I found Part 6 to be really interesting. South Africa definitely has a distinct history, forged by various racial and ethnic groups. The battles in the region were never as simple as "white against black." The Khoisan competed with the Bantu, the Zulu were constantly at battle with neighboring tribes, and the English were powerful threats to the Afrikaners. I think the real battle was simply "every man for himself" in ideology.
South Africa has always had amazing potential -- by way of natural resources and by way of the people. Yet divides of colour and background justified segregation and oppression. This tore the nation apart. Every group was different, yes, but they all brought a lot to the table. I think each group had a lot to learn from each other. I wonder how differently South Africa would have developed if the people were essentially colour-blind. I know that in that time period, such an idea would be virtually impossible. Yet, as an observer of history, it's aggravating to see how the differences that tore the people apart, could have served as a great pool of resources towards wealth and prosperity.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like that you brought up the point about the conflict being more that "white against black." As I was reading through beginning pages of section 6, I found it very difficult to keep track of who was attacking who and I tried to picture the different groups in my mind. At one point I finally realized my difficulties were due to the fact that I was thinking in "white vs black" terms. This is an eye opener as we continue to discuss the different stereotypes that people have about Africa. Good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI am on the same page as Kristy with having a hard time keeping track of who was attacking who. I've been trying to keep track of all of the different groups, and who is fighting is against who, and for what reasons..but it is really difficult. Porter is right, it is not just about "white against black," it really does seem to be every man out for himself. Although it is difficult to comprehend how the Afrikaners found themselves to be so superior to the other races that they left because they were so disgusted at the thought of equality.
ReplyDelete