Death of the left?
Friday, August 01, 2014
“A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of communism”, Marx & Engels, Communist Manifesto (1848). A century and a half later, Francis Fukuyama argued that the global spread of the West free market capitalism and its lifestyle may signal the end point for humanity’s sociocultural evolution and become the final form of human development. The dearth of the left in this general election is confirming this thinking somewhat it appears. No?
MELS and Themba Joina, however inept, are in the clutches of the master swallower, Botswana Congress Party (BCP). Firmly planted at the bosom of the BCP tactical submarine, MELS is not even squeaking the usual scientific socialismo rhetoric. Themba Joina is no more, not Themba Joina, but The Themba Joina. He has moved his party/movement to the centre, ever closer to the right. Basically, he has planted it to the neo-liberal centre with the BCP. Not a bad move for impact, and perhaps survival. Not a good move for leftist politics.
The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...