Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watrose.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watrose!gdvsmit From: gdvsmit@watrose.UUCP (Riel Smit) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: South African Blacks Message-ID: <7635@watrose.UUCP> Date: Fri, 25-Oct-85 10:13:03 EDT Article-I.D.: watrose.7635 Posted: Fri Oct 25 10:13:03 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 04:15:50 EDT References: <1534@utcsri.UUCP> Distribution: can Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 32 In article <1534@utcsri.UUCP> vassos@utcsri.UUCP (Vassos Hadzilacos) writes: >What's free about an economy that can "offer" starvation wages >at gunpoint? Please explain how the South African economy offer starvation wages at gunpoint. Apart from the fact that the wages are not offered at gunpoint, they are much better than in most of the rest of Africa. (Which still does not make it acceptable, but that is not the point I am arguing.) > >As for the economic state of what you call "neighbouring dictatorships", >[ ] One of these countries, >Namibia (from where many of the workers "lining up" to get in SA are >coming), is illegaly occupied by SA troups. Namibia can by no stretch of the imagination be called a dictatorship. Not with a multi-party system and representatives elected by a large proportion of the population (both black and white). And as far as "occupied by SA troops" is concerned, I guess that is true if you are willing to say that West Germany is occupied by American troops. > >[ ] the dillema should-black-workers-get- >$40-per-week-or-should-they-get-$0 is bogus. Why are these the only two >alternatives? Why aren't these people entitled to decent wages as well >as to freedom and dignity? They sure are (entitled to...), but they definitely won't get decent wages if the rest of the world boycott the products they produce or the companies/institutions they work for. The same results, decent wages, freedom (whatever that means in the African context - do you regard Ugandans as "free"?) and dignity can be obtained (and sooner) without sanctions and boycotts from the outside world.