Discussion of Mr. Musk often misses something: He is a white South African, part of a demographic that for centuries sat atop a racial hierarchy maintained by violent colonial rule. That history matters. He is in fact a distinctly ideological figure.
Trump's actions signal need to understand global history of white supremacy. His executive order "human rights violations occurring in South Africa" echo a long history of support for racism in Southern Africa, for apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia
The European takeaway
Donald Trump's bizarre, fact-free threat against South Africa did not just arise in the back of his head last week. It is the initiative of alt-right ex-South Africans in America and like-minded people here (in South Africa) who are urging them on.
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The fierce urgency of now
Drawing lessons from history does not mean we romanticize past struggles. For a new generation of labour activists, however, they demonstrate that this work has been done before, and that it requires an array of tactics to build worker power.
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Is the European left taking a dive on immigrants’ rights?
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