A case for RE companies

[flaker]

Now come on-give me a break. How is one to expect "indians" to now employ their previous masters. the next "indian" generation will. Yes,they will place those light-greens behind shop counters.those that previously clipped tickets as train conductors (school drop-outs & untrainables) & were given railway accomodation (3 bedrooms,lounge,kitchen etc.,free kids schooling,books) apart from a very decent wage will be trained to become traders.

[desA]

You guys are just going to love Pierre de Vos's latest blog post - Blaming the victim.

Yes, indeed. A very interesting & relevant article. Thanks for that.

Of course we all would love to move to an utopian society in which a person’s race really does not matter to anyone. But we cannot do that by pretending race does not matter now, when it so clearly does. Racism is all around us and pretending that race does not matter now and that racism does not exist is, in my view at least, merely a less toxic form of racism. All we are doing when we do that is to try and preserve the status quo which benefits ourselves and which we want to normalise and universalise – something that is inherently unfair and also unconstitutional.

I would read this as a supporting view towards the establishment & maintenance of RE companies & networks, under the premise that the prevailing 'norm' in SA has become supportive of the dark-green dominant group.

[desA]

So yes, when it is all said and done, the more things change the more they stay the same. Wise men are ignored, roles are reversed and instead of Martin Luther King Jr's four little girls being judged by the colour of their skin, my little girls are. My two little girls were born 4 years after '94 but they are unable to partake in the "prosperity" provided by MTN because they are white....

This comment sums up the current state-of-play in SA, that I've observed over the past 2 months.

[desA]

Now come on-give me a break. How is one to expect "indians" to now employ their previous masters. the next "indian" generation will. Yes,they will place those light-greens behind shop counters.those that previously clipped tickets as train conductors (school drop-outs & untrainables) & were given railway accomodation (3 bedrooms,lounge,kitchen etc.,free kids schooling,books) apart from a very decent wage will be trained to become traders.

No, they won't. They will place family members, or members of their own RE network behind those counters.

In applications where it would be more 'correct' they will allow members of other groups to work for them, as their 'front'.

[adrianh]

Now come on-give me a break. How is one to expect "indians" to now employ their previous masters.

Exactly, we don't expect them to. We accept that that is the way they do business, just as we accept that the Chinese employ the Chinese and so on.

This is the exact point we are trying to make; we should have our own "Currently Disadvantaged RE network"

Another interesting thing is that I've never heard the majority moan about the Oriental Plaza or the Chinese Market...but the "Currently Disadvantaged" holiday resort, now that is something to complain about...

[desA]

Exactly, we don't expect them to. We accept that that is the way they do business, just as we accept that the Chinese employ the Chinese and so on.

This is the reality of doing business pretty much anywhere in the world. Like operates with like. Networks based on trust & familiarity are developed. "Keep it in the family" is a typical Asian trait.

This is the exact point we are trying to make; we should have our own "Currently Disadvantaged RE network"

CDRE networks.

Another interesting thing is that I've never heard the majority moan about the Oriental Plaza or the Chinese Market...but the "Currently Disadvantaged" holiday resort, now that is something to complain about...

This is very, very true. The things is that so-called minority groups have generally been objects of interest & allowed some degree of latitude - even under previous dispensations. Now that the light-green communities have slipped into minority group status, it would seem to be time to develop these CDRE networks.

[Dave A]

Yes, indeed. A very interesting & relevant article. Thanks for that.

I would read this as a supporting view towards the establishment & maintenance of RE companies & networks, under the premise that the prevailing 'norm' in SA has become supportive of the dark-green dominant group.

Precisely why I thought you guys would enjoy it - although I sincerely doubt it was Pierre's intention to make a case for your RE.

Reading the comments, he's getting pounded on his position though. The tension between law and justice gets particularly noticeable at times when it comes to debating The Constitution.

