ON MEDIOCRITY

What is mediocrity? Certainly it is a threat. We see it everywhere. Everyday we are faced with examples of mediocrity being endorsed or promoted, where it should be condemned. There is a strong argument to be made that mediocrity is becoming part and parcel of our society’s make-up. If we are to address the problem, [...]

THE ANC AND RELIGION: PART 2 – THE ANC’S POLITICAL RELIGION

The second in a five-part series on the ANC and religion. Religion is a helpful metaphor for understanding the ANC’s political ideology and, in particular, for better understanding the politics of Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Each part of the five posts will explore this idea. Today, we bring you part 2 – a look [...]

STRENGTHENING SOUTH AFRICA’S PUBLIC DEBATE

Given the constraints on public debate in South Africa – outlined in the previous edition of The Real ANC Today – what can we do to strengthen it? Of central importance are two principles: that every opinion has an equal opportunity to be heard and that each person has the ability to properly [...]

A NUMBING OF THE PUBLIC MIND

What constitutes a good argument? It’s a pertinent question in South Africa today, certainly with regards to public debate. In this edition, we look at the role reason plays in our public discourse, the constraints on it and how they affect our ability to construct a good argument.
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• Strengthening South Africa’s Public Debate
• Nationalism Breeds Mediocrity