Yagyah Adams writes that the middle class is best suited to govern. He believed that a person of moderate wealth is equipped to obey reason, while the very wealthy tend to be arrogant, indifferent, and the poor are likely to be petty and malicious. Pictured: people standing in a queue to vote. Photgrapher: Steve Lawrence
When engaging the media, you expose yourself to the public and this process can be difficult.
Research and understanding relevant knowledge is critical. When you take a chance and talk rubbish, like 2% interest on a loan like the mayor of Johannesburg did, you will suffer. People are vicious and public utterances come at a cost that few can manage. The writer/speaker must believe in his/her opinion and, if conviction is absent, the author will be measured as insincere and attention-seeking.
I have battled with the subject of “who should govern” for decades. Initially, I held that those with religious qualification were most qualified, until I studied corruption amid the religious authority of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc, and settled that religiosity did not always imply ability.
Many may be offended but the reality of “religious governance” needs proper introspection. The “Christian Crusades” and later colonialism were orgies of violence, rape and murder that had a limited connection with God but was a good excuse for racism and economic abuse.
Zionists claim a desire to create a spiritual home but kill innocent Palestinians. Zionism is essentially an insult to spirituality as it is built on racism, murder and collective cruelty.
It is comical that religious leaders in Saudi Arabia rarely spoke against the war that Saudi Arabia enforced on Yemen. Oddly, the same leaders went ballistic when the Saudi prince permitted music concerts in Riyadh. Since when is hosting a party worse than killing thousands of innocents?
So I return to the early philosophers and consider Aristotle who stated that the middle class is best suited to govern. He believed that a person of moderate wealth is equipped to obey reason, while the very wealthy tend to be arrogant, indifferent, and the poor are likely to be petty and malicious.
Also, a community that has extremes in wealth and poverty is not a community of free people but one of master and slave. One group is likely inspired by envy and the other by contempt.
The middle class is likely to be free of envy and contempt as they are equal in wealth and likely to treat others better. Thus injustice is more likely from the arrogance of the wealthy or the malice of the poor.
Consider our past three presidents. Thabo Mbeki had an upper-middle class education, was intelligent, experienced and well-rounded. Zuma had no education and was basically a ruffian.
Ramaphosa has a quiet arrogance, hidden beneath a veneer of pretence. He has billions and limited interest in governing this nation. This is why we have gross incompetence in governance.
Aristotle had a valid suggestion and the middle class needs to wake up and take political power.
* Cape Muslim Congress councillor Yagyah Adams.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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