The Squirrel and Donnie show, or, how I choose what to write about
I often get questions about why I cover this thing, but not that thing, or why I write about international politics when there is so
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DA faces greater moral crisis today than during Maimane years
Yesterday, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen formed part of a delegation that visited Donald Trump to plead South Africa’s case. Precisely what Steenhuisen’s contributions were is not yet clear, but this is what he should have done: encourage the
What South Africans really think
Hermann Pretorius and Nicholas Lorimer discuss the latest polling from the IRR about how South Africans feel on a variety of policy questions. They show that the ANC is deeply out of touch with how South Africans actually feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFNtCEuxjM
Ramaphosa and Trump: what’s the deal?
It is unlikely that a solve-it-all reset deal will emerge from the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump at the White House later today. For South Africa the stakes are high, and Ramaphosa is under domestic pressure
Copyright infringement – is AI just a common thief?
Among the many anxieties that have bubbled up in AI’s wake since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 (and ushered in the dawn of GenAI, or ‘generative AI’), few rise to the level of outrage among creators of intellectual property (IP)
This is the cost of resilience
Michael Morris and Nicholas Lorimer discuss the shocking statistics around malnutrition in South Africa and the importance of economic growth. They also discuss murders around courts, and they discuss the trouble with special exemptions and carve outs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4R2IUimp3I
The Trump Counter-Effect in national elections
Several major elections have been held around the world, each leading to upsets widely attributed to anti-Trump sentiment. It’s only been four months, so there’s not all that much data to go on, but a pattern is emerging in election
SA’s once-in-a-century opportunity
For a country as reliant on trade and investment from the US and European countries as South Africa, the government’s focus on ideology and past grievances undermines its opportunity to seize the once-in-a-generation energy and impetus being administered to global
The only response to bullies is to call them out
An ugly incident occurred recently at an event hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) which is emblematic of a style of “protest” that is intended to shut down debate. The topic under discussion was "South Africa's