Category Archives: Democracy

South Africa Heads For Another Racial Census

Anti-Semitism, Democracy, Race, Racism, South-Africa

Writes our brilliant Afrikaner friend (and I never use the word “brilliant” in vain), Dan Roodt: “South Africa is today an insane society, modeled upon an Ayn Rand nightmare where the looters govern and the producers, entrepreneurs and taxpayers are constantly harassed for handing over more of their wealth. Out of a total population of 46 million people, 12 million South Africans now receive so-called government ‘grants.’ They and their dependents – who amount to probably more than 20 million people or half the population – survive on these government handouts. They do not work, yet receive childcare allowances, pensions, free housing, water, electricity, healthcare and schooling.” …

“South Africa is headed for another racial census, a.k.a. an ‘election’ on 22 April – with the predictable outcome of returning another ANC government to power. Given that South African blacks represent 80% of the population, there is absolutely no way in which the ANC could lose.” …

“Instead of dissipating over time amid the constant din of South African liberals who believe that the country has ‘finally transcended race’ or is on its way to doing so, race and identity remain at the core of South African politics. No less a man than Harvard political scientist Samual Huntington once observed that South Africa was one of those countries condemned to a ‘conflict of civilizations,’ with a formerly white-dominated Western country currently being Africanised by the demographically dominant black population and its Afrocentric leadership.” …

The complete column is “South Africa heads for another racial census.” Read the rest of it on PRAAG, where my column occasionally appears as well.

Updated: ‘Who Won In Israel’s Elections?’

Democracy, Individual Rights, Iraq, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Natural Law

Writes Daniel Pipes: The real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who raised the specter of the country’s increasingly hostile Arab citizens:

“Tzipi Livni, the head of the Kadima party, can credibly claim victory in the elections on Tuesday because her party won the most seats. Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party can also claim victory as the head of the largest party in the larger of the two coalitions, the national camp.

Both Livni and Netanyahu can plausibly claim ‘I won’ the elections this week – but neither did.

But the real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. A Moldovan immigrant who started his career in Likud and as then served as director-general of Netanyahu’s prime ministerial office, he founded Yisrael Beiteinu in 1999.

Lieberman has introduced a new issue into Israeli domestic politics – the place of the country’s Arab citizens. Noting their increasingly public disloyalty to the state, he has argued that they should lose their citizenship and their right to live in Israel unless they declare their loyalty to the Jewish state.

This topic has clearly struck a nerve among the Israeli Jewish electorate and prompted responsible Arab voices to acknowledge that Israeli Arabs have ‘managed to make the Jewish public hate us.’ As I wrote in 2006, Israel’s ‘final enemy’ may finally, be joining the battle. The consequences of this for the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole could well be profound.”

By Daniel Pipes, Wednesday 11, Feb 2009

Related: “When I Am The Stronger, I Take Away Your Freedom, Because That Is My Principle”

Update (Feb 12): In response to the always provocative Myron hereunder: As a classical liberal, I’m wary of conflating the vote, for what it’s worth, with natural rights. I agree with you that the latter must be inviolable. But the vote? That’s a political right. Neither is citizenship a natural right. Talk about taking away property or denying due process: those are unconscionable, and violate natural rights.

Preventing more hostile Arabs from migrating into Israel proper is perfectly legitimate in natural law. It’s non-aggressive self-defense.

Updated: 'Who Won In Israel's Elections?'

Democracy, Individual Rights, Iraq, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Natural Law

Writes Daniel Pipes: The real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who raised the specter of the country’s increasingly hostile Arab citizens:

“Tzipi Livni, the head of the Kadima party, can credibly claim victory in the elections on Tuesday because her party won the most seats. Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party can also claim victory as the head of the largest party in the larger of the two coalitions, the national camp.

Both Livni and Netanyahu can plausibly claim ‘I won’ the elections this week – but neither did.

But the real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. A Moldovan immigrant who started his career in Likud and as then served as director-general of Netanyahu’s prime ministerial office, he founded Yisrael Beiteinu in 1999.

Lieberman has introduced a new issue into Israeli domestic politics – the place of the country’s Arab citizens. Noting their increasingly public disloyalty to the state, he has argued that they should lose their citizenship and their right to live in Israel unless they declare their loyalty to the Jewish state.

This topic has clearly struck a nerve among the Israeli Jewish electorate and prompted responsible Arab voices to acknowledge that Israeli Arabs have ‘managed to make the Jewish public hate us.’ As I wrote in 2006, Israel’s ‘final enemy’ may finally, be joining the battle. The consequences of this for the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole could well be profound.”

By Daniel Pipes, Wednesday 11, Feb 2009

Related: “When I Am The Stronger, I Take Away Your Freedom, Because That Is My Principle”

Update (Feb 12): In response to the always provocative Myron hereunder: As a classical liberal, I’m wary of conflating the vote, for what it’s worth, with natural rights. I agree with you that the latter must be inviolable. But the vote? That’s a political right. Neither is citizenship a natural right. Talk about taking away property or denying due process: those are unconscionable, and violate natural rights.

Preventing more hostile Arabs from migrating into Israel proper is perfectly legitimate in natural law. It’s non-aggressive self-defense.

When I Am The Stronger, I Take Away Your Freedom, Because That Is My Principle

Democracy, Islam, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Jihad, Law, The West

Nineteenth-century French writer Louis Veuillot produced this magnificent insight, illustrating the proclivities of certain peoples and cultures:

“When I am weaker, I ask you for my freedom, because that is your principle; but when I am the stronger, I take away your freedom, because that is my principle.”

This saying came to mind as I read about the plans of some Arab-Israelis to use that country’s independent, liberal judiciary to prevail against it:

“Israeli Arab political party Balad, recently banned from the upcoming general elections by Israel’s central elections committee, warned on Wednesday that if the court upholds the committee’s decision, the party will call for a boycott of the elections and establish an alternative Arab parliament.”

“Balad, like the northern chapter of Islamic Movement, have been seeking elections for the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel for some time now, thus essentially establishing an independent parliament.”

“The Central Elections Committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motions to ban the Arab parties on Monday, accusing the Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist.”