On Nelson Mandela

From  "Divine-right monarchy for the modern secular intellectual", Thursday, March 18, 2010

On the end of apartheid:

"Which individuals have gained which life options from the transition from Nationalist to ANC rule? What were the oppressed peoples of South Africa allowed to do in 1995, which they weren't allowed to do in 1993? Please be specific."

 On the end of apartheid being "objectively anti-black":

"Last time we asked: are you pro-black, or anti-black? Your support for the incredible PR deluge under which the old South Africa knuckled, though you thought it was pro-black, and you remember it as pro-black, actually turned out to be objectively anti-black. As in: you thought your kneejerk PR response, which various good hearts were playing like a violin, would have a positive material impact on the existence on South African blacks. But it actually had a negative material impact.

"Which is not to say, of course, that the end of apartheid had no positive impact on South African blacks. It had a significant positive impact on South African blacks: an emotional impact.

"Of course, this is not exactly a defense! ... Since, on average, their lives did not improve and in fact got worse, you have compounded your mistake with the even more sinister act of deception.

After this discussion of South Africa, a difficult-to-follow discussion of Israel. 

On the "magical narratives" he's identified about Israel and Mandela:

"Now, frankly, where you find one cockroach, you typically don't find just one. We've found two."