Mailbox: Maine’s ‘Putin love affair’ – difference between knowing and believing

From Biznews community member Errol Horwitz

What do Donald Trump and ANCYL president Collen Maine have in common? They both radiate warm and fuzzy feelings for Russian president Vladimir Putin. What’s more Maine is so enamoured with Putin that he pleaded with his idol, Jacob Zuma, when addressing a recent ANCYL Freedom Lecture, to be “the Putin of South Africa”.

Although Maine did not offer an explanation for his plea, one can readily presume that he wants Zuma to follow Putin’s example in not only expressing his contempt for the West, but also to bring about economic freedom, as Maine believes, Putin has done for his countrymen. He must be living in a parallel universe unaware of the extreme economic hardship Putin has inflicted on Russia’s proletariat.

A martyoshka doll showing Donald Trump, U.S. president elect, left, sits beside a doll showing Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, dressed as a military pilot, in a souvenir store in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 9, 2016. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Maine must also be suffering from the ravages of mental midget disease in believing that he and his comrades “will be in charge of the economy of South Africa” by instigating a falling rand and its subsequent rise. His prescription to controlling the economy defies rational thinking. But, then there are those who are drawn to ignorant men of the likes of Maine, who are accomplished at spinning a web of false promise based on a false premise.

Maine’s message to the party faithful was nothing more than code for the ANC’s catch phrase of the month “white monopoly capital“, the perceived obstacle to taking charge of the economy. The scenario will play out, and in the end the rand will nosedive sounding the currency’s death knell in lockstep with the Zimbabwean dollar. Who will Maine blame for the chaos that will surely follow? None other than the  ANC’s go-to imaginary Third Force.

Maine is very much like his idol Jacob Zuma. In the words of George Bernard Shaw: they know nothing, but believe they know everything.

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