We live in a state at war with itself. If we were to stop navel-gazing for just a while, we'd realise that perhaps we aren't alone in this complete madness. The US elections, a few days away, are testament to the fact that these are abnormal times. The absurd decision of the British to divorce themselves from the EU, without an economic plan outside the family, is another example. The tectonic shifts across the Atlantic and in the UK can be best explained by slowing growth set against a backdrop of the nationalistic frustrations of those left behind by globalisation, which has brought rising immigration and increasing mechanisation. Underlying South Africa's tensions there's perhaps some shared experience. The wheels of our economy began to creak close to a decade ago, in line with a global slowdown. There was always an expiration date to the stimulus actions followed by the National Treasury after 2008 to boost growth. A counter-cyclical policy led to an explosion in public sector ...
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