Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

Most voters don't care about arguments between politicians - they care only about the concrete issues which affect their lives. This is becoming a popular message among pundits, reporters and politicians. If it means that they now plan to talk about real people's lives, it would be a step forward. But what they really seem to mean is that most people are not interested in the big issues, which should therefore be left to them. This ignores evidence that most people are as interested in politics as they are.

This is the view of this week's Against the Tide column which was sent to subscribers this morning. To subscribe, visit the Against the Tide website. If you can't afford to subscribe, contact us at info@againstthetide.co.za to discuss a reduced or free 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.