Comments on issues raised by BBC WHYS

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The US needs to look as a partner with the rest of the world and not as a big brother using sticks and carrots to implement its policies vis-à-vis foes and friends. The world needs states that treat each other on equal footing and not on the basis of domineering.

If the US continues to have too many interventions, it may get political allies around the globe but at the same this will generate into increasing resentment towards its policies. Even in the rest of the West, people are resentful of the US because of its policies to make the world turn according to its agenda.

Its military power now guaranteeing it to be the world’s policeman is just increasing the race for arms among the other emerging powerful countries, particularly China and Russia. This will end by each emerging military power seeking to have its own carrefours to police.

The question that remains is whether the US can police all the hot spots of the world without over-stretching its army and budget or it will have selective policing by turning a blind eye to what is going on in areas it considers of less strategic importance.

Thabo Mbeki has done a good thing by opting to resign in an apparent move to pave the way for a new leadership. His years in power were disappointing as South Africa failed to redress many urgent problems like poverty, violence and unemployment.

South Africa needn’t any severe power struggle leading it to a situation similar in Zimbabwe that has put it far behind.

He will be remembered as being soft with Mugabe or rather supportive of his policy as he didn’t use South Africa’s economic and political influence to force him to conduct fair elections. He’s gone but he left Mugabe in power, who will remain a problem for the new South Africa president if he doesn’t respect the deal he has signed with the opposition.

It remains how the new president, expectedly Jacob Zuma, can turn a new page and put South Africa on the right track. Otherwise there can be no real changes but just change of faces.