To discuss your weekly readings of books, textbooks and papers.
After finishing “The Master and Margarita”, I started reading earlier this week “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro. I wanted to start with Ishiguro a few months ago and I was kind of undecided between this and “Never Let Me Go”, which I nominated for the next bookclub.
I'm currently on page 70 and so far I'm enjoying it. The main character is an old Butler who's kind of of a sperg. His new american boss gives him a few days off and he goes on a roadtrip through the English countryside to visit the old Housekeeper who left the Manor 20 years before while revisiting his memories from the time she worked there.
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I am reading Bitter Harvest by Ian Smith.
Smith was the last PM of Rhodesia before the collapse in what is now known today as Zimbabwe. In his book, you can kinda get a tortured vibe from him, just total bewilderment at being betrayed by the British government who not only abandoned the colony, but surrendered many colonists to the tender mercies of the communists who would later steal and massacre the people. It's pretty tragic from his point of view, not only does he lose his home and country, but he also has to watch these crass people pick over the rotting corpse of Rhodesia, and only then sees it replicated in South Africa.
Rhodesia ironically was the more benevolent of the two, but it doesn't matter because the West was just as bad for their allies as the Soviets were. Smith was probably the most benevolent African leader that had existed up until that point, but you cannot even say that without being accused of an Apartheid apologist (Which, was never legal in Rhodesia.)
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
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What was the difference between Rhodesia style segregation and Apartheid?
Smith seems to be a controversial and interesting historical figure.
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Shockingly, there was no segregation of Rhodesia, but the rub was black people were never afforded political rights. They had access to trials by jury, they could go wherever they wanted to. There were even local representative councils for them to get their foot in the door in government. But it was never good enough, even though Smith bent over backwards to beat back communist uprisings in the most humane ways possible, he was still demonized by the left internationally, in every country.
He was controversial if you don't like white people and like communism, but that's about it. He seemed like a legitimately good person put in a horrible situation, and wouldn't back down. Now he's like, a boogeyman for the uneducated. It's sad. But that's life, all I can do is learn from it.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
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So basically it was a continuation of British Colonial Government, while South Africa decided to turn blacks into third class citizens with restricted movement?
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I would say that's pretty accurate. Like, it was not nakedly oppressive, but definitely patrimonial. Like South Africa I think was legit the worst offender, paranoid regime. But Rhodesia seemed to sincerely try to make it work, and even wanted to let black people having voting rights after they were educated and politically sound (IE Not commies)
It's like a more sincere version of colonial government. Like yeah, I get it feels weird, but watch this. There's black people in the capital, dressed like everyone else, there's no violence, there's not anything bad going on. Just normalcy.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
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Were the black people supposed to be happy about being treated as second class citizens in their own country just because of skin colour? Rightoids
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Well, I just hope they're happy now that the great people of Africa got what they wanted :)
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
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Eh, Rhodesia didn't have apartheid but their segregation was enforced through the Land Appointment Acts + miscegenation laws,
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I have to give Smith credit, even after white rule ended he stayed and was involved in politics there. Takes some big balls to be able to do that after leading a war against majority rule
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Good guy dealt a shit hand. He legitimately cared about his country, which is more than you can say for 90% of African leaders, 95% of western ones.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
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Holy shit, based African Bong.
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a few
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