Thomas Johnson - The Blog

 2024's Nobel Prize for Economics recipients Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson won it for research showing that countries - societies - with poor institutions and laws that exploit their populations do not generate growth or progress. The research is also based on Acemonglu's and Robinson's book Why Nations Fail (2013). I'd heard they won the Nobel and why and thought little of it. But thanks to a YouTube video that explained their research, I understood it and knew it explained why SA has done so badly, except for the initial five years or so post-1994, and is continuing  to do so: that institutions and the rule of law under the ANC has and is failing and shall continue to do so. SA shall reach near-failed state by 2030 as things are going. Failing ANC-run municipalities, particularly in the Free State, illustrates this well, as have numerous examples over the last 30 years. It's something Greg Mills and others have written about too, eg Mills' ...

At the beginning of the month The Press Council of South Africa ordered Daily Maverick to apologise for its coverage of the Pretoria High School for Girls alleged racism story. For context, the mainstream media always assumes such allegations, even if unfounded, are prima facie true before any investigation is initiated and completed. So DM is no exception. I've not seen DM apologise yet, which was to be published in a prominent place on its website. I emailed a DM editor and asked why the delay. I asked if they intend to or have they appealed the decision. There was no response. DM regularly, stridently trumpets the importance of the Press Council and its and media's adherence to the Code of Ethics and Conduct (Press Code). It was scathing of Independent Media's expulsion, or resignation depending who you believe, from the Council. DM claims that when they make a mistake, they apologise and rectify matters. However, regarding Pretoria Girls, they justify their coverage a...

David Bullard To many it was unthinkable Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris and won a second term. In the run-up, American and other commentators were incredulous that the two would be so close given who Trump is and what he stands for. But here we are again. In his column Tuesday November 4 on Politicsweb, David Bullard wrote that while he's not fond of either Trump or Harris, he'd vote for Trump because he has job experience as president. (He conveniently excludes that Harris is vice-president.) He then attacks Harris for her policy of giving $20,000 to black Americans to start a business, which Bullard describes as a "handout", not help. He also criticises other proposed measures for the LGBTQ+ community in a derogatory way. But these were not Harris's only proposed policies. But it suits him that it was. Harris did not spark the imagination of many people, American liberals and around the world, particularly for siding with the status quo on Palestine. But Trump...

Sugar tax activists had hoped the Medium-term Budget would announce an increase in the tax levy on sugary drinks. They claim the tax leads to and was a "huge success" in promoting healthier lifestyles, (Nzama Mbalati, Daily Maverick op-ed ). They claim the tax on sugary drinks per se leads to lower consumption that leads to healthier lifestyles, particularly lower prevalence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But escalation of these diseases after the sugar tax was introduced in 2018 prove otherwise.  Obesity   Data on the World Obesity Observatory's website for South Africa show over time, including after the tax was introduced in April 2018, obesity is increasing. The website lists the drivers to obesity: insufficient activity; fruit, processed meat and wholegrain intake, and mental disorders. They don't mention sugary drinks.  Diabetes   The International Diabetes Federation doesn't have a useful website like WOO's but gives basic country info...

Earlier this month minerals minister Gwede Mantashe claimed at the African Energy Conference that oil and gas exploration would lead to 5 to 8% GDP growth. He was not the first minister to promise or suggest great things for the economy. Think of all those growth and job strategies over 30 years that never went anywhere and cost millions to produce.  Of course the Marxist-oriented ANC has never understood how market economies work, not even the liberal-left's heroes Ramaphosa, Manuel, Gordhan and Mboweni (I take issue with the mainstream media's hagiographies of Gordhan and Mboweni, but that's another story). ANC aside, I contend few if any SA politicians understand how the economy works and what's needed for growth, centre-right DA included. The DA said numerous times that in the WC they "created" hundreds of thousands - the number varied over time - of "new jobs" since 2009 when they took power. They based this on a faulty understanding of StatsSA...

Depending on which side you believe, the Press Council expelled Independent Media (IM) for its refusal to retract and apologise for it piece comparing News24's Karyn Maughan to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl, or that IM resigned. Either way, there's schadenfreude from other media when Independent Media gets it wrong again. IM deserves the opprobrium, though.  Other media (OM) sententiously write about "ethics", "apologising when we get it wrong" and "self-correcting". Do they, though? They only apologise when forced to, which is not a genuine apology.  Media regularly skirt or break the line. In South Africa this particularly concerns stories about "racism" - untested, unconfirmed and defamatory allegations are assumed to be true. News24 has been identified as particularly egregious - Pretoria High School for Girls, Wilgenhof, Food Lovers boerewors  roll man. With the racist label, reputations are damaged, lives destroyed. The baying ...