> -----Original Message----- > From: Dan Bean [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 28 May 2004 10:26 > > Not having the knowledge myself, does anyone on the list know > if the cultural boycott of South Africa had an effect on the > fall of apartheid?
It probably didn't, but any artist or business who dealt with the apartheid regime as though it were a normal government was giving it their tacit approval. The cultural boycott was one way among many that members of the international community used to send a signal to the apartheid regime that their form of government was not seen as acceptable by the wider world. It's certainly true that no-one's ever going to change the world by convincing artists (whether musicians or people in other creative fields) not to go to countries that are ruled by inhuman or murderous governments. It comes down to the individual artist's conscience, and whether they're happy to implicitly acknowledge the legitimacy of these sorts of regimes. I guess that Daniel Wang is, or at least (as Rob suggested) he hasn't thought much about the world beyond talced NY dancefloors. Brendan
