LETTER: Friedman is right about election support
In the US and UK, the ruling middle class, backed by the media and academics, have been outraged by outcomes that flew in the face of confident expectations
Columnist Steven Friedman is, of course, absolutely right (“ANC will keep majority because the poor support the policies that serve them”, March 27).
The two most striking instances of this truth are the election of President Donald Trump in the US, and the British referendum vote to leave the EU. In both cases, a comfortable ruling middle class, backed by the media and like-minded academia, has been astonished and outraged by outcomes that flew in the face of its confident expectations. In both cases the fury is yet unabated, with the Democratic Party in Washington determined by hook or by crook to topple Trump, and in the UK, legislators doing their utmost to wriggle out of a democratic decision they disagree with. In SA, the public narrative of the next election is overwhelmingly being conducted in liberal terms. However, most voters “lead lives of quiet desperation” (by Thoreau’s definition), and will, I suspect, take little notice of the commissions of inquiry and headli...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.