Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: December 22, 2024, 11:47 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
#1
US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
I read this thread which was both scary in its parallels to today and scary for the implications for the US in the future, and is perhaps another model of a descent into authoritarianism that we should be paying attention to rather than focusing so completely on 1940s Germany.

I'll post the most relevant tweets, the whole thread can be read at the link below or on twitter.









https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10127...19841.html

Looking at the damage that has been done in 18 months of a Trump presidency, how much worse is it going to get before it gets better?

What's going to be our version of SA's apartheid?

How long will it take for us to recover?
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
Reply
#2
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
Honestly, I don't know as much as I'd like about the fucked-up-ness of the Apartheid regime, but it could very well end up being a more apt comparison than the Third Reich comparisons. I suppose that people in America are more familiar with the Third Reich than Apartheid.

Recently, I discovered this play on YouTube:






As the title suggests, it's a mash-up of Albert Jarry's Ubu Roi with several excerpts from the real-life Truth and Reconciliation Commission. And one can only wonder what a post-Trump equivalent to the Truth and Reconciliation committee will look like.

The entire playscript is on Google Books, since the bots were unusually generous that day.
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.

[Image: harmlesskitchen.png]

I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
Reply
#3
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
There really is some crazy shit on the internet.
Reply
#4
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
(July 12, 2018 at 10:16 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote: Honestly, I don't know as much as I'd like about the fucked-up-ness of the Apartheid regime, but it could very well end up being a more apt comparison than the Third Reich comparisons. I suppose that people in America are more familiar with the Third Reich than Apartheid.

Thinking about it overnight I do think that there's a difference between apartheid and the US circa now in that (and I don't know a whole lot about apartheid either) the twitter thread implies that people in South Africa either thought the NP would blow over and be voted out, or that the actions they were taking wouldn't actually happen, or that there was general apathy among the population, but I don't know that that aspect really parallels today.  There is definitely a vocal resistance to this administration that seems to be larger and more active than opposition to past presidents. : shrug:

There are some book recommendations in the comments on the first tweet of the thread that I was going to look into. Like I mentioned, I'm not that well versed in apartheid either - before I watch the Lawrence Fishburne showabout Nelson Mandela last year the most I knew about apartheid was what I learned watching Lethal Weapon 2... Blush
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
Reply
#5
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
We have the chance to prove we aren't on the same path this November.
I'm not anti-Christian. I'm anti-stupid.
Reply
#6
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
It seems to me that we are in a political climate that will foster more and more radicalization. How the radicals ultimately choose to get their point(s) across is up for grabs.

I can still remember the 70's.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
Reply
#7
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
Well, at least the sort of party sweep required to change the US Constitution like the NP did last happened in 1965. And before that in 1933 and 1935. And the last time before that, Grant was in his second term. Also, the long stretch of time between 1865-71, and even then, several states were vacant, for Civil War-related reasons. And then, almost every Congress between 1803 and 1825 was in that position. And that is all the times in American history one party was able to reach 2/3 of both houses of Congress.

Meanwhile, we have a president who needed Russian interference to become President, won with the lowest popular vote margin since the two Corrupt Bargains of 1824 and 1876, and hasn't had a net positive approval rating since his first week of office. Those conditions are not likely to happen.
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.

[Image: harmlesskitchen.png]

I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
Reply
#8
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
Apartheid has been openly discussed in California. Silicon valley tech giants and the Hollywood 'elite' would constitute the ruling class, and everyone else would be income redistributioned into the lower economic category but would be eligible for whatever social services the state could still afford.

I also note the discussions have not garnered much in the way of criticism, for some reason. Perhaps the nascent California model would be more palatable to the rest of the county over and above anything Trump might want to implement ??
 The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it. 




Reply
#9
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
What a totally rediculous, stupid, inaccurate and historically offensive accusation.

Obviously whoever said this has no idea what apartheid was like. Not to mention pre-apartheid south Africa. Not to mention what Nazi Germany was like.

This is where anti Trump people totally lose me in the conversation. I'm opposed to Trump based on reality. No need to make over the top historical comparisons.
[Image: dcep7c.jpg]
Reply
#10
RE: US more like apartheid South Africa than 1940s Germany?
(July 13, 2018 at 6:29 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: There really is some crazy shit on the internet.

The problem is that there is some crazy shit in the White House.
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  North & South Korea conflict neil 13 1562 January 16, 2024 at 10:41 am
Last Post: Thumpalumpacus
  Poland, Germany, France all love me Brian37 4 1845 April 21, 2023 at 7:05 am
Last Post: arewethereyet
  The impeachment of Trump suddenly looks like much more than just a theory WinterHold 45 5035 January 10, 2020 at 1:57 pm
Last Post: onlinebiker
  More people die from suicide than war and natural disasters combined. CapnAwesome 39 4443 October 16, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Last Post: CarveTheFive
  Like Father Like Son-In-Law Minimalist 1 441 October 14, 2018 at 3:34 pm
Last Post: Joods
  More Class Than I Gave Them Credit For Minimalist 1 590 July 15, 2018 at 6:31 pm
Last Post: Brian37
  Looks Like The WLB Will Fold Like A Cheap Camera Minimalist 1 712 June 20, 2018 at 12:28 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  30 injured, 3 dead in delivery van attack in Germany Joods 31 3653 April 9, 2018 at 1:30 am
Last Post: Minimalist
  Angela Merkel elected to fourth term as chancellor of Germany c172 3 895 March 14, 2018 at 6:29 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  South African vs. giant squid The Valkyrie 13 3625 June 21, 2017 at 11:01 pm
Last Post: ignoramus



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)