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The U.S. is winning no friendsDISCUSSIONS | June 07, 2006Ton Vosloo, Cape Town 1971 Nieman fellow; chairman of Naspers, a South African Pay TV and Internet subscriber platform service In twelve years of transformation of the South African society from the state of apartheid to an internationally accepted democracy, the helicopter view of the United States has undergone a radical change. From being a recalcitrant and unwelcome ally of the U.S. (with black voices not being heard) under Vorster and Botha, the administration now aligns itself with the so-called neutrals in the world set-up. We had a guarded response to American foreign policy vis-a-vis the developing world. 9/11 brought about sympathy and a thaw, but subsequent U.S. actions, (i.e. Iraq, the treatment of visitors at U.S. airports by immigration officials and the like) soured the good feelings. At the time of this writing, the belligerent noises by the U.S. administration toward Iran is winning no friends in southern Africa. As someone who has spent a lifetime post my Nieman year of 70/71 to spread the word of the absolute importance of the U.S. democratic values to our evolving society, one finds oneself somewhat adrift in understanding why the U.S. keeps on playing the role of fireman to the world. We don't want a return to isolationism by the U.S., but we would prefer less stick and more insight in the handling of pressing global issues. Like the Germanic jester of yore, Till Eulenspiegel, we don't really want to be in a position to tell our U.S. friends that you're asking for it.
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