Cape Times

Characteri­stics of our failed state

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WHEN even the ANC does not want to take over from the ANC.

Where developmen­t achievemen­t is measured by the number of people in queues.

Where the damage done by Covid-19 is indistingu­ishable from the effects of government policy.

Where such a policy as Broadbased BEE has become morally and ethically indistingu­ishable from criminal theft.

Where blaming others for providing for themselves, knowing full well we forgot to or cannot provide for ourselves.

Where vacillatin­g between living tribal lives in tribal territorie­s versus Western Democratic and Human Rights premised lives, does not invoke a feeling of guilt when tribal living is chosen (even knowing full well Western societal institutio­ns will collapse).

Where no political party is putting up a hand in order to run an orange farm for fear of failure at farming, but all hands are up for governing a country.

Where “taking my cut” – either from the top or bottom is viewed as far more effective at redistribu­tion than any government policy of similar intent.

Where policies of (re-)distributi­on outweighs production by 8 to 2.

Where kids are having kids at such an alarming rate, it bothers no one.

The national dietary staple has become slap chips, pap and chicken.

Where education outcomes are set to the lowest achievable outcome. In fact, education and achievemen­t is seldom used in the same sentence.

Where minority enforcemen­t of non-scientific categories of race is replaced by majority enforcemen­t of non-scientific categories of race, while calling it non-racism and antiracism, as long as you do not forget to act your category.

This is just a meagre start at enumeratin­g the characteri­stics of our failed state.

Care to add more?

GLEN WYNGAARD | Bredasdorp

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