Irrationalism stalks the land. It is a time of slogans and sound bites. But while slogans wish to define complex positions succinctly, they can promote irrationalism — unless unpacked, they might trivialise, or worse, mislead. #RhodesMustFall. #FeesMustFall. The imperative "must" points to passionate intensity. The complexities are masked — at the moment, eclipsed — by the slogans. The sloganeers know this: so the slogans must be extended: "Free Higher Education", becomes "Free Decolonised HE", becomes "Free Quality Decolonised HE Now". As the slogan lengthens, the demands broaden. But precision of understanding, incisive strategising and reasonableness withers. In the rush of events, a slogan might provide a semblance of coherence. The commentators and experts produce their own slogans. We have "the politics of spectacle" (Wits vice-chancellor Adam Habib); "the politics of impossible demands" (Prof Achille Mbembe); "the politics of post-truth" (Prof Ian Glenn) and "We must save the...
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