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U.S. Relations W/South Africa Racism Thesis

S. had sales of hundreds of millions of dollars in South Africa, with the South African public system practically becoming addicted to using computers in order to work correctly. Not only had the U.S. collaborated to South Africa, in spite of the extremist regime existing in the country, but it had also sustained it by making it even more effective with the help of computers. The largest group from South Africa to use computers had been the government, with it using computers for a large number of duties. The South African government largely based its apartheid system on a computerized population registry. IBM officials claimed that their computers did nothing to encourage the unequal racial system, and, that it made no contribution to people being denied their basic human rights. As they had been aware that it had no sense to deny the involvement of computers in the discrimination taking place in South Africa, U.S. representatives stated that they did not know what the South Africans used the technology for. In order to cover up the situation, the South African parliament had apparently instructed companies in keeping secrecy when considering the use of computers in the territory.

The invasion of Namibia is just one of the militarized missions that could not have been possible without the use of advanced computerized systems. Computers had not been the only foreign device used by the South African military, as they had also used armament which had most probably been of foreign origin.

While companies such as IBM considered the apartheid period to have brought them great profits, the situation appears to be turning against them, as apartheid victims are determined to get vengeance on the institutions which backed the South African government during the period. It appears that these apartheid victims are not the disturbed individuals that companies have considered them to be. Judge Shira A Scheindlin agreed that it is perfectly normal for apartheid victims to go to court in order to be recompensed for their suffering. Also, the judge rejected several claims coming from other countries relating to the fact that a potential trial between apartheid victims and U.S. companies could harm the relationship between the U.S. And South African governments.

Ronald Reagan, the U.S. President from 1981 until 1989, had actually expressed his support for the actions performed by the apartheid government. The leader of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela, had been categorized by the Reagan administration as being the leader of a terrorist organization. Apparently, Reagan favored the South African government and its actions because of the contributions that South Africans had brought to the Americans over the years. South Africa had been extremely important to the U.S., both as an important strategic ally, and as a main producer of minerals. Reagan continued to support South Africa, even when most Americans condemned the South African government for the fact that it promoted discrimination.

While the U.S. had clearly been against the apartheid government, its actions only worked in its favor. The U.S. is a country that, more than any other country, should be devoted to fighting for free-will and for equal rights for all, regardless of their backgrounds. Its history in fighting for justice almost makes it responsible for the existence of the apartheid law system in South Africa.

It had not been until 1985 when the Reagan administration finally broke out and declared that the South African government's law system had been negative and harmful for...

Reagan's statement came just after a few days subsequent to him claiming that there is no need for the U.S. To cut off its connections to South Africa. This is most probably because of the fact that the South African community had come across a period of distress, with its people conveying their hatred towards the faulty apartheid governing.
All things considered, one cannot claim that the U.S. administrations lasting from 1948 and until the 1990s are directly responsible for the apartheid period. Of course, the Americans could have acted in favor of the non-whites residing in the area, putting an end to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people, but….they didn't.

Works cited:

1. Bernasek Alexandra, Porter Richard C. "Private Pressure for Social Change in South Africa: The Impact of the Sullivan Principles." Review of Social Economy, Vol. 55, 1997.

2. Eades, Lindsay Michie. (1999). "The End of Apartheid in South Africa." Greenwood Press.

3. Grundy, Kenneth W. (1991). "South Africa: Domestic Crisis and Global Challenge." Westview Press.

4. Price, Robert M. (1991). "The Apartheid State in Crisis: Political Transformation in South Africa, 1975-1990." Oxford University Press.

5. "Background Note: South Africa." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the U.S. Department of State Web site: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm

6. "The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html

7. "U.S. judge rules in favour of apartheid victims." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Guardian Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/09/court-ruling-apartheid-victims-south-africa

8. Cason Jim, Fleshman Mike. "The United States and South Africa." Monthly Review, Vol. 37, April 1986.

Eades, Lindsay Michie. (1999). "The End of Apartheid in South Africa." Greenwood Press.

Eades, Lindsay Michie. (1999). "The End of Apartheid in South Africa." Greenwood Press.

Bernasek Alexandra, Porter Richard C. "Private Pressure for Social Change in South Africa: The Impact of the Sullivan Principles." Review of Social Economy, Vol. 55, 1997.

idem

Eades, Lindsay Michie. (1999). "The End of Apartheid in South Africa." Greenwood Press.

Price, Robert M. (1991). "The Apartheid State in Crisis: Political Transformation in South Africa, 1975-1990." Oxford University Press.

"Background Note: South Africa." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the U.S. Department of State Web site: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm

Grundy, Kenneth W. (1991). "South Africa: Domestic Crisis and Global Challenge." Westview Press.

"The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html

"The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html

idem

"U.S. judge rules in favour of apartheid victims." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Guardian Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/09/court-ruling-apartheid-victims-south-africa

Cason Jim, Fleshman Mike. "The United States and South Africa." Monthly Review, Vol. 37, April 1986.

idem

Sources used in this document:
Works cited:

1. Bernasek Alexandra, Porter Richard C. "Private Pressure for Social Change in South Africa: The Impact of the Sullivan Principles." Review of Social Economy, Vol. 55, 1997.

2. Eades, Lindsay Michie. (1999). "The End of Apartheid in South Africa." Greenwood Press.

3. Grundy, Kenneth W. (1991). "South Africa: Domestic Crisis and Global Challenge." Westview Press.

4. Price, Robert M. (1991). "The Apartheid State in Crisis: Political Transformation in South Africa, 1975-1990." Oxford University Press.
5. "Background Note: South Africa." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the U.S. Department of State Web site: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm
6. "The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html
7. "U.S. judge rules in favour of apartheid victims." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Guardian Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/09/court-ruling-apartheid-victims-south-africa
"Background Note: South Africa." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the U.S. Department of State Web site: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm
"The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html
"The Use of Computers to Support Oppression." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Stanford Computer Science Web Site: http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.comp.html
"U.S. judge rules in favour of apartheid victims." Retrieved December 2, 2009, from the Guardian Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/09/court-ruling-apartheid-victims-south-africa
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