That’s a hard question to answer. The poorer the country, the poorer its statistics-gathering apparatus. I think this is a case where the anecdotal evidence is better than what you could get out of any particular economic statistic. For example, Zimbabwe rates pretty high on the GDP-per-capita statistic, but then the statistic is from five years ago, and everyone knows that Zimbabwe is seriously going down the tubes.
For countries that might meet your criteria of offering a pleasant place to live at reduced cost, I might offer up Ghana or Senegal or Botswana. But you never know. Ivory Coast not so many years ago had a lot of French expatriates, and it had the reputation as one of the most stable and prosperous countries in Africa – none of which stopped it from going to hell in a handbasket.
Parts of the Coloured discussion are relevant as they speak to the continued stability or not of South Africa. Plus I think it helps people get a sense of the kind of place we’re talking about (Africa, I mean), if you get a sense of the people therein.
And there is no need to scare-quote Coloured. It’s a cultural group even more than a racial one, more properly defined by language and history than skin colour. It’s a name I’m as proud to own as Khoi is.
I was reading somewhere that northern suburbs like Sandton are like prosperous US suburbs (like Clayton vs St Louis).
But downtown Johannesburg is really bad, where tall skyscapers have become home to squatters. I’m trying to wrap my mind around that, imagining a 30th-floor former law firm in a steel & glass skyscraper being a squatter area.
I do not apologize, but I did not mean to jump so hard.
If anyone out there is listening, there is a major problem.
A rather large number of western thinking but slightly dusky individuals are about to get slaughtered, while their Afrikaans cousins discover British grandparents and get out.
Cape Coloureds think European - obviously they think like us who, those of us who have been to Afrika (sic), but they are pretty civilized.
There is going to be a bloodbath out there
We can evacuate them - if we don’t it is blood on our hands.
You keep saying that, but I’m just not seeing it. If anything, it’s Coloureds who do the slaughtering - parts of the Cape Flats would make a Cripp or Blood cry for Mummy.
Uhm, sorry guys, I think it’s an interesting topic here, but why not take it into a new thread? It might be relevant to the topic in a roundabout way, but the result is that you two are just arguing.
Maybe you can start by explaining to the rest of us how this affects the standard of living? I know there is lots of violence and such, but maybe you could explain how this comes about and what the effects are?
mostly the whites would melt away, but you would expect that
you would get experienced help, but they too would melt away
street fighting does not work when there are no streets anymore
It would become a focus for migrants from the North, and against infinite numbers one cannot last.
I strongly recomend that you migrate, and to some unexpected places, obviously Europe, but also places like Morrocco or (unbelievably) The Sudan.
The thing is that you need to be where you can blend in (UK, USA etc) or where you are useful as a private army.
Personally I thought that SA was stupid with its apardheid, and you’ll be amused that hard old b/stards thought the same in the 1970s - had they any sense they would have locked the doors from the North and made darn sure that everyone was pushing to keep the doors shut.
As it is you could put up a good fight, but just being there attracts the wasps.
I do not like what I am saying, but I believe it, this time Shaka’s Impis have got us, time to melt away - and I sincerely hope that you materialize in the UK.
FRDE, I think your views are skewed by getting them from the rats (who’ve fled the “sinking” ship) - some of whom are at least closet racists or otherwise unable to live in a society where they (Eurocentricists) are not top of the totem pole. There are exceptions (I’m pretty sure grimpixie is one, and a lot of my friends are too), but IME, most of those who made the London run are not … unbiased in their views of the Old Country.
I see things completely differently. South Africa is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was 15 years ago. Crime is actually decreasing, standards of living are going up, people are getting used to participating in the democratic process. Sure, there’s corruption even to the highest levels of government, but hey, that’s a Western trend too (cough Halliburton cough). Yes, the murder rate is shockingly high, but 1) despite what you hear, it’s usually confined to the ghettos 2) It’s coming down.
South Africa is not going the way of Zimbabwe for the forseeable future. Not in the next 5 years. Tell you what, FRDE, come down for the 2010 Cup, and we can discuss it over some Cab - or a Pinotage, they’ve been excellent this year, I’ll lay down a bottle for you.
I thought I was being quite clear. Except the “one of five” thing, which was actually a SDMB self-reference to **Johanna’**s gay legislation thread and my comments therein. Sorry, I waqs doing it for my own amusement.
I can’t help you with FRDE’s posts, though. Buffaloes? Spartans? Who knows…
We’ve actually made the break for home - I resigned from my job on Monday and now have three months notice to work out and sprog number two to extract from the missus, and then we’re on our way… although heading from the UK summer to the Cape of Storms doesn’t particularly fill me with joy, the prospect of a home-grown Shiraz does
