doesn't.

Perhaps you believe that white Americans should return portions of America to the Native Americans, right?

I believe in just, salutary, and effective responses to alleviate the suffering of people. That does not usually reside in simple answers to complex problems, the kind of answers that Trump and MAGA policymakers often come up with.

This approach allows you to embrace your identity with greater confidence!

What approach and what identity again?

[Kishkumen]

Imagine the Kardashians but in the White House. Executive orders over fashion and lawsuits against anyone who doesn't think they are hot, and the snobbier and more entitled they act the more fans cheer and critics melt down. "Anyone who doesn't like my hair style today will be deported." That kind of thing. A dysfunctional and incompetent royal family, but one with real effect on people's lives. It's high drama with serious consequences. The dumbest stunts with the highest consequences win. It's the kind of entertainment much of the world through time has had as their only entertainment but America has been lucky to avoid until recently. It's interesting that a tough-guy roofer gets so into it.

Stephen Kotkin is really careful in his interviews. He's probably the most revered guy at the Hoover Institute and he obviously can't stand Trump, but he even he walks on eggshells when commenting. He mentions sometimes that he doesn't watch television, and he doesn't follow the day-to-day of the court of Mar-a-Lago. Which tells me my description above is accurate.

Absolutely brilliant and spot on!

[canpakes]

Is it true that you and Gadianton believe that black South Africans should take land from white South Africans?

Try asking a real question.

Marking Hound down for, (1) ‘use of stupid presuppositions’, and (2) ‘does not agree with eminent domain’.