[Debate] (Fwd) In Addis with 'NDZ': tweeting subimperialism and anti-subimperialism

[Riaz K Tayob]

I can only guess on the dancing, but its somewhere sour grapes and 
irrepressible confidence.

On the AU, optimistically, I would like a stronger AU that is able to 
hide our individual weakness and blame a bureaucratic institution (with 
complicated decision making structure) as an expression of collective 
strength. The EU is just that, only for neoliberalism, as well the case 
may be for AU. But at an AU meeting in Cairo, even the UNCTAD Sec Gen 
felt confident enough to lambast the Free Trade Agreements between 
Africa and the EU... so there may be something in it at the margins.

Also, perhaps biased because of nationality, but SA is a good place to 
host a cosmopolis for Africa. We do have the resources, and it can 
hopefully make us more open and tolerant of diversity. Resources are 
needed to build institutional strength - other regions manage this, or 
are struggling with it, it is just the name of the game (from a 
state-centric pov). Collective strength in institutions is needed. 
Governance matters and there is a need for a continental viewpoint, but 
there are contradictions.... an African FTA that does not include some 
agenda for "selective delinking" from the global system on "essentials" 
is a difficult ask at the best of times, SADC can't even get it right... 
but there is S. African support for a Tobin Tax which is being hijacked 
for budget deficits instead of poverty eradication...

And yes SA has done some horrible things, and some rather fine things 
too (we can differ on Burma @ the Sec Council for instance, which was 
misread IMHO by the left as an ethical issue instead of a jurisdictional 
one). The COP also showed up some capacity issues, and power relation 
issues too. Is this where energies should be put, i.e. the prestige of 
international gatherings, or the Sobukwe-type dream?

Zuma would have been a good candidate for this kind of job. But the 
biggest failure is that we still do not know how to play it "nice" (when 
did you hear about the only African at the G20 table consulting 
seriously on the continent?) in the context where many of these leaders 
were given refuge by these African countries.

On 2012/01/31 09:08 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
> www.mg.co.za
>
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>   SA's AU dance: Optimistic or inappropriate?
>
> **VERASHNI PILLAY* 
> <http://mg.co.za/author/contact/verashni-pillay>* - Jan 31 2012 15:34
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>
>
> South African delegates emerged from their failed bid to win the 
> African Union chair, dancing. The reason? The opposition had failed too.
>
> Some say this further seals the country's image as a petty continental 
> bully. Read the account and tell us what you think.
>
> Storified by Verashni Pillay <http://storify.com/verashni>
> 4 hours ago <http://storify.com/verashni/dancing-to-the-wrong-tune>
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