Block 6
Just a few weeks following the U.S intelligence leak having Egypt in the spotlight for planning on selling arms to Russia, South Africa has been accused of selling arms to Russia, which with increasing publications of information backing the accusation it is evident this accusation is a spot on. As of the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the it was public knowledge that South Africa was willing to make money off of the war, and more even hold military drills with Russia & China(U.S worst enemies today). This article discusses and gives the facts on which one can analyze and interpret what might happen in the future and how South Africa is going to move going forwards, stuck between 2 of the strongest, militarily, nations in the world.
Analyzing the information given in the article, there is a decent amount to take away, and a lot of scenarios that can play out. Looking at the basics, the U.S has been allied with South Africa mostly to economic extents, the relationship being mutual and both put in their share, but on South Africa’s side there is more ties back to Britain than the United States as a result of colonization. Most boldly, the South African government(or at least most likely the South African government) was caught with lots of evidence pointing their way, supplying weapons to Russia, less than 2 months after Egypt was caught with plans to send Russia missiles and decided to turn around. This supplying of arms to Russia is a risk to the South Africans relations and economic deals with the United States as clearly globalized, the United States does not support Russia’s ‘”illegal” invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the Egyptian scenario put in above, commentary from looking at what is on the dinner table shows an almost sure commitment of SA to supply arms to Russia whether its just for economic purposes or ideological it doesn’t really matter. For South Africa, this is a deciding point which is already tipping towards supplying Russia with arms, and if SA goes through, the U.S, depending on how many weapons are supplied now and in the future, will possibly and likely criticize South Africa and try to force a better(in U.S view) option for SA, but if not will likely result in the possible enactment of independent sanctions on SA, which might even have the United Kingdom pulled alongside with a statement and/or action. Overall wrapping up this analysis, it is evident there will be political action from the U.S to see what the deals going to be with U.S relations with S.A and it will be interesting, again, to see if S.A chooses Russia which could lead to other states to take a side following.
When putting the main points of this article together in classroom topics/words, South Africa is moving to possibly give up the U.S economic alliance to get more money and support from Russia. Not a collective goods problem, but more of a better deal in which S.A gets more from Russia if that’s what they choose. From the U.S perspective this is in an alternative way, a collective goods problem. Backing up that statement, it could be said the economic ties(agreements/alliance) between the U.S and S.A have implied “no-no’s” in which if one country doesn’t believe something else a country is doing, which may affect its economic resources (this case could mean the U.S could need to supply more to Ukraine to match S.A’s help, which would be indirectly making it so S.A gets money from U.S and Russia, a different deal, and have the U.S losing money to S.As deal with Russia) which is, in fact, a direct collective goods problem. Overall, it will be interesting to see how this plays out between the U.S and S.A especially as African nations evolve more and more eventually doing their completely own thing without European influence like in the past.