inside politics

Analysis of and commentary on South African politics.

Tag: Liberalism

7 March 2013

Citizenship in a republic


FreedomSPEECH: Every now and then a piece of writing, confined to the historical archives, leaps out at you, as though written only yesterday. The speech below stuck me as one such example. It is a famous remark, most famous for the passage commonly titled ‘the man in the arena’, about critics who condemn from afar. But almost every paragraph is as rich and lucid with meaning and insight; and it is prescient too. In South Africa we battle daily with the idea of what it is to be a good citizen. Here you have a secular Bible of sorts, a wonderful, insightful guide to citizenship in a republic. Read it with our country, its politics and current condition in mind. I would suggest it required reading for any liberal. Its brilliance really is something both rare and special. At some point I shall expand on its significance. In the meantime, enjoy.

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8 January 2013

On tolerance


TheThingAboutSERIES: It has become fashionable to champion diversity as if the idea and its practical manifestations are one in the same, both good and virtuous. This is wrong. Diversity, as a value, is important, good and necessary but not every actual difference in a society is therefore equally virtuous. Many things that are ‘different’ are anti-freedom. One needs to distinguish between allowing difference the space to flourish and evaluating and responding to that difference itself. If we fail to do that, tolerance suffers. It becomes a euphemism for blind acceptance, which is not its purpose.

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31 December 2012

Inside Politics wins Best Political Blog


InsidePoliticsThank you to everyone who voted. Inside Politics won best political blog for 2012. Congratulations to all the winners. Hopefully, in 2013, I can raise the bar somewhat. I have a range of interesting ideas for the year ahead and, I hope, some pieces which can get a few meaningful debates going. In the meantime, if you are visiting the blog for the first time, welcome. You can follow Inside Politics by e-mail simply by going to the bottom of the page and filling in your address. (When you confirm it, you will receive an e-mail the moment any new post is loaded to the site.) Alternatively, you can follow Inside Politics on Twitter here:

or me, here:

2012 had some had some great highlights, check out the Key Pieces tab for more. (Everything from how much Jacob Zuma costs the public to a defence of the Spear and Freedom of Speech). And, along with that, I hope, some helpful pieces on key liberal ideas and what they mean. Until 2013, thank you again.

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26 June 2012

The best of Inside Politics


FEATURE: Inside Politics has now been up and running for five months. I thought I would use the opportunity to provide a helpful overview of some of the more popular articles that have been featured during that period. I have summerised them by type and included a rough word guide, so you know what you are getting. I hope you enjoy the summary. If its in-depth investigative reasearch you into, breaking news, opinion or liberal ideas, its all here. Have a read and, if you like it, recommend it to others.

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15 June 2012

The ANC and John Dugard: Feeding the hand it bites


FEATURE: This April past President Zuma awarded John Dugard the national order of the Baobab. It was a recognition well deserved; John Dugard’s contribution to South African jurisprudence is extraordinary. Likewise, however, it was a deeply hypocritical gesture. The ANC has for years spurned Dugard, blocking his appointment to many key positions, including the Constitutional Court. But that is the nature of nationalism: to fete the very things it despises. Here follows a Business Day article I wrote on this subject this week.

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7 June 2012

The mischievous deviousness of Jeremy Cronin


FEATURE: Jeremy Cronin, along with a great many other people in the alliance, constantly suggest liberalism was the source of much wrong in South Africa’s past, and should therefore be dismissed. They are wrong on the facts. But that’s not the point. If it’s historical injustice the SACP wants to speak out against, it should take a look in the mirror – because socialism is responsible for mass murder on an unprecendeted scale. If anyone has some explaining to do, its the SACP. And someone should ask them to start.

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