[flaker]

CDRE networks.
Now that the light-green communities have slipped into minority group status, it would seem to be time to develop these CDRE networks.[/QUOTE]

They're doing this already & making a fantastic job of it anyway.The car guards at this shopping complex in Bluff ,Durban were all light-greens.

[desA]

CDRE networks.
Now that the light-green communities have slipped into minority group status, it would seem to be time to develop these CDRE networks.

They're doing this already & making a fantastic job of it anyway.The car guards at this shopping complex in Bluff ,Durban were all light-greens.

[Dave A]

Good grief, Des. You have only been back a month or so and you've already been corrupted.

What happened to that color blind bloke I used to know?

[desA]

Good grief, Des. You have only been back a month or so and you've already been corrupted.

What happened to that color blind bloke I used to know?

LOL...

My doctor is a member of the Asian community as his his whole medical centre. There is not a light-green in sight. They operate together in a functional RE network. There is no reason why not.

He is smart, astute, nice guy - as is his whole family & colleagues. They have all made positions for themselves in the ever-changing landscape around them. Fantastic for them - they are prospering. Doubt they would even entertain a requirement to go BEE.

In terms of RE networks - if groups form along lines of synergy & comfort, rather than racial - fantastic & more strength to them. Practically though, groups tend to generally form where folks have common ground, ethics, culture & so forth - I'd imagine most of these to be along racial lines - like everywhere else in the world.

I'm fairly privileged to have a foot in two worlds - light-green & olive-green. I'm a causasian, while my lovely life is from asian stock. She finds SA to be a very, very strange place - an incredibly aggressive, insecure, intolerant society. We have both been pretty shocked by what we have seen. Practically, we tend to fit in better with the asian community in terms of our thoughts & ethos.

I see so many angry people out there whose world seems to have come to an end. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for many of them. If I can help, in any way, shape, or form, to uplift my fellow man, I will do my utmost. I believe that folks of the lighter-green shade need to pick themselves up off the floor, dust themselves off, begin to form cohesive relationships within their comfort (RE) group, & get moving.

[wynn]

so you are cauc-asian?

how are my prices goin?

[desA]

so you are cauc-asian?

LOL... probably, after so many years of living abroad.

[Pap_sak]

DesA - it seems you are saying that we have poor whites because of BEE? If you have traveled, you must have met, or heard, of poor whites living in other countries like OZ, Uk or the USA. How did they become poor, because last I looked, BEE is not being implemented there....

[desA]

DesA - it seems you are saying that we have poor whites because of BEE? If you have traveled, you must have met, or heard, of poor whites living in other countries like OZ, Uk or the USA. How did they become poor, because last I looked, BEE is not being implemented there....

The apparent size of the 'poor white' group in SA has been mentioned to be around 650,000, against a total 'white' population arguably under 2 million. If these numbers are correct, then this is a substantial percentage living below the poverty line & should be considered something very out of the ordinary (~32.5%), relative to similar populations internationally.

The speed at which this transformation seems to have occurred is rapid, probably leading to severe social stresses. I have heard a number of stories in regards to whole families living in a small tent. Kids with no clothes for school, or food to eat - living off charity from Christian organisations. I found this to be shocking on my return.

The impact of affirmative action (dark-green racism) seems to preclude light-green entry into many, if not most, government jobs. This will have created severe stumbling blocks to the light-green job-seekers.

The proposed plans to press for more severe implementation of BEE into light-green companies will further erode potential for light-green job seekers. In the long term, BEE will probably be pushed to its logical limit of 51% ownership, after which another avenue to light-green job-seekers will be closed off.

How are these people to eat, or provide for their families - with no prospects on the horizon? Unless 'their own' begin to form cohesive structural networks, how do these folks survive into the long term?

I'm seeing the impact of this phenomenon around me daily, but given the typical selfish (I'm alright Jack) approach of many South Africans, the problem is not being addressed, in my view. I think it is a serious matter.