When we signed up to Brics, South Africa was no longer non-aligned

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Mon 03 Apr   [ron_derby] When Goldman Sachs’ famed economist, Jim O’Neil, coined the term “Bric” in 2001 as part of a report chronicling the world’s new growth centres in the 21st century, he wasn’t thinking that these countries would one day forge some sort of economic and political union. It was just another acronym used to package as a sales pitch for analysts to then take to their clients. It’s all about the packaging. Well at least, that’s how I think the investment world works. Bric is, or rather was, a product, an investment option for those seeking higher growth rates than what the world’s leading economic powers at the time could offer. But it’s come to mean so much more in this divided world. Had we not managed to squeeze ourselves into the Bric alliance, I think it would be easier for the President Cyril Ramaphosa to use the protections afforded by our non-aligned stance to outright criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a similar way that Nelson Mandela denounced the war-mongering George Bush in the Iraq War. He simply can’t. We have forged some rather deep ties — not only economic — in the years since we joined Bric. It was an opportunistic alliance in pursuit of growth regardless of our political differences, of which there are many, especially with Russia. We must remember that this alliance was forged with the blessing of all and sundry, including “Big Business”, the most influential of lobby groups in this country. What a tangled web we have weaved. Perhaps if it were it not for O’Neill we wouldn’t have been as easily enticed to join up with the hippest club in town in the aftermath of the 2008 global recession. Ron Derby | Editor-in-Chief [@RonDerby]( [john_steenhuisen_9609_DV]( [Steenhuisen goes for the jugular in acceptance speech as DA leader]( Re-elected leader calls for ‘moonshot pact’ with other political parties to oust the ANC and keep the EFF out by securing a 51% coalition in next year’s election [// Read more]( Articles labelled as Premium are only available to subscribers. [CLICK HERE]( to subscribe Already a subscriber? [SIGN IN HERE]( [Bob Marley]( Premium [Bob Marley: The Prophet’s feel-good theology]( Christianity tells us to worry about hellfire; Bob Marley tells us ‘Don’t worry about a thing’. Drew Forrest looks at the Jamaican singer’s timeless appeal [// Read more]( [000_1QG94L]( Premium [Thabo Bester escape a fraction of the rot at G4S-run private jail]( However, abuse and torture at the prison have improved, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services says This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [How South Sudan downplays gross human rights’ violations]( The lead-up to next year’s first-ever elections will likely see heightened political disputes, competition and defections – developments that can quickly turn deadly [// Read more]( [‘Wicked’ Kaiser Karl set to have his day at Met Gala]( In May, guests will pay homage to the controversial Karl Lagerfeld, the ‘king of fashion’, at the Met Gala in New York [// Read more]( [Tale of two mothers: Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela remembered]( The world tends to think of the hardened mother of the nation who always had her fist in the air, but she was so much more [// Read more]( [Cities are key to tackling climate change]( Populations, resources, power and consumption are centred in cities, and this affects rural areas [// Read more]( [Oscar Pistorius to stay in jail, says correctional services]( Pistorius, who killed Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, will only become eligible for parole in August next year [// Read more]( Pic of the day [john_steenhuisen_3088_DV] Re-elected: DA leader John Steenhuisen. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa