As an online news team, we spend a fair amount of time trawling the web. Okay, fine, probably more time than is healthy. The upside of this (and, believe me, there are many downsides) is that we happen to know of quite a few really awesome newsy/political blogs out there. We even read a few of them.

And so, to save you the frustration of getting 590 000 useless results when you type 'insightful commentary' into Google, we've decided to share our favourites. First up is the self-titled blog Laurence Caromba

What's it all about?

As the name suggests, the blog is written by Laurence Caromba, a political analyst currently doing his Masters in politics at Pretoria University. Caromba's blog, which covers a wide range of subjects from the make-up of Helen Zille's cabinet to the fighting in Somalia, attempts to "make sense of the post-Mbeki, post-Bush, post-economic crisis world in which we live".

Caromba is interested, not only in the internal politics of South Africa and in foreign affairs, but also in how the two relate to each other — how South Africa defines its place in the world.

Why we like it

Caromba provides insightful, intellectual commentary on important subjects which are often overlooked in South African media. His blog, whilst covering all the important domestic issues, does not shy away from important international topics. He offers well-constructed arguments (instead of unsubstantiated rants) and contextualises his writing with useful links to the arguments of others.

Short snippet from the blog

"My point is that the 'liberal' view of government is simply better. We should be glad to live in an individualistic society rather than one in which people are seen as mere components of groups. We should not desire, nor should we deliberately seek, a government that 'looks like us', because the government is not supposed embody us in the way that Louis XIV embodied the nation of France.

"We should treat the government like an employee, because in a liberal state this is closer to what it actually is. And just as we evaluate employees on the basis of job performance rather than gender identity, the same should be true for government."

Read it if…

  • Your interests include, but extend beyond, South African politics.

  • You enjoy well-written, thought-provoking arguments.

  • You want to engage in meaningful debate.

    • Are you writing or reading something interesting? Mail us your favourite blogs and, if we like them, we'll share them!


    RSS
    Digg
    de.li.cious
    facebook
    Week in Quotes Julius Malema Judge Hlophe bashes Latin; Malema hates Mickey Mouse; and Lekota hasn't punched anyone...
    The iafrica.com debate Map of Africa Should our judicial system be 'Africanised'? Ebrahim Moolla takes on Rebekah Kendal...
    Quirky & Bizarre Bulldog Do you need a laugh? Then check out our offbeat stories from around the world...