…the great south african melting pot…
Many people refer to South Africa as a melting pot for race and culture.
I’ve had many discussions about the idea of a “melting pot” and feel that that should not be what we are looking for. Consider the idea of a “salad bowl” as opposed to a melting pot. Let me explain.
A melting pot brews the idea of different “ingredients” that are fused together in such a way that the distinct ingredients are no longer individually recognisable and you can no longer “taste” the different, distinct “flavours” that the individual ingredients bring to the mix.
With my “salad bowl” concept, you still have all the different ingredients, but no force is applied to them to make the mixture homogeneous, instead all the different elements of the salad are distinctly observable and separable. In this way you are still able to enjoy all the different “ingredients” that are present without having to accept a homogeneous pile of gunk.
This is why I prefer not to use the term “melting pot”.
The South African government at the moment is trying to further the concept and practical arrangements of a melting pot with their nationalistic schemes and their plans to integrate the customs and methods of the extremely diverse South African people into a homogeneous “gunk” that they call South African.
The way I see it, South African culture is too diverse and with integration many identifying aspects of the array of sub-cultures and traditions WILL go missing.
The SA government is L-I-T-E-R-A-L-L-Y trying to selectively “remove” certain cultural elements by following a nationalistic melting pot strategy.
I believe that a Cape Nation MUST try to reverse the damage that has already been made and strive for a “salad bowl” approach where individual cultural beacons and boundaries are kept intact while still promoting multiculturalism.
I believe that is what the Cape Party stands for.
I believe in Cape Independence.
<<all images courtesy of wikipedia.org>>
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It is very sad…what is goin 2 come of us?there r many points and i need 2 start 4rm the bottom. 4 now i want 2 say 2 coloured people..WAKE UP!! THIS IS UR LAND. The problem we have now is 2 get the black out aswell whites who still believe they r betteq, voethek man. And the racist people who r foreign here, u have a nerve. OIT! THIS IS NOT BLACK LAND AFRICA DOES NOT MEEN B.L.A.C.K. CALL ME RACIST. I DNT GIVE A F..K. Ane ID’S PASSPORTS FOR FOREIGNERS WHERE IN THE WORLD DO GET THAT SYSTEM. AND THEY BREED LIKE RABBITS.SO WHAT R WEEEE GOIN 2 DO??!
I feel for you. Although I’m white, my attitude is the same as yours. I think we should support cape independence (white and coloureds). Once independence of the cape region is granted, it must be turned into a federal state like the USA, with certain states that is ruled by the coloured people and certain states by the whites. I am anAfrikaner and want a state where Afrikaner people can rule themselves, while we still co-operate with other groups the everybody’s mutual benefit. That way each culture can be protected and economic growth can be maximized.
I agree with this salad idea. Just leave people alone and the natural social forces will make it balance.
The problem in RSA is that the ANC try to melting pot techniques with the salad dish .
What happens when you start tossing a perfect salad dish ?
All the leaves end on top and all the tomatoes, onions, feta chees and other small stuff end up on the bottom. the whole thing is unbalance and you dish-up, you get too much of one thing and none of the other and then the whole salad is spoiled.
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…this idea of nationalizing EVERYTHING is exactly what the current government intends on doing…I cannot stand by and see this happen as this would lead to the destruction of so many unique identities and culture groups within South Africa…it seems all the government are after is absolute power…
While not a Capetonian and thus not a default supporter of the Cape Independence idea, I do like your analogy of a “salad bowl” where differences are celebrated. I am also against notions of Nationalism. Nationalistic ideas seldom — if ever — ends well. It usually fosters animosity to those that are not considered part of the “nation state.”