EDITORIAL: Our politics need vulcans

The confrontations witnessed between members of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and Swapo on Saturday in the Omusati Region cannot be entertained. In fact, we commend the police for acting swiftly against the provocateurs.For far too long, Omusati was dubbed a ‘no-go area’ for opposition parties. That brand of politics was openly promoted by senior leaders of our government aligned to the ruling party, without repercussions. Political violence is the antithesis of our constitution, which grants all Namibians the right to affiliate to and canvas for political support across the length and breadth of our country.It’s primitive that we still have hooligans in our midst who seek to physically harm those who do not politically align with them. The politics of crime and violence ended in 1989. We have vowed, as a nation, to never return to that dark chapter in our history.If delinquents and troublemakers are allowed to thrive, one of us, a citizen of this country, will soon pay with their life. The only contestation allowed in our politics is that of ideas. Jason Brennan of Georgetown University describes three types of voters, namely hobbits, hooligans and vulcans. Vulcans, he says, live by logic and reason with as little interference from emotion as possible. Hobbits are those who did not bother to learn about politics, and therefore vote in full ignorance. Then you have hooligans - those who follow their party with the devotion of sports fans and adhere to that party, irrespective of past performance and future plans. Our politics need vulcans.

EDITORIAL: Our politics need vulcans

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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EDITORIAL: Our politics need vulcans

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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