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02/01/09(Sun)12:08:42 No. 2987253 >>2987177 I
do know a few middle-class blacks (although society is still really
divided along racial lines), and yes, some of them do vote for the
Democratic Alliance. But the ANC threatens and assaults any DA members
who try to campaign in "their" areas, so reaching blacks in townships
who might be willing to vote against the ANC is very difficult.
Besides, those who are living in wretched poverty logically are not
going to make any decision (like voting DA) which they so much as
suspect might result in direct financial pain for them in the short
term, even if the burden on the high-earners is driving capital and
skills out of the country and service delivery and infrastructure are
degrading. Basically, the bottom line is that we have two South
Africas. For the wealthy and skilled, we feel that we are already
sacrificing a lot by staying here, by being willing to put up with
crime, corruption, hatred, and incompetence. For the poor, though, we
can be portrayed as whiners, and people who should be grateful that we
didn't suffer the Zimbabwe option. We both have trump cards: ours is
emigration, our vote doesn't count, but we can threaten to leave,
taking our skills with us. Their trump is that they have the sovereign
power now and can seize our wealth and property and have control over
us.