Johnny Steinberg
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And that's not for a moment to say that white farmers should not feel afraid and should not take action to defend themselves. But the idea that they're specially victimized is untenable.
And that's not for a moment to say that white farmers should not feel afraid and should not take action to defend themselves. But the idea that they're specially victimized is untenable.
And that's not for a moment to say that white farmers should not feel afraid and should not take action to defend themselves. But the idea that they're specially victimized is untenable.
People are pretty bewildered by the offer, you know, including the people who've been lobbying Trump. Nobody has taken them up on it. The head of Agri South Africa, it's pretty mainstream, perhaps a center-right organization, said we're farming here and we're farming successfully. Hmm.
People are pretty bewildered by the offer, you know, including the people who've been lobbying Trump. Nobody has taken them up on it. The head of Agri South Africa, it's pretty mainstream, perhaps a center-right organization, said we're farming here and we're farming successfully. Hmm.
People are pretty bewildered by the offer, you know, including the people who've been lobbying Trump. Nobody has taken them up on it. The head of Agri South Africa, it's pretty mainstream, perhaps a center-right organization, said we're farming here and we're farming successfully. Hmm.
The day after Trump made that announcement, I was on a flight from Johannesburg to London and boarding the plane. It was full of white South Africans who were joking about it, saying, well, let's divert our flights to New York. Let's go and live in America. It was really an object of fun.
The day after Trump made that announcement, I was on a flight from Johannesburg to London and boarding the plane. It was full of white South Africans who were joking about it, saying, well, let's divert our flights to New York. Let's go and live in America. It was really an object of fun.
The day after Trump made that announcement, I was on a flight from Johannesburg to London and boarding the plane. It was full of white South Africans who were joking about it, saying, well, let's divert our flights to New York. Let's go and live in America. It was really an object of fun.
Well, I think it's because it's easy for him because there's no downside. He gets to perform a very powerful and entertaining anti-DEI performance in front of the world. He also potentially gets a middle-sized country to change its foreign policy or certainly be under enormous pressure to do that. So South Africa becomes an exemplar.
Well, I think it's because it's easy for him because there's no downside. He gets to perform a very powerful and entertaining anti-DEI performance in front of the world. He also potentially gets a middle-sized country to change its foreign policy or certainly be under enormous pressure to do that. So South Africa becomes an exemplar.
Well, I think it's because it's easy for him because there's no downside. He gets to perform a very powerful and entertaining anti-DEI performance in front of the world. He also potentially gets a middle-sized country to change its foreign policy or certainly be under enormous pressure to do that. So South Africa becomes an exemplar.
It becomes a lesson to the world in what American power under Trump might mean. It causes others to move with caution. I think what Donald Trump is doing has shaken up South Africa and has sharpened divisions.
It becomes a lesson to the world in what American power under Trump might mean. It causes others to move with caution. I think what Donald Trump is doing has shaken up South Africa and has sharpened divisions.
It becomes a lesson to the world in what American power under Trump might mean. It causes others to move with caution. I think what Donald Trump is doing has shaken up South Africa and has sharpened divisions.
Because although nobody thinks that there's genocide taking place, although nobody thinks that white land is being confiscated en masse, you know, there are powerful forces in South Africa which would like to use what Trump is saying to further their own legitimate agendas, which is to contest the government's policies of racial redress, to contest its policies of land reform.
Because although nobody thinks that there's genocide taking place, although nobody thinks that white land is being confiscated en masse, you know, there are powerful forces in South Africa which would like to use what Trump is saying to further their own legitimate agendas, which is to contest the government's policies of racial redress, to contest its policies of land reform.
Because although nobody thinks that there's genocide taking place, although nobody thinks that white land is being confiscated en masse, you know, there are powerful forces in South Africa which would like to use what Trump is saying to further their own legitimate agendas, which is to contest the government's policies of racial redress, to contest its policies of land reform.
And this strengthens their hand. And it's natural that they would do that. So I think that matters that are contentious in South Africa, matters that are highly, highly disputed, have become more contentious, more volatile. You know, they're forced in South Africa, which are using what Trump has done to open up space for their agenda. But that's kind of expected.
And this strengthens their hand. And it's natural that they would do that. So I think that matters that are contentious in South Africa, matters that are highly, highly disputed, have become more contentious, more volatile. You know, they're forced in South Africa, which are using what Trump has done to open up space for their agenda. But that's kind of expected.