South Africa Chronicle, Alas

The President’s July 22 TV speech on South Africa was botched in content, and misconceived as strategy. Mr. Reagan reckoned he owed Maggie Thatcher a favor: There she stood, the Iron Lady, manning the ramparts in splendid isolation, repelling not only the Commonwealth but even her own Queen on the issue of sanctions. Her cause was just, her courage ennobling. The President would go to her side and knock the socks off the South African sanctioneers. Alas, the sanctioneers still have their socks on. Indeed, they are marching toward Pretoria with a new spring in their step that says, “Thanks, Mr. President, we needed that.”

Concentration was also wanting. To choose that moment to sign a textile agreement guaranteeing South Africa a share—albeit piddling—of the U.S. market was, to say the least, “inattentive,” as one Reaganite senator put it. In reality, the pact would sensibly limit South African exports, which have been expanding wildly over the past two years. But reality is irrelevant in the sanctions debate.

JM

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John McLaughlin

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The President’s July 22 TV speech on South Africa was botched in content, and misconceived as strategy. Mr. Reagan reckoned he owed Maggie Thatcher a favor: There she stood, the Iron Lady, manning the ramparts in splendid isolation, repelling not only the Commonwealth but even her own Queen on the issue of sanctions. Her cause was just, her courage ennobling. The President would go to her side and knock the socks off the South African sanctioneers. Alas, the sanctioneers still have their socks on. Indeed, they are marching toward Pretoria with a new spring in their step that says, “Thanks, Mr. President, we needed that.”

Concentration was also wanting. To choose that moment to sign a textile agreement guaranteeing South Africa a share—albeit piddling—of the U.S. market was, to say the least, “inattentive,” as one Reaganite senator put it. In reality, the pact would sensibly limit South African exports, which have been expanding wildly over the past two years. But reality is irrelevant in the sanctions debate.