this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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125
The Economist calls Julius Malema 'the most dangerous man in South Africa' because he is for nationalization. (lemmygrad.ml)
submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/02/15/is-julius-malema-the-most-dangerous-man-in-south-africa

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Nasser, Qasim, Hussein, Gadaffi, Mossadegh, Árbenz. None of them communists, but all had something in common: nationalization of local industry as policy. All were also demonized, hated, and most even directly murdered by U.S. intelligence.

Empire fears the communist movement because nationalization has proven inherent to its implementation. Nationalization is the greatest fear of empire, though, as it rips production (and profit) from the stranglehold of foreign exploiters and brings it that much closer to the native toilers.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Nationalization of resources to capitalists is like garlic to a vampire.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

We gotta put a stake through their hearts to make sure they never come back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0p6eswIkQk

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Arbenz wasn’t murdered. He fled the country after being ousted and died while in exile. His tomb can be visited and I’ve gone there plenty of times.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

I did say most, but I appreciate the clarification.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Crackers spooked that someone's even talking about ending the plunder they've unjustly enjoyed for centuries, I love to see it. Malema is genuinely one of my fuckin heroes rn

[–] [email protected] 40 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Even the guillotine is less threatening to capitalists than nationalization and land redistribution so yes.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago

Because they'd rather die than live as working class.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Common Economist L

[–] [email protected] 33 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Didn't Lenin literally refuse an interview with them because they were an outlet for the capitalist class?

[–] [email protected] 37 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Ya

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago

Very common Lenin W

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

Quoting one of your biggest haters is crazy

[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (1 children)

HERE'S HOPING THIS BOY GETS IN POWER SOON, WOOO!!!!

Also, the EFF was founded back in 2013, which was almost 11 years ago. What are these boys doing right that made them get over one million party members in such a relatively short amount of time?

[–] [email protected] 33 points 8 months ago

It sounds like it's just good old on grassroots organizing and education of the masses. Bolsheviks also took around a decade to become a serious force incidentally.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 8 months ago

Remember what they did to Sankara? Here we go again...

[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago

South Africa, famously a place that doesn't need land reform

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago

The spectre haunts on.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

Not dangerous, just corrupt and wildly idealistic. The EFF manifesto makes for a wild read with all the crazy promises and policies proposed, many of which have very little to do with Marxism. Nationalisation might be one of their few good proposed policies along with land reform.

https://effonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/A5-EFF-2024-Manifesto-full-version.pdf

Already the first few pages of the document listing their accomplishments are full of contradictions and exaggerations:

The EFF got former President Mr Jacob Zuma to pay back money spent on non-security-related upgrades at his homestead in Nkandla.

Is that why the EFF tried to court Zuma and get him to join the EFF as a partymember?

The EFF held a successful national shutdown on the 20th of March 2023 to demand a stable supply of electricity and the resignation of Cyril Ramaphosa.

Lmao! I don't think I saw a single EFF member engaged in this "shutdown" outside of the city centres of South Africa's capitals.

The EFF has gained credibility at institutions of higher learning by constantly winning SRC elections. The EFF has built the confidence of black people and confronted racism everywhere where it encounters it.

Ok this is at least true and one of the things that the EFF is good at. Very good at making racists scared.

Onto addressing unemployment:

The EFF will establish State-Owned Housing and Roads Companies that will deal with the social housing and roads infrastructure backlog. In the short to medium term, this will result in nearly 4 million jobs.

A good idea, but idealistic as I fail to see how this will generate four million jobs in five years. The construction industry in South Africa only employs 1.2 million people currently.

The EFF will establish a state-owned security company that will insource all security personnel working in government facilities. This will immediately create 1.2 million sustainable and quality jobs without departing from the existing government budget expenditure.

1.2 million people working for a security company to protect government property? How is that going to ever happen? I guess they plan to hire some of the 2.7 million registered security guards, of which only 600 000 are currently active/employed. I still don't see how this is even possible. To create a security company with double the amount of employees as the entire security sector within 5 years. Just because someone is registered to do a job, it doesn't mean that they will do it.

The EFF government will hire all military reservists permanently.

The EFF government shall mandate that each person undergo compulsory military training for a year or six months after matriculation, offering life skills and discipline.

Bringing back mlitary conscription? For what? I don't see South Africa facing any current threat that requires that. Or hiring all reservists.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

Nationalisation might be one of their few good proposed policies along with land reform.

And that’s all that is needed. A complete reformation of the relations of production will have a profound effect in elevating the productive forces.

Your critique on the manifesto seems lazy because most bourgeois democracies and their parties over-inflate and exaggerate in their manifestoes. Doesn’t say much about their class character.

Many things can happen when a large mass movement built on consensus is in charge.

I am not saying the EFF is one either, but the critique you bring forward doesn’t showcase your points well.

Bringing back military conscription? For what?

It is answered in the quote you mentioned.

offering life skills and discipline.

Teaching the masses life skills is GOOD.

Military conscription (which in the cited quote doesn’t necessarily imply “conscription”) is not only about invading other countries or protecting sovereignty. That’s colonizer talk.

The army can help with a lot of people’s projects, mobilizing resources for the betterment of the country. Furthermore, most places that have conscription also have options to participate in other governmental bodies, like firefighting. It is not strictly just into the army.

Furthermore, all AES countries have mandatory military conscription.

The countries that do not have military conscription are often those tainted with liberal individualism, prioritising the rights of the “individual” rather than the service to the community especially wrt to Global South countries.

many of which have very little to do with Marxism.

May I get specific examples of which policies “are not relevant” to Marxism? And I want something that is unequivocally and undeniably for the empowerment of the comprador classes and Capital.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Very refreshing to see a sober perspective on the EFF. There are plenty of good things about them, but ultimately they're still servants of capital so I can't see them escaping the problems that plague the ANC. It's worth it to remember that the ANC also campaigned on a platform of nationalisation and job creation up until 1994, but when push came to shove they capitulated to neoliberal reforms. I don't have much faith the same won't happen to the EFF, but as you said, alteast they're good at making the racists scared :)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Anytime a government can promise specific numbers of something everyone understands that to be a goal. Whether they are competent enough to meet the goal is another matter.

If one wants to nationalize the economy and you can command the government, the army is a good tool to use. All armies always have been logistics managing institutions. Through them they can bulk purchase whatever products they want from domestic industries and distribute them at whatever price they want.

Also the one thing that anyone needs to make sure that they stay in power is to keep the millitary on the side of your political institution. A loyal army is better than a neutral army which is better than having an army hostile to you. This is especially true if foreign powers want you to do things differently.

Of course one can run things poorly (regardless of ideology), but I don't see how any of this stuff listed is serving the interests of foreign capital.

Your complaints about not being directing the communist movement, thats not necessarily the worst thing. If the movement can get them in power and they can implement what the movement wants more than the bourgeoisie parties can, thats GOOD!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago

Betteridge's law of headlines

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

For libs who didn't read the article, "EFF" is not talking about the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Now use this archive link and go read it before you discuss it: https://web.archive.org/web/20240215213606/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/02/15/is-julius-malema-the-most-dangerous-man-in-south-africa

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago

Make Malema white, let's see if the media calls him dangerous.