South Africans have chosen to embrace the American dream, and no one will take this away from them – Plaatjie Mashego
Key topics:
- South African black communities have fully embraced American culture.
- The American way of life offers hope and success, unlike local options.
- Left-wing ideologies are seen as a threat to the community's American dream.
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By Plaatjie Mashego*
The majority of South African blacks have, for a very long time, accepted and even embraced the American (USA) way of life. They have, and continue to, adopt the American dream. They have become inspired by American music, the entertainment industry, their dress code with notable labels, the African-American lingo, its gangsterism, high-definition movies, and more. Our communities are, therefore, alive with this American culture and its subcultures—to the point that no one can take this attachment away from them. Social media platforms and the entertainment industry in the USA have, and continue to, play an important role in the reception of these foreign cultures and the way of life of Americans by these communities. And they have freely adopted this American way of life as a matter of choice.
The American way of life is essentially capitalist in its design, shape, or form. Regardless of ideology, our communities have, and continue to, embrace the American way of life without any protest.
This American way of life has now become a lifeline in these communities. It is as if they have become little Americas, away from America. The way they walk, dress, talk, entertain themselves, the murals they paint, and the way they express themselves can attest to this. There is no hope that they will ever abandon this American way of life for another one. No one forces or encourages these communities to embrace the American dream. Not even colonialism, slavery, or the race card forces these communities to make this choice. With Russian, Chinese, Indian, and Arab cultures within their grasp, they have spontaneously chosen the American way of life. Why haven't they chosen a way of life, say, of the Russians, the Chinese, or the North Koreans—all of which are communist states?
This is because the American way of life is more than attractive. It has offered these communities a sense of belonging. It is a life of hope and dreams that their very own government is failing to provide. The American dream freely allows its people to become rich, become successful, and eventually become prosperous. These communities have thus chosen to ignore the state of poverty and racial issues that seem to characterise the USA. And freely, they continue to show affection for another country that is not even theirs. We need to ask ourselves—why is it so? This is simply because of the power of capitalism. This political and economic system has the most powerful ability to transform people's lives for the better.
These communities need to guard against those who spread misinformation about them. They need to be careful of any attempts that seek to disturb their American way of life. The ideological mis- and disinformation is pursued on behalf of these communities by a small group of morons who are the self-appointed voice of socialism and communism in this country. They behave as if they have an absolute mandate to be the voice of these communities, whilst they do not. Their narrative is not in sync with the American way of life in these communities. These communities have never, even on a single day, thought of expressing anti-American sentiments. This mis- and disinformation attitude against the USA and the West is peddled by leftists in the ANC, EFF, SANCO, SACP, MK, PAC, and AZAPO, along with their lapdogs—such as confused academics, self-appointed analysts, and a few rotten apples in media circles. The ANC government is truly failing these communities in its attempt to drive this country in the opposite direction of socialism and communism. And as members of these communities, we will never allow this to happen. Not even in our lifetime.
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*Plaatjie Mashego is an Analyst on unemployment and founder of the Unemployed People's Party.