Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

Across the globe, racist right-wing politicians and parties who were once on the margins have been gaining a role in government. We are told repeatedly that this is because, deep down, people don't like tolerating others who differ from them and that it is only the elites which support fairness and democracy. But a close look shows that the opposite is true. Right-wing bigots are gaining ground because this is what elites want, not what the people want.

This is the view of my weekly Against the Tide column sent to subscribers this morning. To read it and many other columns on politics today, visit the Against the Tide website and subscribe. If you can't afford to subscribe, contact us at info@againstthetide.co.za to discuss a free or reduced subscription

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.