GLOBAL SHIFTS
ISMAIL LAGARDIEN: Old myths no longer serve new realities
Most notable changes include the ways some of the fundamental principles for organising the global political economy have been worn thin by successive crises
Every age has its myths. Quite often such myths are just that — widely supported ideas and beliefs that are simply false or devoid of any historical evidence. Sometimes it is difficult to dislodge myths from society. They seem, sometimes, like the comfort blanket infants hold onto for dear life and only release in a tantrum. One of the defining features of the durability of some myths is the way zealots avoid any evidence that may run against their beliefs. The discussion is rather tedious. One would imagine it taking place in the 1960s or 1970s, in the heart of the most ideological century with its attendant conflict and destruction. We are, however, in a rather treacherous period in SA, with enduring myths framing discussions on the future of the country and the economic transformation that is required to set us on a path to prosperity and stability. Apparently nostalgic for the 20th century, there appears to be a hankering for either free markets or command economies, with insuff...
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